Tocher, Rev Forbes Scott

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0102 MS 380570
Held at	: School of Oriental and African Studies   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.soas.ac.uk/Archives/home.html ›
Full 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 & 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.

Finding aids:

Database.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

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

Allied Materials

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

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