Henriette McDougall

Born Henriette Bunyon and often known as Harriette McDougall, she was a British missionary, teacher, artist, and author associated with Sarawak in the mid-1800s. After marrying Francis Thomas McDougall in 1843, she traveled with him to Kuching in 1848, where they took part in early Anglican mission work.

Her writing grew out of those experiences. Letters from Sarawak: Addressed to a Child introduced younger readers to the place and its people, while Sketches of Our Life at Sarawak looked back on roughly twenty years of life there, mixing travel, observation, and personal memory.

What makes her books especially interesting today is their close-up view of everyday life in colonial-era Sarawak. They reflect both her commitment to missionary work and her talent for describing the landscapes, communities, and challenges she encountered.