Abstract: This item consists mostly of copies of correspondence, minutes, orders, and memoranda cited in, or enclosed with, letters from the governments of Bombay and Bengal. It concerns the application from Lieutenant Edward Hutchins Bellasis, of the Corps of Engineers in the Bombay Army, for remuneration for services performed and expenses incurred in relation to the Residency at Bussora. The main subjects are:The furlough granted to Bellasis from 1803 to 1805The departure from Bussora [Basra, also referred to as Bussorah] in March 1805 of Samuel Manesty, Resident in Bussora, with the residency left under the temporary charge of Bellasis and subsequently John LawThe applications by Bellasis for remuneration for the duties he performed as Acting Resident at Bussora, compensation for the losses he sustained at sea following his departure from Bussora, and for additional allowances to cover the period in 1804 when he commanded the detachment that accompanied Manesty to Persia [Iran]The calculation by John Elphinstone, Accountant General, Government of Bombay, of the salary and allowances of the Resident and Assistant Resident in Bussora from 1802-06The consideration of Bellasis’s case by the governments of Bombay and Bengal and the East India Company Court of Directors, and the delay in a verdict being reached.The title page (f 223) of the item contains the following references: ‘Bombay Political No. 11, Season 1814/15, Draft 190’; and ‘Examiner’s Office, January 1815’.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at 223, and terminates at 257, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the volume also contains an original pagination sequence.
Abstract: This item consists of copies of correspondence, consultations, and minutes cited in, or enclosed with, political letters from the Government of Bombay. The correspondents are: the Government of Bombay; Captain Stafford Bettesworth Haines, Political Agent at Aden; the Government of India; the Court of Directors of the East India Company; and Charles Augustus Murray, HM Agent and Consul General, Egypt. It is the fourth in a series of four items concerning Aden.The item concerns:The compensation to be given to those whose houses in the ‘Jews Town’ part of Aden are to be demolished to make way for a road, including a list of houses, their value, and their owner, on folio 348Money to be given to Walter Plowden to allow him and the envoy from Ras Ali [Ras Ali II of Yejju] to reach Cairo, and then England, bringing presents from Ras Ali to Queen Victoria.The item contains a contents page, and the title page of the item contains the following references: ‘Draft 700/47, Collection No 13’.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with f 344, and terminates at f 355, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the item also contains an original pagination sequence.
Abstract: The item consists of copies and extracts of correspondence and minutes, which form partial enclosures to a letter from the Government of Bombay [Mumbai] to the East India Company Court of Directors, dated 14 February 1846. A copy of this letter can be found at IOR/F/4/2142/102302, alongside details of further enclosures.The item relates to a petition from Jewish inhabitants of Aden to the Governor of Bombay (folios 174-175), requesting compensation following the order to vacate and demolish their houses at Aden as the government officials at Aden plan to build a road through the area. The petition is referred to Stafford Bettesworth Haines, Political Agent at Aden, who challenges the claims of the petitioners and recommends that compensation should not be awarded.The title page of the item contains the following references: ‘Bombay Political Department’, ‘P.C. [Previous Communication] 5264, Draft 494/46’, ‘Collection N. 8 of N. 25, Vol. 5’ and ‘Examiner’s Office’.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 170, and terminates at f 179, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the item also contains an original pagination sequence.
Abstract: The item consists of copies and extracts of correspondence and minutes, which form partial enclosures to a letter from the Government of Bombay [Mumbai] to the East India Company Court of Directors, dated 2 March 1846. A copy of this letter can be found at IOR/F/4/2142/102302, alongside details of further enclosures.The item relates to an update provided by Stafford Bettesworth Haines, Captain in the Indian Navy and Political Agent at Aden, to the Government of Bombay regarding the investigation into property stolen from the wreck of the Company’s schooner,
Memnon. Haines provides details on the main suspect, Ali Yusuf, Chief of Aloola [‘Alī Yūsuf, Chief of Caluula], and recommends a course of action for obtaining compensation. His update is forwarded on to the Government of India for instruction.Aloola is also rendered in the text as ‘Alloola’.As well as Haines and the Government of Bombay, the item’s correspondents also include the Court of Directors.The title page of the item contains the following references: ‘Bombay Political Department’, ‘P.C. [Previous Communication] 5264, Draft 494/46’, ‘Collection N. 8 of N. 32, Vol: 8’ and ‘Examiner’s Office’.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 198, and terminates at f 203, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the item also contains an original pagination sequence.
