Conference of British Missionary Societies' Consultation on the plight of Tamil plantation workers in Sri Lanka, 1974

Scope and Content

The contents of the collection comprises minutes, pamphlets, notes and correspondence relating to the tea industry in Sri Lanka and the plight of Tamil plantation workers. The following list of contents was supplied by Mark Churchill:

"Tea The Colonial Legacy" by Cambridge World Development Action Group.

Large Quarto stitched typescript 22 pages.

[No date: acquired by Mark Churchill in April 1975]

"The Christian Workers Fellowship. What it is and why it exists".

Quarto pamphlet eight pages published by the CWF in Colombo

"Tamils of Indian origin on tea estates in Sri Lanka.

Single typed foolscap sheet by Olive Hitchcock, CMS

"Some aspects of the tea industry" by Nalini Jeyapalan and AS Jayawardena.

Twelve photocopied quarto pages from unidentified source.

Photocopy of letter and statement from Brooke Bond Liebig Ltd. to Dr Colin Morris, MMS.

Dated 14th November 1973

"Facing the Future". Three typed foolscap sheets from the CWF.

[No date: c1972-1974]

"The state of tea - action plan"

Single A4 sheet from War on Want, 1974

"The state of tea" by Edith M Bond

A War on Want investigation into Sri Lanka's tea industry and the plight of the estate workers

Fifteen pages stitched A4. March 1974

Administrative / Biographical History

Mark Churchill worked with the Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya (SLBS) from 1970 to 1976 as a pastor/evangelist supported by the Baptist Missionary Society (BMS). Most of his work was carried out on tea and rubber plantations in the Sabaragamuwa province of Sri Lanka. He was based in Ratnapura from 1971 to 1974 as a successor to Colin Grant who had spent a considerable period there. While on furlough in 1974, Mark Churchill was invited to participate in the Conference of British Missionary Societies' (CBMS) Consultation relating to the tea industry in Sri Lanka and the plight of Tamil plantation workers. The collection comprise minutes, pamphlets, notes and correspondence on the subject compiled by Mark Churchill at the time.

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Donated to SOAS Library in January 2008.

Related Material

See Conference of British Missionary Societies collection (CBMS), and War on Want collection, also held at SOAS.

Geographical Names