Principally Sir Henry, his son Sir Hopetoun and Lady Alice (née Lawrence). Madras, U.P., Rajputana. 1873-1973
Three newspaper cuttings about Sir Henry Stokes (father of Sir Hopetoun Stokes) on his resignation from the I.C.S. in 1893.
Visitors’ Book 1930-35.
(a-j)Annual Reports of the Nilgiri Ladies’ Club, Ootacamund, 1930-70 (five missing). (Lady Stokes a founder member). Nilgiri Ladies’ Club: Rules and Bye-Laws.
Golden Jubilee number of the Ladies’ Recreation Club, Madras 8, 1911-61.
Booklet: Women’s Work in Madras, published by the All-India Women’s Conference, Madras, 1931.
Annual: The Field – Madras, an All Sports Journal, Vol. 1 – No.12.
Bound volume of Tamil official documents.
Stokes, A. Papers: Box 1
Given by Lady (Alice) Stokes
Principally Sir Henry, his son Sir Hopetoun and Lady Alice (née Lawrence). Madras, U.P., Rajputana. 1873-1973
(a-h) Christmas cards of Indian scenes and sketches.
Letters from Lady Stokes when Alice Lawrence to her future husband, Sir Hopetoun Stokes.
19 January 1922. Allahabad: mentions troubles arising over Prince of Wales’ visit, and civil disturbance. Description of Miss Stuart. Women’s education in India.
1 March 1922. Allahabad – general.
30 June 1922. Naini Tal. General comments on social life during leave.
26 August 1922. Allahabad. Remarks on hill stations and diversity of Indian life.
22 October 1922. Allahabad – general.
19 November 1922. Allahabad – general.
Letters from Lady Stokes when Alice Lawrence, to her mother, from India where she had gone to be a school inspectress 1921-22.
21 December. Bombay. Daily social life staying with her cousin. Races. Visits Labour Department and visits the tenement buildings (chawls) with investigator looking into conditions of the working class. She is appalled at the conditions. Sees middle-class chawl. Goes to a dance at Government House, and feels the contrast. Sees Tata Cotton Mill.
29 December. Bombay. Has been to Baroda for Christmas. Description of travelling in style by train. Goes shooting on Christmas Day, travelling by trolley and goods train. Finds the people at the club dreary, but one Indian girl interesting and amusing. Dines at the Palace. Sees Worli.
4 January 1922. Allahabad. At the Training College, acting as assistant to Miss Stuart, Chief Inspectress of Schools in the U.P. Describes travelling two nights and two days in the train. Visits two schools.
8 January. Allahabad. Daily life at training college described, and social life.
15 January. Allahabad. Goes to the Fort at Allahabad to watch the pilgrims. Meets numerous people including the Pims. Demonstration classes in college. Social life.
22 January. Allahabad. Criticism class successful. Social life. Meets Miss Stuart.
29 January. Allahabad. Inspects an American school. Goes to the Fair at the river – meets some of Servants of India -scramble along bank and go in a boat to confluence of Ganges and Jumna among the crowds of pilgrims. Return amidst the crowds who are very friendly. Inspects a purdah school.
5 February. Allahabad. Social. News of murder of 15 police near Gorakhpur.
12 February. Allahabad. Railway strike – Purdah party – Gandhi withdraws practically all questionable non-cooperation activities. Goes to a fancy dress party.
19 February. Allahabad. Strikes continuing. Problem of examination in purdah school. Party given by the Raja of Mudda.
12 March. c/o Miss Stuart, Lucknow. Description of The Residency which she finds very moving. Visits Isabella Thorburn College. Does not travel to Dehra Dun alone on account of Gandhi’s impending arrest, Everyone waiting to see what will happen after Gandhi’s arrest and Montagu’s resignation.
18 March. Agra. The Inspection Bungalow. Inspects schools. Goes to Bareilly, and stays in the Circuit House.
5 May. Naini Tal. To Ranikhet by car then by pony to Naini Tali
10 May. Almora. The Dak Bungalow. Away from plains during the hot weather. Description of journey from Kathgodam to Naini Tal.
29 July. Allahabad. Incidents of daily life. Servants – goes to a fair; inspecting schools.
21 August. Moradabad. The Inspection Bungalow. On tour. Unfortunate journey – has things stolen. Inspects schools. Remarks on drabness of mission school.
25 August. Dehra Dun. The Royal Hotel. Inspection of schools, including a school started recently by an Indian couple.
3 September. Allahabad. Travelling incidents.
Letters from Lady Stokes to her husband, Sir Hopetoun Stokes from their house Bhito in Ootacamund.
