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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 [418v] (858/1291)
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
KERMAN
0
XVI.
4 - 6 - 1913 .
Well the King'u Birthday itj successfully ov*r; it wss
lor tnu most pert a replica oi our preceding at home end there
is little to tell you n >w about it. The Cook surpassed, him
self in pretty cakes and made two kinds of lovely ices and we
had iced drinks galore. W * received the guests in the
drawing-room and afterwards moved them out as the afternoon
grew pleasant outside and served the cool drinks and ice s and
biscuits out beside the tennis court. Everything went off
pretty well; I was a little unhappy over the slowness of the
servants, but I don’t really think it was bad enough to distress
the guests. W had drafted in a now ooy the evening before
and borrowed a servant from the T >legraph people tor the ai ter-
ndon and we suffered more j think from their tripping over each
other's toes in the pantries <tc• than from scarcity i
The unrogenorate Kerroalm is a lazy bones of the worst
order and when they saunter in with a. tray and look half asleep
yOu just long for a good riding whip — or some scorpions —
to make them hop about a bit. It is just as well I am not a
slave owner i But truly I believe ihe archangel Gabriel
would be just as impatient.
The Persian guests wore here at 4,30 and were very hot,
poor things in nice warm winter uniforms — w* have afternoon
temperatures of 96 in the shade — and w .re rather heavy in the
hand to entertain; out they are pleasant people, socially,
and an Eastern is quite content to sit still and make a remark
’very ten minutes or so. They positively "take root” on.ithoir
chairs and it is quite impossible to make them "circulate”.
Even outside they had soon contrived to secure a large circle
of chairs and wore again firmly seated round a carpet looking
rather like an unwieldy german Band. The Europeans w «rn a.
good dial later in coming, out were of course a. good deal easier
to entertain and as before wore very good in doing their share
towards making tilings go.
Still there isn’t a doubt that
’’mixed” parties are rath r a strain J There is to te another
photograph of yesterday, but the grouping was quite impossible
and j fear it won’t be a, success.
Lock was the only happy-looking person in his nice smart
white uniform with his gold buttons and immense brass sword.
I may have looked fairly cool in my Paris tussore, but in fact
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 [418v] (858/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946972.0x00003a> [accessed 17 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