University of Cape Town, Historical Manuscripts
Manuscripts & Archives at the University of Cape Town is a leading location for accessing archival papers across many periods, organisations and persons in South Africa’s historical and recent past, with a particular emphasis on the Cape area. Its very helpful and fully-searchable website provides detailed information, including a searchable catalogue of many of its manuscript collections. See http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/ and http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/mss/?action=showaids
The Schreiner/Schreiner Related Collections held by UCT Manuscripts & Archives are:
Brown Family: This extensive collection covers the period between 1808 and 1974 and relates to the Brown and related families; it includes one postcard from Schreiner to the daughter of John and Mary Brown, Mollie. There is a useful finding aid.
De Villiers: Amongst the large collection of correspondence in the W. De Villiers collection is a letter from Schreiner to Mrs C.C. De Villiers, and also one to her daughter Winifred De Villiers. There is a detailed finding aid for the correspondence in this collection.
James Mackenzie: The Mackenzie collection contains a number of letters by prominent South Africans as well as various government documents and manuscript volumes, including two letters from Schreiner to Ethel Friedlander and one to Julia Solly. There is a short list of items in the collection.
Newton Thompson: This collection consists mainly of the personal papers of Joyce Newton Thompson and some related family material, including three letters from Schreiner to Cyril Newton Thompson, husband of Joyce. There is a helpful finding aid.
Patrick Duncan: The extensive Patrick Duncan Papers consist of the private and semi official papers of Sir Patrick Duncan and cover his political and legal career from 1901 to 1943. It includes three letters from Schreiner to Duncan. The collection has a detailed useful finding aid.
Schreiner-Hemming: This is a large collection of letters and other items relating to the Schreiner family and particularly to Schreiner’s sister Alice, her husband Robert Hemming, and their children including as adults. It contains a large number of family correspondences, documents, photographs and other materials, including many letters from Schreiner to her sister Henrietta (Ettie) Stakesby Lewis, as well as smaller numbers to other family members. There is a useful finding aid.
Olive Schreiner: This is the most voluminous collection of Schreiner letters in any archive, and contains Schreiner’s very large number of letters to, amongst others, Will Schreiner, Fan Schreiner, Betty Molteno, Alice Greene, Caroline Murray and Lucy Molteno. It also contains a substantial number of important letters concerned with Schreiner’s involvement in the Women’s Enfranchisement League. The main collection is organised in year files in chronological order, although there are also two boxes of partly or wholly undated letters and miscellaneous materials, as well as a box of typescript copies of letters from Schreiner to May Murray Parker and also Frederick and Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, prepared by May Murray Parker.
W.P. Schreiner: The W.P. (Will) Schreiner Papers comprise correspondence, miscellaneous personal papers, photographs, and material relating to W.P. Schreiner’s political career. Correspondence, including family letters, constitutes a large proportion of the collection and includes a small number of letters and postcards from Olive Schreiner to various Schreiner family members. There is a useful finding aid.