Reference code: GB-0033-SAD
Title: Hunter, Ysabel
Dates of creation: 1908-1985
Extent: 1 box
Held by: Durham University Library, Archives and Special Collections
Created by: Hunter, Ysabel
Language:
English
(1890 - 1973)
Ysabel Hunter, née Birkbeck was born on 16 Jun 1890. In 1923 she married Neil Barclay Hunter (1891 - 1957) who served with the Sudan Political Service and Sudan Education Department as follows:
| | |
| 1919-1920 | Inspector, El Fasher, Darfur |
| 1921-1923 | Commandant, Sub-Ma'murs' Training School |
| 1924-1926 | A.D.C. Talodi, Nuba Mountains Province |
| 1927-1931 | Resident Inspector Southern Education, Wau and Lalyo |
This collection also includes the diary of Ysabel Hunter's sister, Gillian Mary Barclay (1883 - 1909) who served with her husband Joseph Gurney Barclay as a missionary in Japan from 1908 until her death, and diaries of Ysabel Birkbeck's trip to
Japan in 1909 to visit Gillian Barclay.
A transcript of Ysabel Hunter's letter and diary, and notes on the Hunter and Barclay families, have been provided by Ysabel Hunter's son, Mr. N.C. Hunter.
A. Papers relating to the Sudan
1. Correspondence
2. Diary
3. Articles
4. Photographic Material
5. Printed Material
B. Papers relating to Japan and the Far East
1. Diaries
Presented by N.C. Hunter, 1985-1986 and 1997
Catalogue
A. Sudan
SAD.745/5/1-84
1926 Sep 29 - 1927 Jan 20
Diary kept by Ysabel Hunter during travels in the Sudan, Belgian Congo and Uganda, describing a 200 mile trek with Neil Hunter from Rahad to Talodi stopping at Rashad, Delami where they met A. Vicars Miles and the mission station at Abri where
they met Mr. and Mrs. Miles (SAD.745/5/1-17); leaving Talodi for the last time to take up an appointment in the south (SAD.745/5/19-22); the journey south (SAD.745/5/22-32), joining the Nile steamer at Tonga (SAD.745/5/24-25), meeting Archdeacon
Shaw at the mission station at Malek (SAD.745/5/28-29) and stopping at Mongalla (SAD.745/5/30), Rejaf (SAD.745/5/31) and Yei (SAD.745/5/33); journey into the Belgian Congo stopping at Aba, Faradje and Arua (SAD.745/5/34-38); journey into Uganda
stopping at Arua (SAD.745/5/40); journey by car from Rejaf to Torit (SAD.745/5/44); detailed description of a 100 mile trek undertaken by Ysabel Hunter from Torit to Loronyo and back (SAD.745/5/46-75) including reference to a native funeral
(SAD.745/5/56-57) and rain dance (SAD.745/5/69-70). Also includes:
SAD.745/5/81-82
Draft letters fromYsabel Hunter describing her walking tour. (For further description of this tour, see under 3. Articles)
SAD.745/5/83-84
Two water colours, possibly R. Nile with mountain range in background (1 vol., pencil)
SAD.745/4/9-24
Draft A entitled
“A (lady's) walking tour in the Upper Soudan”. First 15 pages only, amended by Dr. C.G. Campbell, an American friend of Ysabel and Neil Hunter.
SAD.724/12/1-104
c.1924-1926]
Album of photographs and watercolours by Ysabel Hunter covering the journey out to the Sudan and service in Nuba Mountains Province:
SAD.724/12/1
Pencil sketch by V. Nalder of Ysabel Hunter waiting with luggage at Birkenhead Station
SAD.724/12/5
Port Sudan - Khartoum train
SAD.724/12/6
Donkey inspection, Gordon hotel
SAD.724/12/7-17
The journey from El Obeid to Talodi
SAD.724/12/7
Mr. Walsh, Ysabel Hunter and Capt. Collings
SAD.724/12/11
Ysabel Hunter seated at table on the Talodi road
SAD.724/12/18
List of events during the Talodi Mutiny
SAD.724/12/19
Extract from telegram from Khartoum announcing the despatch of troops to Talodi
SAD.724/12/20
British officers at Talodi
SAD.724/12/21
Argyll and Sutherland soldiers at Talodi
SAD.724/12/26
Ysabel Hunter in horse-drawn trap
SAD.724/12/42
Mr. March, N.H. and Capt. Vicars Miles
SAD.724/12/44
Ysabel Hunter on horseback
SAD.724/12/45
Water colour of Nuba huts on side of
jabal
SAD.724/12/46
Ysabel Hunter with little
“Koko”
SAD.724/12/55
Water colour of Lake Abiad
SAD.724/12/56,57
Water colours of roan antelope head and guinea fowl
SAD.724/12/58-63
