High Commissioner for South Africa, and High Commissioner for Basutoland, the Bechuanaland...

DO 119

1843-1965

This series contains correspondence and papers of the High Commissioner for South Africa, High Commissioner in the Union of South Africa and the UK high commissioner for Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland. Files of the High Commissioner in the Union of South Africa are not listed separately but may be distinguished by the letter prefixes 'D', 'PZ', 'RZ', 'SZ', 'SAZ' and 'TZ' before the file number, as well as by the description of the file content. The content is wide-ranging, reflecting the high commissioners' interest and involvement in all aspects of southern African affairs. Includes material relating to the Boer War. DO 119/1478 relates to the arrest and trial of Nelson Mandela.

The list is composed of three parts:

(1). DO 119/1-608 are divided into four categories:

• Pieces 1-4: bound volumes of original correspondence, 1852-1858, including political and administrative reports;
• Pieces 5-449: papers in folders numbered consecutively according to their date of receipt, but subsequently renumbered with folio numbers with the intention of drawing together papers on the same or similar subjects;
• Pieces 450-549: papers designated C and D (apparently denoting secret or classified papers) kept in the high commissioner's private office;
• Pieces 550-608: miscellaneous documents not included in any of these categories.

(2). DO 119/609-1257 are arranged by year and original paper or file number rather than by folio number or C or D number. Unnumbered papers appear at the end of the year to which they belong.

(3). DO 119/1253-1477 essentially repeat the chronological sequence of (2) above, starting from the year 1908, although the introduction of subject headings in this section of the list results in some deviation from a strict date order.

Later records relating to Swaziland produced by Her Majesty's Commissioner are in: CO 1063

Early records of this series are incomplete due to the destruction of some papers and the deposit of others in the

Public Record(s)

English

• Colonial Office, High Commissioner for South Africa, 1880-1925
• Colonial Office, High Commissioner for the Adjusting Territory, 1854-1857
• Colonial Office, High Commissioner for the Eastern Frontier, 1857-1880
• Commonwealth Relations Office, High Commissioner for Basutoland, the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland, 1947-1964
• Commonwealth Relations Office, High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa, 1947-1961
• Dominions Office, High Commissioner for Basutoland, the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland, 1935-1947
• Dominions Office, High Commissioner for South Africa, 1925-1935
• Dominions Office, High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa, 1930-1947
• War and Colonial Department, United Kingdom Consul at Cape of Good Hope, 1837-1854

1479 files, papers and volumes

Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated

Topics

Operations, battles and campaigns

Africa

From December 1963, responsibility for the administration of Swaziland passed from the High commissioner to Her Majesty's Commissioner in Swaziland.