The volume discusses the ongoing negotiations in Constantinople between the Ottoman, British and Russian Governments through 1912 and 1913 regarding the Turco-Persian Frontier. Also discussed is the decision in July 1913 to establish a delimitation commission to which Albert Charles Wratislaw and Arnold Talbot Wilson are appointed as representatives of the British Government.Also discussed in the volume is the region of Kermanshah and in particular Qasr-i-Shirin [Qaşr-e Shīrīn], along with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company's concerns over the rights accorded to them in their 1901 concession should some of that territory be ceded to Turkey.Further discussion relates to the movements of Russian and Turkish troops near the frontier and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from certain places along the frontier.This volume is part two of two. Each part includes a divider which gives the subject and part numbers, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in that part by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.1 volume (334 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.The subject 1356 (Turco-Persian Frontier) consists of 2 volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/266-267. The volumes are divided into 2 parts, with each part comprising one volume.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 334; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the two leading and ending flyleaves. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
This file concerns the circulation of currency between Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf and India. The file contains correspondence between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire; the Political Agent at Bahrain; Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Advisor to the Government of Bahrain; C W F Skrimshire and M Gunn, the Eastern Bank Limited, Bahrain; Yousuf bin Ahmed Kanoo [Yūsuf bin Aḥmad Kānū]; the Residency Agent, Sharjah. There is also correspondence from the India Office and the Government of India, which has been forwarded to the Political Agent by the Political Resident.The correspondence for 1935-36 (ff 3-21) concerns the import of large quantities of Indian rupees into Saudi Arabia via the port of Jedda and Persian Gulf ports, due to the Saudi government’s preference of paying officials and tribal subsidies in rupees instead of dollars. The essence of this situation is explained in a report by Loch, entitled 'Note on the Rupee-Maria Theresa Dollar position in Najd, Hasa and Bahrain', sent to the Political Resident on 3 March 1936. The correspondence for 1939-40 (ff 22-49) concerns further abnormal exports of rupees from Bahrain to Kuwait and Hassa (al-Aḥsā’) due to a lack of confidence in the stability of the Saudi Arabian riyal as a result of the Second World War; also discussed is the possibility of an embargo being placed on the export of rupees from India to Saudi Arabia and the impact that that would have on the Trucial Coast states and Qatar. The final section of correspondence for the year 1944 (ff 50-55) concerns a request from ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Saud) for the British government to send senior military and financial experts, preferably Sunni Muslims, to Saudi Arabia to aid the establishment of an army and reorganise the financial structure of the state.1 file (60 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-61; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
The file discusses the proposed new radio frequencies to be used by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) for their air navigational aids, and enquiries to Cable and Wireless (Cecil Edward Gahan), Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf (L E Porter), Air Staff Liaison Officer at Bahrain (G E Lewis), RAF Sharjah and International Aeradio Limited (Anthony J Hemelik) as to whether the new proposed frequencies would be acceptable to them.The word wireless has been misspelled on the cover of the file as 'wirless'.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 19-20.1 file (21 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 21; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-18; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. Pagination: the file notes at the back (ff 19-20) have been paginated with pencil.
