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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 [389r] (797/1291)
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.
4
How thwy wov hsd 301 him in w»» couldn’t imagin') unloss ho had
boon brought whilo still an ogg • T ho Bank itswlf op<ns ofi th
c inti o.l bazar ; it is rathor a drsary plac'i snu wrj had rathor a.
cl 1 oat y lunch. Mi'. G. who wa^s looking ov-i—workod and voryun—
woll was not oonvoraationally a. succoss, I fancy too ho "^ws
rathor ill-at-oase. Poor Lock was writhing in pain on a sup n--
Ir.tivoly uncomfortablo cha.ir and M. Moreau wgi, porsistontly silon^
i. 1 ' pi one h. Aitor lunch wo woro shown tho * strong room* and tho
hug< saio which will ho^a 30,000 £ worn^t of monoy in silver,
and a fow of the lodger curiosities. However, wo wore all
s^lah when it w 8 ,s over. Tho ride did not do Lock any real
harm; but it made his log, which ha,a boon a. little on the m >nd,
aisuinc<.iy more painful lor tho rest ol the day. I am glad to
‘-hao ho is much bott ii now, mt I wish tii >s© rain clouds that sro ^
hanging about would go away. As it doesn’t rain they are doing
no one any good.
La,st a.ud ileal excitement this wo >k is tho departure
As it was clearly inevitable, 1 heartily glad it
Our
oi Ja’far .
is over. It is no pleasure to bo working with a man whom you
know in your own mind to be really und >r sentenc of death.
It cam about nic lyand simply. w were off to Mr. G’s lunch,
snd he said ho was going to the Bazar to do shopping. I said
all right but hurry back (meanings don’t go and got drunk); ho
1 a: o rtainly Khanum, with a re-assuring smile which m ant
I am for ever more a convinc' d total abstainer. gut 1 had my
misgivings. These wore not lessoned when he was still out at tea-
u im . Aoout 6 O’c I wanted someone and called out, and was
oheetiully answered by his voice, dit h' did not com). I call'd
©.gain ai 00 r an interval and was again answered, but he did not
com: . So then I went into the pantry, and there was my fine servant
so drunk that ho could barely stand,trying to outton his clothes on
He had tno presence of mind to turn his back and pretend to busy
nimself with tea-cups, as If 1 wanted tea, but he could hardly
shuiil-' over to in m. Lock join d m- by this tim , and seeing
nis state wo loft him alone and hobbled oul to tho
Sowar
In the East India Company army and later Indian Army, an ordinary native cavalryman or mounted cavalryman.
's quart rs
(it was the wretched Lock who hobbled i), found the dafisdar and
cola mm to come and put him under arrest. We walked alowly back
u0 tn ' > h0USt) Ana it 8 >med an ago before the three men had decked
l.'i m^ .lv< s ouc in uniform as they thought befitted so grx at an
occasion. presently they came with a. great .tramping, wearing
imm nse swords. I couldn’t help lauding as I pictured the limp
i<-e collapsed by tnis tim on to a chair and these elaborate
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 [389r] (797/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946972.0x000015> [accessed 14 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