First visit to Await and Koweilat Dinka 10 Feb - 10 Mar 1925 (includes list of camps)
SAD.724/12/63
N.H. with tracker and policeman
SAD.724/12/64-6,75,83-4
Watercolours illustrating Nuba Mountains terrain
SAD.724/12/70
British officials and wives
SAD.724/12/76
Wollaton Rectory, Nottingham
SAD.724/12/82
Pencil sketches of Kode, Koko and Angalo
SAD.724/12/86
Watercolour of Talodi, Sep 1926
SAD.724/12/103
Ysabel Hunter's son N.C. Hunter
SAD.724/13/1-53
[c.1927-1931]
Album of photographs, all unlabelled, but apparently covering Neil and Ysabel Hunter's time in the southern Sudan. Includes many photographs of Neil and Ysabel Hunter, their friends and colleagues and their home at Lalyo
SAD.747/1/1-39
[1920's]
Assorted unlabelled photographs, mainly from the southern Sudan and including:
SAD.747/1/10-11
Italian missionaries, possibly Verona Fathers and pupils of mission school
SAD.747/1/12-30
Local people, some from Nuba Mountains, but mainly southern Sudan
SAD.747/1/31
Soldiers with horses, probably Nuba Mountains
SAD.747/1/32-36
Local terrain, southern Sudan
SAD.745/7/1
Hunter, N., Man and his future, (London, Private publication)
SAD.745/7/2-9
Hunter, Y., 100 English words pictured for the Sudanese (xerox copy) (O.U.P., 1931)
Separated printed material now in Durham University Library
Printed material deposited with collection; now integrated into the library's printed collections and catalogued on the Open Public Access Catalogue
Campbell, C.G., Race and religion, (Deventer, Holland 1953)
B. Japan and the Far East
SAD.745/8/6-10
First impressions of Kobe
SAD.745/8/10-12
Description of their home
SAD.745/8/17-18
First Japanese party for Christian workers
SAD.745/8/18-19
Graduation ceremony at S.P.G. girls' school
SAD.745/8/24-27
Osaka girls' school graduation ceremony
SAD.745/8/31-32
Visit to Kobe by the Crown Prince
SAD.745/8/32
Visit to Osaka - description of the town
SAD.745/8/33-46
Visit to Kyoto; thoughts on Buddhism
SAD.745/8/47-50
At Arima for C.M.S. conference
SAD.745/8/51-55
Criticisms of the activities of missionaries
SAD.745/8/57-59
Description of the Inari procession at Kyoto
SAD.745/8/62-63
Conversion of cook and his wife to christianity
SAD.745/8/64-72
Visit to Maiko to convalese
SAD.745/8/75-83
Early missionary work with young Japanese girls
SAD.745/8/84-88
Attending the convention at Arima
SAD.745/8/92-95
Criticism of Gillian Barclay wearing jewellery
SAD.745/8/99-102
Description of house at Matsui
SAD.745/8/104-111
Special Japanese dinner to welcome Gillian and Joseph Barclay.
SAD.745/8/117-119
Visit to Sakai and Yonago
SAD.745/8/143-149
Description of insects and flowers
SAD.745/8/153-158
Discussion of various dilemmas facing Gillian Barclay - whether to devote time to creating a beautiful home, to own anything but the plainest clothes, to indulge in pursuits such as tennis or to mix with non-Christian Japanese
SAD.745/8/175-177
Celebrations for Emperor's birthday
SAD.745/7/10-19
1984
Explanatory notes on the diary above by N.C. Hunter, nephew of Gillian Barclay, with extracts from three publications on the Birkbeck and Barclay families
SAD.865/7/1-74
1909 Jan 1 - Mar 5
Diary of Ysabel Birkbeck's trip to Japan in the company of her mother and sister Judith, to visit her sister Gillian Barclay. This first of two diaries covers the journey out, stopping at Ceylon, Singapore, Hong Kong and finally China, and
contains descriptions of fellow passengers, places visited and friends and relatives encountered en route. The main stops were at Port Said (SAD.865/7/8), Aden (SAD.865/7/10), Colombo (SAD.865/7/12-16), Kandy (SAD.865/7/16-17), Dambulla
(SAD.865/7/18), Anuradhapura and Mihintale (SAD.865/7/19-24), Trincomalee (SAD.865/7/24-26), Kandy (SAD.865/7/28-31), Holyrood (SAD.865/7/32-33), Nuwara Eliya (SAD.865/7/34-35), Colombo (SAD.865/7/35-37), Singapore (SAD.865/7/40-41), Hong Kong
(SAD.865/7/43-44), Canton (SAD.865/7/45-53), Shanghai (SAD.865/7/56-68) and Nanking (SAD.865/7/68-72). Interfiled with the text are the following illustrations:
