Archive / Papers / Crombie, J.H.F. Papers

Description

Given by Rear Admiral J.H.F. Crombie

Small Collections Box 7

Xerox copies

Letters from Frederick Forties, M.A., M.D., mainly to his sister Katherine Crombie and brother-in-law James Crombie at Cothill Mills, Aberdeen, during his journey from India to England 1837 and return by the overland route 1841.

Balmeer, 22 October 1837. Been trying to introduce vaccination among the Rajpoots; obtained Sir R. Ferguson’s recommendation to Sir R. Grant, Governor of Bombay; thinking of going to England to get M.D. in Edinburgh.

Bombay, 26 April 1838. Intended route home: Baghdad, Mosel or Nineveh, Diarbekr and Ergersum to Trebizond and Black Sea, by sea to Constantinople, Malta, Germany, London; describes passengers on the boat.

Bupora, 3 June 1838. Fighting with Montefikh Arabs; describes proposed routes to Baghdad: Shong a Shong, Kufa, Kerbela or Mushed Ali, Hillah (Babylon) Baghdad.

Baghdad, 22 July 1838. Sailed from Bupora to Baghdad 17 June – 17 July; visits Selencia and Ctesiphon; Baghdad not what it was in the Caliphate; says the letter will go by Damascus and Beirut.

Smyrna, 30 December 1838. Visits Hafiz Pasha at Malatya who has large troop destined to oppose the troops of Muhammed Ali, Viceroy of Egypt – Hafiz Pasha ‘the only Turk I have met with the manners and feelings of a gentleman’; plague in Sivas and Tokat; Turkish form of quarantine.

Return journey to India:

Marseilles, 29 December 1840. In Paris for Napoleon’s second funeral; travels in diligence in intense cold to Avignon, thence to Marseilles (one week from Paris to Marseilles); floods in south of France in Macon, Lyons, Valence and Avignon; route from Marseilles to Malta; expects war with French; Marseilles population consists of ‘the scum of Europe’.

Constantinople, 27 January 1841. Went via Marseilles, Malta, Syra, Smyrna.

Tehran, 29 March 1841, to Rev. James Milne, Inverkeithny by Huntly, Scotland. From Trebizond to 2 stages this side of Tabriz, deep snow; stays at the English Ambassador’s palace in Tehran, and meets most of ‘the great people’ including the Shah.

Tehran, 11 April 1841, to James Crombie. Describes journey in Persia, Tabriz to Khoy in snow, by post horse, 7 February – 24 March; audience with the Shah; trouble in Herat from Shah Kamran; Forbes’ route to Kandahar via Herat disarranged; alternative routes to Meshed discussed.

Meshed, 19 May 1841, to James Crombie. Account of marching for 19 days to Meshed from Tehran (700 miles) – a dangerous route; has an escort of 30 men through the offices of the King of Persia.

24 November 1838, Alexander Forbes to Mrs. Crombie, expressing anxiety about Frederick Forbes.

3 December 1838, H. Holste to James Crombie, having inquired at the London Office of Forbes & Co. as to Frederick Forbes’ safety.

November 1841, Alexander Forbes to James Crombie, lamenting death of his nephew Frederick Forbes and enclosing a copy made by himself of Forbes’ Will, made in Tehran 3 April 1841, which was forwarded to Alexander Forbes by Forbes & Co. (See next item.)

Copy of a letter (? made by Alexander Forbes) from Forbes & Co. of Bombay, 29 September 1841, to Alexander Forbes and James Crombie announcing the death of Frederick Forbes through a copy of a letter which they received from Major Rawlinson, Political Agent in Kandahar.

Copy of the letter from Major Rawlinson to Forbes & Co. of Bombay, describing the death of Frederick Forties and the action he had taken with regard to Forties’ effects. n.d.

14 November 1841, Alexander Forbes to James Crombie, lamenting the death of Frederick Forbes and making arrangements for execution of his Will.

25 November 1841, Alexander Forbes to James Crombie, with suggestions for finding out more about Frederick Forbes’ death.

Extract (copied by Alexander Forbes) from Deposition of a Persian servant who accompanied the late Dr. Forbes to Seistan and was present at the time of that Officer’s murder, signed by H.G. Rawlinson, 25 September 1841. At the end is a note by Alexander Forbes to say this was sent by Forbes & Co. of Bombay 30 December 1841. The date of this note is 17 February 1841, but this probably is a mistake for 1842 – see postmarks on envelope.

30 August 1841, James Milne of Muir of Inch to James Crombie, acknowledging cheque.

19 November 1841, James Milne to James Crombie, sympathy on the death of Frederick Forbes.

7 January 1842, E. Buxton of London to James Crombie, letter together with a cutting from The Examiner of a short account of Frederick Forbes’ murder.

31 July 1844. The estate of Frederick Forbes … in account with Forbes & Co., Bombay.

List of Ogilvie-Forbes of Boyndlie: MSS preserved in the King’s College Library Aberdeen; listed at National Register of Archives, Scotland.