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School of Oriental and African Studies

Tocher, Rev Forbes Scott


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0102 MS 380570

Held at: School of Oriental and African Studies

Title: Tocher, Rev Forbes Scott

Date(s): 1927-1973

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 1 file

Name of creator(s): Tocher | Forbes Scott | 1885-1973 | missionary

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born, 1885; educated at Fordyce Academy; MA, Aberdeen University, 1906; BD, Edinburgh University, 1909; ordained in the Church of Scotland; missionary for the Church of Scotland Mission at Ichang, China, 1909-1915; served in the Royal Field Artillery, firstly as a gunner and later as commissioned officer, 1916-1919; awarded the Military Cross; returned to serve at Ichang, 1920; awarded the CBE as a result of assistance given to Captain Lalor of the Butterfield and Swire ship Siangtan, managing to negotiate Lalor's release after he was captured by pirates (1927), 1928; the events were widely reported; honorary Doctor of Divinity, Aberdeen University, 1934; held by the Japanese at Shanghai, 1940; involved in relief work among destitute Britons in Shanghai, 1941-1942; interned in Lunghwa Civilian Assembly Centre, near Shanghai, 1943-1945; returned to work at Ichang, 1945-1948; minister of the parish of Botriphnie, Banffshire, 1948-1955; died, 1973.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers, 1927-1973, concerning the Rev Forbes Tocher, comprising manuscript letter from George Wilson to Mrs Tocher concerning the Lalor case, 1927; typescript letter from Butterfield and Swire, Shanghai, to Forbes Tocher thanking him for his help in releasing Captain Lalor, 1928; undated press cutting announcing the award to Tocher of the CBE, following his release of Captain Lalor, and giving an account of the events [1928]; photocopy of undated notes by Tocher concerning his work securing the release of Captain Lalor in 1927; press cuttings from Scottish newspapers on celebrations to commemorate Tocher's 55 years as a minister, giving accounts of his life and career, 1964; typescript copy of funeral oration to Tocher, 1973.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Unrestricted.

Conditions governing reproduction:

No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Database.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Presented by the Rev Forbes Tocher's daughter, via John Swire and Sons, in 1992.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

The School of Oriental and African Studies holds the records of John Swire and Sons Ltd (Ref: JSS), including information on related companies, among them Butterfield and Swire.

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Compiled by Rachel Kemsley as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Source: Who Was Who.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Jul 2002


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Awards | Social norms | Social behaviour
Clergy | Religious groups
Inland water transport | Transport
Ordained missionaries | Missionaries | Religious groups
Press cuttings | Newspaper press | Press
Crime

Personal names
Lalor | fl 1927 | Captain | employee of Butterfield & Squire
Tocher | Forbes Scott | 1885-1973 | missionary
Wilson | George | fl 1927

Corporate names
Butterfield & Swire | merchants
Church of Scotland
Siangtan | ship belonging to the merchants Butterfield & Squire

Places
London | England | UK | Western Europe | Europe
Scotland | UK | Western Europe | Europe
Yichang | Hubei | China | East Asia
Ichang x Yichang