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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 [407r] (833/1291)
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.
6
h£,ve individuals up as tho fancy tak*ns us.
3 Th<> King's birthday is throwing a gloomy shadow ahead.
shall have to have another at homo and a series of dinners
jt will a.ll be so like tho last festivities, that j an afraid
it will bore people; but it really isn't cicsy to so how to yary
entertainments here. One ooula not run it with a tennis
at home ior ovryone will be in their best clothes frd there
would bo far tod many people for them to enjoy it. The only
variations will be in the temperature ana the cakes and the garden
With luck I may be able to menage to have ices. It isn't
possibl to got ice proper, out one can have snow brought in from
the distant mountains. Of course the pric > is prohibitive
for every-day use; uit one can rise to it for an occasion.
I don't know whether the cook can re-lly make nic > ices, out I
have got a, maohin of Mrs. Haig’s and I am going to haw a
’’dress rehearsal’’ of them for luch next Friday, and if th >y are
a success shall try to have them and icoa arinks at the At-Home.
We shall miss ^a'far's organising ability out I have no
doubt that all will go orf well — only I wish it were ov^a" .
There will be no absolute peace of mind till it is. The
caravan bringing my new stores is due on tho 1 st. of Jun , out •
it will probably arrive late and in any case two days isn’t
much margin for unpacking l It is bringing me icing sugar
treacle (for gingerbread), crystallised fruits, tinned vegetables
and hors dbouvr-y things and it will be a little disappointing
if all my dinners have to go ofi without. I am practising the
cook in biscuits and sweetmeats at the moment in case wo have to
do without help. It is wonderful how one can manage; a little
ordinary starch rnixea with ordinary auger makes quite a respect
able substitute for the real icing sugar, and the cook's choco
late almonds Wire very passable.
I hope we shall have Mr. Steward to help us through, but
he leaves soon after if not before. He talks of coming back
to Persia next year n to compl ete his higher iducation” as he
calls it.
W-* had a tea-party at 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.
's on Monday. h° had tea
served in his garden on a sort of raised terrace with an excellent
vi iw over the flowers. He takes a greaTdoal of trouble and has
a garden packed with flowers, golen blazes of broom, ros(*s /
gersniums / sw'<etp£^, cornflowers and marguerites; a regular wildor-
of good things; but with true ‘Persian lack of taste there is no
arrangement of colour scheme, and a brick red geranium clashes
with a pink rose bush and it in its turm with a glorious flame-
ol coloured sweet-briar. He has no N as tans to rival ours, cut
/v T
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 [407r] (833/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946970.0x000061> [accessed 29 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