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 [280r] (573/1291)
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.
2 .
ii I ^ad. only o©g’-in Porsian wnon w© lirst cam© T r©ally
know a lit'ole oy tnis time, and I should nave ao raucn prei er
red it. However, tne otner seemed oottor ana one cannot
know oei'ore'nana. I am aure no memsanio ever naa worse luck
in tne matter oi‘ languages tnan I - I expect I snail end up oy
giving up all attempts to learn anything l Peraian, however
fl ft R a great many aavantages over Hinaustani; it is a respectaoie
language witn a decent literature oi its own ana is really
wortn learning ootn to road and talk, whereas Hindustani is
only a sort oi' servants’ esporanto and seems never to oe
anyone’s real tongue.
Moreover Persian will make Avestic muon more amusing and
we nope to oegin it sooner or later; Lock made an excexlent
start at Christmas and read several pages of the Avasfca; i was^
naving my ’’holidays” and would not oe lured into following suit
or doing more than oust learning the script fpr future use.
Lock finds his Arao heaa ooatman of tno moment an intelligent
ana pleasant fellow ana occasionally has him up to talk Araoic
with. He is mach interested and amused, out is ot course
quite ignorant and illiterate ana nas no idoa ci saying a word
slowly or uistixiOuiy (9? yQ‘'~tc catch it, Araoic is most dis
couraging in many ways especially as it .-aries entirely in
its everyday vocabulary irom one place tc anotner.
words for high ana lo* tiae for the different parts ox a uCc-t
ror opening ana shutting ana all the common everyday actions
are here totally different from Basra 1 So, however nara
you may laocur to learn the current speecn, you are laying ..x
ior yourself treasure tnat will oe no use to you outsiae
Bar.rein.
Our afternoon walks are often varied oy people who waylay
Lock with special pleas of all kinds.. One day it was a
woman wno very excitedly maintained that she had on several
occasins oeen driven away trom ”OoHernment House" oy the
personal malice or Mr. Sofi when she had a complaint to make.
Her negro husoana at some yards’ distance lent her moral support.
Look gave ner an appointment for a certain nour *hile express! ng
incredulity aoout the ill-treatment alleged. On inquiry we
round that she had persistently come at noura when tne oiiice
was closed or during tho onioial Christmas holidays, and was
or course turned away.
Another day just as we were coming sack from our walk, sev
eral men appeared carrying a rougu trestle iht what seemed 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 [280r] (573/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946970.0x000025> [accessed 27 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
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