John Chauner Williams (1819-1874) was a son of the noted South Seas LMS missionary, the Rev. John Williams, who was killed at Erromanga, New Hebrides, in 1839. From 1858 to 1873, J.C. Williams was British consul in Samoa, and he was also United States consul for several years until 1864. Williams was married twice - the second time in 1855 to Amelia (Amy) Crook.

This microfilm contains journal-letters (in two exercise books) of John Chauner Williams for the period October 25, 1873 to February 20, 1874. The journal-letters were written to Williams' wife in Samoa while he was in Sydney for medical treatment. The microfilm also contains journal-letters of Williams' wife (in four exercise books) for the periods October 22, 1855 to January 4, 1856; and October 25, 1873, to February 20, 1874, and one on loose sheets for September 1 to September 19, 1864. The first of these was kept in Sydney to send to her husband in Samoa; those for 1873-1874 were kept in Samoa to send to her husband in Sydney; that for 1864 was kept in Samoa to send to a woman friend in England to give her some little idea of our daily life. The letters contain many intimate glimpses of Samoan life and personalities. For a fuller outline of their content see the Bureau's newsletter Pambu, Jan. 1969:6. The Mitchell Library holds the originals of all except that for September 1 - September 19, 1864.

The Rev. Henry Nisbet, LL.D. (1818-76), a missionary of the London Missionary Society, left England for the Pacific Islands in August 1840. He reached Samoa from Sydney in August 1841, and went to Tanna, New Hebrides (Vanuatu), in the following June. He returned to Samoa in February 1843 and was stationed there for the rest of his life. In 1846 and 1848 he visited Niue, the New Hebrides and the Loyalty Islands on behalf of his mission. He visited Australia in 1854 and 1867-68; and England and Canada in 1869-70.

Nisbet began the practice of keeping a daily diary several years before he left England and continued it until ten days before his death.
One notebook (numbered 1), 13 journals (numbered 2-14), some hymns in Samoan, and letters from Nisbet to his second wife, Lydia Lantoret.

Reel 1: Notebook (5pp) recounting Nisbet's interest in missionary labours, 1835-6, and his connection with the LMS, 1836. Diaries numbered 1-3, 21 September 1836 to 26 July 1840. Journal of a voyage from England to Tanna, New Hebrides, 10 August 1840 - 8 February 1841. Diary No.4, 8 Sept. 1840-3 Jan. 1851. Correspondence register, 1840-67.
Reel 2: Journal Nos 5-9, 6 January 1851 to 12 February 1869.
Reel 3: Journal Nos 10-14, 13 February 1869 to 29 April 1876. 'Mr Nisbet's Hymns', circa 1850 - hymns in the Samoan language. Letters from Nisbet to his second wife, Lydia Lantoret, 1870-76, and a few of her letters to the family and other miscellaneous letters, 1870-82.

Please see PMB MS 184. These papers comprise part of the records of the Vicariate of Samoa which are designated Oceania Navigatores (ON) in the Marist Archives.

Letters from missionaries in Samoa to Marist headquarters in Lyon filed under 'Correspondence Missionnaires et Adm. Gen. II'.

Please see PMB MS 184. These papers comprise part of the records of the Vicariate of Samoa which are designated Oceania Navigatores (ON) in the Marist Archives.

Correspondence from Marist missionaries in Samoa to Marist headquarters in Lyon, 1879-89