Series 4 - Photographs

Lewis Calvin Walmsley (1897-1998) was a West China missionary and educator, head of the East Asian Studies Department at the University of Toronto, and author. He was born in Milford, Ontario and studied at Victoria College and the College of Education in Toronto where he graduated in 1919. In 1920 he was engaged to Constance Kilborn, but they parted for a year and he went on to teach mathematics at Regina College in Saskatchewan. They married in 1921 and later that year they decided to become missionaries and later sailed to the West China Mission. He was appointed principal of the Canadian School for missionaries' children in 1923 and served there until 1947. During one furlough he completed his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto (D.Paed.). In 1929 he taught pedagogy as well as social and experimental phycology at the West China Union University. He accepted an appointment as head of the East Asian Studies Department at the University of Toronto in 1949, and retired in 1963. He wrote several books about China.

Constance Ellen Kilborn Walmsley (1898-1961) was a West China missionary. She was born in Chengdu, West China to a missionary family including her parents Retta Gifford and Omar Kilborn, and siblings Cora, Leslie and Roland. From 1911 to 1914 she attended the Ontario Ladies College in Whitby. In 1919 she graduated from Victoria College with an English Language and Literature degree. She was engaged to Lewis Walmsley in 1920, but they parted for a year and she went on to teach at Alma College in St. Thomas. In 1921 they were married and subsequently went to West China for missionary work. While there she taught at the Canadian School. She took an active part in Brownies and Guides and overall cultural and social life of the West China missionary community. During her time in China she had four children: Omar, Glenn, Enid and Marion. The family returned permanently to Canada in 1949. On furloughs and after her final return to Canada she often spoke about her missionary work at local churches.