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Archival description
1823-1900
GB 891 RAS COLL4-RAS COLL4/1 · Series · 16th Feb 1869 - 18th Mar 1869
Part of Royal Asiatic Society Collections Disposal Records

This series contains correspondence regarding the donation of the Royal Asiatic Society Museum collection to the India Museum at the India Office.

India Office Records
1823-1910
GB 891 RAS GOV9-RAS GOV9/4-RAS GOV9/4/1 · Subseries · 1823 - 1910
Part of Royal Asiatic Society Governance: Administration

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.

Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
1823-1969
GB 891 RAS COLL7-RAS COLL7/1 · Series · 1823-1981
Part of Royal Asiatic Society Collections Loans

Little specific material was kept from the early days of the Society. Most of the information concerning this time will be found in the Council Minutes. The majority of the material in this series dates from the 1930s onwards. The material is:

  • A specimen loan agreement form for a manuscript between the Royal Asiatic Society, Albemarle St and some unstated recipient. The Royal Asiatic Society leased the premises at 22 Albemarle Street from 1869-1919, therefore the forms date from this period. Two copies, printed as though handwritten.
  • Correspondence between Col. D.M.F. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, and E.H. Johnston, Keeper, Indian Institute, Oxford concerning the loan of some terracotta sealings and inscribed stones to the Institute. Four letters and a list, handwritten and typed, dated 11 January 1937 - 12 March 1938.
  • Correspondence between the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of some Persian manuscripts for the museum's exhibition, 'Six Centuries of Persian Painting' organised by Basil W. Robinson. Five letters and one list, typed, dated 30 September 1966 - 22 September 1967.
  • Correspondence between the Arts Council of Great Britain, London, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of the Society's copy of Rustaveli's 'The Man in the Panther Skin' for the exhibition, 'Great Britain - U.S.S.R.: an historical exhibition'. Five letters, one notice of the exhibition, all typed, plus a news cutting from the Times (13 January 1967), dated 11 January 1967 - 26 April 1967.
  • Correspondence between the Stedelijk Museum, Delft, Netherlands, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the potential loan of two manuscripts for the museum's exhibition, 'Het Prinsenhof', an exhibition of Asiatic miniatures. The loan was declined by the Society. Two letters, typed, dated 26 May 1967 - 16 June 1967.
  • Correspondence between the British Museum and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the potential indefinite loan of a Kashmiri bronze of a seated Bodhisattva to the museum's collection of Indian sub-continent bronzes. The loan was declined by the Society. Four letters, handwritten and typed, dated 22 November 1967 - 1 January 1968.
  • Correspondence between the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, New York, the British Museum and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the potential loan of material from both the British Museum and the RAS for an exhibition about Herat. Two letters, handwritten and typed, dated 5 January 1967(8) and 16 January 1968.
  • Correspondence between Reading Museum and Art Gallery, Berkshire, England, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of the Society's portrait of Lt. Col. William Lambton for an exhibition of the Works of William Havell taking place in February and March 1970. Six letters and one notice of loan, all typed, dated 28 October 1969 - 24 April 1970, plus a printed invitation to the private view of the Exhibition. There is further correspondence concerning the loan of the portrait again for the William Havell bicentenary in 1982. The decision was made not to include the portrait in this exhibition. Three letters, typed, dated 15 April 1981 - 17 August 1981.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823-
1824-1960
GB 891 RAS LEC3-RAS LEC3/1 · Series · 1824 - 1960
Part of Royal Asiatic Society Lectures and Events: Anniversary General Meetings

There is little material relating to the early Anniversary General Meetings. The items within the archive are:

  • 'Proceedings of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: Anniversary Meetings and Annual Reports of the Council, 1838 and 1839' - a printed pamphlet created by Harrison and Co., St. Martin's Lane, London.
  • Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: Anniversary Meeting and Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Council, 1845, also printed by Harrison and Co.
  • 'The Royal Asiatic Society: A Year of Progress': an article from the Times of India, 1 June 1903, reporting on the Prince of Wales' attendance at the Society's Anniversary General Meeting and the happenings on the occasion.
  • 'Hotel Cecil Ltd., Suggested Menu for 50 Couverts', dated 6 March 1907 - probably an estimate for a dinner after the Anniversary General Meeting. Typed with printed letterhead
  • Notification of the Anniversary Dinner from C. Hughes, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to be held at the Hotel Cecil on 8 June, 1911. Printed paper.
  • Anniversary Dinner ticket for the Hotel Cecil, 20 May 1912. Printed card.
  • Anniversary Dinner ticket for the Hotel Cecil, 5 May 1913. Printed card.
  • Draft invitation for Anniversary Dinner at the Hotel Cecil on Wednesday 13 May.
  • Election of Council for 1928-29. Printed list, dated March 1928, concerning Election of Officers at the Anniversary General Meeting.
  • Council of Management, 1937-38, printed list of officers.
  • Council of Management, 1938-39, printed list of officers.
  • Election of Council for 1944-45. Printed list, dated 20 March 1944, concerning Election of Officers at the Anniversary General Meeting.
  • Election of Council for 1946-47. Printed list, dated 20 March 1946, concerning Election of Officers at the Anniversary General Meeting.
Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland