![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 [‎372r] (763/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0763.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 [‎372r] (763/1291)")
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 [372r] (763/1291)
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.
X.
K i man,
9 — 4 - 1913 .
Wj ha.v:} no further nows from Bandar, so wo do not know
whothvjr to liopo for lot tors this wook or not, nor whothor our
lottors of March 7 th and lator havo bo n gotting through*
•^-t has soomod a long for'tnigbt, though tho happy fact of Mothor
lot tor having boon put in tho Yozd post-bag by raistako socurod
us hors and broko tho silonco most unoxpootodiy and wolcomoly.
Th fooling of th) tolograph boding always a r isourc > In tho
background, howovor, provonts ono fooling no ally cut off;
and in fact sinci* wo know th j roason of tho non-arrival of lot-
tors ard aro thoroforo froo from anxioty at thoir non-appoaranc
tho block in tho post troublos us much moro on your account,
for you may not always know about blockod roads and may allow
yours ilvos to worry if no bows arrivos; wo both vory much hopo
that you will try ret to do this at any timo.
Tlnro is vory iittlo nows; tho woathor is stoadily
growing moro sumraor-liko, and it is a groat ploasuro to bo sit
ting again with wido opon doors, tut tho fino days altomato
in a rath ir trying wsy with wind-storms that bring up clouds
snd clouds of sand iiko a thick mist and ond up in thund >r and
rain and shoots of snow on tho mountains. Our houso is
happily situated longthways to East and West so that tho
windows faco North and South. As tho pro vailing winds seom
to bo E. and W. wo fool comparatively iramuno ovou whon thoy
aro raging end wo escape the worst penalty of tho dust-storms
to a very largo oxtont. Mr. Steward who lunched with us on
Sunday while ono of these was going on, told us that on his
return to his own quart ;rs ho found 2 inches of dust on every
thing in the houso including his bed 1 We get off with tho
thinnest coating.
Thoas changes of tuinporaturo and the rain hanging about
are rather trying to everyone and th ire has been a lot of fotfor
going. Poor la*far has boon several days in bod, and is stil
extremely sore from his fall; ho occasionally murmurs sadly
that he. thinks ho has been suffici >ntly punished, to which I
piously mply Muhammad an wise that it all lies in itho hands of
Allah. I hop* the lesson will be as effective as it has
undoubtedly been severe.
W 3 .hsvo got a now scullery-maid” to replace Mashallah
who has gone off to better himself when we refused to raise his
wages (he was worth about half what he was already getting).
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 [372r] (763/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946970.0x000047> [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