Willmott Family Archives

Item set

Title: Willmott Family Archives
Description: This collection consists of photographs and other items that are in the possession of the Willmott family. Most of the images were created by either Leslie Earl or Donald Earl Willmott, but it also includes portions that were not created by Willmotts.
Abstract: Earl and Katharine Willmott were missionaries in Sichuan from 1921-195, first for the Canadian Methodist Mission (CMM), and then for the United Church Foreign Mission Society (UCFMS) after 1926 when three Protestant churches in Canada united. From 1921 to 1927, the Willmotts were stationed at Jenshow (pinyin Renshou), then from 1927-1928 they worked in Shanghai along with other evacuees from inland China. From 1928-1932 the mission society stationed them in Chongqing, and then finally from 1932-1951 they lived and worked in Chengdu.

Additionally, like all missionaries, the Willmotts had furloughs about every 7 years, during which they returned to North America, spanning time between Canada and the USA. Earl’s family was in Toronto, while Katharine’s family was in Ohio, since they were American. The couple met while in grad school at Teachers College, Columbia University, 1920-1921.

The Willmott Family collection includes photographs and text created by Leslie Earl and Mary Katharine while they were working as missionaries in Sichuan. These photographs have provenance from Leslie Earl Willmott (AKA Earl) and Kay's and Earl's children, Donald Earl, Margaret Joy, Richard Curtis and William Edward, which will be noted in the provenance section of the items' records.

This collection also includes photographs and text created by Donald Earl Willmott while he was working for the American OSS during WWII.

This collection also includes images from various creators that found their way into the Willmott family possession. These include photographs taken by Samuel Soper, a Canadian Methodist Mission missionary who preceded Earl Willmott as an educational missionary in Renshou, Sichuan. These images, mainly of Chinese traditional occupations, were widely circulated to promote the mission's work.

Finally, the Willmott Family Collection also includes a series of slides taken by Lewis Walmsley in 1954 and a series of images taken by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 1800s. These series were in other missionary family collections before being given to the Willmotts.

