The aim of this paper is to show how the development of colonial rule in Africa was reflected in the production of published documents by the colonial power. Its scope is restricted to British colonies in Africa - in the time available it really wouldn't be, possible to deal additionally with French, German, Spanish and Portuguese Africa, particularly as I know remarkably little about the publications produced in non-Anglophone African territories. I propose to run through the main categories of publications issued in British African colonies, with specimen copies mostly from Sierra Leone, whose colonial status was established early in the nineteenth century. I shall also have something to say about British official publications dealing with African territories.

A previous paper (ARD 23, pp.6-13) has described the initial phases of Kenya's programme to locate and describe documents in the United Kingdom relating to its history and development. These documents, it was noted, have accumulated in Britain since the nineteenth century as a natural consequence of correspondence, in the course of colonial administration, and by direct removal. This situation is not unique and applies in many other former colonial territories. Thus, while Kenya's programme has significance in its own right, it also has implications for other Commonwealth countries.

The aim of Kenya's programme has been two-fold. Firstly, it was established to provide the Kenya Government with a full picture of the extent of relevant documentation in Britain in order that priorities might be set for the supplementation of Kenya's archival holdings through a copying programme.