Subseries RAS GOV9/4/1 - 1823-1910

1 folder

The correspondence created in this time period is:

• Letter from Secretary of the East India Company to Richard Clarke, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to send a communication to the Society to accompany a letter from Mr Frere, Commissioner of 'Sattara' giving an account of Arabic manuscripts in the 'City of Beejapore' as well as the building in which they are contained. Handwritten, 1 piece, dated 9 May 1850 (Mr Frere's letter is not with this one).
• Letter from Secretary of the East India Company to Richard Clarke, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to acknowledge receipt of Clarke's letter and thank the Society for the accompanying 'Copy of a Persian Work by the Nawab Suraj ool Moolk'. The Society had also sent a memorandum from Dr Nicholson regarding remains recently discovered at 'the Ancient City of Vamilepoora in Gujerat' which the Company will forward to Bombay (Mumbai), 1 piece, handwritten, dated 21 May 1857.
• Correspondence concerning the creation of a Professorship of Sanskrit at the University of Cambridge. These include three letters from John Muir to Edwin Norris, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, dated 19-23 July 1858; a memorial to the Rt. Honourable Lord Stanley, the Rt. Reverend the Lord Bishop of Chester and the Commissioners regarding the professorship, signed by several member of the Royal Asiatic Society, dated July 1858; and a letter from Edward A. Bunbury, Secretary, Cambridge University Commissioners, to inform that the matter would be brought under the consideration of the commissioners, dated 2 August 1858. All the correspondence is handwritten.
• A letter from the Royal Asiatic Society to the University Commissioners regarding the desirability of making some provision for the teaching of the 'more recondite Dead Languages of the East'. The letter continues to explain which languages they consider important. Printed, 2 pieces, dated February 1878.

• Report of the Committee appointed to consider the advisability of compiling a list of persons willing to give instruction in Oriental languages. The report is headed Royal Asiatic Society and details the results of a meeting held on 28 June 1905. The signatures are George A. Grierson, F.W. Thomas, J.F. Blumhardt, A.G. Ellis and J. Kennedy. Printed, 1 piece.

  There is also correspondence dating 1898-1904 concerning the 'Restoration of Ancient Monuments at Anuradhuapura, Ceylon'. These are:
  Letter from C.P. Lucas, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, to Lord Reay, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to acknowledge receipt of his letter concerning the preservation of 'Abhayagiriya and Miriswetiya Dagobas at Anuradhapura', typed, 1 piece, dated 15 June 1898. Letter from C.P. Lucas, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, to Lord Reay, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to state that he has received a report on the condition of some of the monuments and the decision to be made from this report. Typed, 1 piece, dated 16 August 1898. Letter to T.W. Rhys Davids, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, from Lord Stanmore to express his despair at persuading the Colonial Office to act, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 18 March [1899]. Telegram to Lord Stanmore from Governor, Colombo, to inform the '8th colony will pay half', 1 piece, handwritten, dated 18 September 1900. Two letters from F.O. Oertel to T.W. Rhys Davids, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, concerning him going to Sri Lanka to make an official report on behalf of the Royal Asiatic Society. These are annotated by Rhys Davids. Two pieces, handwritten, dated 19 September 1900. Two letters from Lord Stanmore, one to T.W. Rhys Davids and the other to the Honorary Treasurer, Royal Asiatic Society, concerning financing Mr Oertel's expedition, 2 pieces, handwritten, dated 20 September 1900. Telegram from Lord Reay to the Royal Asiatic Society giving consent to guarantee the money, 1 piece, handwritten, dated 1 October 1900. Letter from R.S. Antrobus, Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, to Lord Stanmore to inform that the Government of India will allow Mr Oertel to spend three months visiting Sri Lanka, 1 piece, typed, dated 15 October 1900. Letter from F.O. Oertel to T.W. Rhys Davids to organise a meeting to discuss plans for the proposed trip, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 25 October 1900. Letter from F.O. Oertel to Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, concerning payment of his subscription prior to his departure, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 20 November 1900. Letter from the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to the Colonial Secretary, Ceylon, to inform of the forthcoming visit of Mr Oertel to assess the monuments, typed, 3 pages, dated 20 November 1900. Letter from T.W. Rhys Davids to F.O. Oertel to inform him of the current state of communication with the Ceylon Government and requesting he proceeds to Colombo to create his report, 1 piece, handwritten, dated 20 November 1900. Letter from Lord Stanmore to T.W. Rhys Davids to inform he would be happy to see Mr Oertel, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 7 April 1901. Letter from Lord Stanmore to enclose a Colonial Office letter and inform of his reply, 1 piece, handwritten, dated 13 November 1901. Letter from C.P. Lucas, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, to Lord Stanmore to resend a letter regarding Mr Oertel, typed, 1 piece, dated 22 November 1901. Letter from Lord Stanmore to enclose a further Colonial Office letter and inform of his reply, 1 piece, handwritten, dated 23 November 1901. Letter from C.P. Lucas, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, to Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, regarding the finances of Mr Oertel's trip, 1 piece, typed, dated 19 December 1901. Letter from C.P. Lucas, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, to Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, regarding the finances of Mr Oertel's trip and the whereabouts of his report, 1 piece, typed, dated 25 February 1902. Letter from C.P. Lucas, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, to Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to request again for the report by Mr Oertel, 1 piece, typed, dated 15 July 1902. Letter from C.P. Lucas, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, to Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to inform that Mr Oertel's report is now with the printers, 1 piece, typed, dated 4 September 1902. Letter from F.O. Oertel to T.W. Rhys Davids to inform that he is returning to England and to remind the Society of their debts to him, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 14 July 1903. Minutes of a Meeting of the Finance Committee, Royal Asiatic Society, regarding the payments due to Mr Oertel, handwritten, 2 pieces, dated 22 October 1903. Letter from J. Kennedy, Honorary Treasurer, Royal Asiatic Society, to F.O. Oertel concerning the money which Oertel is claiming from the Society. There is a further piece with this letter concerning Oertel's original instructions, 3 pieces, typed, dated November 1903. Letter from F.O. Oertel to T.W. Rhys Davids to discuss the matter of the money and that the Honourable Munshi Madho Lal be appointed a life member of the Society, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 31 December 1903. Letter from F.O. Oertel to James Kennedy, Honorary Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to ask whether the Council would reconsider their decisions, typed, 2 pieces, dated 31 December 1903. 'Report on the Restoration of Ancient Monuments at Anuradhapura, Ceylon. By F.O. Oertel, F.R.I.B.A., Indian Public Works Department', printed in Colombo, 1903. Letter from James Kennedy to Sir Raymond West regarding the outcome of the Finance Committee, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 1 February 1904. Letter from Raymond West to James Kennedy in response to Kennedy's letter, 1 piece, handwritten, dated 2 February 1904. Letter from Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Lord Stanmore to send all the papers relating to Mr Oertel's expenses, typed, 2 pieces, dated March 1904. Letter from Lord Stanmore to acknowledge receipt of the Secretary's letter, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 25 March 1904. Letter from Honorary Treasurer, Royal Asiatic Society, to F.O. Oertel to inform him of the Council's deliberations, 2 versions, handwritten, 1 piece, dated 4 May 1904. Lists relating to the correspondence, handwritten, 5 pieces.

• English