24 April 1926. Arrived at house in Ootacamund to get it ready – very damp.
25 April. Mainly about drying out the house.
26 April. About getting house ready.
26 April. About getting house ready.
28 April. About getting house ready.
29 April. About getting house ready.
30 April. About getting house ready, and hiring a ‘dressing’ boy.
1 May. About getting the house ready – servant trouble.
2 May. About getting house ready – payment of ‘dressing’ boy.
4 May. Last instructions re house.
Original and TS copy of telegram sent from Moradabad on 12 May 1910, from the Chandrayan Mashujan Prostitute Sambhalidarwaza to the Viceroy of India commiserating on the death of King Edward VII, and saying that they would observe mourning for three days, and offering the Royal Family their condolences.
Copy of journal The Field – Madras – an all sports journal May 1933, Vol. II, No.l. Including an article: Occupations and amusements among women settlers in India in the 18th and early 19th Centuries – continued from the Annual No.
Annual report of the Nilgiri Ladies’ Club, Ootacamund (a)1969-70 and (b)1972-73.
TS of article on The Women’s Movement in England in the 19th Century and its effect on India, by Lady Alice Stokes. 20pp.
Letter of complaint about the gardener and the peon from the House-matey left in charge of Grange in Madras when Lady Stokes was in Ootacamund, 20 June 1934.
Letter from Dewan Bahadur Sir M. Krishnan Nair in appreciation of Sir Hopetoun Stokes, 9 March 1935.
(a-e) Letters from Rao Bahardur N.R. Balakrishna Mudahai, Superintendent School of Arts and Crafts, Madras to Sir Hopetoun and Lady Stokes before and after their departure.
Newspaper cutting from The Madras Mail, 23 March 1935: an appreciation of Sir Hopetoun and Lady Stokes.
44 Letters from Sir Hopetoun and Lady Stokes’ former chauffeur, K. Naryana Menokki (to whom Lady Stokes paid a monthly pension), written through an emanuensis, from Kerala 1923-35 & 1953-73 to his former employers. They express sadness at parting, the difficulties of life in India and in finding employment, his pension, his troubles, illnesses, family and great difficulties of giving and rise of prices. A little about politics, and a great regret for former days. The last letter is 31 August 1973, after which Menokki died. (Included is a letter from an I.A.S. man, 2 July 1963, about the chauffeur’s state of health).
(a) Printed extract from the speech of the President S. Kutbudin Sahib at a public meeting assembled in the premises of the Ghonsiya Munzil, held on 14 August 1933. About the iniquity of an Education Officer. Very amusing. (b) TS copy.
Letters from friends to Lady Stokes after she and Sir Hopetoun had left Madras in 1935. From:-
Jayalaks Vengamad Palace, 31 December 1935.
Mehra A. Camas, 30 November 1936 at the Nilgiri Ladies’ Club, Ootacamund, about the repairs and alterations to the club house, Belmont, and the Ladies’ Club, for the establishment of which they have to thank Lady Stokes and Mrs. Subbarayan. Mentions starting in a small way, doing away with purdah.
Miss E.U. Saitri, 24 November 1937, former Superintendent and Headmistress of the M.S.P.C. Home, about reasons for her resignation, and asking for a reference.
Mrs. K.R.B. Subbarayan, 22 January 1938, marked ‘Private’. Social news of friends. Lord and Lady Linlithgow have been. in Madras. She did not attend parties in accord with Congress command, but went to the Races. Invited to the Viceroy’s box, and her husband saw the Viceroy officially. She says it is strange to cut herself off from one part of social life. News of Mrs. Swaminadhan. Opinion of the All India Women’s Club. Political news: opinion of Mr. Rajagopalacharia; finance – has been speaking at public meetings.
Olga Howard (Lady). (a) 10 December 1939. Personal. (b) 14 March 1940, arrival of new Governor, Sir Arthur and Lady Hope (later Lord Willingdon) – other social news.
Sir Gilbert Jackson, I.C.S., 5 March 1933 and 16 November n.p., a High Court Judge, about a meeting of the Society for the Protection of Animals, and calling. Amusing.
Sir George Stanley, 2 January 1935, congratulating Lady Stokes on her Kaiser-i-Hind medal.
Lord Erskine, 6 June 1935, to Sir Hopetoun regretting that he had not received a K.C.S.I. which he recommended.
Douglas M. Reid thanking for congratulations on O.B.E. A little social and political news of attitude to Congress by Governor.
(a-g) Captain R.D. Alexander I.M.S. (later founded a Hindu Ashram).
