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.

Civil servant, Native Commissioner in the Transkei

'Some customary observations connected with the payment of dowry' (4p.); 'The circumcision ceremony in Fingoland' (7p.), published in Bantu Studies, vol. 3, July 1928.

Catholic missionary

Bantu origins: the people and their language (238p. Ts vol.), published Cape Town, Struik, 1963 and The Zulu people as they were before the white man came (480p.2 Ts vols.) published Pietermaritzburg, Shuter, 1949.

'Hottentot or Free Person of Colour: contract of hiring and service of husband and wife including children'.

Drawn up between T. Stringfellow of Grahamstown and Richard Dick, prize negro and his wife, whereby they agreed to serve as domestic servants for six months and to be paid fifteen shillings, plus food and lodging. Signed by T. Stringfellow and marks made by R. Dick and his wife in the presence of P. McRosty, Clerk of the Peace.

French Missionary

Holographs relating to the Barotse; ethnological notes; meteorological notes 1888-1889; copies of letters, 1913, between Sir Ralph Williams and Miss C.W. Mackintosh (niece of Mme Coillard) Concerning the claim that Mme Coillard was the first white woman to visit (1878) the Victoria Falls; photographs of the Rev. Louis Jalla, Rev. Francois Coillard and Mabotsa.

Letter, Johannesburg to W.R. Morrison, Cape Town, about the Rev. Prosper Lemue of the Paris Evangelical Mission.

Lemue performed the marriage ceremony of David Livingstone and Mary Moffat at Kuruman.

Missionary of the London Missionary Society (L.M.S.)

'Extracts from the narrative of the journey of Mr. Read and others to Caffraria, dated Bethelsdorp, May 21, 1816'.

In the form of a letter to the Director of the London Missionary Society, Read describes a journey to the Eastern Cape, during which he met the prophet Makana and the Xhosa chief Gaika. There are references to Dr. J.T. van der Kemp's pioneer work in the missionary field.

Hon. Thesis by Catherine Higgs, entitled "The political thought and career of Edgar H. Brookes", submitted to the Department of History, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, 1984.