The file contains correspondence, circulars and other papers relating to visits by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India (the Marquis of Willingdon, Major Freeman Freeman-Thomas) and his wife Lady Willingdon (Marie Freeman-Thomas) to Bahrain and Sharjah in May 1934, while travelling by Imperial Airways from Karachi to Basra, and their return to both of these places on the return flight back to Karachi in August 1934. Correspondents in the file include: the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle, the Political Agent at Bahrain, Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, and the Residency Agent at Sharjah, Khan Bahadur ‘Īsá bin ‘Abd al-Latif.The file includes:correspondence concerning the arrangements made for the Viceroy and Lady Willingdon’s overnight stay at the RAF rest house at Sharjah, on the night of 16 May 1934, and their meeting with the Residency Agent and the Sheikhs of Sharjah (Sultan bin Saqr Āl Qāsimī) and Dubai (Sa‘id bin Maktum Āl Maktum);correspondence concerning the arrangements made for the Viceroy and Lady Willingdon to visit Bahrain on 17 May 1934, including: arrangements for the Ruler of Bahrain, Sheikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah, to hold a coffee reception in a tent at the aerodrome; the presentation of a speech and gift to the Viceroy by Sheikh Ḥamad; the presentation of invited Arab and European/American guests to the reception, including a lists of invitees (ff 64-65), an invitation to (f 44) and responses from European and American guests (ff 159-167), which includes representatives of the Government of Bahrain, Bahrain Petroleum Company, and the American Mission at Bahrain; appropriate hot weather dress for the occasion;correspondence covering both visits, including: security arrangements; the organisation of gun salutes; gifts for the Viceroy;following the visits in May 1934: newspaper cuttings from the
Iraq Timesand
The Timesreporting on the visits to Bahrain (ff 101-102); correspondence regarding appropriate gifts to be given by the Viceroy to the Sheikhs of Bahrain and Sharjah; the Political Agent’s report on the Viceroy’s visit to Bahrain (ff 84-85), and the Residency Agent’s report on the visit to Sharjah (Arabic and English, ff 87-92); letters of thanks and appreciation from the Sheikhs;arrangements for stopovers by the Viceroy and Lady Willingdon at Bahrain and Sharjah in August 1934, which are to be private visits, including, at Bahrain, a visit to the house of Sheikh ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah for refreshments;following the visits in August 1934: reports of the respective visits by the Political Agent at Bahrain (ff 143-144) and the Residency Agent at Sharjah (Arabic and English, ff 145-148); arrangements for a gift of a pair of binoculars to the Sheikh of Sharjah;at the beginning of the file there is some correspondence relating to a visit to Bahrain in July 1933 by Lady Willingdon, who is passing through on an Imperial Airways flight (ff 2-7).1 file (167 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover and terminates at the back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-167; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
The file comprises copies of letters, telegrams and other papers relating to the attempted visit to Bahrain and Kuwait by Winifred Howard-Clitty, a writer of children’s books, in the winter of 1933/34. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle; the Political Agent at Bahrain, Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch; the Political Agent at Kuwait, Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson.The file includes:correspondence relating to Howard-Clitty’s application to the authorities to visit the Persian Gulf; her particular interests in collecting material for her books (including Bedouin and pearl diving stories); her intentions to travel to Kuwait in order to meet a man named Muhammad Yatim and write a book with him; her intentions to travel to Bahrain to meet with Yūsuf bin Aḥmad Kanoo;correspondence relating the circumstances leading up to the 1933 trip, specifically Howard-Clitty’s previous trip to Bahrain in 1931, where she first became acquainted with Yatim and Kanoo, and copies of correspondence exchanged between Howard-Clitty and Kanoo during the intervening period (ff 5-12);concern amongst British officials at Howard-Clitty’s intentions: relating to Yatim’s poor reputation, the prospects of a European woman visiting and intending to stay at the homes of Yatim in Kuwait and Kanoo in Bahrain (which Kanoo himself is equally uncomfortable about); reported concern of the Sheikhs of Kuwait and Bahrain at the presence of a unaccompanied European woman in their territories;continued updates from British officials in Basra during the period December 1934 to February 1934, where Howard-Clitty resided while awaiting the opportunity to meet her contacts, up until 26 February 1934, when the Bahrain Political Agent reports that Howard-Clitty has left Basra, ‘hysterical and possibly consumptive’, and angry at British officials efforts to obstruction her travel arrangements (ff 45-46). A complete account of Howard-Clitty’s stay in the region is also provided by the Bahrain Political Agent (ff 54-57);reports of Howard-Clitty’s manuscripts having been stolen while en route to Baghdad, her attempts to rewrite her manuscripts from memory, and British officials’ fears that Howard-Clitty may write a book or series of articles that are critical of the British authorities in the Gulf (ff 59-60);recommendations from India Office and Foreign Office staff in London that, in future, all women wishing to travel to the Persian Gulf be made to apply to the Political Resident (f 50).1 file (70 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 72; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 2-64 and ff 65-67 respectively; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the top centre of the recto side of each folio or in the same position as the main sequence.
