Papers of Reverend A. B. Fisher

This collection of papers of Arthur Fisher relates principally to his service as a CMS missionary in Uganda. It includes his diary for 1892-1904; and a series of 21 notebooks, the first 14 being an autobiographical account of his life from 1890 to 1900, the remainder containing source materials, either copied or inserted originals. This source material includes articles, annual letters and notes covering the period 1896-1912. Another series of files contain source materials relating to his service in Gulu where he was responsible for establishing the station in 1913 and these files include, for example, letters he wrote to his wife, Ruth and son, George, 1912-14. There is also some miscellaneous later material. The collection is accompanied by an introduction and list made by H. B. Thomas who has also annotated some of the material with his own notes.

Administrative/Biographical History

Arthur Bryan Fisher (1870-1955) of Dublin was accepted as a CMS missionary in 1892 and served largely in Uganda at Kasaka, 1894, Kinakulya, 1895, Toro, 1896, Bunyoro, 1904, Hoima, 1908, and Gulu, 1913. He was ordained as a priest in 1900 and in 1902 he married Ruth Hurditch, also a CMS missionary. He retired from service with the CMS in 1914 and died at Eastbourne in 1955.

Reference: Register of missionaries (clerical, lay & female) and native clergy from 1804 to 1904 ( Church Missionary Society, 1905 ). ; and manuscript additions to register.

This collection forms part of the Church Missionary Society Unofficial Papers. It is arranged into two series (with sub-series): Family Papers and Miscellaneous Papers.

Access Conditions

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was deposited with the CMS in 1956. It was transferred on permanent loan to the Special Collections Department by the CMS in the 1980s.

Finding Aids

A catalogue is available in electronic format on the University of Birmingham Special Collections website: http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/ A paper catalogue to file and item level is available in the Special Collections Department.

See full catalogue for more information.

The Special Collections Department holds the Church Missionary Society Archive, the official archive of the society, which includes papers relating to Fisher's service as a CMS missionary. The Special Collections Department and the Orchard Learning Resources Centre hold a rich collection of archives relating to missions, charities and other religious and ecclesiastical organisations and individuals.