Fonds SC28 - A Petition to the House of Commons by the Natives of Bombay

Zone d'identification

Cote

GB 891 SC28

Titre

A Petition to the House of Commons by the Natives of Bombay

Date(s)

  • 1831 (Création/Production)

Niveau de description

Fonds

Étendue matérielle et support

1 scroll 54 feet, 10 inches by 25 inches parchment

Zone du contexte

Nom du producteur

Notice biographique

Sir Charles Forbes was educated at Aberdeen University before going to India as head of the first mercantile house, Forbes and Co. of Bombay. He not only conducted business but was also involved in community projects such as ensuring fresh water for the local inhabitants. On leaving India he returned to England where he served as MP for Beverley, Yorkshire, from 1812-1818, and then for Malmesbury, Wiltshire, from 1818-1832. He supported Catholic emancipation and votes for women.

He married Elizabeth Cotgrave (d.1861) in 1811. Forbes died in 1849. His eldest son, John, had predeceased his father. The title Forbes had inherited from his uncle was, in turn, inherited by his second son, Charles. His daughter, Elizabeth, married General, Lord James Hay, second son of the seventh Marquess of Tweeddale.

Histoire archivistique

The petition was in the care of Sir Charles Forbes before his presentation of it to the Royal Asiatic Society.

Source immédiate d'acquisition ou de transfert

The petition was presented to the Royal Asiatic Society by Sir Charles Forbes at the Society's General Meeting of 15 May 1835. At the same meeting he also presented a printed version of this petition and one signed by 95 principal inhabitants of Bombay, the original of which had also been presented to the House of Commons on the same occasion. He also presented the impression of a Seal adopted by Bomanjee Hormarjee of Bombay. These items no longer are in the Society's collections.

Zone du contenu et de la structure

Portée et contenu

A duplicate of a Petition to the House of Commons from the Natives of Bombay (Mumbai) and others: Christians, Jews, Chinese, Parsis; Muslims and Hindus; more than 4000 in number. All the signatures, along with the petition, are on the document which is made of 25 skins of parchment. It is written in English, Gujarati and Marathi and is dated Bombay, 25 January 1831. It asks for a reform in the judicial regulations of the government at Bombay; for more impartial administration of the laws, that native people may freely be admitted to civil and judicial offices; and for the diffusion of the English language among the inhabitants to be encouraged by the British government. The original was sent to England by Sir Charles Forbes, M.P. and Joseph Hume, M.P. and was presented to the House of Commons on 1 September 1831.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Zone des conditions d'accès et d'utilisation

Conditions d’accès

Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.

Conditions governing reproduction

Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.

Language of material

  • anglais
  • goudjarâtî
  • marathe

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Caractéristiques matérielle et contraintes techniques

    Finding aids

    Zone des sources complémentaires

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Descriptions associées

    Zone des notes

    Identifiant(s) alternatif(s)

    Mots-clés

    Mots-clés - Lieux

    Mots-clés - Noms

    Mots-clés - Genre

    Zone du contrôle de la description

    Identifiant de la description

    gb891-sc28

    Identifiant du service d'archives

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Statut

    Niveau de détail

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    Langue(s)

      Écriture(s)

        Sources

        Archivist's note

        The material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.

        Accession area