The papers of Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland

by Danielle Spargo, Record Assistant

The Zetland/Dundas family archive is held within the collections here at the Record Office [ZNK]. This collection contains the papers of Sir Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland and Earl of Ronaldshay (1876-1961). This blog will explore the rich collection of records within the archive related to Sir Lawrence Dundas, his travels, career in India, diaries and publications.

Portrait of Lawrence John Lumley Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland by Walter Stoneman: bromide print, 1927, NPG x162736, © National Portrait Gallery, London (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Lawrence Dundas was a British Conservative politician, who held significant positions within India during the British Raj. In 1900, he became aide-de-camp to Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India. Whilst working for Curzon, he travelled widely through Asia having experiences which later informed much of his writing. Dundas spent much of his career in India, he was Governor of Bengal between 1917–22, and later Secretary of State for India between 1935–40.

Left: Lawrence Dundas in his office [ZNK X 10] Right: Lawrence Dundas and others [ZNK X 10]

Sir Lawrence Dundas spent his career searching for a means of blending Indian culture and aspirations with the continuance of, what he believed to be, the benefits of British rule. He admired India’s ancient culture, which can be seen in his travel diaries and photographs. We have a fascinating insight into India through the eyes of Lawrence Dundas through letters, reports and diaries, as well as some comprehensive accounts of his travels across Asia. Within the collection is his diary of a trip to Ceylon in 1898, papers relating to travels in Japan and China in 1906, and a journal of an Indian tour between 1911-1912. His travel journals are very detailed and are often accompanied by some beautiful photographs in the form of glass plate negatives. Several of his photographs can be matched to the delightful descriptions in his journal of his Indian tour. Below is a description of the Pearl Mosque, accompanied by the pictures digitised from glass plate negatives held in the collection.

Left: The Pearl Mosque, Delhi [ZNK 77] Right: Muslims at Prayer at the Pearl Mosque [ZNK 76]

The ‘Pearl Mosque’ or the Moti Masjid is a white marble 17th-century mosque inside the Red Fort Complex in Delhi, India.  Dundas visited the mosque in January 1912, and wrote in his diary that he ‘visited the fort with its many beautiful buildings’, further describing it as ‘white marble purposely inlaid with precious stones and octagonal, itself is surrounded on the side jutting out beyond the line of the fort wall with a balcony the roof of which is supported on delicate white marble pillars’ and finally declaring ‘The Moti Masjid is a dream of white marble’.  Further photographs and descriptions of his travels through India can be found in the blog entitled ‘The British Raj’, which is part of our online ‘Archives at Dusk 2023’ exhibition.

Dundas’ travels were not confined to India, he also travelled through China and Myanmar (previously known as Burma). He kept a very in-depth journal from 1906 of his ‘Journey up the Yangtze river, and up through the province of Szechuan, and Yannan to Burma’. It begins, almost resembling the opening chapter of a novel:

‘At midnight on October 20th 1906, I went on board the Steamer ‘Tatung’ belonging to Messr Butterfield & Swire, and about two hours later we steamed away from the Bund of Shanghai, and down the waters of the Whoam Po to the vast estuary of the Yangtze.’

Envelope containing two documents written in Chinese, found within the pages of Lawrence Dundas’ 1906 journal [ZNK X 10]

Within this journal, there is an envelope which contains a selection of documents written in Chinese. The documents appear to confirm Dundas is travelling under his official status, as he writes in his journal: ‘we are travelling under official auspices (as shown by our official red boat) and are therefore entitled to take precedence over any ordinary boat and push on up any rapid without waiting our turn’. The first image (far left above) is an envelope which contains the other two records written in Chinese. The lettering on this seems to translate as ‘Enclosed is a return passport’ and ‘Attached is a photo of Huan Fu’. Within the envelope are documents relating to the movements of Lawrence Dundas through China. The second (middle) image is Chinese writing on bright red, thin, paper, which seems to be arranging for safe travel for Lawrence Dundas. It mentions ‘The Marquis of England’ who sets off tomorrow in Tengzhen. It goes on to say that according to the regulations, troops should be sent to escort to the border to comply with the treaty.

