Inventory of the Mary McCornack Thompson Diaries, 1887-1962
[top]Descriptive Summary
Repository
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke
University
Creator
Thompson, Mary
McCornack
Title
Mary McCornack Thompson
Diaries,
1887-1962
Language of Material
Material
in English
Extent
2.4 Linear Feet
96 Items
Abstract
96 Items
Mary McCornack Thompson
was an American Presbyterian missionary who spent over forty years (1889-1932)
traveling and teaching in South Africa and Rhodesia.
The collection contains diaries, and a few
letters. Main subjects are missionary life and travel in Africa. Materials
range in date between 1887-1962.
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Administrative Information
Access RestrictionsCollection is open for research.
However, collection may contain materials to which the
Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies.
Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in
Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour
delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare
Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Copyright Notice
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred
to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the
Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special
Collections Library.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Mary McCornack Thompson Diaries, Rare
Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.
Provenance
The Mary McCornack Thompson Diaries were received by the Rare Book,
Manuscript, and Special Collections Library as a gift in 2004.
Originally, the papers of Mary McCornack Thompson were at Oberlin
College, but were reacquired by the family at an unknown date.
Processing Information
Processed by Loren Crippin
Encoded by Loren Crippin
Completed October 30, 2006
Accessions 2005-0019, 2005-0020 were merged into one collection,
described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory:
DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local
Style Guide.
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Biographical Note
| 1858 Mar. 30 | Mary Elizabeth McCornack born |
| Circa 1879 | Graduated from Oberlin College, in Ohio |
| 1889 | Enlisted in the missionary service, and sent to the mission station at Esidumbi, South Africa by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions |
| 1889 June 1 | Left New York for first missionary trip to Africa, via London and Portugal |
| 1889 July 12 | Arrived in Cape Town, South Africa |
| 1893 June 14 | Married to Dr. William Lamarcus Thompson in South Africa |
| 1893 Oct. 19 | Traveled by boat and foot for four months to a new mission at Mount Silinda, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) |
| 1899 Jan. 9 | Left the mission for New York, via Durban |
| 1899-1901 | In the United States |
| 1901 Apr.-1910 July | Second missionary trip to Mount Silinda, Rhodesia |
| 1910-1911 | Attended church/missionary business meetings in the US (New York, and Cleveland) |
| 1911 Sept. 15 | Left from Boston for third missionary trip to Mount Silinda, Rhodesia via Liverpool, and London |
| 1912 Mar. 17 | Arrived at Mount Silinda mission |
| 1917 Apr. | Left the mission for the Far East |
| 1917 May | Traveled to Hong Kong, Kobe, Kyoto, and Yokohama |
| 1917 June | Traveled to Victoria, Canada, then south to Seattle, Portland and Chicago attending meetings |
| 1919 Jan.-1925 June | Fourth missionary trip to Mount Silinda, Rhodesia |
| 1926 Sept.-1932 June | Fifth (and last) missionary trip to Mount Silinda, Rhodesia |
| 1932 | Retired from mission work after 43 years |
| 1936 Mar. 10 | Died in Penny Farms, Florida at the age of 77 |
| 1947 Jan. 4 | William Lamarcus Thompson died in St. Cloud, Florida at the age of 89 |
Collection Overview
The
Mary McCornack Thompson Diaries date from 1887 to
1962 and are arranged into two series: Diaries and
Correspondence. The bulk of the collection consists
of 90 journals that contain detailed accounts of Mary McCornack Thompson's work
as a
Presbyterian missionary and teacher with the
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions in South Africa. During her 43 years as a missionary
Thompson worked briefly at the mission station at
Esidumbi in
South Africa, but she spent most of her time at
the
Mount Silinda mission in the
Melsetter region of
Rhodesia (
Zimbabwe). In the diaries, Thompson wrote of her
daily activities as a missionary, including building and expanding the mission,
encounters with locals, learning
Zulu, wildlife, meeting other missionaries, teaching
and praying. These detailed entries offer a glimpse into the social conditions,
race relations, and
native cultures of various South African regions.
