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.