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Papers of Ragnhild Whiting (1912-2018) and Sister Marjorie Raphael (b. 1923), Society of St Margaret, Haiti

 Fonds
Identifier: CSWC 21

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of two main series: (1) Ragnhild Whiting material which includes: biographical information on Whiting (1986-1990); diary and journal entries by Whiting describing her work in Haiti (1980-1991); notes for talks and addresses given by Whiting on Haiti (1985-1990); material for a biography of Whiting by her daughter mainly abstracts from journals and letters (1980-1992); letters to Whiting about her work (1986-1991); newsletters, pamphlets and circulars relating to St Margaret's and Haiti (1986-1991); and press cuttings on Haiti (1986-1991); and (2) Sister Marjorie Raphael material: newsletters and circular letters from Raphael at St Margaret's Convent in Haiti (1956-1989).

Dates

  • Creation: 1956-1992

Language of Materials

English French Other French-based Creoles and pidgins

Conditions Governing Access

Contact the repository for details.

Conditions Governing Use

Contact the repository for details.

Biographical / Historical

Ragnhild Almquist Whiting (Rhon), Anglican physiotherapist and missionary in Haiti, was born in Norway in 1912 and trained as a physiotherapist there. She settled permanently in Canada in 1933 where she married and raised two daughters. In 1962 she took a year's physiotherapy course at McGill University and then worked as a physiotherapist until her retirement in 1977, a year after the death of her husband. At that time she was living in Windsor, Ontario and, in 1980, was sent by the Huron Diocese of the Anglican church to Haiti to help in the orthopaedic clinic of St Vincent's School for handicapped children in Port-au-Prince. The school was started by the Society of St Margaret, an Episcopal religious community of women based in Boston that first went to Haiti in 1927. Whiting returned to Haiti every year for six to eight months at her own expense and from 1985 was an associate of St Margaret's. During the remaining months she was in Canada giving talks and attending events to raise money and interest in the Society and the work. In 1984 she helped to organise a Physiotherapy Association in Haiti and throughout her time there she was involved in training and encouraging rehabilitation workers. She was in Haiti during a period of political upheaval and was working at the Hospital Sainte Croix, Leogane during the election of Aristide in 1990. Whiting left Haiti for the last time in 1991. She was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Windsor in 1990. Sister Marjorie Raphael was born on 17 October 1923. She was a member of the Society of St Margaret and worked in Haiti from 1955 to 1963 and from 1978 to 1994, often based at St Margaret's convent in Port-au-Prince. Both Whiting and Raphael were still alive in 2001.

Extent

1 box

Arrangement

The material is in three files arranged as described above.

Custodial History

The material was collected by Kari Morris, daughter of Ragnhild Whiting, either from material sent to her by her mother or from material sent by Sister Raphael.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated to the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World circa early 1990s by Kari Morris from Aberdeen.

Accruals

None expected.

Related Materials

The main offices of the Society of St Margaret are in Boston, America, where they hold a great deal of material about Haiti.

Bibliography

Some of Whiting's journal entries were used by her daughter as a basis for a draft biography, the manuscript of which is in the collection.

General

The biographical history was compiled using the following material: (1) the collection itself, (2) the web pages of the Society of St Margaret, and (3) information from Sister Marjorie Raphael.

Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository

Contact:
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379