Letters from Sir Owen Tudor Burne to Sir Lewis Pelly

Content

Personal and demi-official correspondence from Sir Owen Tudor Burne, Private Secretary to the Viceroy of India to Sir Lewis Pelly, who retired from service with the 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. in August 1877.

The official correspondence relates primarily to affairs in Cabul [Kabul] and the British Government's relationship with its ruler Shere Ali [Sher Ali Khan]. These affairs follow on from a special mission on which Pelly had accompanied Lord Lytton (Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Baron Lytton) in an attempt to prevent what would become the second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880). Also discussed are matters relating to the Indian Frontier and the 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. , the work of Lord Lytton as Viceroy, and Lord Salisbury's (Robert Gascoyne-Cecil) work since leaving the 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. .

Personal matters discussed in the correspondence include Burne's wife Evelyne's illness and subsequent death in April 1878, their attempts at meeting up with each other in both London and Bournemouth and matters relating to his brother George William Burne.

Cover note (folios 1-2) states that the file contains correspondence from Sir Owen Tudor Burne, Lord Lytton and Lord Salisbury 1877-1878. The correspondence from Lord Lytton and Lord Salisbury was removed from the file at the request of Lady Amy Pelly in 1924.

Extent and format

1 file, 12 items (32 folios)

It is grouped into

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Private Secretary's Office, Government House, Simla to Lewis Pelly

8 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 3-6

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Private Secretary's Office, Government House, Simla to Lewis Pelly

4 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 7-8

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Private Secretary's Office, Government House, Simla to Lewis Pelly

4 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 9-10

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Private Secretary's Office, Government House, Simla to Lewis Pelly

8 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 11-14

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Campore [Kampur], India to Lewis Pelly

12 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 15-20

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Heathercliff, Bournemouth to Lewis Pelly

2 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, f 21

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Heathercliff, Bournemouth to Lewis Pelly

4 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 22-23

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Alnwick Castle, Northumberland to Lewis Pelly

4 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 24-25

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, India Office to Lewis Pelly

4 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 26-27

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, India Office to Lewis Pelly

4 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 28-29

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, India Office to Lewis Pelly

2 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, f 30

Letter from Owen Tudor Burne, Albury, Surrey to Lewis Pelly

4 images

Ref: Mss Eur F126/5, ff 31-32

Physical characteristics

Foliation: The contents of the file have been foliated using a pencil number enclosed in a circle located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio.

Written in

English in Latin script

Type

Archival file

Access & Reference

Original held at

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.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Mss Eur F126/5

History of this record

Date(s)

4 Jun 1877-18 Oct 1878 (CE, Gregorian)

Context of creation

In 1877 Lewis Pelly was appointed envoy-extraordinaire and plenipotentiary for Aghan affairs at Peshawar and accompanied the Viceroy, Lord Lytton, in talks with representatives of the rulers of Aghanistan in an attempt to avoid a potential war. The talks were unsuccesful and Pelly was recalled from the post in March 1877. Relations between the Government of India and Afghanistan declined further leading to the Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878-1880.

Places

CabulAfghanistan

People & organisations

Sir Knight Owen Tudor Burne

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Letters from Sir Owen Tudor Burne to Sir Lewis Pelly, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F126/5, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/mirador/81055/vdc_100000001524.0x00037d> [accessed 14 July 2026]

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