Add MS 89338/3

Letters written by Richard James Church and Christine Church to their young children staying with relatives in Ealing, London, while they were away in West Africa, where Richard Church was working in railways. The letters were written during two separate stays in Gold Coast, 1915-1916, and Togoland, 1917 [Ghana and Togo].

1. Sixteen letters from Seccondee, Gold Coast, West Africa, September 1915 – October 1916, with 3 empty envelopes:

• Letter to Phyllis and Margaret Church from Richard and Christine Church, Liverpool, 7 September 1915. 2 folios. Letter written en route to Africa for 6 months, leaving daughters staying with ‘Aunty Loo’ and ‘Uncle Trev’ in Ealing.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Seccondee, Gold Coast, West Africa, 11 Oct 1915. 2 folios, with envelope. The bungalow and garden, zeppelin raids on London, dinner at the Commissioner of the Western Province, including sketch of Christine Church being carried by four ‘native boys’.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Seccondee, West Africa, 26 November 1915. 2 folios. Phyllis’s birthday, recent trip up the Railway to Coomassie, visit to Abontiakoon Mine at Tarquah [Tarkwa].
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, West Africa, 8 November 1915. 2 folios, (incomplete, lacks end). Enquiries about school, Phyllis’s birthday, recent trip up the Railway to Coomassie, visit to Abontiakoon Mine at Tarquah [Tarkwa].
• Letter to Margaret Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, West Africa, undated [November 1915]. 2 folios (incomplete, lacks beginning). Her sister Phyllis’ birthday, present for Christine (‘baby’).
• Letter to Margaret Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, Gold Coast, West Africa, 1 January 1915 [i.e. 1916]. 1 folio. New year celebrations.
• Letter to Phyllis and Margaret Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, Gold Coast, West Africa, 25 January 1916. 1 folio (incomplete, lacks end). New Year celebrations, the war, their news.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, West Africa, 4 February 1916. 2 folios (incomplete, lacks end). Tennis competition, visitors.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, Gold Coast, 25 March 1916. 7 folios. Visit of Governor Sir Hugh and Lady Clifford to see railway, guard of honour, reception, meals, Richard Church (her husband) to be away on work for a while.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Richard Church, Seccondee, West Africa, 25 April [1916]. 2 folios. Letter intended to reach her just before her birthday, Easter service, cricket competition, garden; with post-script from Christine, Margaret’s mother.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, Gold Coast, 7 May 1916. 3 folios. Birthday letter, thanks for letters and news from Liss, school, postal order. Letter written on same day as the following letter to Phyllis from her father.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Seccondee, Gold Coast, British West Africa, 7 May 1916. 2 folios. Thanks for letter, spelling, school, with sketch of a boat captioned ‘Homeward bound’. Letter written on same day as the preceding letter to Margaret from her mother.
• Letter to Phyllis and Margaret Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, Gold Coast, West Africa, 14 July [1916]. 1 folio. Hopes they have got over the disappointment of not seeing them as soon as expected.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Seccondee, Gold Coast, West Africa, 17 September 1916. 2 folios, with envelope. Due to sail for home in ten days, arriving around13-14 October, after a year away, plans for visiting Liss (Hampshire), to see the children’s grandfather and the baby (Christine).
• Letter to Phyllis from Christine Church, Ealing, [22 October 1916]. 1 folio, with envelope. Apologies for not seeing her before going to Liss, Hampshire.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Rotherhurst, Liss, Hants., 25 October 1916. 1 folio, with envelope. Arrived in England and travelled to Liss to stay with the relatives there, and see the baby (Christine) and her nurse, making arrangements for coming back to Ealing to be with Phyllis and Margaret.
• Three empty envelopes to Phyllis and Margaret Church in the hand of Christine Church, franked Seccondee, Gold Coast, [1915-1916].

