John Jones - Papers re Mare, Loyalty Islands, 1854-1908

PMB 1016

fonds

Canberra : Pacific Manuscripts Bureau, [19--]

441085

Microfilm : PMB 1016

microform reel 35 mm

Jones (1829-1908) was born in Worcester. He was ordained in London in 1853 and accepted by the London Missionary Society as one of the first missionaries to Mare, Loyalty Islands. He and his wife Sarah (nee Herbert) spent 34 years on Mare establishing schools, workshops, an institution for the training of a native ministry and translating biblical texts into the local language. The French expelled him from Mare in 1887

The papers relate to the Mare mission. They comprise newspaper clippings, articles, photographs, maps a diary and personal and other correspondence. The personal correspondence describes their daily lives, the adjustment to local conditions and foods, the seeds and plants they grew and a very detailed account of his wife Sarah's childbirth with "placenta previa" (See item 7 on the microfilm). In all Sarah had 8 children, 2 stillborn, 2 died in infancy and 4 survived. The photographs are of indigenous people and the mission buildings on Mare, and members of Jones' family. There are letters between him and the French government 1881-1886, including the 'rules drawn up for settlement of the Mare difficulty' (in French). The newspaper clippings include items from "The Christian", "The Chronicle" and "Le Neo-Caledonien". Also included on the reel is a copy of "The People and Language of Lifu, Loyalty Islands" by Sydney H. Ray, MA FRAI, with illustrations

English, French

PMB (Australian National University. Pacific Manuscripts Bureau) ; 1016
Available for reference
Microfilm copy of originals held in private ownership
Contents list appears at the beginning of the film