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Coll 1/59 'Aden. Lease of the Perim Coal Company at Perim: future of Perim and provision of a wireless set' [‎355r] (709/911)

The record is made up of 1 file (456 folios). It was created in 24 Jun 1935-21 Oct 1937. It was written in English. 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. .

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2.
maintenance oi th.e harbour they would probably decide
to abandon their Station.
(b). ,7ater . I told Mr. ViTallis what Sir Bernard
Reilly^ suggestions were in this regard and said that
it seemed clear that Government would have to provide
some sort of water supply for the Island, ani that any
outside concern such as the Asiatic would probably be
able to buy water on much the same basis as at present.
( c )« Medical arrangements . I told Mr. Wallis
roughly what Sir Bernard Reilly*s suggestions were, and
he seemed to think they would be quite satisfactory from
the point of view of any concern such as the Asiatic
remaining on the island.
I made it clear to Mr. Graham Y/allis that we had
not yet got either the views of the Government of India
or oi the interested Departments of His Majesty 1 sSpovernment,
and that in view of the coming transfer to Aden the India
Oifice were, in any case, not in a position to give him
any dexinite decisions. I told him that our idea was
to have a meeting with him and the Asiatic Company at
which the Colonial Oiiice would, no doubt, be represented
as soon as we were in a position to ck> so. He thought
that would be by far the best plan, and he hoped that
it would be possible to have the meeting before long.
He raised one point in regard to water supply, viz:
what the Government of India propose to do about staff
for the water supply. At present the supply is, of course,
run by the Perim Coal Company* s staff which they are anxious
to withdraw. This point will be taken up with India and
Aden.

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Content

The file contains papers regarding the operation of certain businesses on Perim, negotiations for their withdrawal from the island, and arrangements for the Government of India to assume responsibility for maintaining essential services previously provided by the companies.

The papers primarily concern the position of the Perim Coal Company - a subsidiary of Lambert Brothers Ltd. - and consist of correspondence regarding: the lease held by the company (copy at ff 445-54); their financial circumstances, and reasons for ceasing operations on Perim; arrangements for early termination of the lease through a deed of surrender (copy at ff 123-25); and the proposed sale of a water condensing plant and accessories to the Government of India.

Throughout their period of operation on the island the company provided certain essential services: a company employee acted as Government Agent on the island, and they also provided sanitation and medical services; the supply of water, ice and electricity; and oversaw the lighting and buoying of the harbour. Arrangements for the assumption of these duties by the Government of India and Aden authorities are also discussed in the correspondence.

The correspondence also concerns other businesses operating on Perim, namely the Asiatic Petroleum Company, the Lloyd's signal station, the Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd., and the Eastern Telegraph Company (owned by Cable and Wireless PLC). The file contains correspondence with Cable and Wireless and minutes of the Imperial Communications Advisory Committee, regarding: the temporary provision of telegraph services until an alternative wireless set is provided for the island; and the continued maintenance of the company's cable tank depot, used for cable repair operations throughout the region.

A map of the island, showing the location of buildings leased by the companies, can be found at folio 446.

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folios 1-2).

Extent and format
1 file (456 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in rough chronological order from the rear to the front of the file

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 456; 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.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 1/59 'Aden. Lease of the Perim Coal Company at Perim: future of Perim and provision of a wireless set' [‎355r] (709/911), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/1497, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100046487524.0x00006f> [accessed 30 July 2026]

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