"Jaffna Bishop’s House Collection, Sri Lanka [1850-1930]"

The collection consists of manuscripts (with some printed documents) dated from 1850 to 1930. They relate the history of the missions or describe the day to day administrative and managerial activities of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate missionaries (O.M.I.). The French congregation of the O.M.I. was mandated by the British authorities in Sri Lanka, by mid nineteenth century, to reorganise the Catholic communities of the northern half of the island – whereas the southern half was attributed to the Jesuits. Except the few printed books, all the other documents (manuscripts) had been hand-written by the Missionaries. These manuscripts contain an average of 250 up to 750 pages each. Time to time some printed materials (paper-cuttings, circular letters..) are inserted. Most of the manuscripts were written in French, - but occasionally also in English, Tamil, and Sinhala. We have digitised 58 such manuscripts. Extent, format and physcial characteristics of original material: 21 files.