|
|
Diaries of John Laing in India and Europe
| Title |
Diaries of John Laing in India and Europe |
| Reference |
GBR/0115/RCMS 21
(former reference: MSS 11 V) |
| Creator |
Laing, John William, b c 1846 |
| Covering Dates |
18 Oct. 1873–23 Jan. 1875 |
| Extent and Medium |
2 volumes; paper; Manuscript |
| Repository |
Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library |
|
| Content and context |
|
John William Laing was born around 1846, the second son of James Laing of Glasgow. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, on 7 June 1865, aged 19. He was made a S.C.L. and B.A. at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, in 1872, and that year received an M.A. from Christ Church. Laing left London for a tour of India on 26 June 1873, and reached Bombay via the Cape in October of that year. He also travelled in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Diaries with inserted photographs, drawings and other items.
Presented by Fred Yeomans, Victoria, B.C., through Colonel Eric Parker, Hon. Sec. of the Vancouver Island Branch R.C.S., June 1975.
|
Access and Use
|
Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, Diaries of John Laing in India and Europe, RCMS 21 |
| Further information |
|
MSS Addenda, vol. I. The photographs in the diaries are described under Y3022DDDD in the R.C.S. Photograph Catalogue. Indexed
This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue. The biographical history was compiled with reference to the entry on Laing in Joseph Foster, 'Alumni Oxonienses', 1715-1886, L-R (Oxford 1888), p. 809.
|
| Index Terms |
| Asia |
| Europe |
| India |
| Laing, John William (b c 1846) |
| RCS/RCMS 21 contains: |
|
1
|
Five months in India. The diary describes Laing's journey through Bombay, Madras (from whence he visited Ceylon) and Calcutta. It ends at Mirzapore, 17 March 1874, on his return journey from a visit to Delhi. The text is on the right-hand pages. The left-hand side is either blank or has pictures, menus, programmes and other material stuck in, with miscellaneous additional information recorded in writing. There are about 47 inserted photographs, as well as illustrations in colour of the Taj Mahal and of Indian decoration. The entries for 13-18 October 1873 are said to be 'described in previous Diary'.
1 volume (364 pages). |
18 Oct. 1873–18 Mar. 1874 |
|
2
|
Travels in Europe. The diary describes Laing's journey through Great Britain (chiefly Scotland), July-September 1874 (pp. 1-32); France, Switzerland and Italy, September-December (pp. 33-144); Greece and Asia Minor, December (pp. 144-186); Egypt, December 1874-January 1875 (pp. 188-216); the Suez Canal and Palestine, January (pp. 218-270); and Egypt, 17-25 January; ending at Keneh with the note 'Continued in Vol. II' (pp. 272-286). The journey was apparently made in the company of an American, T.E. Screven ('Edward'). The text is on the right-hand pages, with photographs on the left. There are 30 photographs taken in Scotland, 9 in Italy, 1 group photograph in Egypt and 1 group photograph in Jerusalem. Italian banknotes have also been stuck into the volume, along with three pages on Ephesus and four pages of Biblical quotations written by Laing.
1 volume (286 pages). |
11 July 1874–23 Jan. 1875 |
|
![[Home]](/images/logo.gif){kind=logo}