Thompson also recounts her many travels throughout Africa, Europe, Asia, the
United States, and Canada. Included in the collection is one folder of
correspondence, mainly from William L. Thompson (Thompson's husband) regarding
the collection and the transfer of Mary's diaries to Oberlin College.
The Diaries Series documents Thompson's
almost daily activities between the years of 1887-1933, spanning all five of
her
missionary trips to Africa. Volumes 1-6 describe her
first missionary trip (1887-1899), detailing her preparations for travel to
Africa, her arrival, and her first encounters with
native Africans. During this time Thompson married
another missionary,
William L. Thompson, and together they traveled
for four months, mostly on foot, from
South Africa to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). They settled at
Mount Silinda, which would be their home in Africa
for the next forty years. Volumes 6-8 describe Mary Thompson's visits to the
United States between her missionary trips, including taking cooking and
photography classes, and traveling around the U.S.
Volumes 8-35 detail her second trip to Africa (1901-1910), during
which time the mission at Mount Silinda began to expand rapidly. Thompson often
writes about elections at the mission, as well as prayer services and sermons.
She occasionally mentions world events such as the explosion of Mt. Pelee in
Martinique, the Russian Revolution, and the detention of Queen Wilhelmina of
Holland. She also describes her experiences with local natives who teach her
the Zulu language. Volumes 35-40 cover Thompson's trip back to the United
States in 1910. She describes lectures and meetings, and discussions on the
outbreak of World War I. Her diary entries become less frequent during her stay
in the United States.
Volumes 40-57 span her third trip to Africa (1911-1917), and entries
tend to be bit longer and more descriptive. On this trip volumes 44-49 were
written in diary volumes entitled "Warriors of Africa," whose covers depict
African natives, and volumes 52-55 in volumes bearing the title "Empire
Exercise," portraying historical events. Volumes 57 and 58 describe Thompson's
travels during 1916-17 (at the height of World War I) to Hong Kong, Japan,
Canada, and the U.S. Volumes 59-60 recount her time back in the United States;
much of the content revolves around religious and political meetings on
World War I, and the
1918 U.S. midterm elections..
Volumes 61-77 detail her fourth trip to Africa (1919-1925), and
volumes 78-89 her fifth and last trip to Africa (1926-1932). Volume 80 does not
begin until page 92, and is filled with various writing; some entries appear to
be copies of diaries of historical figures. The diary entitled "Notes on Work
at Moody Bible Institute" contains lecture notes, thoughts, scripture
quotations, and observations by Thompson while attending a higher-education
Christian organization,
Moody Bible Institute, in
Chicago in 1918, between her third and fourth
missionary trips to Africa.
The Correspondence Series contains six
letters regarding the collection and transfer of Mary McCornack Thompson's
diaries after her death in 1936. The first five letters are from by William L.
Thompson (Thompson's husband), to his nieces Margaret and Jay Urice, who are
locating and collecting Mary's diaries. The sixth letter is from Jay Urice to
Mr. Julian Fowler, a librarian at Oberlin College, about having Mary's diaries
sent to Oberlin.
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Subject Headings
These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a
search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will
bring up other related research materials.
- Africa--Church history.
- Africa--Description and travel.
- Africa--Ethnic relations.
- Africa--Race relations.
- Africa--Religion.
- Africa, Southern--Languages.
- American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions--Africa, Southern.
- Diaries--Travel.
- Diaries--Women authors.
- Melsetter (Zimbabwe)--History.
- Missionaries--Africa--Biography.
- Missionaries--Africa--Diaries.
- Missionaries--Africa, Southern--Biography.
- Missionaries--South Africa--19th century.
- Missionaries--South Africa--Biography.
- Missionaries--Zimbabwe--Biography.
- Missionary settlements.
- Missions--Africa--19th century.
- Missions--Africa, Southern.
- Missions--Africa, Sub-Saharan.
- Missions--Rhodesia.
- Missions--Zimbabwe.
- Moody Bible Institute.
- Mount Silinda.
- Oberlin College--Alumni and alumnae.
- Presbyterian Church--Missions.
- Rhodesia and Nyasaland--Native races.
- Rhodesia and Nyasaland--Description and travel.
- Rhodesia and Nyasaland--History.
