![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 [‎406r] (831/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0831.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 [‎406r] (831/1291)")
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 [406r] (831/1291)
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.
A-X /s
X muiat <! 0 1 forg«t fo 'cmII you c.bouf Zhn gcrcifjn} j wish
ww oould hfc.v') you £.11 out to s«© it. Th« ros«s ter© in bloom,
£m i hsvo nuv-jr in my lifo s«©n anything lik--> it. W- h8,v«
sovoral hundred busies, four and five ff*>t high, and sb they
are never trimmed rtru kept pruned they grow like wild roses fet
home end are absolutely covered with blossoms; beautiful pink
double roses with a;, rich sweet smell, stronger oven thsn the old-
iasiiioned cabbages -rose a.t home. But in addition to these
pink roses which form tno large majority, w-r have many bu&ns
of a. dark roa, end not e, few of“Perangi'’roses lik » hardy Marecha/
Niels. The greatest glory of all are, however, the
Nastaran roses or ,, dog-roses ,, . We have two or three trees
of them full 12 or 15 feet high. They are old trees ana the*
central trunk is rather a, conglomeration of small trunks than
one big one, cut its net diameter is 12 or 18 inches. T hey
grow not unlike a weeping willow, but with closer thicker foliage
fend from the top down to the ground they shed a. thic^ shower
of green sprays covered with punr white single blooms like a
fairy umbrella starred with white. The dooms are Digger than
our dog roses, the petals are rich velvety white and have none
oi that fa^rilty which our wild roses have, and in the centre
there is a glorious knot oT~ golden stam'ms\Qr_tuf t. Their
p e lum * 1 b subiler then that of the pink roses, a, most delicious
'pale smell' of cinnamon and rose. We are longing sorely to
get some, photos while they are in all their glory, but poor L ock
is at the moment busier than he has been yet, and j see little
hope of there being time. It means much time to adze the
light right for this point and another.
We find the tennis court not at all bad. The surface
ne d 8 s new layer of mud (wh. we shall have put down soon) end
it is just a shade cramped a.t both ends; people will economise
the last 6 inches of space necessary for comfort. it would ha
o ■ i pet l »etly easy to have made it a good generous size in the
beginning; but now if we were to undertake it, it would mean the
moving of a watercourse and the confiscation of several trees,
a.iid a considerable amount of expense; so for the moment we shall
le&v ; it alone. w.> hope to get navy blue screens matu for the
’nas as the mud-clourod wall and surface in the strong 11$* t
are very trying and a dark backgcund is much moi-e luxurious.
Dr. Schaffter came up for a game the other aay; he plays
extremely well. When wi have got the whole place into totter
wrier 1 I-if 811 P X D£bl7 havH & W0okl y tennis at home for everyone
1 aot or course prevent us asking special people up for
pre-arranged setts on other days. Meantime* we are going to
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 [406r] (831/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946967.0x00004d> [accessed 22 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