This finding aid is made available for public use following the Universal 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons designation.
This collection is open for research.
Onsite storage.
Formerly part of the independent Missionary Research Library (MRL), these records were accessioned by the Burke Library at the time of the MRL's closure in 1976.
David Livingstone was born in 1813 to Agnes and Neil Livingstone in Scotland. From an early age, Livingstone endeavored to be a medical missionary, and after completing his training and education he arrived in Cape Town in 1840 representing the London Missionary Society. One of his best known adventures occurred in February 1844 when he was attacked by a lion. Livingstone married Mary Moffat, daughter of missionary Robert Moffat, in 1845. Together they had six children. For a stretch of sixteen years, Livingstone traveled and performed medical missionary duties throughout Africa, returning to England in 1856. In 1857, Livingstone resigned from the London Missionary Society to focus on exploring as opposed to missionary work. Livingstone was appointed Consul in the District of Quilimane on the Eastern Coast of Africa. His expeditions were funded by the Royal Geographical Society of England from 1858 to 1864. It was during this time that his book, Missionary Travels, was published. Livingstone again returned in Africa in 1866 for further exploration. Livingstone died of malaria and dysentery in Africa in 1873.
Missionary Research Library Archives: MRL1, Africa
Item description, MRL1: David Livingstone papers, 1856, 1957, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
Material was cataloged by Lynn A. Grove on 1988-07-12. Folded items were flattened and placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. Acidic items were separated from one another by interleaving with acid-free paper as needed. The finding aid was created by Brigette C. Kamsler in 2011 with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2020.
MRL 12: Missionary Biographical Records, Folder 15-16, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
This collection contains an original letter from Livingstone to the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) at the Mission House in London, and a poster depicting reproductions of postcards from the Scottish National Memorial to Livingstone in Blantyre, Scotland.
Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
This collection is arranged chronologically.