Abstract: The item consists of copies and extracts of correspondence and minutes cited in, or enclosed with, a Military Letter from the Government of Bombay to the East India Company Court of Directors, dated 10 September 1847.The item relates to requests for remuneration made by Major William Jacob, Bombay Artillery, and Lieutenant-Colonel Charles William Grant, Superintendent Engineer, following their work on the new defences at Aden. The item includes discussions by members of the Government of Bombay Council and the Governor-General of India as to whether the men should be remunerated or whether this might set an ‘embarrassing precedent’. In particular, the Governor-General’s correspondence cites several examples of similar scenarios where officers have not been remunerated beyond the usual allowances. The requests are forwarded on to the Court of Directors for their consideration.As well as the above, the item’s correspondents also include the Military Board, Bombay.Most of the material dates from 1846-47, except from minor extracts of letters cited in Jacob’s letter. These extracts date from 1844.The title page of the item contains the following references: ‘Bombay Military’, ‘P.C. [Previous Communication] 5942, Draft 151/48’, ‘Collection No. 3’ and ‘Military Department, Dec[embe]r 1847’.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 694, and terminates at f 721, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the bottom right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the item also contains an original pagination sequence.
Abstract: The file comprises correspondence, statements and other papers related to a collision which took place on 12 August 1929, twelve miles off the coast of Bahrain, between a steamer, the SS
Bandra, operated by the British India Steam Navigation Company (BISN), and a dhow, working on the pearl banks in the area.The first portion of the file contains witness statements made by various individuals at the Political Agency in Bahrain, including those by Commander Arthur Danbrook, in charge of the SS
Bandra, and Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali, the nakhuda on the pearling dhow (ff 5-22).The second portion of the file contains correspondence relating to Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali’s claim against the SS
Bandraand the BISN, chiefly concerned with the value of pearls lost when his dhow sank. Correspondence includes: discussion between British political officials over the best means of formal inquiry into the incident, in consequence of the nearest marine court being located in Bombay; suspension of Captain Danbrook by the BISN; repeated petitions made by Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali for financial redress; the Government of India’s decision not to convene a marine court (f 61), and the recommendation by the Political Resident that Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali file a suit at Bahrain’s mixed court (f 60); confirmation of an out of court settlement agreed between Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali and the BISN (f 72).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 76; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-75; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence, statements made by nakhudas, bills and receipts, all related to incidents in which native vessels were wrecked or damaged in the Persian Gulf (and chiefly in the waters around Bahrain) usually as a result either of storms or collision with another vessel. The correspondence relates to: reports of the initial incidents; the salvage of cargo; rescue and repatriation of crews; the recovery of costs incurred by salvage and repatriation; insurance claims. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent at Bahrain (numerous incumbents); the Director of Customs at Bahrain (Claud Cranbrook Lewis deGrenier); the Residency Agent at Sharjah, who reports on shipwreck and salvage incidents on the Trucial Coast, or involving boats from the Trucial Coast.The file includes details of numerous individual cases. The most significant cases in terms of paperwork involved include:the sinking of the
Surabnear Bushire in February 1931, with correspondence relating to: the repatriation of the crew back to Karachi; the Karachi authorities’ demands for repatriation costs to be paid by the
Surab’sowner, leading to a dispute between the two parties (ff 8-30);a collision between the British India Steam Navigation Company steamer, the
Varsova, and a fishing dhow in the waters between Qatar and Bahrain, with correspondence relating to: the recovery of eighteen crew from the dhow, which sank after the collision; failed attempts by the dhow’s owner, a Qatari subject, to make a claim in Bahrain over the loss; the Ruler of Qatar, Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī’s intervention in the affair (ff 95-124);the foundering of a vessel, the
