Wyn Rees - Colenso: Letters from Natal
Colenso: Letters from Natal
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Colenso: Letters from Natal
- Author / Compiler: Wyn Rees
- Publisher: Shuter and Shooter, Pietermaritzburg
- Publication Date: 1958
- ISBN: Not issued
- Edition Details: First Edition.
- Binding: Hardcover with original dust jacket.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
- The Book: Very Good (VG) / Defect Noted
- Interior: The very first blank page (front free endpaper) has been neatly excised/removed by a previous owner. Beyond this omission, the remaining text block is in very good, clean, and tightly bound condition throughout.
- The Dust Jacket: Good Minus (G-)
- Exhibits slight wear along the outer edges and face, with a notable patch of paper loss to the left-hand top corner of the front face.
Synopsis & Historical Context
Colenso: Letters from Natal provides an intimate, unedited primary-source look into one of the most tumultuous religious and political storms of Victorian South Africa. The book compiles the extensive personal correspondence of Frances Colenso and Bishop John William Colenso—the controversial Bishop of Natal who famously championed Zulu rights, challenged orthodox Biblical literalism, and heavily clashed with both colonial authorities and the Church of England. These letters expose the raw behind-the-scenes social dynamics, political intrigues, and colonial warfare that defined mid-to-late 19th-century Natal.
Author Profile: Wyn Rees
Wyn Rees was a dedicated South African historian and academic who spent years transcribing and contextualizing the private papers of the Colenso family, preserving vital records of early colonial resistance and ecclesiastical history.
