The Cowen Papers consist of correspondence, sketches, notes, photographs and printed items. They were collected together during the years 1894-1896 by Cowen, who was anxious to discover the true history of the massacre of the Tyumie (sometimes written Chumie) Valley military settlers during the so called 8th "Kaffir War" of 1850-1852. The Gaikas were enraged against the military settlers because they were occupying their favourite land and this ill-feeling increased when the military settlers seized Gaika cattle trespassing on their land and when the Gaikas thought that Chief Tyali's grave had been desecrated. On Christmas Day 1850 the Gaikas under Chief Sandile (1823-1878) attacked the military settlers, wiping out all at Woburn, killing all the men at Auckland but allowing the women to escape and burning Juanasberg, from which the settlers had escaped. Cowen had written to missionaries, government servants and military men who had been present during the massacre in an attempt to find the true facts.

The papers reveal a surprising divergence in the stories of certain individuals. In particular the account of Captain J.M. Stevenson, formerly superintendent of Juanasberg, differed substantially from the stories of the missionaries. As part of his enquiry Cowen published in 1896 a pamphlet by J.M. Stevenson, with a preface written by himself, entitled Tyumie Valley Massacres. This pamphlet had wide margins to allow for comments by the readers. Other correspondents included Captain G. Armytage, 1st Superintendent at Woburn, A.W. Baker, Civil Commissioner, Alice, W.B. Chalmers, Civil Commissioner, King Williams Town, The Rev. J.F. Cumming, missionary at Gwali, W. Dewey, editor of the Alice Times and J.B. Liefeldt, Inspector of Natives, Victoria East.

The papers contain interesting accounts by missionaries and soldiers who survived the massacre and there are photographs of contemporary sketches of various localities in the Tyumie Valley. Their provenance is not known, other than that they were part of the original Gubbins collection of Africana. Another Cowen item, a copybook, was destroyed by fire at the University of the Witwatersrand in December 1931.

File 1. Reports for 'St George's Mission Home and its works' (including St George's Orphanage, St Michael's Home, Refuge for penitents, St Cyprians. All Saints and St Hilda's Schools, Leliebloem House of Mercy, Nursing at New Somerset Hospital, Rondebosch Work Party. (1876-1992).

File 2. Minutes of the Management Committee of St George's Home and of the Ladies' Committee meeting and Annual General Meetings, (1989-1992). Correspndence.

Explorer and Captain of Cavalry

Published under the title Au pays des Ba-Rotse, Haut Zambeze, Paris, 1895, the diary describes an expedition to Barotseland, including visits to mission stations.

The crowd if following some volunteer corps during the Jameson Raid tension.

Letters to Bishop Gray and Jones of Cape Town from clergy and bishops in Scuth Africa and England, provincial and Bloemfontein diocesan officials, Civil Commissioner Kimberley and President Brand of the Orange Free State.

Correspondents:

E. Bourdillon.

Bishop H.B. Bousfield.

President J.H. Brand.

W. Bright.

W.T. Bullock.

Bishop H. Callaway.

W. Crisp.

J. Douglao.

W.T. Gaul.

Bishop R. Gray.

W.A. Holbech.

Bishop J. Jackson(London).

Bishop W.W. Jones.

E. Judge.

Bishop B. Key.

Bishop G.W.H. Knight-Bruce.

? Lidden.

Bishop D. Mackenzie.

Bishop W.K. Macrorie.

Bishop S.T. Nevill(Dunedin).

C.W.H. Reynolds.

W.A. Robinson.

A.H. Sinclair.

J.W. Stenson.

J.E. Stocks.

D. Tennant.

S. Todd.

Bishop A.B. Webb.

Bishop T.E. Welby.

Subjects:

Oath of canonical obedience taken by colonial bishops; Bp.of New Zealand, asks what should happen about the oath of obedience in a church where there is no metropolitan but an elected primate.

Comments on the suitability of various clergy to be bishop of Bloemfontein.

Investment of the Bishopric Endowment Fund.

Complaint that one of Bishop Webb's clergy conducted a bigamous marriage in the Diamond Fields, although warned of a previous carriage.

Request for holp to raise funds for a new hospital at Wepener.

Approval of the South African bishops for the new bishop to be appointed by a delegation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bisheps of Edinburgh and Truro.

Chieftainship at Thaba 'Nchu submitted to the arhitration of President Brand.

Request by J. Douglas, 1885, to visit England and explain the true state of affairs in the diocese.

Canon Crisp's report on the translation of the Bible and.

Prayer Book into Sechuona.

Finances of the diocese perilous, mainly due to debts incurred by thc Sisterhood, which makes appointment of a new bishop difficult.

Account of mission work in Basutoland.

Disturbance in Synod of 1887 over finance.

Bishops' assent to postponement of provincial synod to 1891.

Mission work in Mashonaland and the need for a bishopric there.

Suggested division of Kimberley from Bloemfontein.