William Ellison Messervy Burke manuscript
Scope and Contents
The William Ellison Messervy Burke manuscript is a scrapbook with text written as gossipy personal comment about individuals written in a lively manner.
The period covered in depth is 1850s and 1860s during the settlement years, with some later material. Interspersed throughout the text are hundreds of cuttings from books and magazines. Many of the cuttings are portraits and caricatures, not always of the people described, but regarded by Burke as having similar characteristics.
Known as: The Burke manuscript.
Also called: Reminiscences of early Christchurch.
Dates
- 1850-1869
Creator
- Burke, William Ellison Messervy (Person)
Extent
1 Volumes
Language of Materials
English
Physical Location
Shelf TU E 4c, Tūranga, Tuakiri floor, ANZC Archives
Custodial History
The manuscript, written between 1876 and 1900, is believed to have been purchased from Burke by Rookwood Bishop, the first mayor of New Brighton. Bishop lent the manuscript to Johannes Andersen who produced sanitized extracts for inclusion in his book Old Christchurch. The manuscript was later donated to Canterbury Public Library.
Existence and Location of Copies
This manuscript has been digitised. See the external documents area for links to digitised records.
Condition Description
The scrapbook is in a fragile state and has been photocopied into three volumes and indexed. It has also been digitised.
Former identifier
Formerly Ms 126
- Title
- William Ellison Messervy Burke manuscript
- Description rules
- International Standard for Archival Description - General
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Christchurch City Libraries Archives Collection Repository
Tūranga
60 Cathedral Square
Central City
Christchurch Canterbury 8011 New Zealand
library@ccc.govt.nz?subject=Archives%20Enquiry&body=message