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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 [577v] (1176/1291)
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.
S77!
_X¥;K.
XLIV.
I need hardly tell you that the chief thing that has been
filling our mind since last week Is the terrible Bank tragedy
I am afraid our pre-occupation with It cut short our letters
ihe news Just came before we had settled down after breakfast
to the days work, and we both had to think whether there was
anything we could do. We got hold of our mason and went up to
the cemetery to choose a spot for the grave and gove him instruc
tions how to dig it, or rather quarry It, for In this iron
rocky soil it is a long and difficult business. After that
was eyer-there-was-not arranged for, there was not. much we could
do till the afternoon drew on and it was possible to think of
flowers. w e have little inthe garden now, the first glory
of Spring being over and the Hastaran trees past their bloom,
happily I bethought me of the
Nawab
An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India.
and his crowded beds and asked
nlm to send over what flowers he could spare, while I rifled
our own beds and got together a fair quantity of white petunias,
tobacco plant and a few white pinks, also armfuls of aso-ragus.
ihe
Nawab
An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India.
sent a glorious tray heap with double white larkspur
and white carnations and other white flowers. Of these I chose
ail the sweet smelling things, and packed them in a large wooden b
box with masses of asparagus and sent them down to the Bank house
then when it was about £of an hour before the time of the funeral
Lock and I went up in advance to see that all was right. We
cov red in the bottom of the grave with branches of white roses
and asparagus and white flowers, and laid the rest of
what we had at hand to put in afterwards. We also thought of
putting a few flowers on poor little Baby Chases grave that it
might not seem lonely. Then when all was ready, we sat and
waited till the other people gradually collected and at last
the tiny coffin came on the hospital ambulance. Never never
do I want to see anything more unutterably sad. Everyone was th
there, and everyone was more or less, broken down except the
brave parents themselves. Thanks chiefly to Lock's careful
and well-thought out arrangements there was less of the terrible
hitches and pauses and amateurishnesses that made the painfulness
of the other baby-funeral, and as far as possible all went
expeditiously. A thick bed of asparagus and a layer of soft
sand brought from some distance off broke the thud of the stony
soil, and though the masons were ready with their spades, all the
work was done by Europeans standing by, from Lock down to the
newest telegraphchi everyone took his turn, but still the moon
had chased off the setting sun before it was over and the last
flowers were arranged on the tiny grave.
+ W f had not gone d- 0 ™ 11 to see the parents that day, knowing
th t the house w uld be over-full and that we could help best
by staying away and getting things done up here. But on Friday
we went to them. W e could not help dreading it, dreading to find
J
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 [577v] (1176/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946967.0x000028> [accessed 23 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