2. Thirty letters from Lomé, Togoland, West Africa, June – December 1917, with one empty envelope:

• Letter to their daughters from Richard and Christine Church, Liverpool, 20 February 1917. 2 folios. Letter written en route to Africa, leaving daughters staying with ‘Aunty Loo’ and ‘Uncle Trev’ in Ealing.
• Letter to her daughters from Christine Church, Liverpool and at sea, 22 February – 7 March 1917. 4 folios, with envelope. Embarkation delayed, account of the journey and occupations on board the ship.
• Letter to his daughters from Richard Church, R.M.S. ‘Apapa’, on the high seas, 6 March 1917. 1 folio. Soon to arrive at Freetown, Sierra Leone, news of the voyage.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Lomé, Togoland, 1 April 1917. 3 folios. Her birthday, Phyllis’s measles, tennis, trip up the line to see former German territory with demolished radio stations and railway bridges.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, 13 April 1917. 2 folios. The girls’ measles, trip up the line to Palime, Assahun, Agu, the market there.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Christine Church, Lomé, 16 April 1917. 2 folios. Trip up country to Palime, puppies, things transported from Seccondee, dentist.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Christine Church, Lomé, 22 April 1917. 1 folio. Greetings on her 9th birthday, postal order, Lomé, his garden, local food produce and diet, servants.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, W. Africa, 22 April 1917. 1 folio, with envelope. Greetings on her 9th birthday, puppies, mail.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Christine Church, Lomé, Togoland, 3 May 1917. 3 folios, with envelope. Mail, trip up to Palime, beautiful scenery.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, 13 May 1917. 4 folios. Home letters and news, loss of mail in boats sunk, travelling the line, the ruined Kamina wireless station, school reports, dinner party.
• Letter to Margaret and Christine Church, from Christine Church, Lomé, 17 May 1917. 1 folio. Thanks for drawings and letters, the puppy.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Christine Church, Lomé, Togoland, 22 May 1917. 5 folios. Birthday greeting, the puppy, Empire Day.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Lomé, 26 May 1917. 1 folio. Puppy and cat, Empire Day.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, [Lomé], 27 May 1917. 1 folio. Thanks for letters, loss of mail in wartime.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Lomé, 3 June 1917. 2 folios (apparently incomplete, lacks signature). Slight fever, film shot at Government House, to be screened in London.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, W. Africa, 3 June 1917. 3 folios, with envelope. Film made at Government House, to be shown to the King and then publicly screened in London, filmed by cinematographer who accompanied the Prince of Wales to India, Kluto bungalow, Agu Plantations sports, with sketch of tennis match and band at Lomé.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Atakpame, French Zone, 21 June 1917. 2 folios, with envelope. Trip to inspect temporary bridges, dinner with French District Commissioner, sketch of hand-drawn carts.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Christine Church, Lomé, Togoland, 28 June [1917]. 2 folios. Rain, news from England, poultry, new vegetable garden.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, West Africa, 14 July 1917. 3 folios. Torpedoed mail, fishing, visit to Atakpame, telephone, social life, air raid in London.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Lomé, Togoland, 25 August 1917. 2 folios. Heavy rain, father dealing with ‘washouts’ of the line, puppy run over by a motor lorry.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Lomé, Togoland, West Africa, 31 August 1917. 2 folios, with envelope. The children’s school reports and prizes, repairs to railway after flood damage, loss of boats and post, news from home.
• Letter to his daughters from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, West Africa, 19 September 1917. 2 folios. Just returned from trip up the Palime line, visit to Agu Plantation, social life, cross-dressing dinner party.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Lomé, Togoland, 21 September 1917. 2 folios. Loss of boats and mail, news from home.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, 28 September – 17 October 1917. 1 folio. Loss of boats and mail, news from home, tennis, fishing garden, social life.
• Letter to one of his daughters from Richard Church, [Lomé] c 13 November 1917]. 1 folio (incomplete, lacks beginning). Trip to Misahohe, return to Lomé, his birthday celebrations.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, West Africa, 18 November 1917. 2 folios, with envelope. Christmas greetings.
• Letter to Margaret Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, 26 November 1917. 2 folios, with envelope. News of local friends, the garden and poultry.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Richard Church, Lomé, Togoland, 1 December 1917. 2 folios, with envelope. Loss of boats and mail, 36 passengers lost.
• Letter to Phyllis Church from Christine Church, Lomé, Togoland, 21 September 1917. 2 folios. Loss of boats and post, news from home.
• Letter to one of her daughters from Christine Church, undated (incomplete, lacks beginning). 1 folio.
• 1 empty envelope, franked 18.6.17, Lomé, Togo.