The volumes comprise trade and commerce reports, primarily for Bahrain but also for Arabistan and Bushire covering the period 1918-1924.The reports included in the volumes are:Report on the Trade of the Bahrain Islands for the year ending 31 March 1918(ff 7-39)Report on the Trade of the Bahrain Islands for the year ending 31 March 1919(ff 51-78)Report on the Trade of the Bahrain Islands for the year ending 31 March 1920(ff 108-136)Trade Report of the Province of Arabistan for the year ending March 1920(ff 145-170)Trade Report of the Port of Bushire for the year 1919-1920(ff 172-190)Report on the Trade of the Bahrain Islands for the years ending 31 March 1921 and 31st March 1922(ff 211-224)Report on the Trade of the Bahrain Islands for the year ending 31 March 1923(ff 228-256)Report on the Trade of the Bahrain Islands for the year ending 31 March 1924(ff 310-338).The volumes also include amended versions of the reports where discrepancies were noted in them; and printed copies produced by the Government of India.The correspondence in the volume primarily comprises letters from the Political Agent at Bahrain sending out copies of the reports to interested parties, and acknowledgements of receipt in reply; some correspondence with the Eastern Bank Limited, Director of Customs at Bahrain, and Yusuf Ahmed bin Kanoo relates to requests from traders, exporters and other interested parties for trade statistics and information relating to trade and commerce in Bahrain.The first folio of volume one comprises correspondence between the Political Agency at Bahrain and the Political Residency in Bushire from 1948-1950 regarding a circular issued by the Foreign Office in 1948 which outlined a new format for trade reports.2 volumes (374 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front of volume one to the rear of volume two.Foliation: This volume is in two parts. The foliation sequence commences at the first folio of the first part with 1, and terminates at the last folio of the second part with 374 (the covers have not been foliated); these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
The file comprises correspondence between the Political Agent at Bahrain (Clive Kirkpatrick Daly), the Mesopotamia Persia Corporation Limited (W Meikle), and Yusuf bin Ahmed Kanoo regarding the value of pearls exported from Bahrain April 1923-March 1924 for inclusion in the 1923-1924 Bahrain Trade Report.1 file (8 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 8; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The volume also contains an original printed foliation sequence between ff 2-6.
The volume comprises correspondence between the India Office (John P Gibson, Maurice Clauson, Roland T Peel, John C Walton); the Foreign Office (George Rendel, Lacy Bagallay); the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard C Fowle); the Political Agent at Kuwait (Gerald S de Gaury); His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda (Sir Andrew Ryan, Sir Reader Bullard); Secretary of State for India (Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Anthony Eden); and Petroleum Concessions Limited (John Skliros, Stephen H Longrigg, Frank Holmes) regarding the Kuwait Neutral Zone and Petroleum Concessions Limited’s interest in attempting to secure an option or concession from the Shaikh of Kuwait and the Government of Saudi Arabia for their shares in the zone.The volume consists of general correspondence regarding Petroleum Concessions Limited’s interest in and work towards various concessions in the Persian Gulf and various possibilities for approaching the Saudi Arabian Government regarding their share of the Neutral Zone concession. Also discussed are attempts to ascertain the exact nature and extent of the Standard Oil Company of California’s preference rights for both the zone and the remainder of the territory of Saudi Arabia.Further discussion surrounds His Majesty’s Government’s concerns over the financial situation in Saudi Arabia and their desire where possible to provide assistance and support, along with the challenges of balancing this desire with their own policies and interests in the Persian Gulf.The main focus of the discussion in the volume centres on the possibility of a buy-out clause relating to the neutral zone concession existing in the Standard Oil Company of California (SOCAL)’s option agreement with the Saudi Arabian Government and the subsequent discovery that SOCAL’s preference rights were much more extensive. The exact nature of the preference rights are identified by the Foreign Office being supplied copies of the relevant concession articles by Mahmood Riyad Zada of the Royal Legation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in London.The correspondence concludes with PCL deciding to make an offer to the Saudi Arabian Government, via their representation in London, for a concession covering central and western Saudi Arabia and the Kuwait Neutral Zone to be worked by Petroleum Development (Western Arabia) Limited. Separate correspondence documents discussion between Hamilton Ballantyne of the Standard Oil Company of California and the India Office about SOCAL's potential interest in the neutral zone concession now that oil has been discovered in Hasa and Kuwait.Also included in the volume is the memorandum prepared in the Petroleum Department, June 1938, looking at areas where petroleum concessions were mostly likely to be, or had been already been obtained, on the Arabian Peninsula.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 224-230.1 volume (233 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 235; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 24-223; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
