![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 [‎393r] (805/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0805.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 [‎393r] (805/1291)")
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 [393r] (805/1291)
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.
XII.
K S R M /» N
6
»
5 - 1 13.
'<1
Since I wrote last we nave naa Mr. Steward seeay on our n
nsids and you may tninK. i#w glad I waa tnat ne nan come up e
aii a was not away cown in tne town all alone. It was not ding
more serious ti^m a slignt liver or oilious attacK. vr i;eu ne
xirst c6mplainea ox xeeling oil colour, i proceeded to maxe
lignt mility oi anes xor dim, out tnis treatment nad no good results
so alter a d^r or two we got D r . Scnaxiter up ana ne gave me a
diet programme wnicn excluded miltc and eggs and supplied a lot
ox oottles ana pilla ana taoloias. Mr. S. is already quite
nimseli again. He was a most docile ana gratexul patient,
indeed iie is altogether a very plSesant guest. He joins in
our evening readings with apparent pleasure, ana even last Sunday
let us ootn victimise dim oy reading out our xavorites xrom
Tne Oxiora book ox English Verse. He is rather an entertaining
specimen ox a person with quite a taste xor literature, wno ~as
never oeen with people wico read much ana has hardly roa isea his
own cent xor it. Shakespeare ana woraswortn —even "the Daxx-
odills" ana "She was a phantom ox Delight" 11 are a' ., entirely
new to him, not to mention one’s lesser treasures . He oxten
laments the English ^uolic school system, in which as xar as
one can gather the coys are given no taste at all xor reading oi
any Kind ana with the most ox them it is a point ox hono r to ao
only "the minimum ox the eternal classics which are snovea, oy a
sort ox xoroiole xeeaing, process^ aown their reluctant throats.
But ‘tt/jjugn. there is no aouot much to oe said against the system
ol^teaching, it always .seems to me that Eng. ooys suiter xar more
xroci,|he Eng. parents’ hacit <ki thinking that once they pay heavy
ie£s' xor theirjchildren to oig schools their educative unites are
over. Alter‘all *what counts most in one’s lixe is the sort ox
home, atmosphere, the oooks that lie acout, that you hear dis
cussed, ^he" interest t~at everyone taxes in your pursuits ana
tastes ana school reports. No oouot the aay-school aoy misses
much that your public *sc..ool coy gets as a matter ox course,
especially his games ana their discipline, ait if his ixme is wort
anything it seems to me he gains more than he loses.
Anyhow there is Mr. S., a man with a Keen appreciation
ox cooks ana very wide interests ana wno has sat down here xor
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
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 [393r] (805/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946973.0x000007> [accessed 23 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946973.0x000007
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946973.0x000007">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 [‎393r] (805/1291)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946973.0x000007"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0805.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- 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