Delhi Durbar 1911. A sequence of letters from the event to their daughter by the Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 4th Brigade R.F.A. and his wife.

The 9 letters are written on standard small sized writing paper 7 x 4½ ins, mainly in the form of a bifolium giving four pages. The commanding officer of IV Brigade R.F.A. was Lieutenant Colonel Lochinvar Alexander Charles Gordon  and his command consisted of Headquarters and three Batteries. Although the formal events of the Durbar took place from the 7th to the 16th December the Gordons arrived over a week earlier as there was much preparationto take place.

1. 29th November.  A four page letter to dearest Jean from her father notes their three day drive from Jhansi via Gwalior and Agra [motor cars were in their infancy in India]. He notes, We passed Major Kirby & his Battery [the 14th] & had lunch with him on the last day. He gives a brief account of the camp – an enormous place; miles of roads, & acres of canva in every direction. He mentions polo every afternoon, massed bands – about a thousand performers. He admires the lavish camps of the Native Princes and especially the Kashmir Maharaja has beautifully carved walnut palisading all along the front of his camp. quite the handsomest decoration I’ve seen anywhere. He signs himself Ever your loving Father, L.A.C. Gordon in the manner of the time which perhaps now seems a somewhat odd mixture of affection and formality.

2. Also 29th December on four pages Mrs Gorsdon  writes, impressed that father drove normally at 30 -35 miles an hour and remarks When we got here we found the Camp all beautifully arranged by Captain Nevill [Capt. H.L. Nevill,D.S.O. 2i/c to Gordon]. She notes their camp is miles from the city but is also impressed by the Princes’ Camps, observing that the Kashmir camp’s tent poles are silver, and gold and silver chairs, and the sides of the tent are hung with priceless Cashmere shawls, centuries old. The roads are full of the weirdest people, heaps of motor cars, then a Prince with his escort of cavalry in gorgeous uniform & lances with pennnons -wonderful carriages with outriders, ladies in their smartest frocks … just like Bond Street or Piccadilly.  She signs herself  your loving Mother. 

3, 11th Dec  .4 sides from father. He describes how only one of his batteries is involved in the State Entry so he was able to watch with mother. He notes seeing the queen arrive in a coach . The King arrived separately They say that he is purposely not made conspicuous in case any evil doer might be about.  He is very impressed by the Imperial Cadet Corps.

13th Dec. 8 sides from mother.. She decribes the scene of Durbar Day before – It was held in a huge amphithestre which held 100,000 ! She includes a sketch of the arena showing theit central seats. She mentions the m\utiny veterans, the spledour of the Princes, the King announcing the move of the seat of government from Calcutta to Delhi, she notes that tomorrow they are imvited to the garden party in the Red Fort.

18th . Dec. 4 sides from father. H notes The King & Queen have gone off to Calcutta & Ajmer respectively , the King is shooting in the Nepal jnugles….He must be jolly glad to get away from all the pomp of court for a bit.

18th Dec. 4 sides from mother. She writes again of the Durbar  and also the next day’s  military review and your father went past at the head of his Howitzer Brigade and looked very smart on Cherry Ripe

27th Dec. 4 sides from father now back in Jhansi.

This interesting sequence of letters gives the sort of personal view of the great event which is often alcking from the more formal accounts in the illustrated books on the subject. Just one of the original envelopes remains with the letters and is included. We do have some of the formal invitations received by Mrs Gordon which we will bw listing in due course. apr3/3

Lieutenant Colonel Lochinvar Alexander Charles Gordon [1864-1927] later Major General, C.B., C,S,I, was educted at Cheltenham College and Woolwich, had a long career in the Royal Artillery being 3 times mentioned in despatches during WW1. One of the branches of the Gordon family is known as Gordon of Lochinvar.