The last image (far right above) was folded several times into the envelope. It appears to be a form of passport, which was issued by the Foreign Affairs Department upon passport registration. It translates as ‘please send a passport to the three provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan’ and it confirms its headquarters will provide a passport with a paper and a seal. Stating that Shenghua will send it to Wengyang and take the person to Yichang, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shumin River, Xuzhou Prefecture, starting from Yunnan Prefecture and entering Myanmar. Dundas’ exact route can be found described in his journal.

Lawrence Dundas wrote several books about his travels, which include ‘A Wandering Student in the Far East’ that recounts his exploration of Japan, ‘Lands of the Thunderbolt: Sikhim, Chumbi and Bhutan’ (1923), followed by ‘The Heart of Aryavarta (1925) for which he was elected to the British Academy in 1929.   In 1929, he published a three-part official biography of Lord Curzon ‘The life of Lord Curzon’. Within the collection, there are papers and notes regarding the writing of his published works including papers and correspondence relating to the writing of Lord Curzon’s biography. From these records, it seems it was not always settled that Dundas would write the biography. In a letter dated 29th June 1925, he expresses his hesitation to undertake the project but goes on to state ‘but I am prepared, with your consent, to examine Lord Curzon’s papers for the next 3 or 4 months with a view of undertaking the work. By the end of that time it is probable I shall know whether I shall be in a position to write the life’.

A selection of Lawrence Dundas’ diaries and journals [ZNK X 10]

The Record Office holds a large selection of Dundas’ diaries, which cover all manner of topics from his day-to-day activities to his notes on issues such as opium. Many of his diaries include newspaper clippings and loose pieces of paper of assorted writings and pictures. It seems Lawrence Dundas enjoyed a quote, with one diary having a couple of pages dedicated to ‘Miscellaneous quotations’, and another filled with them. Quotes from Marco Polo seem to be a favourite of his, with the following excerpt from the ‘Prologue of the Book of Marco Polo‘ at the front of Dundas’ journal of his adventures in China: ‘And we shall set down things seen as seen, and things heard as heard only, so that no jot of falsehood may mar the truth of our book, and that all who shall read it, or hear it read, may put full faith in the truth of all its contents.’ Our favourite quotation which Lawrence Dundas made a note of is ‘A very ancient & a fish-like smell’ taken from The Tempest by Shakespeare.

A further selection of Lawrence Dundas’ diaries and journals [ZNK X 10]

On account of Dundas’ political career and the positions he held in India, the Record Office holds a rich collection of papers, which give an insight in the political and social situation in India during this period. These include papers relating to the Royal Commission on the Public Services in India, papers relating to an enquiry on outrages 1917-18, correspondence with the Viceroy and the King, as well as official reports and publications.

Lawrence Dundas’ correspondence with the Viceroy of India between 1919-1922, whilst he was Governor of Bengal, covers a range of topics. These include a proposed aerodrome established in Calcutta in 1920, Dacca University, tensions stemming from British rule in India, and comments on world events. One letter dated January 1919 suggests the political situation in Russia was affecting India, it begins ‘I regret having to trouble you with a bye-product of Bolshevism in Russia…’. Another letter touches on the tensions of the British being in India, and the potential flashpoints which could occur when interests differ. It states ‘the decision upon the proposals submitted to the Bengal government by the Fort Commissioners has become a matter of Imperial interest owing to the fact that the plan of the new docks proposed involves the demolition of a Muhammadan mosque. The question is one with a considerable history behind it’. He also wrote many letters to the King describing the political situation; he discusses the social unrest that occurred in India, especially in Bengal, such as the unrest caused by Gandhi and his non-cooperation movement.

After Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister, Lawrence Dundas also resigned from his post in government. This was partly because he disagreed with the new Prime Minister, Churchill, over his approach to India. Dundas went on to pursue other interests, especially in Yorkshire, where he served as Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding.

References

Note

We have translated the Chinese documents using the app ‘Wechat’, therefore we cannot be 100% confident on the exact wording.

Leave a comment