![An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman [‎390r] (799/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0799.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman [‎390r] (799/1291)")
An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman [390r] (799/1291)
The record is made up of 2 files (630 folios). It was created in 1898-1914. It was written in English and Persian. 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.
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preparations for nib oapturo. It suggoet'd:
rt Ana I wiii slay t ,ia roarful brute —
'’With etonos am sticks ana guno and alings H .
Ho was slightly soborod by t is timo and surronduroa his k< ys
at one and walkod ofi wonderguliy stadily botweon tno soldiors.
Lock told tht>m to put nim soraowhoro sate till ho was sob >r, but it
booms wo have no ’'dungoon” proper and later in the day the Daffadar
ctm' to know what ho should do as J. was threatening all sorts of
violence unless ho was brought to sou the Cap tan Sahib who would
a^ once 1 *t nim out again. It is awfully characteristic that
or the lack or initiative oi the average Indian and his dread of
responsibility tha^they would not without opeciiic ord 'rs take
what ; vur raoaaur s wr ■ n o ess ary to k‘ -<. p a drunk man quiet. Wh -n
w ' w : dinn >r uho Dfc.iiadar came again and said that J. would not
boll >vo ths.t it was by Lock 1 o orders that ho was detained and want'd
to g< t to his room and his boa etc. So Lock allowed them to
bring him to hear it from his own lips amd to make any protest he
lik d. It was the' funniest scone you over saw — ii it had not
to u go norribly sad. In cam,' the Dafiaar with drawn sword, then
J. aid in the background two other sowars with equally largo un-
wi Idy swords drawn. J. , an "This is r ^.Uy enouich. Sir" 1
Bu„ Lock told im wasn’t tL >r< to talk, unlo&s om a fin-
i o' r qu ’St to make, but merely to h(iar that ho was to stay under
ait rot till th■ morning and until h't wa,s sob u 1 and then to go.
He made a i m maudlin and semi-tearful protests and Lock signed to
the sowars to take him off . Ho then made a feeble effort at a,
c-ort ol passive resistance and really it would have been hard to
i iad anything iunni r than the sowars'efforts to take him
Th y were of course handicapped by their immense swords in their
t ijji c hands / ay iso by the fear oi hurting him or th >ms' Ives.
Afu' f a. feeble scuffle they got him off, and hostilities wore
suspended while all four oi them shuffled into their foot gear
at the door.
Next morning I check >d the. silver end the wine — >vorything
was In p >ri ct order — made U p the household account; Lock
searched his room and his boxes, allowed him to go sack and pack
unaer surveillance — then paid him off and had him s .-on off
in premises by the sowars (no doubt with drawn swords i) It
was satisfactory that we round him this time ours Ives, and had not
gOo uo listen to tale-bearing or to bo in any doubt whither ho had
ruvor. He bogged and prayed for another chance, but thorn was of
couiso no pos ibility of that. Probably it wa.s a mistake to
1 ro him ofi the last time; but his real illness after trie accident
po! upon d the matter so long, that it seemed almost vindictive to
About this item
- Content
This file consists of two separate physical files as follows:
1) An account of a journey in Kashmir in 1898-99 written by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer of the Indian Army. His account is entitled 'Three Months of Privilege Leave'. It contains his observations on the languages, peoples, transport, flora and fauna, trade and climate of the region. There are occasional edits and corrections to the original text marked in red pen. The Persian language material in the file is a proverb written on folio 194.
In addition to this travel diary, the following is enclosed: an essay by Lorimer entitled 'Modern Education' dated 9 February 1895 (folios 1-24); two copies of a pamphlet that was published 'for private circulation' in memory of David's brother, John Gordon Lorimer, following his death on 8 February 1914 (folios 255-262); and another essay by Lorimer entitled 'Our Indian N.W. Frontier - a study in a bye-gone Civilisation. A forgotten Chapter of Frontier History' (folios 221-253).
2) Copies of letters that were sent from Emily Overend Lorimer to her parents, Thomas George Overend and Hannah Kingsbury. The letters describe the lives of Emily and her husband, David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer (referred to as 'Lock' in the letters), while living in Bahrain from October 1911 until November 1912 (folios 263-310) and in Kerman from January 1913 until November 1914 (folios 313-634). David served as 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. in Bahrain 1911-12 and as HM Consul, Kerman and Persian Baluchistan, 1913-14.
The letters discuss a range of topics including Lorimer's observations of local customs, food, climate, scenery and festivals; the couple's domestic life and arrangements (especially their servants, who are often discussed in racialised, insulting language); and her interactions with other non-local residents. Also discussed are Lorimer's reading habits, her and her husband's health, family news and, occasionally, world events and political developments.
On folios 322-324, the file contains a description of a walk around Kerman in March 1914 that is accompanied by a sequence of six small black and white photographs of various points in the journey (folios 315-321).
In addition to these letters, the file also contains a number obituaries and letters of condolence written upon the death of David's brother, John Gordon Lorimer, on 8 February 1914 (folios 299-302, 415-416 and 543-544).
On folio 417, the file contains an obituary of David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer published in an unknown newspaper following his death on 26 February 1962.
- Extent and format
- 2 files (630 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: this file consists of two physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the front cover of volume one (ff 1-262) and terminates at the inside back cover of volume two (ff 263-634); these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English and Persian in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman [390r] (799/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946967.0x000020> [accessed 15 June 2026]
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- Reference
- Mss Eur D922/1
- Title
- An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman
- Pages
- 263r:298v, 303r:306v, 309r:391v, 393r:411v, 418r:542v, 545r:634v
- Author
- Lorimer, Emily Martha
- Copyright
- ©Munro Family
- Usage terms
- Creative Commons Attribution Licence