![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 [‎441v] (904/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0904.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 [‎441v] (904/1291)")
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 [441v] (904/1291)
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.
4 .
ti;« same sort 9t tiling on t~eir own account* It will
certainly mean tne witnarawal or ti.e M-^rza, cut ii ti-e Banie
dismiss nim altogether it will oe raoiier nara on the man,
wno was prooacly only partially aware og the gravity oi wha.
he wa?' doing ana who was most unquestionaoly encouraged by
the immediate authoritea to taK.e up outsiue woric ana make himael/
as important as possible. They had a theory that it aaded to "
his aria their prestige — ana, being young ana not very wily,
ana also superbly ignorant or Persia ana Persian, they did not
seriously roal^e tnut it certainly meant corruption or all sort
T am airaia our two iriens the ex-manager, ana Mr.G. will ooth
come out 01 it very oaaly. One is sorry ror them, out in this
world, ii you are criminally rcoiish or criminally slack, you
are oouna to sutler ror it. The worst or it is that one
cannot say the Consulate was tree r*ora olame; it was not a wise
thing to entrust its interests to anyone not in its own employ;
out as it is so seriously unaerstaiiea that might oe condoned,
out then it would be aouoly necessary to keep a sharp eye on all
he aid ana call xor rrequeat accounts oi his stewardship — all
01 which was entirely neglected.
It is, however, extremely unpleasant ror all parties.
But Mr, Wright seems to appreciate very gratetul^ the toroearance
with which Lock avoiaea p^ecipateing matters until tr.e pukka
manager should *.ave arrived ana at the same time haa not allowed
any more 'sliding* to go on, out had numerous iacts ana aata
reaay to work on the moment the time should come, I cannot oe
wholly sorry that much or the correspondence will have to go on
to Ti*oran, ior r.ook's letters are real masterpieces 1
The latest excitement was a rumour that the Deputy Gov.
was to be deposed. what Teheran intrigues were at the bottom
oi that we don’t know, out it seems that the Gou. Gen. who
haa brought him with himaeli ana was very intimate turned agaims
him icr some reason o- his nwn, Anyhow, oeiore the rumour was
comirmed, or Lock had any orricial information or it, the Dep.
Gov. complained — like a whining schoolooy — that he couldn’t
aojrf anything ii his authority was to be undermined like this.
The next wo heard was tha- he haa ooltea ana we round a p.p.c
cara tron him. They are oeaui^es l When in any post of
power the 3 r abuse it so ahameiully, that they oarean’t lace their
own rail at all; everyone t..ey ~aa annoyea or oppressed would tu
ana rend them cna their creditors swoop aown like biras oi prey -
ana so they run away I
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 [441v] (904/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946972.0x00005b> [accessed 23 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