UCT Libraries

BC 1154 CW Cousins Papers

Manuscripts & Archives

University of Cape Town Libraries

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

C.W. Cousins

Clarence Wilfred Cousins was born in Madagascar in 1872. He was the son of Reverend William Cousins, a senior London Missionary Society missionary in Madagascar, who translated the Bible into Malagasy.

Having matriculated from Oxford High School in 1891, he went on to Lincoln College in Oxford where he read Modern History. His plan to attain honours in this subject was cut short when he was compelled to take work as a school master. He came to South Africa in 1897 to take up an appointment as Assistant Master at the Victoria College School for Boys.

Cousins married Ethelwyn Edith Agnes Ruthven Murray, daughter of Sir James Murray, compiler of the Oxford English Dictionary, and sister of Wilfred Murray, one time registrar of the University of Cape Town. They had four children: Alison, who became a missionary, David, a farmer, Cedric, a geologist who discovered the Free State Goldfields, and Alan, an astronomer.

Aside from tutoring and lecturing, Cousins held various appointments in the Civil Service, including Inspector of Prisons, Principal Clerk in the Local Government and Health Branch, Principal Immigration Officer, Justice of the Peace for several districts of the Cape Colony, Chairman of the Statistical Council and Director of the Census. He had a keen interest in politics and particularly sided with the United Party, as is evident in letters and press cuttings held in the collection. He produced a self published book, Reflections of a nineteenth century immigrant in 1950, in which he outlined public life in the Cape and examined immigration and race relations.

After some 35 years of work in the Civil Service, Cousins retired to a farm in the Transvaal. He died in 1954.

 

THE COLLECTION

The C.W. Cousins Papers were presented to the University of Cape Town Libraries by Mary McLachlan.

 

The collection consists of personal papers and records of C.W. Cousins' life both as an official in public service and as a farmer in the Eastern Transvaal. It also sheds light on life and politics in South Africa in the early years of the 20th century.   Included in the collection are letters from Jan Hofmeyr and Leo Marquard as well as a copy of a letter from Sir James Murray.   Permission to consult the papers will be granted at the discretion of the University Librarian.

 

 

PERSONAL PAPERS

 

A1

Passports: C.W. Cousins & E.E.A.R. Cousins

3

A2

School reports and testimonials

29

A3

Letters of Appointment 1897 - 1917

15

A4.1

Diaries

 

A41.1

27/12/1897 - 16/03/1898

1

A4.1.2

02/08/1912 - 10/12/1912

1

A4.1.3

10/01/1913 - 05/08/1913

1

A4.1.4

30/09/1915 - 28/11/1916

1

A4.1.5

12/09/1933 - 09/10/1933

1

A4.2

Pocket Diaries

 

A4.2.1

1892; 1896; 1905; 1907 (Trip to England); 1909; 1911;

8

 

1912; 1919

 

A4.2.2

1920-1929

10

A4.2.3

1930 - 1939 (excluding 1935)

9

A4.2.4

1940 - 1949 (excluding 1941)

9

A4.2.5

1950; 1952

2

A5

Notes on books read

 

A5.1

"The Cloister and the Hearth"

1

A5.2

"The division of the product of industry: an analysis of

1

 

national income before the War"

 

A6

UCT Examination papers (History; Literature and

41

 

Philosophy): C.W. Cousins, Examiner

 

 

CORRESPONDENCE

 

B1

Personal Correspondence

 

B1.1

Letter from Sea Point Congregational Church Choir

1

 

asking Cousins to retain his post as Organist and

 

 

Choirmaster, 1904

 

B1.2

Copy of letter from Sir James Murray (Oxford English

1

 

Dictionary) 15/03/1912

 

B1.3

Monthly family letter written from C.W. Cousins to

1

 

England: 13/09/1914 - 07/06/1916

 

B1.4

Family letters written by C.W. Cousins to brother,

34

 

Herbert, and sisters, Constance and Mabel: 02/01/1917 -

 

 

21/01/1921

 

B1.5

Letters from UCT Professor, F. Clarke (Chair of

3

 

Education, Chairman of Juvenile Affairs Board). Includes

 

 

press cutting relating to Prof. Clarke's departure from

 

 

UCT, 1929

 

B1.6

Letters from Jan Hofmeyr 1926 - 1933 (includes press

11

 

cuttings of Hofmeyr's involvement in United Party and

 

 

article written by Hofmeyr

 

B1.7

Letter from brother, Herbert, regarding his father's will,

1

 

1939

 

B1.8

Sympathy letters on death of Mrs Cousins, 1945

45

B1.9

Letters from Leo Marquard 1950 - 1953. Includes

3

 

speech given by Marquard at first public meeting of

 

 

Liberal Party

 

B1.10

Letter from J. D. Rheinallt Jones (SA Institute of Race

3

 

Relations); includes 2 books: John David Rheinallt Jones:

 

 

in appreciation of his life and work, by SA Institute of

 

 

Race Relations, 1953 & At the Crossroads, by J.D.

