Charles James Bagenal, OBE (1919), was born in 1877, the son of B.F. Bagenal of Benekerry House, county Carlow, Ireland. He was educated at St. Mark's School, Windsor, and Camborne School of Mines. Bagenal served in the 45th (Dublin) Company of the Imperial Yeomanry (mounted infantry) during the South African War (1900-1902), and in the South African Horse, 1st Mounted Brigade, during World War One (where he took part in campaigns in German South West Africa, 1914-1915, and German East Africa, 1915-1918). In 1917 Bagenal became District Political Officer in Tanganyika Territory, later becoming Senior Commissioner (1920) and Provincial Commissioner (1926). He retired from the Colonial Administrative Service in 1931.

Correspondence, diary and photographs of C.J. Bagenal comprising typescript copies of his letters home during the Boer War (1900-1902), with handwritten introduction and notes made in 1951; diary (typed at a later date) covering the East African Campaign (1915-1917), and three albums of photographs of Tanganyika, South Africa and Ireland (1914-1941).

Donated in January 2002.

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Bagenal | Charles James | 1877-1955 | Soldier and Colonial Administrator

Great Britain | Colonial Administrative Service

Colonial administrators | Tanganyika

Tanganyika | Officials and employees

South African War, 1899-1902 | Personal narratives

World War, 1914-1918 | Campaigns | German East Africa | Personal narratives

World War, 1914-1918 | Campaigns | German East Africa | Pictorial works

Africa | Pictorial works

Ireland | Pictorial works