- Rhodesia and Nyasaland--Race relations.
- Rhodesia and Nyasaland--Social conditions.
- Thompson, Mary McCornack.
- Thompson, William L. (William Lamarcus).
- Women missionaries--Africa--Personal narratives.
- Women missionaries--South Africa.
- Women missionaries--United States--Diaries.
- Zimbabwe--Missions.
- Diaries.
 | List of Series in Collection | |||||||
 |  | Diaries Series, 1887-1933 | ||||||
 | | Correspondence Series, 1944-1962 | ||||||
Detailed Description of Collection
Diaries Series, 1887-1933
(6 Boxes)
Contains 90 diaries maintained by Mary McCornack Thompson during
her time as a Presbyterian missionary in
Africa, documenting in great detail her daily
life and work. The diaries provide a revealing look at daily
missionary life in
Africa (attending meetings, prayers, teaching
classes), thoughts on scripture, weather, friends and other missionaries, daily
chores (sewing, baking, gardening), brief glimpses of the culture and customs
of the local Africans, as well as descriptions of her travels throughout the
world, and encounters with friends and fellow missionaries. She also notes her
thoughts about world events such as the Russian Revolution and
World War I. Throughout the diaries she
describes her travels across Africa, the Middle East, the United States,
Canada, Europe, and the Far East. The entries are very matter-of-fact,
describing situations, people, and events, but containing little introspection
about how she feels. The journals are arranged by chronological volume numbers
given by the author. Many small groups of loose materials were found laid into
the beginning or end of the journals; these materials have been left in the
journals; some of these items appear to be unrelated to the journals in which
they were found.
Box 1
Vol. 1:
1887 Sept. 13-1889 July
16
Contains an unbound journal and a loose photograph.
Vol. 2:
1893 Jan. 1-Apr.
21
Vol. 3:
1893 June 14-Oct.
19
Vol. 4:
1893 Oct. 19-Dec.
18
Vol. 5:
1894 July 24-Sept.
24
Vol. 6:
1899 Jan. 1-Feb.
16
Vol. 6.5:
1900 Jan. 1-Dec.
31
Vol. 7:
1901 Jan. 1-Apr.
20
Vol. 8:
1901 Apr. 21-June
21
Vol. 9:
1901 Oct. 1-Dec.
31
Vol. 10:
1902 Jan. 1-Mar.
22
Vol. 11:
1902 Mar. 23-June
22
Vol. 12:
1902 June 28-Oct.
2
Vol. 13:
1902 Oct. 3-Dec.
30
Vol. 14:
1903 Jan. 1-May
2
Contains loose drawings and pictures.
Box 2
Vol. 15:
1903 May 4-Sept.
25
Vol. 16:
1903 Sept. 26-1904 Jan.
9
Vol. 17:
1904 Jan. 9-Mar.
29
Vol. 18:
1904 Mar. 30-June
16
Vol. 19:
1904 June 18-Sept.
19
Vol. 20:
1904 Sept. 20-Dec.
19
Vol. 21:
1904 Dec. 10-1905 Apr.
4
Vol. 22:
1905 Apr. 4-July
26
Vol. 23:
1905 July 27-Dec.
31
Vol. 24:
1906 Jan. 1-Apr.
9
Vol. 25:
1906 Apr. 19-Aug.
16
Vol. 26:
1906 Aug. 17-Dec.
31
Vol. 27:
1907 Jan. 1-Mar.
31
Vol. 28:
1907 Apr. 1-July
29
Vol. 29:
1907 July 30-Dec.
31
Vol. 30:
1908 Jan. 1-Dec.
31
Vol. 31:
1909 Jan. 1-May
11
Contains loose drawings.
