Graphical version

School of Oriental and African Studies

Durand, Sir Henry Marion and Sir Henry Mortimer


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0102 PP MS 55

Held at: School of Oriental and African Studies

Title: Durand, Sir Henry Marion and Sir Henry Mortimer

Date(s): Created c1830-1925

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 16 boxes

Name of creator(s): Durand | Sir | Henry Marion | 1812-1871 | Knight | Major-General | colonial administrator
Durand | Sir | Henry Mortimer | 1850-1924 | Knight | Indian civil servant and diplomat

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Henry Marion Durand was born in 1812. He went out to India in 1829, arriving in May 1830, as Second Lieutenant in the Bengal Engineers. He was involved in the Indian Mutiny of 1857, as Agent to the Governor General of central India 1857-1858. By 1870 Durand was Lieutenant General of the Punjab. His prestigious career was unfortunately ended on 1 January 1871, when he died following an accident when he fell from an elephant whilst entering the town of Tank, with the local Maharajah.

Henry Mortimer Durand was born in 1850. He was educated at Blackheath School, Eton House, Tonbridge and at the Bar, Lincoln's Inn. He entered the Indian Civil Service, arriving in India on 1 February 1873. Durand rose up through the ranks of the Indian Civil Service, and from 1884 to 1894 was Foreign Secretary to the Government of India. This was followed by a period of service as British Envoy, at the Court of the Shah of Persia. In 1900 Durand was appointed British Ambassador to Spain, a post which he held until 1903. In 1903 he became British Ambassador to the United States of America, but was recalled at the end of 1906. Durand stood as Conservative and Unionist candidate in the election of 1910 for Plymouth, with Waldorf Astor, but failed. In addition to his work as a civil servant and diplomat, Durand wrote a number of novels and other works, including a biography of his father. Durand married Ella, daughter of Teignmouth Sandys, in 1875. They had two children, a son and daughter, Amy Josephine (Jo). Josephine accompanied her father on many official duties owing to her mother's ill health. Lady Durand died in May 1913, aged 60. Sir Henry Mortimer Durand died in 1924.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers, c1830-1925, of Major-General Sir Henry Marion Durand and Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, giving a good picture of their work, particularly Henry Mortimer Durand. These include a set of Henry Mortimer Durand's diaries (1870-1907); a large selection of correspondence (1872-1922) (correspondents include Lord Lansdowne, Grey, Curzon and Roberts); and a collection of press cuttings (1902-1908) relating to the period when he was Ambassador in America. Henry Mortimer Durand also wrote a number of literary works, some of which are present in this collection. Also of interest are a number of family photograph albums, depicting scenes of India, Europe and America.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English and Persian

System of arrangement:

The collection is divided into two parts: the papers of Major General Sir Henry Marion Durand (HMD1) and Sir Henry Mortimer Durand (HMD2). HMD2 is sub-divided into: diaries; correspondence; literary work; personal papers; press cuttings; miscellaneous papers and photographs and photograph albums. Within each sub-section, items are arranged in chronological order. There is an index to the handlist.

Conditions governing access:

Unrestricted.

Conditions governing reproduction:

No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Unpublished handlist.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Formerly MS 257247.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Purchased in 1969, with additional papers in 1972.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

For Sir Henry Marion Durand: correspondence and papers, Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Department of Western Manuscripts (Ref: MSS Eng hist c 871-81, 884, d 423); letters to the Duke of Argyll (1870), enquiries to the National Register of Archives (Scotland) (Ref: NRA (S) 0006); letters to Lord Elgin, British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections (Ref: MSS Eur F 83); letters to Lord Elphinstone, British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections (Ref: MSS Eur F 87-89); correspondence (1841-61) with Lord Ellenborough, Public Record Office (Ref: PRO30/12); correspondence (1869-71) with Lord Mayo, Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives (Ref: Add MS 7490).

For Sir Henry Mortimer Durand: correspondence and papers, Oxford University, Bodleian Library, Department of Western Manuscripts (Ref: MSS Eng hist c 882-83, 885-87, d 422); correspondence (1894-95) with Lord Kimberley, Oxford University, Bodleian Library, Department of Western Manuscripts (Ref: MSS Eng a 2013-14, b 2047-49, c 3933-4514, d 2439-92, e 2790-97); correspondence (1911) with Sir Aurel Stein, Oxford University, Bodleian Library, Department of Western Manuscripts (Ref: MSS Stein); letterbooks, correspondence and papers (1876-1908), British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections (Ref: MSS Eur D 727); correspondence (1879-1900) with Sir Alfred Lyall, British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections (Ref: MSS Eur F 132); correspondence (1888-1912) with Lord Cramer, Public Record Office (Ref: F0633); correspondence (1896-1898) with Lord Hardinge and Lord Salisbury, Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives (Ref: Hardinge); letters to Earl Roberts (1885-1909), National Army Museum, Department of Archives, Photographs, Film and Sound (Ref: 7101/23, 8310/155-62).

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Date(s) of descriptions: 16 May 2000


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Armed forces | State security
Civil servants | Civil service | Central government | Public administration | Government
Colonial administration | Colonial countries | Political systems
Diaries | Nonfiction | Prose | Literary forms and genres | Literature
Diplomacy | Foreign relations | International relations
Indian Mutiny (1857-1858) | Colonial conflicts | Colonial countries | Political systems
Photographs | Visual materials
Press cuttings | Newspaper press | Press
Travel abroad | Travel
Writers | Authors
Military engineering
Military organizations
People by occupation
Primary documents

Personal names
Curzon | George Nathaniel | 1859-1925 | 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston x Curzon of Kedleston | 1st Marquess
Durand | family
Durand | Sir | Henry Marion | 1812-1871 | Knight | Major-General | colonial administrator
Durand | Sir | Henry Mortimer | 1850-1924 | Knight | Indian civil servant and diplomat
Fitzmaurice | Henry Charles Keith | Petty- | 1845-1927 | 5th Marquess of Lansdowne | statesman x Petty-Fitzmaurice | Henry Charles Keith x Lansdowne | 5th Marquess of
Grey | Edward | 1862-1933 | 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon | statesman x Grey of Fallodon | 1st Viscount
Roberts | Frederick Sleigh | 1832-1914 | 1st Earl Roberts of Kandahar, Pretoria and Waterford | Field Marshal x Roberts of Kandahar, pretoria and Waterford | 1st Earl

Corporate names

Places
India | South Asia
Iran, Islamic Republic | Middle East
Pakistan | South Asia
Spain | Western Europe | Europe
USA | North America
Asia