The file contains correspondence between the Political
Resident in the Persian Gulf (William Rupert Hay); the Political Agent at Kuwait (Gordon
Noel Jackson, Maurice O’Connor Tandy); the India Office (later the Commonwealth
Relations Office, Eion Pelly Donaldson, Adrian Harbottle Reed, Ralph Ingham Hallows);
the Foreign Office (Lancelot Frank Lee Pyman); the Ministry of Fuel and Power (William
Dunmore Monsell-Davies); His Majesty’s Minister at Jedda (Alan Charles Trott); the
Shaikh of Kuwait (Shaikh Aḥmad al-Jābir Āl Ṣabāḥ) and various oil companies in relation
to the auction process instituted by the Shaikh of Kuwait for his share in the
Kuwait-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone oil concession.The companies which expressed an interest in bidding for the
Kuwait neutral zone concession included Petroleum Concessions Limited, the Burmah Oil
Company, the Eastern Gulf Company, the Amerada Petroleum Company, the American
Independent Petroleum Corporation, the Superior Oil Company of California and the
Canadian Eagle Oil Company. However owing to the Shaikh's requirement that
financial backing and resources to undertake exploitation of an oil concession are
proven by each potential bidder only four companies were permitted to continue and
submit final bids on 1 June 1948 – Petroleum Concessions Limited, the Burmah Oil
Company, the Eastern Gulf Company and the American Independent Petroleum
Corporation.Other matters discussed in the file include:the question of the political agreement between His
Majesty’s Government and successful Oil Company and discussing whether such an
agreement could be made with an American Company and also what changes and special
requirements would have to be made owing to the concession only being for the Shaikh
of Kuwait’s share of the neutral zone.a visit paid by the Shaikh of Kuwait to Ibn Saud (‘Abd
al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd)and the question of whether or not
the neutral zone was discussed by them.debate around the possibility of a geographic division
of the neutral zone in order to make administration of the zone easier, and the
conclusion that negotiations for such a division could take years and would not
perhaps be in the best interests of the Oil Companies exploiting an oil concession
there.a hydrographic survey of the coast-line of the neutral
zone to locate a suitable landing site for heavy equipment.a new air service instituted by Iraq Airways in 1947
that would fly from Basra to Kuwait and Bahrain.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of
the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 272-299.1 file (300 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate
chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for
referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with
302; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right
corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present
in parallel between ff 2-99 and ff 113-300; these numbers are also written in pencil,
but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
The volume contains correspondence between the Political Agent at Bahrain and the Political Resident at Bushire, the India Office in London, the Shaikh of Qatar, ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī, and the Foreign Office in regard to the southern borders of Qatar, the Qatar oil concession and the relations of the Shaikhdom with ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Sa‘ūd), King of Saudi Arabia. There is also correspondence regarding an air reconnaissance of Qatar to be carried out via RAF flying boats, which took place on 9 May 1934, including reports of the reconnaissance (folios 147-154).Some of the documents in the volume are marked as secret or confidential.1 volume (207 folios)The documents in the volume are mostly arranged in chronological order. There are notes at the end of the volume, (folios 196-202). The file notes are arranged chronologically and refer to documents within the volume; they give brief description of the correspondence with reference numbers in red crayon, which refer back to that correspondence in the volume.The main foliation is written in pencil, circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto of each folio.The numbering begins on the title page, on number 1, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 207.There is another foliation sequence, incomplete.
