Fonds A1729 - Rev. James Arthur Calata Papers

Identity area

Reference code

ZA HPRA A1729

Title

Rev. James Arthur Calata Papers

Date(s)

  • 1909 - 1974 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

1637 items

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

James Arthur Calata was born at Debe Nek, near King William's Town in the Cape Province in 1895 and later trained as a teacher at St. Matthew's College, 1915-1920. In 1921 he left teaching to become an Anglican priest. He was ordained in 1926 as a Deacon in the Anglican Church in Port Elizabeth and, after a short spell at Somerset East, proceeded to Cradock where he served as minister from 1928 until his retirement in 1968.

The Rev. Calata, however, was also a central figure in African social and political life being involved in, amongst others, the Pathfinders Movement, the African Parents Association, the Society of Saint Ntsikana, and the African National Congress in 1930. In 1935 he acted as Chaplain of the A.N.C. and as Secretary General between 1936 and 1949 when he resigned because he was not in favour of the Programme for Action. He was instrumental in getting A. B. Xuma elected President of ANC as he saw he was able to attract more educated people within the movement.

He was held and tried for treason in 1956 and acquitted. He was banned in 1962 for having 2 twenty-year-old photographs of an ANC deputation on his wall.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The papers were deposited by the African Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The Calata Papers consist of 1636 items covering the period 1909-1974 and include diaries, correspondence, notebooks, notes, sermons, addresses, minutes, memoranda, map, printed items, photographs and music.

The papers describe Calata's work in the church in the Eastern Cape, his role of schoolmaster, riots at St. Matthew's College, Keiskammahoek, and Lovedale, his notes on his ban and treason trial, education, and official records of several of the associations in which he was involved: the Cape African Parents Association, the Board of Missions, the Cathedral Chapter, the International African Ministers Federation, Pathfinders and Wayfarers Scouts.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English
  • Xhosa

Script of material

Language and script notes

,

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

Alternate title: Calata, Rev. James Arthur

Note

Preferred citation: Copyright Historical Papers Research Archive, The Library, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Archivist's note

Compiled by J. Knoesen

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related genres

Related places