© F.Coakley , 2018
At present I have no biographical details except that he was one of the several Basle Missionaries removed by the British authorities when they took charge of the various African German colonies (Togoland, Cameroons) these missionaries were brought back to Britain and several would appear to have been interned at Knockaloe. Two of these have left descriptions of their unwanted stay in the camp, that by Otto Schimming covers the various camps he was interned at, the one by Vielhauer is very critical both of the nature of Knockaloe camp and its debilitating effect on the internees but also of the conduct of the internees themselves. It may be this criticism that filtered back to the camp, probably prior to Pastor Hartmann's departure, that is mentioned in the letter from Jessen to Pastor Hartmann recently returned to Berlin
Translation of letter from Herman Jessen (#526 camp1, compound 3 hut 1b) to Pastor Hartmann (original in German and contained in my Hartmann archive) - translation by Professor Gerald Newton:
Dear Rev. Pastor! /Knockaloe 12th January 1918
I was full of joy just now to receive your delightful little book "Homeland and the World". A thousand thanks for this treasure, Rev. Pastor. Now I have all kinds of new items to tell you. The day before yesterday 16 Missionaries from the Basle Mission came in here, one father and two lay-brothers of the Catholic Mission of the Gold Coast, half of these gentlemen are in our Compound, the rest in V. Two missionaries are again in my hut, and I struck up friendship immediately with these gentlemen; it's not easy, either, I'm sorry to say, for these gentlemen to strike contact here, and Rev. Missionary Vielhauer has contributed greatly towards strengthening the mistrust of the Basle Mission. Your forceful letter of objection, Rev. Pastor, is known here word-for-word, and everyone is unendingly grateful. We feel and recognise more and more what you were to us. But that's the way it mostly goes, not until the loss does one recognise what one has lost. Last week I was at the theatre, to see the 'Orphan of Lorwood'. The English vicar was also there. Next week, Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler", is on, I really must see that. Thank you now once more, for all that you have done for me and everyone. You Rev. Pastor have led me on to the proper path, and I shall be grateful to fate for bringing us together, may God only give the opportunity for a small part of our thanks be passed on to you. Mr Lasson, Mr Butenschön and many others send their hearty greetings, and I remain with deepest greetings to you, and in the usual way also to your dear mother.
Yours in thanks,
Heinrich.
The Knockaloe arrival register records 22 arrivals on 10.1.1918 noted as from Glasgow ex HMS Kildonan Castle - this was a passenger/mail ship taken over by Admiralty - in Oct 1914 took arms to S.Africa, in Oct 1915 commisioned as hospital ship decommisioned in March 1916 joining 10th Cruiser sqn at Glasgow and was last ship to sail from Russia in 1919.
The Basel Mission was founded as the German Missionary Society in 1815 sometime later changed its name to the Basel Evangelical Missionary Society, and finally to the Basel Mission. Founded by group of Calvinists from Basel and Lutherans from Württemberg who vowed to establish a seminary if the city was spared from Napoleon - the society worked in the then German colony in Togoland, East Africa from 1828 - post 1914 part of which was merged into the Gold Coast (Ghana). A major focus for the Basel Mission was to create employment opportunities for the people of the area where each mission is located.
The Basel Mission archives online <www.bmarchives.org>
It opened a missionary school in 1816, the graduates of which entered work with other societies. It sent out its first missionaries to southern Russia (1821-1885), Gold Coast (1828), west coast of India (1834), southern China (1846), Cameroon (1886), Borneo (1921). In 1927 the Mission comprised 43 main stations, 102 missionaries, 23,053 students and 37,616 ordinary members.
The main work on its history is: Wilhelm Schlatter (1865-1943), Geschichte der Basler Mission 1815-1916, 3 volumes, Basel: Verlag der Basler Missionsbuchhandlung. Volume 4, 1914-1919, based on Schlatter's notes, appeared in 1965 with the same publishing house (Verlag).
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| Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The
Editor © F.Coakley , 2018 |
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