![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 [‎287r] (587/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0587.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 [‎287r] (587/1291)")
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 [287r] (587/1291)
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.
1
l • , r
BAHREIN
13 - 3 - 1912 .
Mu*/
The migh'uy Mr. Wood h?:.s ooms and gone. Wo go i. word fro;. 1
Busiaire that no would very probably arrive 24 hours before his
scheduled lime; so trom 7 a.m» on Tuesday we scanned the horizon
for the Lawrence and our little launch puffed diligently to show
she was ready to go and meet them. We spent, tro wnole of
Tuesday and Wednesday in that atmosphere of expectancy which is
fatal to one's comfort and one's work and at last they appeared
on our horizon on Thursday a.m. 24 hours late. We had time to
have breakfast in peace and then Lock set out to me' - t them
while I put tne last toucnes to nouaonold preparations.
I had made ready two beds in the guestroom for wo heard
from Bushire that Captain Birdwood, the second a sistauu there
was travelling witr. Mr. Wood, but I was not a little disconcerted
to spy witr. tne leiescope that there wore thr e strange topis /
coming ashore with Lock and I began Lastly to revolve in my
mind the possibilities of putting a shakedown into Lock's unlove
ly dressing-room.
Presently they wore upon me. Mr Wood, a fine impreaoive-
looking man not at a:.ll unlike Colonel Cox (I mean Sir P rcy Cox)
himself - the same clear-cut features and keen face, the same
satisfying dignity and presence; Captain Birdwood rather rotund
for his age out pleasant and cneory-looking; finally Mr Townsend
a. tall, handsome na.ppy-looking ooy who turned out to ue a young
Officer in the Roya.l engineers whom tno Public Works Department
propose to quarter in the Gulf. When greetings had subsided
it appeared that the party only proposed to st?y till 2 or 3 p.m.
on Friday instead of giving Bahrein the 3^- days allotted by the
schedule so Lock's plan of allowing Mr. Wood to see a day's normal
court work had to be aoamdonod and Thursday's court adjourned.
It was an intelligent inspiration Or B a snire, seeing that the time
lor Mr. Wood wa.s to do so limited, to hurl Mr Townsend on us with
out any notice. He wanted old building files, vouchers of one
sort or another all kinds of things that no one had ooen thinking
ol for months past; however, after a certain amount of trouble
obese were procured for him and ho wa.s ejected from the room
armed with measuring tapes and the like to inspect our wonderful
buildings. Then Lock and Mr Wood and Captain Birdwood sat
down over piles oi riles, statistics and papers of every sort.
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 [287r] (587/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946971.0x00007b> [accessed 18 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