The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, memoranda, notes, and press cuttings relating to the construction of the Baghdad railway. Topics discussed include:the visit of engineers to survey German alignment;Baghdad Railway (1911) Command Paper 5635 (ff 10-48);the draft Anglo-Turkish Convention on railways in Asia Minor, 1911.The principal correspondents in the volume are: the Political Agent at Kuwait, Stuart George Knox; the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Percy Zachariah Cox; the First Assistant Resident to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, J H Bill; the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad.1 volume (97 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 99; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-98; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
The file contains letters sent by merchants, banks and companies to the Bahrain Political Agency asking the Agency to grant them export licences for the shipment of currency notes from one place to another, from one bank to another, or from one company to a bank. The main correspondents are the Arabian American Oil Company, the Eastern Bank Limited and the Imperial Bank of Iran.1 file (64 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. Folios 57- 65 are file notes.Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 66; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
The file contains correspondence in the form of petitions, reports and statements, related to police cases in Bahrain. Cases of note include the renewal of driving licences, and the distribution of ice by the Baladyia (Municipality).The main correspondence is between the Bahrain Political Agency, and the Adviser to the Bahrain Government (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave).1 file (34 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 36; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-35; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
This file contains correspondence between the British officials in Bahrain, Bushire, Baghdad, the India Office and the Government of India, as well as with Khalīl bin Ibrāhīm Kanoo [Kānū].These papers concern various enquiries made by the British Admiralty between 1929 and 1938 regarding flags flown by the sheikhs of Qatar, Bahrain and the Trucial Coast. Contained within this file are descriptions and sketches of various flags, as well as a specimen of fabric (f. 38) demonstrating the colour of the flag flown by the Shaikh of Qatar, ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī.1 file (69 folios)This file is arranged approximately in chronological order.Foliation: Begins on front cover, circled, and continues to page before back cover.
This file consists of a report, written by Sir Arthur Hirtzel, Political Secretary, India Office, which provides the British perspective on recent events in Persia, from mid-1916 to early 1917. The report is divided into sections using headings, which cover the following locations: Tehran, Ispahan, Fars, Bushire, Kerman, Seistan and Khorassan.The report discusses the threat posed to Britain's position in Persia, mainly by Turkish troops, but also by tribal groups which are reportedly under the influence of German agitators.The report states that the Persian Government has acquiesced in the formation of a force [South Persia Rifles] commanded by Sir Percy Sykes, which will be incorporated into the Persian army and will amount to 11,000 men.The report concludes that the situation across Persia is 'in the highest degree unstable', with Turkish forces occupying 30,000 square miles of Persian territory.The report is followed by a cutting from the
Daily Telegraph, dated 21 February 1917, which reports on a House of Lords session from the previous day, in which Earl Curzon [George Nathaniel Curzon] is reported to have spoken about Sir Percy Sykes's mission, and to have described the improvement in the general situation in Persia as considerable.1 file (7 folios)The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 68, and terminates at f 74, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
This file contains correspondence between Captain Charles Geoffrey Prior, British Political Agent at Bahrain; Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Vincent Biscoe, British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire; Major Frank Holmes of the Eastern and General Syndicate; Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Bahrain Government; Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah, ruler of Bahrain; Cyril H Cane, His Britanic Majesty's Consul-General San Francisco; and Freshfields Leese and Munns solicitors. There are also copies of correspondence between various officials in the India Office and Colonial Office.The correspondence concerns the assignment of 1930 Bahrain Oil Concession (draft agreement, ff. 110-129); negotiations of Eastern and General Syndicate for concession for the remaining area of Bahrain group of islands; and application by Bahrain Petroleum Company Limited for a prospecting licence, including
Supplementary Agreement between H.E. Shaikh Hamad bin Shaikh Isa Al Khalifah and the Bahrein Petroleum Company Ltd(f. 224).1 volume (237 folios)This file is arranged in approximately chronological order.Foliation: The foliation sequence is circled in pencil, in the top right corner of each folio. It begins on the second folio after the front cover, on number 1, and runs through to 231, ending on the inside of the back cover.