Box 3
Vol. 32:
1909 May 12-Sept.
2
Vol. 33:
1909 Sept. 3-1910 Jan.
26
Vol. 34:
1910 Jan. 27-Jun.
27
Vol. 35:
1910 July 19-Aug.
22
Vol. 36:
1910 Aug. 22-Oct.
9
Vol. 37:
1910 Oct. 9-1911 Feb.
4
Vol. 38:
1911 Feb. 6-May
24
Vol. 39:
1911 May 30-Aug.
28
Vol. 40:
1911 Sept. 12-1912 Feb.
12
Vol. 41:
1912 Feb. 13-Dec.
31
Vol. 42:
1913 Jan. 1-May
2
Vol. 43:
1913 May 3-Aug.
25
Vol. 44:
1913 Aug. 26-1914 Jan.
2
Vol. 45:
1914 Jan. 4-Apr.
8
Vol. 46:
1914 Apr. 9-June
20
Vol. 47:
1914 June 21-Oct.
31
Vol. 48:
1914 Nov. 1-1915 Feb.
9
Vol. 49:
1915 Feb. 12-May
11
Box 4
Vol. 50:
1915 May 11-July
17
Vol. 51:
1915 July 18-Aug.
12
Vol. 52:
1915 Aug. 13-Oct.
21
Contains a map of South Africa.
Vol. 53:
1915 Oct. 22-1916 Jan.
5
Vol. 54:
1916 Jan. 6-Mar.
31
Vol. 55:
1916 Apr. 1-June
2
Vol. 56:
1916 June 3-Sept.
30
Vol. 57:
1916 Oct. 1-1917 June
13
Contains postcards, and loose pressed plants.
Vol. 58:
1917 June 14-Oct.
16
Vol. 59:
1917 Oct. 17-1918 Jan.
12
Contains newspaper clippings.
Vol. 60:
1918 Jan. 14-July
15
Vol. 61:
1918 July 16-1919 Feb.
13
Vol. 62:
1919 Feb. 14-1920 Apr.
4
Contains order form for WW I combat map.
Vol. 63:
1920 Apr. 5-Nov.
6
Box 5
Vol. 64:
1920 Nov. 7-1921 Jan.
4
Vol. 65:
1921 Jan. 4-Apr.
21
Vol. 66:
1921 May 1-Aug.
20
Vol. 67:
1921 Aug. 20-Dec.
28
Vol. 68:
1921 Dec. 29-1922 Mar.
25
Vol. 69:
1922 Mar. 25-June
19
Contains letters, and a photograph of a child.
Vol. 70:
1922 June 20-Aug.
30
Vol. 71:
1922 Aug. 30-Nov.
4
Vol. 72:
1922 Nov. 6-1923 Jan.
18
Vol. 73:
1923 Jan. 19-Apr.
27
Vol. 74:
1923 Apr. 27-July
8
Vol. 75:
1923 July 8-Nov.
12
Vol. 76:
1923 Nov. 13-1924 Feb.
2
Vol. 77:
1924 Feb. 2-1926 May
12
Contains a map of Baptist Missions in Africa (Belgian Congo),
animal cutouts, stamps and letters.
Vol. 78:
1926 May 13-1927 Feb.
10
Vol. 79:
1927 Feb. 11-May
13
Vol. 80:
1927 May. 13-Oct.
28
Vol. 81:
1927 Oct. 31-1928 Jan.
18
Box 6
Vol. 82:
1928 Jan. 19-Dec.
31
Vol. 83:
1929 Jan. 1-1930 Jan.
23
Vol. 84:
1930 Jan. 25-Sept.
7
Vol. 85:
1930 Sept. 8-1931 Apr.
7
Vol. 86:
1931 Apr. 7-Oct.
29
Vol. 87:
1931 Oct. 30-1932 July
18
Vol. 88:
1932 July 16-1933 Jan.
31
Vol. 89:
1933 Feb. 1-Nov.
24
Notes On Work at Moody Bible Institute,
circa 1918
Correspondence Series, 1944-1962
(1 folder)
Contains six letters regarding the collection and transfer of Mary
McCornack Thompson's diaries after her death in 1936. The first five letters
are by Mr. William L. Thompson (Mary's husband) to his nieces Margaret and Jay
Urice, who are locating and collecting Mary's diaries. The letters are all
handwritten, with some typed copies. The sixth letter is from Jay Urice to Mr.
Julian Fowler, a librarian at Oberlin College, about having Mary's diaries sent
to Oberlin. Arranged chronologically.
Box 6
Correspondence:
1944 Aug. 19-1962 Aug.
3