25 April 1935, England. Personal.
8 August (-) 1935, England. Personal.
4 November 1935, Madras. Appointed professor of Medicine at Lucknow.
28 December 1935, Lucknow. King George’s Medical College. Personal.
31 January (-) 1936, Lucknow. Elections looming. Possibility of Congress majority. Rumours of Joining Muslims – Income Tax rumours.
31 August 1936, Lucknow. Servants: Personal.
21 August 1937, Lucknow. New Congress Government improvement on old. Allowances being cut. Has interviewed Mrs. Pandit and lost his heart to her. First Minister who has taken interest in the new T.B. hospital and given money to start it.
M.M.W. Yeatts. Under-secretary to Sir Hopetoun Stokes in Madras when Sir Hopetoun was Chief Secretary – shared The Grange in Madras.
25 December 1935, New Delhi. Personal and reminiscent.
After August – 1935, Simla. Personal news which is very evocative of an Anglo-Indian life style.
3 December 1936, New Delhi. Description of a walk in Simla countryside, and a visit to Agra. Succinct and vivid.
9 December 1937, New Delhi. Description of a three week trek round Delhi. Most vividly told.
20 May 1938, Simla. Recovering after bad ‘flu. Descriptive of Simla life – illness of dog. Remarks on new Governor of Orissa.
24 October 1939, London. Has seen Dr. Hutton.
21 March 1940, New Delhi. Sardonic description of Delhi in wartime. Social life the same. Political scene: Indians probably think Britain will win, but are open to German propaganda. Britain should use more ‘colour’ in the news.
M.F. Frazer:
28 December 1935, Madras. News of women’s work in Madras. New School called The Lady Stokes School. Attitude and effect of India – the West on one another.
24 January 1938. Similar to above.
Zoe. 26 June 19–, Poona. Great dislike of Poona. Unable to mix with Indians or go to political meetings.
Three letters written by Sir Henry Edward Stokes.
To his mother, Letitia Stokes, on the death of his second wife, Helena (nee Currie) (Lena), 31 January 1873.
From Madras to Mrs. Currie, his mother-in-law, about the upbringing of his and Lena’s son, Hopetoun (later Lady Alice Stokes’ husband) 20 September, 1874. 2pp.
To Hopetoun Stokes, his son by his second marriage, on leaving for India for the I.C.S., written when staying with Sir Henry’s brother, Dr. Whitley Stokes in Onslow Square, 19 November 1896. – A very moving letter revealing the current attitude towards service in India. (“Poor Billy” is Sir Henry’s second son by his first wife. “The babby” was Letitia Stokes, only child of Dr. Whitley Stokes and Emily Stokes.
Folder containing:
Little New Year card, enclosing a photograph sent to Lady Stokes by her dirzee.
Map. Sheet No. 53 O/7, Scale 1″ = 1 mile: Almora and Naini Tal, 1920, 1st ed., publ. by Survey of India
Pamphlet: ‘History Repeating Itself’, privately printed from the Madras mail of December 1879. For private circulation only. Government House, Ootacamund 1917. Satirical skit on the political situation in India, 18pp.
Book of verses from J.A.T. to H.G.S. New Year 1938. (J.A.T. = Sir John Thorne, I.C.S., and H.G.S. = Sir Hopetown Gabriel Stokes). Most appeared in the Madras Mail.
Annual report of the Nilgiri Ladies’ Club, Ootacamund, in the year 1972-73.
Lady Stokes’ 5 letters of recommendation from:-
L.M.H. Oxford from Miss H. Jex Blake, February 1918.
St. John’s College, Oxford – W. H. Hilton (Reader in Indian History)
(iii-v) – et al.
Xerox copy of the Royal Warrant of l0th April 1900 instituting the Kaiser-i-hind Medal, by Royal Warrants of 8th. July 1901, 9th July-1912, 2nd November 1933, 2pp.
Stokes, A. Papers: Box A129 and Microfilm
Given by Lady (Alice) Stokes
Principally Sir Henry, his son Sir Hopetoun and Lady Alice (née Lawrence). Madras, U.P., Rajputana. 1873-1973
Box A129
Commonplace book kept by Lady Stokes from the time of her marriage to Sir Hopetoun Stokes in December 1922 until their departure in 1935. It continued with Indian interests in England until 1952.
Microfilm No. 82
Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad, 1857/1858:- Revenue Office, confiscations of villages etc. and statements showing names of Indians who rendered valuable assistance to Government and officers during the Disturbances. Filmed by State Archives.
