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'File 9/9 Bahrain Reforms. Bahrain Water Supply' [70r] (157/261)
The record is made up of 1 volume (118 folios). It was created in 16 Jul 1921-7 Jan 1927. It was written in English and Arabic. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
mfident&a l
)2/9/9.
From
j-O
Tiie Political
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
Bahrain,
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
,
4/12/25,
The ^oliiical urgent,
Bahrain,
The Hon^ble the
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
]
Bushire,
Bahrain .>ater supply Scheme .
Memorandum , Since my return Shail
timeb expressed his desire to arrange witii
complete a scheme by artesian v/ej.ls for th
Manameh & Muharreq 0 I do not kno^ what yoii
matter are & have refrained from express!
Major Holmes came to see me about t
understood from him that you had asked hinl
plant from Muharraq until my return. I dis
of the sum to be charged for wells should
& endeavoured to get out of him a proposal
per well # which I gathered from Captain Mai
.
figure he and you had expected. Major Holmj
that between 17.000 & 18000 was the lowesj
he could undertake to bore a well,but aftej
talk,he finally said that he would be able
16000 Ms provided an agreement were made
scheme for the two Towns, which would enab
cheaper lines than if he had only a few v.e
I told him that I could give him
not discuss it with the Shaik until I had
The Muharraq well is a very mark
crowded with people drawing water both day
guards have had to be appointed at v.he
fighting for the water,The Manameh well is
sweeter than tefore I went on leave.It is '
from the well & consequently not pleasant
the s
to sut
purpos
forms
a furi
pipes
easil,
the SI
no wo:
the c
me ii
\
onfidentaa l
02/9/9.
Tlie Political
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
Bahrain,
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
,
4/12/25.
From The Political ..gent,
Bahrain <,
i'o The Hon T ble the Politicaj. Resident,
Bushire,
Bahrain '.>ater supply Bcheine .
Memorandum 0 Since my return Shaik Hai.iad has several
time^ expressed his desire to arrange with -u-aj or Holmes to
complete a scheme "by artesian weils for the supply of water in
Ma nam eh & Muharreq 0 I do not kno^ what your Vvishes in the maddi
matter are & have refrained from expressing an opinion.
A
Major Holmes came to see me about the same matter & I ^
understood from him that you had asked him not to remove the
plant from Muharraq until my return, I discussed the question
of the sum to "be charged for wells should they "be decided upon
& endeavoured to get out of him a proposal of about ^s 12,000
per well .which I gathered from Captain Mallam was about the
figure he and you had expected. Major Holmes said he thought
that between 17.000 & 18000 was the lowest figure at which
he could undertake to bore a well,but after a good dual of teit
talk,he finally said that he would be able to agree to about
16000 Hs provided an agreement were made for a complete
scheme for the two Towns,which would enable him to work on
cheaper lines than if he had only a few wells to bore.
I told him that I could give him no reply & would nib
not discuss it with the Shaik until I had consulted .you.
The Muharraq well is a very marked success & is kxhs *
crowded with people drawing water both day & night„ Special
guards have had to be appointed at uhe well to stop ^ i
fighting for the water,The Manameh well is now ver^ uuch sixxxi
sweeter than before I went on leave,It is warm when straight *
from the well & consequently not pleasant to ^ xie * '
About this item
- Content
The volume contains correspondence, copies of contracts and other items related to the sinking of water wells in Bahrain, and the institution of a municipal water supply to the districts of Manama and Muharraq. The principal correspondents in the file are the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain (Major Clive Daly until September 1926, Lieutenant-Colonel Cyril Barrett thereafter), Major Frank Holmes, representative of the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited, F. Madgwick, geologist, and Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah, deputy ruler of Bahrain.
After the forced abdication of Shaikh ‘Īsá bin ‘Alī Āl Khalīfah in 1923, public works projects in Bahrain, such as the sinking of artesian wells for the municipal water supply, were able to go ahead under the instigation of Shaikh Ḥamad (folios 28-30). The Eastern and General Syndicate Limited (London), represented by Major Frank Holmes, was awarded the contract to sink two wells in Manama and Muharraq to depths of 600 feet, in search of fresh water. The total expected cost of this first phase was 100,000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. (folio 5). A total of 300,000 rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. had been set aside by the Bahrain Government for the implementation of a water supply in Bahrain (folio 76). The Manama well struck good-quality water at 200 feet, and although Shaikh Ḥamad was keen to continue drilling to 600 feet, Holmes convinced the Shaikh against further drilling (folios 63-68). In the wake of the first two wells, water tanks capable of holding thirty tonnes of water were installed, and new contracts between Holmes and the Bahrain Government drawn up for the sinking of a further twelve wells, with the installation of the necessary pipework and tanks (folios 79-80, 82-83).
A minor diplomatic incident was avoided when, in December 1924, the Baghdad Times reported that Holmes was travelling to Bahrain with drilling equipment. The Secretary of State for the Colonies wrote to the Resident, reminding him to in turn remind Shaikh Ḥamad that the British Government recognised the Anglo-Persian Oil Company's exclusive right to negotiate concessions for the exploratory drilling of oil in Bahrain (folio 39). The Resident replied to the High Commissioner in Baghdad that Holmes was interested only in sinking wells for water (folio 42). A later disagreement in 1927 arose between Holmes and the Bahrain merchant Khalil Kanoo, over the sinking of water wells in Bahrain. Holmes, who had by this point signed a concession to drill for oil in the state, objected to Kanoo's proposals to sink his own water wells in Manama (folios 108-14).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (118 folios)
- Arrangement
The contents of the volume have been arranged in an approximate chronological order, running from the earliest items at the front of the volume to the latest at the rear.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The volume is foliated from the front cover to the inside back cover, using circled pencil notes in the top-right corner (but in some cases the top-centre) of each recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. . The following foliation anomalies occur: 1A-1F, 81A, 81B, 84A, 84B, 111A, 111B.
The following folios are fold-outs: folios 2, 4, 5, 14, 15, 23, 28-30, 32-34, 36, 37, 49-54, 70, 76, 90, 94, 104, 116.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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'File 9/9 Bahrain Reforms. Bahrain Water Supply' [70r] (157/261), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/136, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023034593.0x00009b> [accessed 22 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/136
- Title
- 'File 9/9 Bahrain Reforms. Bahrain Water Supply'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 1br:1fv, 2v:7v, 10v, 13r:14v, 15v:16v, 17v:20v, 24v:44v, 47r:48v, 49v:50v, 51v:53v, 54v:62v, 69v:80v, 81ar:81bv, 82r:83v, 84ar:84bv, 85r:87v, 88v:91v, 93v:94r, 95r:99v, 101v:103v, 104v:105v, 106v:108v, 110r:110v, 111ar:111bv, 113r:121v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence