![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 [‎419v] (860/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0860.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 [‎419v] (860/1291)")
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 [419v] (860/1291)
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.
say tight-fitting dross is hot thoso dsys. Continuous peeking
Sid thon tho dhobis offorts to iron it hevo not improvod it, but
it still looks viry will sad wss £ t e.ay ra.to wull up to
K* >rme n s tende rds.
This sftornoon's tonnis ought to go off quits wo 11 ; wo
ere having ovorything outsido to-day end only Europoans end
iho
Nawab
An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India.
.
You will bo geld to hoar that the Wrights ana thoir
sptseio caravan arrived duly yestorday without accident; they
are both rather weary no doubt, but not ill end everyone says
tho two youngstors are ilourighing. Poor things they must
bo gejld to bo in at last. Wo wroto to assure them that we
should not expect them to turn up yesterday (* were afraid
that they might tool an official invitation ought not to bo
disregarded ana that a fussy consul might take offence if th.->y
stay'd away) nor today ana they had our entire sympathy if they
didn’t. Howver, they hope to appear this afternoon, and I
look forward to meeting them end hearing all their news.
Wo should have likoa to invite Mrs. Wright end the two children
to come to us to rest a little before settling down, out as Mr.
c? to ward had our only decent room and wo are in the midst of
these servant crises w>; really could not. However, I acquired
merit, oy telling her that we should have lik-d to have them;
though as a matter of fact they probably prefer to try and
settle down at once.
Mr. Stoward ijhaving great difficulty in getting trans
port to take him on to Yezd ana Ispahan. If ho can’t start
soon he will have to stay no re, as ho is due batfk in India
at the sna of August ana could not afford to leave himself
without a good margin of time for accidents and closed roads.
We took on as I told you. a new servant yesterday, a
near (parsoo, Fire-worshipper) on trial, out can’t yet judge
what the result will bo; he looks a. decent fellow, bjit there
may b*. trouble with the other servants. Haj i Ali keeps
assuring me that he is a fool ( a manifest lie I), and all
sorts of other yarns; to which so far I hav«< only said that
I sir: all see for myself if h<j is good, and as for his religion
7 don’t care whether ho is a cannibal or not provided his work
is good. But I hope to make the effective answer tomorrow
by paying off Haji Ali. Then we shall see. There is no
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 [419v] (860/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946971.0x00001c> [accessed 1 July 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