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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 [369r] (757/1291)
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.
3 .
ia a ohooi’y hoalthy person, ^i08>t droozy ftpp jaranco did you
good. Hia auccoasor ia to bo a Mr. Wright now in Bush ire.
H-> ia marriod to a oi-aovant Missionary sud th >y haWo somj
chiXdron, I don't know how many. It will b<< quitu nico to
havo thorn >n th. y coma, but though th y ar a <h a in Bandar Abbas
on April 15 th. and might thoroforo bo oxpoctad haro in March
tharo is littlo chano> of thair attompting to traall till
tht road is qul >tar. In fact it would probably not: b< possib
So poor Mr. Gardnar will hav * to carry on singlo—handad haro
for an indofinito tima.
W» w* ro greatly surprised ana dolightod to got all your
lot tor s ol February 11 th. from Clonok a ana 13 th, from Ronr>;
wo had quito mad ; up our minds that wo should »oo no raora homo
lottors for a long tima. They are doubly proclous wh m each
ono may bo tha last.
It is a sham a to lot Persia^ got into this disgraceful
state for th y aro a poople who would ba most easy to govern.
The amount of crime in the towns and villages — thougi th .re
in no government ol any $ind in most of them — is practically
nil, and the poople are essentially iaw-abiaing by nature.
But then) is really nothing for an enterprising spirit to do
but to tak to the road, and one's sympathy goes out to thorn
except whan they commit outrages, which aro really marvellously
rare.
There is vary little nows, w are living a regular busy
life but vary un vontful. The forenoon Lock spans at his
desk, while I do such housekeeping as th .re is and "then get
to my sewing or to the type-
writer
The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping.
or to my letters.
After lunch we play a gam of billiards *44 for half an hour
or so and than settle down again. After tea we tak > a short
turn in the gar cl m when Look is pv elVd but we hope to be abl..
to expand it into a rid or walk every day soon, then we get
oO work again till dinner, and after that have our chapt .r of
a novo 1 before we go to our early bods. 0 U Friday forenoons
th post being disposed of, we occasionally allow ouselves a
break and Lode plays about at his photographs or something of
that sort.
I am tiding Malcolm's History of Persia, which is not at al
bad though written so long ago, and slowly spelling out a littl»
Avestic. I have wanted to b)gin it for a long time but have
let myself be put off by the fag.of having to learn a new
squiggly script. How >ver at last y have girded myself up
and have, got fairly started on. my first five lines or so.
T t will oe intensely interesting, both for its. literary side
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 [369r] (757/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946971.0x0000ac> [accessed 24 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