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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 [265r] (534/1291)
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.
without more ado - to his majesty’s immense surprise. I never 'C
hope again to have another ooy who works so well or is so intelligent
- out I hope never to have one that is jatfre discordant in voice or
so surly in manner. We are taking our time and looking round for
an attractive child to take on instead - out attractive children are
not easy to pick up.
Purser Lock’s memsahib has undergone an improvement !
With the cooler weather awoke the latent desire to get the reins of
the house a lit lie more into my own hands. I think I gained a good
deal by waiting, though I admit I did so more from laziness than
prudence [ I now know oy observation what is possiole and what is
not in a house like this - so totally different from anything at home-
and I have at least stirred up no ill-feeling by asking imposeioilities.
I also know local prices and a modicum of Hindustani and feel
much more capable of dealing effectively with A situation than at first.
I think too that in the interval the servants have got a certain
amount of confidence in my goodwill and don't suspect me of wanting
to be a nuisance., I have been inspecting the fowl-house and the
compound and we decide that while it clearly is not worth while
keeping fowl for the sake of the eggs or the chickens (the expense
would far exceed the saving) ^ it i3 distinctly worth while keeping
them to fatten them for a bit before eating, as we find our own fowl
not nearly so tough as the bazar ones. 1 hope very soon to have
evolved by experiment a practical scheme of rotation-retirement
amongst the hens l
The cook's repertoire too is growing fairly familiar, and I
am trying to extend it a little. I began by trying to improve
some of his most glaring faults. His mashed potato for instance
was always much hardea? than potato in its natural state and you had
to go at it with an ice-axe as it were - so after duly studying Mrs
Bee ton, I explained the mystery of "puree de pommes de terre" and he
has learned to do it very well. Similarly his tapioca puddings
had always a firm deposit of fish-glue-stuff at the bottom; I made
him try one recipe after another with varying success, finally -
whether it was the new receipt or the threat that if we got stick—jaw
again I should bring it down to the kitchen myself and make him eat
the whole of it frirgaelf - we had a delicious pudding yesterday.
He has also tried several new dishes with great success, and is
most good-humoured and willing over it all. It is quite an art
in itself "teaching the cook"; you first have to find the dish you
want whereof all the ingrediants are forthcoming in the store-room,
then translate the quantities into spoon- and cup-fulls, then put
the method of mixing etc. into pigeon-English and explain it slowly
to Caitan and the cook; the cook knows very little English so you
translate into pigeon-)-Hindustani very slowly with lots of gestures
to express beating, mixing, blending etc.; then you do it all over
again while Caitan, who is really very quick, keeps up a running
commentary in Goanese l It is most amusing, but quite exhausting -
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 [265r] (534/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946972.0x000040> [accessed 25 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