The Moodie Family originated from Melsetter House, Orkney Islands

Letters between members of the family on personal and family affairs, the efforts to establish themselves at the Cape of Captain Benjamin Moodie (1789-1856), Lt. Donald Moodie (1794-1861) and J.W.D. Moodie (1797-1869), and of the difficulties experienced by Donald Moodie in publishing a series of early Cape Archives called The Record (Cape Town, Robertson, 1838-1841). Includes a letter from Thomas Moodie to C.A. Fairbridge commenting on Lord Carnarvon's proposed scheme of confederation for Southern Africa.

Also notes from the Dictionary of National Biography on various members of the Moodie family, an Ms on Donald Moodie and Ms on the family tree of Johannes Smuts, into whose family Donald Moodie's son married.

Subjects:

Instructions for the Diocese of Natal.

Various pamphlets by Bishop Gray on the trial and excommunication of Bishop Colenso.

Sermons and letters by Bishop Colenso.

God's commandments...' by W.M. Domville.

Defence of the Rev. James Walton before the Supreme Court of Natal in Colenso v. Walton.

Acknowledgment by the Natal clergy of R. Gray as their Metropolitan, 1865.

Proceedings of Bishop Colenso against Dean Green, Rev. J.H. Wills and Ven. T.C. Fearne, 1867.

Account of how Eastertide was spent in "British Kaffraria".

Correspondence between the Bishops and clergy of Cape Town and Natal, the Bishops of Grahamstown and St. Helena and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Correspondents:

Bishop P. Claughton.

Bishop J.W. Colenso.

J. Douglas.

Bishop R. Gray.

J. Green.

W. Smith.

Archbishop J.B. Sumner(Canterbury).

T. Watermeyer.

G.H. Wathen.

Bishop T.E. Welby.

H. Whitehead.

Subjects:

Comments by Bishop Gray on Bishop Colenso's sermon on the Holy Eucharist.

Account of the Natal Church Conference, 1858.

Report of the Committee appointed to consider the secession of the Dean and Archdeacon of Maritzburg, Canon Jenkins and R. Robertson.

Resolutions of the Natal Church Council that contributions from churchmen must be increased to enable the church's work to be oxpanded and that a Finance Board be set up. Sir C. Crey's gift of 50 pounds towards the expense of printing a new Kafir grammar.

Government grant for industrial missicn work.

Comments on the character of Mr. Scott, governor of Natal. Reports by Dean Green on the Natal Church Council. Bishop Colenso's teaching on the Eucharist and his belief in liberty of preaching.

Advice of Archbishop Sumner of Canterbury that rules for the administration of a diocese can only be enforced by acts of the Colonial Legislature.

Proposal to establish a rudimentary university under the control of the church.

Bishop Colenso's dispute with Crompton, Green and Jenkins. Offer by Bishop Colenso in 1859 to resign and become a missionary bishop in Zululand.

Colenso's disapproval of aesthetics who introduce unsound and unscriptural doctrine.

Hecessity for a British resident in Zululand and for the abolition of the chiefs putting their subjects to death without trial.

Difficulties about Bishop Mackenzie's consecration at Cape Town.

Controversy about the Zulu word for 'God'.

Comments on the Covernor's setting up a sugar industry at Umyoti.

Comments on Bishop Colenso's book The Romans.

Advice from South African bishops as to how Bishop Colenso should be tried.