Digitised material for Diary of Ysabel Birkbeck's trip to Japan, 1909 - SAD.865/7/1-74 SAD.865/7/6
Photograph of Dover from the ship, 7 Jan 1909
SAD.865/7/7
Sketch of the scene on deck during a storm, 8 Jan 1909
SAD.865/7/10
Photograph of fishermen at Port Said
SAD.865/7/12
Programme for gymkhana on the SS China
SAD.865/7/14
Menu for the Mount Lavinia Hotel, Colombo, 24 Jan 1909
SAD.865/7/15
Musical programme for after dinner on 24 Jan 1909 by G.O.H. Orchestra
SAD.865/7/24
Photograph from magazine of ruins of the Abhayagiriya Dagoba
SAD.865/7/26
Pencil sketch of a lake near Trincomalee
SAD.865/7/29
Pen and ink sketch of three ladies in a rickshaw
SAD.865/7/31
Sketch of Buddhist priest
SAD.865/7/32
Photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Whiting and their dogs
SAD.865/7/33
Sketch of ladies in a trap pulled by a bullock; photograph of tea-pickers (?) at Holyrood
SAD.865/7/38
Sketch of boy climbing a palm tree
SAD.865/7/40
List of passengers on the SS Delta
SAD.865/7/43
Photograph of junks in Hong Kong harbour
SAD.865/7/52
Photograph of the “silent city”, Canton
SAD.865/7/53
Photograph of sampans, Canton
SAD.865/7/57
Roderick Barclay, aged 18 hours
SAD.865/7/60
Sketch of Judith and Ysabel travelling by cart in Shanghai
SAD.865/7/61
Visiting cards
SAD.865/7/66
Photograph of Ysabel on donkey at Sonehow (?)
SAD.865/7/70
Sketch of the stone elephants, Ming tombs, Nanking
SAD.865/7/71
Watercolour of flower, Nanking, 4 Mar 1909
SAD.865/7/74
List of passengers on the SS China
SAD.865/8/1-71
1909 Mar - Jul 26
Second diary of Ysabel Birkbeck's trip to Japan continuing the narrative in 865/7/1-74 above. They arrived at Kobe, home of Gillian Barclay, shortly after the birth of her son Roderick and some six weeks before Gillian's death. Contents similar
to volume one, the main places visited being Kukiang (SAD.865/8/2), Hankow (SAD.865/8/3-5), Uchang (SAD.865/8/6-10), Wushan gorges (SAD.865/8/12-24), Kii ty pan (SAD.865/8/24-26), Tongkupo (SAD.865/8/26-27), Miao-yu-Tsao (SAD.865/8/27-29), Taichi
(SAD.865/8/30-31), Kwai-fu (SAD.865/8/32-33), Ichang (SAD.865/8/37-38), Hankow (SAD.865/8/40), Shanghai (SAD.865/8/41) and Japan (SAD.865/8/43-54). The return journey across Canada is described in 865/8/57-68. Interfiled with the text are the
following illustrations:
Digitised material for Diary of Ysabel Birkbeck's trip to Japan, 1909, part 2 - SAD.865/8/1-71 SAD.865/8/3
Sketches of giraffes' heads
SAD.865/8/7
Chinese writing
SAD.865/8/8
Three watercolours - Chinese man, sampan and tent
SAD.865/8/11
Photograph of Mr. Sly on the SS
Kwei Lee
SAD.865/8/13
Watercolour of Ysabel's cabin
SAD.865/8/14
Photograph of the Ichang gorge
SAD.865/8/19
Watercolour of Chinese woman
SAD.865/8/22
Self-portrait (watercolour) with sketch of boots
SAD.865/8/29
Photograph of Miao-yu-Tsao
SAD.865/8/30
Watercolour of flowering tree, Miao-yu-Tsao
SAD.865/8/31
Pen and ink sketch of procession to Taichi, Ysabel in front and other members of the party carried by bearers
SAD.865/8/32
Photograph of mules on the road to Taichi
SAD.865/8/33
Photograph of salt well at Kweifu
SAD.865/8/34
Photograph of salt ready to be shipped
SAD.865/8/35
Watercolour of Chinese “monthly rose” from the road to Taichi
SAD.865/8/36
Watercolour of postboat going through the Wushan gorge
SAD.865/8/38
Watercolour of flower picked at Ping-shan Pa
SAD.865/8/39
Chinese label from packet of shortbread
SAD.865/8/42
Watercolour of Chinese man
SAD.865/8/43
Menu from the ship Bülow
SAD.865/8/44
Card depicting Chinese family
SAD.865/8/55
Menu card from HMS Empress of Japan
SAD.865/8/56
Canadian Pacific Railway Co.'s saloon passenger list
SAD.865/8/57
Entertainment programme for HMS Empress of Japan
SAD.865/8/60
Watercolour of Canadian mountains and lake
SAD.865/8/61
Watercolour of iris from Field, Canada
SAD.865/8/62
Pen and ink sketch of Ysabel and party leading horses down mountainside