This file contains correspondence between the British Political Agent at Bahrain; the British Political Resident in the Persian Gulf at Bushire; Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah; ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān bin Fayṣal Āl Sa‘ūd (Ibn Sa‘ūd); Khalīl bin Ibrāhīm Kanoo [Kānū]; Major Frank Holmes of the Eastern and General Syndicate Limited; and various representatives and employees of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, including Arnold Talbot Wilson, J B Mackie, J E Shuckburgh and T L Jacks.The correspondence concerns the initiation of negotiations for oil concessions between the Shaikhs of Bahrain, Kuwait and Ibn Sa‘ūd, and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and Eastern and General Syndicate Limited, as well as subsequent correspondence concerning exploration for oil. Within the correspondence are various draft and signed oil concessions documents, including a signed copy of the oil concession agreement in Arabic and English between Shaikh Ḥamad and Major Frank Holmes of Eastern and Syndicate Limited, dated 2 December 1925 (ff. 281-299).Towards the end of the file there is correspondence concerning a dispute between Major Frank Holmes and Khalīl bin Ibrāhīm Kanoo relating to the rights for boring water wells in Bahrain vis-à-vis the 1925 oil concession agreement.1 volume (345 folios)This file is arranged approximately in chronological order.Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the 3rd sheet and terminates at the sixth sheet from the back of the volume; these numbers are written in blue crayon with additions and corrections made using pencil, they are circled (except between ff. 199-270) and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio (except between ff. 286-299 where they can be found in the top centre).
The file relates to the appointment and service of holders of the post of Additional Vernacular Clerk (also referred to as Third Munshi) at the Political Agency, Bahrain.The papers, which consist of correspondence, telegrams, memoranda, statements, last pay certificates, sanction orders, and office orders cover the following topics: appointment (including papers concerning the Agency's staffing requirements and proposed revisions to the Clerical Establishment, August 1930, and letter stating that the number of staff was insufficient for the work of the Agency, January 1931); testimonials of applicants; expenditure incurred during appointment; pay and advances; statement of amount of court fees stamps sold for the years 1927-30 inclusive; travel arrangements, expenditure, and allowances; temporary staffing arrangements; application papers; letters from members of staff requesting appointment; leave; leave salary; certificate confirming that the holder was a Government servant; correspondence concerning last pay statements; references for former clerks; papers relating to resignation/discharge from service; and personal details.The file includes two letters in Arabic from applicants for employment.1 file (266 folios)The file consists of a Part I dated 23 August 1930 to 16 July 1944, and (at the front of the file) a Part II containing documents dated 24 April to 13 December 1945, with an additional note that appears to be dated 25 March 1946. Within both parts the papers are arranged in chronological order from the fron to the rear of the file. Circled serial numbers (red for received correspondence; blue/black for issued correspondence) refer to entries in the notes at the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation system in use commences at 1A on the front cover, and continues through to 240 on the back cover. The sequence is written in pencil and appears in the top right hand corner of the recto page of each folio. Foliation anomalies: ff. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I, 1J, 1K, 1L, 1M, 1N, 1O, 1P, 1Q, 1R, 1S, 1T; ff. 23A, 23B; ff. 53A, 53B; ff. 57A, 57B; ff. 126A, 126B; ff. 139A, 139B; ff. 162A, 162B. The following folios need to be folded out to be read: 9, 18, 26. A second foliation sequence runs through the notes at the rear of the file between ff. 205-25; these numbers are also written in pencil, are underlined, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
The file relates to the appointment and service of the first Political Officer in Qatar, Arthur John Wilton, and his successors as Political Officer up to October 1950.The papers, which consist of correspondence and telegrams, cover the following topics: note on establishment of Political Agency, Qatar, subordinate to the Political Agency, Bahrain, August 1949; telegram concerning precedence of persons to whom the Political Officer should make official calls, October 1949; travel expenses and arrangements; telegrams concerning visits by representatives of the Ministry of Works (MOW), November to December 1949; permission to come to Bahrain for Christmas, December 1949; information on movements of the Political Officer generally; promotion within His Majesty's Foreign Service; cover during absence on leave; handover of duties between officers, including accounts, and statements of consular fees and court fee stamps, July 1950; correspondence concerning the shipping of a car for the Political Officer free of customs duty; and a personal letter [1950].1 file (50 folios)The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: the foliation system in use commences at 1 and continues through to 51 on the back cover. The sequence is written in pencil or blue crayon, enclosed in a circle, and appears in the top right hand corner of the recto page of each folio. Foliation anomaly: ff. 1, 1A. The following pagination ranges occur: 21-22; 36-37.
