Sir

Walter Roper Lawrence

Bt GCIE GCVO CB
Born(1857-02-09)9 February 1857
Moreton, Herefordshire, England
Died25 May 1940(1940-05-25) (aged 83)
Occupation(s)Baronet, Author
Notable workThe Valley of Kashmir (1895); The India we served (1929);
SpouseLilian Lawrence
Parent(s)George Lawrence and Catherine Lewis
RelativesMurray Lawrence (grandson)

Sir Walter Roper Lawrence, 1st Baronet, GCIE GCVO CB[1] (9 February 1857 – 25 May 1940) was a member of the British Council of India[2] and an English author who served in the Indian Civil Service in British India and wrote travelogues based on his experiences of travelling around the Indian Subcontinent. Over the course of his travels, he developed a close affinity with the Indian and Kashmiri people, who figure prominently in his work. His best-known books are The Valley of Kashmir (1895) and The India we Served (1929).

Walter Roper Lawrence was born on 9 February 1857 at his home town Moreton-on-Lugg, Herefordshire, England, the son of George Lawrence and Catherine Lewis. He married Lilian Gertrude James on 18 March 1885.

Life in British India

Sir Walter Roper Lawrence house, East Grinstead, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1925

Lawrence served in the Indian Civil Service Punjab (1879–1895).[3] He was appointed as the Settlement Commissioner for Jammu and Kashmir between 1889–1894, during the rule of Maharaja Pratap Singh.[4][5] While travelling in Kashmir, he recorded and produced a brief history on account of the geography, the culture of the people and the tyrannic Dogra rule over Kashmir. During his brief visit to Kashmir Valley, he authored the first recorded complete encyclopaeda of Kashmir, The Valley of Kashmir.[citation needed]

In 1896, Lawrence left the Indian Civil Service. He was recalled by the Viceroy of India Lord Curzon to act as his private secretary. Lawrence served in this role during 1899–1903.[4] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in the 1890s, and promoted to a Knight Commander of the order (KCIE) in the 1903 Durbar Honours.[6][7]

He also accompanied the Prince and Princess of Wales to India as Chief of Staff on their tour in 1905-06.[4][8] In 1907, he served as a member of the Council of India. During the First World War, he worked on various missions for the Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener. In 1918 he was on the staff of the Indian Air Force with the rank of Major General.[4]

In 1919, Lawrence served on the British Mission to Palestine and Syria.[4]

Works

As an author his major works are The Valley of Kashmir (1895) and The India we served (1929).

Lawrence was the first man who reported about the miseries faced by the people of Kashmir under the rule of Dogras.[citation needed]

Death

He died at the age of 83 on 25 May 1940. His grandson was Murray Lawrence.

See also

References

  1. ^ "No. 34898". The London Gazette. 16 July 1940. p. 4398.
  2. ^ Lundy, Darryl. "Sir Walter Roper Lawrence". thepeerage.com. Retrieved 22 June 2012.[unreliable source]
  3. ^ "Sir Walter Lawrence designations". ampltd.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e Dov Gavish (2005). A Survey of Palestine Under the British Mandate, 1920–1948. Routledge, 2005. pp. 275–276. ISBN 9780714656519.
  5. ^ "Walnut In Pandit Heritage – Rituals and Recipes". koausa.org. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  6. ^ "The Durbar Honours". The Times. No. 36966. London. 1 January 1903. p. 8.
  7. ^ "No. 27511". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1903. p. 3.
  8. ^ Helene Petrovna Blavatsky (1929). Theosophical Quarterly Magazine, 1928 to 1929. Kessinger Publishing, 2003. p. 178–. ISBN 9780766152861. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
Baronetage of the United Kingdom New creation Baronet(of Sloane Gardens) 1906–1940 Succeeded byPercy Lawrence
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