Because of the diverse composition of these images' origins, the items have been numbered with the preface "WFC" (Willmott Family Collection) rather than any individual's initials like many of the other family collections.
Creator: Cory Willmott
Date Created: 2024-10-10
Event Records: 1930s Willmott Family Mt. Omei Journeys
Has Part: Donald Earl Willmott's Blue Brocade Album
Provenance: This collection is in the temporary custody of Cory Willmott, while in the process of full transfer to the Mount Royal University Archives.; Mount Royal University Archives
Access Rights: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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1978 Dujiangyan Panorama with Anlan Bridge
Looking west across the new Anlan Bridge spanning the Inner and Outer Rivers, and showing three pavilions. Power lines span the Island separating Inner and Outer Rivers. A flat industrial landscape is on the opposite shore.
1978 Dujiangyan Panorama 3
Looking slightly southwest over a stone wall or barricade. Panoramic scene showing both sides of the new Anlan Bridge with the small pavilions in the middle and end. Power lines span the Island separating Inner and Outer Rivers. The Outer River separates into two streams.
1978 Dujiangyan Panorama 2
Looking west. Panoramic scene showing the Fishmouth with new viewing platform and logs on it, the remains of the 1803 bamboo cable bridge, and a close look at the Outer River Sluice and dam. A flat industrial landscape stretches into the distant fog in the background.
1978 Dujiangyan Panorama 1
Looking slightly northwest. Panoramic scene showing the Fishmouth with new viewing platform and logs on it, the remains of the 1803 bamboo cable bridge, and a good view of the Outer River Sluice.
1978 Dujiangyan Fishmouth Panorama
Panoramic view of the waterworks at Dujiangyan showing the Fishmouth and Inner and Outer Rivers of the original system, as well as the new Anlan Bridge, the Outer River Sluice, and the concrete dam, the latter three completed in the early 1970s. At the right one can see an industrial building on the shoreline.
1978 China Delegation
Group photograph of 30 people, including those who were delegates on the 1978 Canadian school in West China trip. The leader of the trip, Bill Small, stands in the middle with a white suit on. Chinese members of the party are associated with the Canada China Friendship Association.
1969 Canadian School Picnic
Group photograph showing 37 people seated and standing on a lawn in front of a row of trees. The individuals in the photograph are alumni of the Canadian School in West China attending the annual picnic at Toronto Island.
1978 Canadian School Delegation - Dujiangyan Visit
In 1978 a group of Canadian school in West China alumni visited China in a delegation led by Bill Small. One of the stops on the trip was at the famous Dujiangyan waterworks. The photographs in this series document the many changes to the waterworks system made by the Chinese government in the early 1970s, as well as the temple architecture and lattice work at Dujiangyan.
1957 Carriers at Omei
This color slide depicts an unidentified woman resting at the side of the path and two carriers with heavy loads walking up it.
Mt. Omei Pilgrim in Backrack Huagar
A wealthy pilgrim to Mt. Omei rides down the ancient stone steps in a backrack huagar carried by a boy who seems to be smaller than his rider. Two small children follow a few steps behind. Corn fields flank the steps and tall trees are in the background.
Pilgrims Descending Mt. Omei
The paths up and down the mountains in the Emeishan region were constantly streaming with pilgrims of all kinds from near and far within and beyond the Chinese empire. Here we see a group of at least nine men and women carrying their possessions in bags and using walking sticks to help them negotiate the tricky path through cornfields.
Carriers on Path to Xinkaishi
The mountain temples and pavilions on the slopes of the Emei mountains are hundreds and thousands of years old. Likewise the paths to them are well made and well worn. This image shows a caravan of carriers taking the Willmott's household and personal possessions to their summer cottage at Xinkaishi. In the background one can see lower mountains descending into small towns and fertile fields.
Willmotts Crossing River on Plank
Katharine ("Kay") Willmott disembarks from her huagar to cross a bubbling stream on a narrow wooden plank. The carriers are crossing with the empty huagar as Earl stands by.
Katharine Willmott en Route to Faerymorn
Katharine ("Kay") Willmott enjoys a ride in a two-carrier sling huagar through cornfields on a mountain path in the Emeishan region. She is followed by Margaret Joy Willmott (1922-2022) on foot and Richard Curtis Willmott (1930-2012) in a backrack huagar. The men are carrying Katharine's huagar with bamboo poles. They wear bamboo woven hats and straw sandals, said to be safest for the slippery slopes of the Emei mountains.
Dick Willmott en Route to Faerymorn
A three year old Richard Curtis Willmott (1930-2012) rides in a "backrack huagar" on a mountain path in the Emeishan region. His carrier wears a wide brimmed bamboo hat.
Carrier with Load Packed for Omei
From Emeishan City, travelers to Mt. Omei summer cottages must engage "carriers" to manually convey their belongings up the steep mountain. These men are accustomed to carrying heavy and bulky loads like this one containing bedding and food. This carrier appears to be a middle aged man wearing loose cotton clothing and straw sandals recommended for grip on the steep and slippery mountain paths. He holds a cross-stick used to rest the load during relatively frequent breaks on the trail.
Trackers on the Min River
This photograph, taken from the boat, shows the group of "trackers," men and boys who pull the boat up river. This group consists of half a dozen men scantily clothed pulling a thick rope that is attached to the boat (although that is not shown in the photo). The fortunate ones among them are wearing broad bamboo hats that shield them from rain and sun. The shoreline has a well-trodden path where the trackers have walked and sang all day every day for thousands of years.
Group Portrait on Boat to Mt. Omei
This group portrait taken on a houseboat or junk depicts three unidentified servants or boat workers with three missionaries. The man and woman on the left are unidentified, while the woman in the middle is Constance Walmsley, wife to Lewis Walmsley, and good friend and colleague of the Willmotts.
Long Ferryboat on the Min River
This ferryboat is a long wooden boat with an upward curving stern and large rudder at the back. The boat is just off the rocky shoreline and full of people and baggage. The Min River is smooth and wide. The opposite shore can be seen in the background, with mountaintops off in the far distance.
Boats Loaded for Mt. Omei
This image shows five small houseboats or junks on the bank of the Min River. They are loaded up with the Willmott family's belongings for their Mt. Omei summer vacation. There are two boys in the foreground who may be servants or boat workers.
Donald Earl Willmott's Blue Brocade Album
Photograph album with jacket made of blue silk brocade with gold thread and motif of auspicious signs. The pages of the interior are blue paper with photographs attached with black corner brackets. Some of the photographs have captions written in blue ink. The album is in very poor condition. The cover is fraying and coming apart at the seams. The pages have become detached and are out of order. The paper is fragile and breaks at the touch. Another almost identical album was in the possession of Richard Curtis Willmott, which is now housed at the Mount Royal University Archives in Calgary, Alberta.
1930s Willmott Family Mt. Omei Journeys
This series of images depicts trips the Willmotts took from Chengdu to Faerymorn, their summer cottage in the Mt. Emei region, down the Min River and up the mountain with trunks and baskets full of their summer gear.