Papers of Patricia Chater relating to St Faith's Mission and St Francis Mission in Southern Rhodesia/Zimbabwe
Comprises:
- File 1: Patricia Chater's circular letters to friends describing the suppression of St Faith's Mission Farm and her subsequent life at St Francis Mission, acting as local secretary to the African Development Trust, Mar 1960-May 1963. With two newsletters from the Mukuwapasi Clinic, Rusape, written by Margaret Chiwandamira, 1961/2 and Feb 1968.
- File 2: Letters from Patricia Chater to her family in the UK (and one letter from her nephew Mark while visiting her at Rusape), 1974-1998. With typed extracts from the letters of Mary Chater to her niece Patricia, 1952-1985, photographs of Patricia Chater and friends, 1990s, and typed extracts from her journal, Jul 2006-Dec 2007.
- File 3: Newsletters and leaflets of the African Development Trust, c.1955-1965, including news of St Faith's Mission Farm, St Francis Mission and Patricia Chater.
- File 4: Newsletters, 1967-1970, of the Cold Comfort Farm Society and of the Nyafaru Development Company with booklets Rekayi Tangwena: Let Tangwena Be. by Guy Clutton-Brock (Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1969) and The Cold Comfort Farm Society by Guy Clutton-Brock (Mambo Press, Gwelo, 1970).
Dates
- Creation: 1952-2007
Extent
1 box (4 folders)
Language of Materials
- English
Preferred Citation
Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. 23825, file 1].
Shelfmark:
MS. 23825
Collection ID (for staff)
CMD ID 23825
Abstract
Papers of Patricia Chater relating to St Faith's Mission and St Francis Mission in Southern Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
Biographical / Historical
Patricia Chater joined the Anglican Mission of St Faith's in Rusape, then in Southern Rhodesia, in 1952. The mission farm had been run as a non-racial co-operative since the arrival in 1949 of Guy and Molly Clutton-Brock and Patricia enthusiastically joined the community there which attracted the young leaders of the developing African nationalist movement.
In 1960 Patricia moved to St Francis, an independent African church created by former members of St Faith's and lived there through the period of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the Unilateral Declaration of Independence by the Rhodesia Front in 1965, the liberation war and the decades following independence in 1980. Her three books provide detailed accounts of her life.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Bodleian in 2024 by Mark Chater, nephew of Patricia Chater.
Bibliography
Geographic
Topical
Creator
- Title
- Catalogue of the Papers of Patricia Chater relating to St Faith's Mission and St Francis Mission in Southern Rhodesia/Zimbabwe
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Lucy McCann
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Edition statement
- First edition.
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk