Arquivo WEM - Papers of William Edward Maxwell

Zona de identificação

Código de referência

GB 891 WEM

Título

Papers of William Edward Maxwell

Data(s)

  • 18th Jan 1889 (Produção)

Nível de descrição

Arquivo

Dimensão e suporte

1 item handwritten

Zona do contexto

Nome do produtor

História biográfica

William Edward Maxwell, born in 1846, was the son of Sir Peter Benson Maxwell, the Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements. Maxwell followed in his father's footsteps, training in the legal profession and working within colonial administration. In 1883, Maxwell was appointed Commissioner of Land Titles in the Straits Settlements, and, therefore, Member of the Executive and Legislative Councils of those Settlements. In 1889, he was appointed the Resident of Selangor. He became the Colonial Secretary of the Straits Settlements in 1892, and was acting governor from 30 August 1893 to 1 February 1894. During this time Maxwell was actively involved with the Singapore Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, serving as President, Vice-President, and Editor of the Journal, to which he contributed a number of articles. He was avidly interested in the Malay language.

In 1895, he was transferred to be Governor of the Gold Coast (Ghana). Maxwell died at sea, from malaria, near the Canary Isles, in 1897, and was buried at sea. He requested that all his private papers and diaries were burnt. Fortunately, this did not include the many manuscripts which he had collected. These were bequeathed to the Royal Asiatic Society.

Nome do produtor

História biográfica

História do arquivo

The letter was sent to William Edward Maxwell when he British resident at Selangor.

Fonte imediata de aquisição ou transferência

It is unknown how the letter became part of the Society's collections. However Maxwell made a large bequest of Malay manuscripts to the Society. It is likely that the letter came with these.

Zona do conteúdo e estrutura

Âmbito e conteúdo

The papers consist of a single letter from John Haffenden, Malaysian Agency, British and Foreign Bible Society, to William Edward Maxwell to send two copies of the "Acts of the Apostle" in Malay (Arabic character) which had been printed in Europe by the Society. Haffenden asks Maxwell for his opinion on the type with which the book has been printed. The letter is dated Singapore, 18 January 1889.

Avaliação, seleção e eliminação

Incorporações

Sistema de arranjo

Zona de condições de acesso e utilização

Condições de acesso

Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.

Condiçoes de reprodução

Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.

Idioma do material

  • inglês

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    Notas ao idioma e script

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    Existência e localização de originais

    Existência e localização de cópias

    Unidades de descrição relacionadas

    Maxwell's bequest was of a large number of Malay manuscripts which now form part of the Library's collections. Several of these have been digitised and can be viewed on our Digital Library: https://royalasiaticcollections.org/.

    Descrições relacionadas

    Zona das notas

    Identificador(es) alternativo(s)

    Pontos de acesso

    Pontos de acesso - Assuntos

    Pontos de acesso - Nomes

    Pontos de acesso de género

    Zona do controlo da descrição

    Identificador da descrição

    gb891-wem

    Identificador da instituição

    Regras ou convenções utilizadas

    Estatuto

    Nível de detalhe

    Datas de criação, revisão, eliminação

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        Nota do arquivista

        This material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.

        Área de ingresso