![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 [‎269r] (547/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0547.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 [‎269r] (547/1291)")
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 [269r] (547/1291)
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.
0
We
both very much enjoyed hia at^y
He muat be just
fcoout Lock'a
ery-ju/t^o
&ge bit looks » good deal older owing no doubt to
having been longer married. He had a oad tall from his
horae a few months ago and ia travelling up the Gulf to recrui,;
he had just got ttw to proceed into the interior of Mac ran
* 3 soon as he gets back, and this will mean packing nome the
wife and two children which ia rather hard luck. He is a
nice bright easy-bannered fellow and in spite of his faultless
English accent we both set him down as Irisn in the first live
minutes. This guess proved true; his people nave been Irisn
since the time of Queen Elizabeth and hail apparently from
Donegal. I don't know the name out I daresay Father or
King will. However* his mother left the country when he was
qui-.e small and ho had never lived there since. He 8
brother-in-law of Sir Henry Macmahon and aents to nave knocke
about a good deal with interesting people. He is an
excellent linguist - knowing amongst other Eastern tongues,
Pashtu - and in particular has been a, lot in Russia and knows
the country, language and literature^ well. We had lots ot
interesting talk about all kinds of things; it is very 30 y
to get an occasional breath of non-Bahrein society, and to meet
someone who has interests and acquaintances in common witn you.
The wheels of the domestic establishment ran quite smootn-
ly with a little surreptitious oiling from me now and tr.en;
out it was funny that almost our first visitor for 10 montna
should drop in the day the butler left.
We looked forward with stoicism to a long interregnum,
pending the arrival of a new man from India, but by a stroke
Imck we have got hold of a trained man on the spot and ne is
with ua for a fortninght on approval. He may prove too
experienced, but meantime he is a pleasant relief. All
Yusuf's goodwill could not make him able for two men s work
and the "chokra” of the moment is, I should think, close on
the stupidest boy in Bahrein cesidos having only one-oignth
of an eye. (Complete eyes are nearly as rare in this part
the world as brains).
This, however, ia a digression from our visitor.
After lunch on Tuesday we set out with him in the launch and
carried him out in state to hia ship, had tea with him there
and then returned.
The sequel to Caitan is realty rather funny. Before ne
left I got up all the silver from him, in p rfect orddr, and
wrote him a very good paper; one would really not ask a oetter
servant if only he hadn't taken to drink. All along I have
of
of
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 [269r] (547/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946971.0x000070> [accessed 4 July 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946971.0x000070
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_100179946971.0x000070">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 [‎269r] (547/1291)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946971.0x000070"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0547.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