Fatehkarim,off the Jazirat Shaikh Shuib in February 1941, and the repatriation to Karachi of its eight crew, with correspondence including copies of indemnity bonds for the eight crew members, to cover their passage back to Karachi (ff 181-198);in June 1943, attempts to repatriate twelve men from Um al Qaiwain [Umm al-Qaywayn] from Colombo, where their vessel was shipwrecked, with correspondence relating to the costs and difficulties of repatriating the men, presumably a result of wartime restrictions in maritime traffic (ff 219-229);enquiries, from September 1944 onwards, by a Bombay [Mumbai] company, Sopher & Company, who are attempting to make an insurance claim for a vessel lost near Khor Fakkan [Khawr Fakkān], while en route from Bombay to Basrah [Basra], with correspondence including copies of notes of protest, issued by the Government of Iraq (ff 241-261).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 283; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 7-261; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, and notes, relating to a the sinking of SS
Dahpuin Muscat harbour.Issues discussed include:Claims for compensationThe effect of the wreck of the
DahpuSalvage of foodstuffs, planking and armamentsDefensive measures to counter the threat of further military attack on Muscat and its harbour.The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent, Muscat; the Assistant Political Agent, Muscat; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; Secretary to the Government of India, External Affairs Department; the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf; the Military Adviser to the Sultan of Muscat and Oman; and the Sultan of Muscat and Oman (Sa‘īd bin Taymūr).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 263; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The file comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, and notes, relating to a the sinking of SS
Dahpuin Muscat harbour.Issues discussed include:Claims for compensationThe effect of the wreck of the
Dahpuon anchorage in Muscat harbourAttempt at salvage of the wreck of SS
DahpuThe sinking of the wreck to remove any hazard to shipping.The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent, Muscat; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf; Commander in Chief, East Indies Station; Secretary to the Government of India, External Affairs Department; the Naval Intelligence Centre, Colombo; the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf; and the Sultan of Muscat (Sa‘īd bin Taymūr).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 90; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: This file contains letters pertaining to work related claims made by employees to their employers via the Political Agency.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 33; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-18; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
Abstract: This item consists of copies of a Political Despatch from the Government of India Foreign Department to the Secretary of State for India, dated 2 October 1873 and received by the India Office Political Department on 27 October 1873, forwarding copies of a letter from the Bombay [Mumbai] Government reporting that no receipt was taken from Moosa Yoosuf [Yusuf Ali Kenadid?], the Regent of Mijjerteyn [Majeerteen] country for the $873 paid to him as compensation for the dhow captured by the
Daphnein 1869. The letter forwards a copy of a letter from the Political Resident, Aden, in which he states it is 'not customary to take receipts from Somali Chiefs' and that since 'Somali is not a written language' giving a receipt for a cash payment 'would not be understood'. The despatch is in reply to the Secretary of State for India's Political No. 76 of 4 June 1873.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description (used for referencing) commences at f 66, and terminates at f 70a, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The sequence contains three foliation anomalies: f 66a, f 68a, and f 70a.
Abstract: This part of the volume consists of Enclosures to a Despatch from the Government of Bombay Secret Department to the Secret Committee, Number 30 of 1841, dated 27 April 1841. The enclosures are dated 25 February to 28 April 1841, and relate to a British Mission to the King of Shoa [Shewa].The enclosures mostly consist of copies of letters sent and received by the Government of Bombay. The most frequent correspondent is Captain William Cornwallis Harris, Head of the British Mission to Shoa. The enclosures also include: letters to the Superintendent of the Indian Navy, the General Pay Master, the Military Board, and the Secretary to the Government of India; letters from the Political Agent at Aden; and memoranda by the Political Secretary to the Government of Bombay.The enclosures include correspondence regarding: Lieutenant Sydney Lloyd Horton offering his services to accompany the Mission, the acceptance of the offer of his services by the Government of Bombay, and his pay and allowances on the Mission; the proposal of Johannes Rudolf Roth and Johann Martin Bernatz, two German Professors, to accompany the Mission (Roth as a naturalist, and Bernatz as a draftsman and artist), and their claim for compensation from the Government of India for the cost of the articles and instruments they brought out with them for the Mission; the transport of packages belonging to the Mission on board the ship
Auckland, to be landed at Aden; the accommodation of Captain Harris and others proceeding with him on special duty to Aden on board the
Auckland.The enclosures also include: lists of presents for the King of Shoa, and a copy of a bill for these presents; and copies of two sketch maps of Shoa from the missionary Johann Ludwig Krapf.Physical description: There is an abstract of contents of the despatch, numbered 1-47, on folios 641-649. These numbers are repeated for reference on the last verso of each enclosure.