![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 [‎453v] (928/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0928.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 [‎453v] (928/1291)")
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 [453v] (928/1291)
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.
KERMAN
30 - 7 - 1913 .
XXIV.
0 ns ox t *4.3 ci.iex’ a-uadmentJ we iiaa tiii 3 ^aaJt was a
comical anva aaa uriCi. m* Moreau. Mr Stevsno uaa crougiit
a small Ibrriaga ior ais uriie xrom Teueran, ana. now tnat te is
wo oe stationed in Sultanaoad ne is anxious to sell it, so
we asKea M. Moreau to let us see it. It is a most oatterd
paintless looiting snanariaan witx* a terrific oig cart-korae
»no looks as ii to tad oeen specially made for a travelling
snow in variou-* snaaes oi wtite and orown. We so t in and
tad a s^ort urivs round one of tte mountain roaas ana tome
ttrougt tte town. Tns roaas are of course unspeafcaole, and
you were dodging open pits witt one wteel 4 feet aoove tte
otner most of tte tine untill we were actually into tte town,
wven ttere tte rcaus are very oaa; if anyone wants to make
oricts or build a 7 /all, te just digs up tte roaa outside tis
own gate una tti gaping tole remains; similarly if a wall
or to use falls down it just 3ta3 r a tnere, so t**at you can naraly
tal/. ox ”ttorougtfares ,, , oat still tte town r^oas are more
navigable ttan tn<s cotuxtry ones 1 You can imagine tbat in
tte circumstances it wasn't xor tne pleasure of driving that
r,ock. tnoagnt of possioly purchasing tte trap, out oecause tte
distances are in many cases very great. If te nas to go
ana call on the Oov. Gen. it means a ride of aoout l£ nours.
Witt tte Nawao on torseoack you could not dare to trot; ana
through the bazaar a walk, is the only possiole thing,
whereas in a carriage you can go at a fair pace even thro*
the oazaar. We Laa our aouots from the first aoout tte
respectaoility oi the t/^urn-out; ana even much new paint
anu repairs c r ula naraly raise it to Consular dignity.
Tne deciding point against it was not however, its staooiness,
out tne fact that it held Lock ana me only wltn a squash,
ana that therefore 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.
would not lit in at all •
If Major Ducat taa speculated in a carriage instead
of a billiard taole it wojtla have oeen a good deal more
useful, Tte cost of getting down a ne» carriage or trap
from Teheran would oe practically prohibitive unless one were
going to oe here for years ana years.
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 [453v] (928/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946967.0x00003a> [accessed 21 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