 

 

Rheinallt Jones, 1953

 

 

Official Correspondence

 

B2.1

Letters to C.W.Cousins - most relating to positions held

53

 

and retirement, 1905 - 1952

 

B2.2

Letters from CW.Cousins:

8

 

To H. B. Roper, Inspector of Prisons, Cape Town, March 19[05]?

 

 

To Health Branch, Civil Service, 08/02/1901

 

 

To Sir Thomas Watt, 30/06/1916

 

 

To H. B. Shawe Esq., Secretary for the Interior, Cape Town, 09/02/1917

 

 

To Gen. J.B.M.Hertzog, Prime Minister, 25/06/1924

 

 

To Colonel Creswell, 12/11/1925

 

 

To Thos. Boydell, Minister of Labour, 21/12/1927

 

 

To W. H.Andrews, Secretary, SA Trades and Labour Council, 14/10/1930

 

C

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

 

C1

Southern Life Policy documents

89

C2

Barclays Bank statements & cleared cheques

 

C2.1

1937

2

C2.2

1939

18

C2.3

1943

1

C2.4

1944

5

C2.5

1945

5

C2.6

1946

24

C2.7

1947

31

C2.8

1948

36

C2.9

1949

49

C2.10

1950

52

C2.11

1951

37

C2.12

1952

27

C2.13

1953

20

C3

Standard Bank statements & cleared cheques

 

C3.1

1946

11

C3.2

1947

13

C3.3

1948

80

C3.4

1949

10

C4

Receipts and miscellaneous financial records

 

C4.1

1904-1956

41

C4.2

1929

6

C4.3

1937

12

C4.4

1939

11

C4.5

1940

2

C4.6

1950

19

C4.7

1951

57

C4.8

1952

59

C4.9

1953

33

C5

Journals

 

C5.1

1932-1939

1

C5.2

1940 - 1954 (NB: pg 201 ff relating to Letsilele)    

1

C6

Pension papers 

11

D

TRAVELS

 

D1

Prison inspecting tours 1901 - 1902

43

D2

Diary: Trip to England 1907

1

D3

Diary: Trip to Cape Town on Walmer Castle 1914

2

D4

Miscellaneous souvenirs from trips: Lists of passengers and Entertainment programmes: RMS Carisbrook Castle, RMS Kildonan Castle, RMS Walmer Castle, Application for ticket for trip to England on Armadale Castle, 1930

10

D5

Statistical Conference, London: Dec. 1919 - Feb. 1920. Letters to family and souvenirs

21

D6

International Labour Conference, Geneva, 1926. Includes letters, souvenirs, photographs, writings

45

E

WRITINGS

 

E1

"More tramps abroad, (March 1900) A tale of three friends, by One of them" (Holiday to Bedford with "two friends")

1

E2

Political speeches, articles, commentaries. Includes:

• "Dr Malan's Policy for South Africa's mixed population: an African speaks"

• "Greater South Africa

• "How Native reserves in the Transvaal might be revived", The Star, Saturday, August 21, 1948

• "Juvenile Affairs Boards and the community" (lecture given at the Transvaal University College Sociological Department)

• "The practical application of economics and statistics to national affairs"

• "Propaganda in England"

• "Racial policy for South Africa"

• "A review of present race relations in South Africa"                                                    

• "A South African national statistic"

• "The spade in our own hands"

• "Taxation on an even keel", The Farmers Weekly, April 30, 1952

• "True Nationalism"

21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E3

Bible Class sermons

7

E4

"Reflections of a nineteenth century immigrant". Includes 1 MSS and 2 published copies and relevant letters. (NB:letter from Leo Marquard and letter from Jan Hofmeyr)

20

E5

Reminiscences of work in public service

2

F

LETSILELE

 

F1

Correspondence to and from Department of Lands regarding Deed of Lease for farm, Letsilele, Letaba. 04/05/1931 - 20/09/1938 (includes other relevant correspondence)

28

F2

Barclays Bank statements & cleared cheques for Letsilele Saw Mills 1943 - 1949

103

F3

Journal 1931 - 1937 (NB: see also C5.2)

1

G

PHOTOGRAPHS

 

G1

Family and friends

64

G2

Photographs taken on travels

143

G3

Department of Labour; Department of Immigration; Department of Customs(?)

5

H

MISCELLANEOUS

 

H1

•The Guild Magazine, October 1915, Sea Point Congregational Church

• Golden Jubilee of the Sea Point Congregational Church 1894 - 1944

• S.S.M. Old Boys' Association: news sheet and annual report for 1920 - 1921

3

H2

• "Report on the members of the Public Service Commission on certain strictures expressed by Mr Justice Kotse in summing up for the jury in the case of Rex versus Van Oudtshoorn"

• "Award of the arbitrator appointed by the Industrial Council for the furniture industry (Witwatersrand & Pretoria) to deal with ... the dismissal of E.Barlow..."

2

H3

Political press cuttings 1947 - 1952 (some undated)

12

H4

Miscellaneous

20

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