Correspondence relating to construction of a jolly boat in 1935 and launch in 1947 for Bandar Abbas Consulate. The correspondence discusses, costs, construction materials, place of construction. It includes a hand-drawn diagram for the design of the jolly-boat (folio 5) and a brochure for the Kelvin-Ricardo Petrol and Parafin Marine Engines (folio 56 to folio 99); a copy of The Motor Boat and Yachting (February 1945); technical drawings from the Bergius Co (ff 158-161); large hand-drawn diagrams of the launch (ff 164-166).Correspondents include: Haji Jasim Taitun, builder of boat; R P Watt, Secretary to the Political Resident; Captain George Ashmead Cole, Political Agent, Bahrain; Mesopotamia Persia Corporation; Haji Khalil bin Ebrahim Kanoo, Bahrain.1 volume (170 folios)The papers are arranged chronologically from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: Foliation is written in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. It begins on the front cover, on number 1A, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 190. Foliation errors: ff.1A-C; ff.22A-B. No f.57, f.59, f.61, f.63, f.65, f.67, f.69, f.71, f.73, f.75, f.77, f.81, f.83, f.85, f.87, f.89, f.91, f.93, f.95, f.97, f.99, f.116, f.118.
Correspondence discusses matters relating to the Naval Base at Jufair, Bahrain, in the context of the redeployment of the naval stations at Henjam and Basidu on the Persian side of the Gulf.The topics include:Press cuttings from The
Timesand
Evening News, Portsmouth, on the redeployment of British naval forces from Henjam and Basidu on the Persian side of the Gulf to Jufair naval base in Bahrain.Lists of persons employed at Jufair naval base.Compensation for Bahrain fish traps due to relocation of naval pier.Rough plan of Jufair showing fish traps (folio 119).Diagram of a fish trap at Bahrain (folio 128).List of graves at the Christian cemetery at Henjam (folio 138).An incident involving some employees of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) taking photographs at the Jufair Naval Base. The photographs and negatives were returned (folio 179A).Procedure for entry into the naval base at Jufair including the 'naturs' system of night watchmen.Correspondents include naval personnel; Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser, Bahrain Government; George Ashmead Cole, Political Agent, Bahrain; Colonel G. Loch, Political Agent, Bahrain; T.C. Fowle, Political Resident Persian Gulf; Captain V.S. Butler, Senior Naval Officer Persian Gulf; Secretary of State for India, London; G.W.R. Smith, Chief Local Representative, The Bahrein Petroleum Company.1 volume (267 folios)The papers are arranged chronologically from the front to the rear of the file.Foliation: Foliation is written in pencil, in the top right corner of the recto of each folio. It begins on the first folio after the front cover, on number 1, and ends on the inside of the back cover, on number 264. Some of the folios have Foreign Office index numbers circled in red and blue crayon. Foliation errors: f.20 is followed by ff.20A-C; f.53 is followed by f.53A; f.91 is followed by f.91A; f.96 is followed by f.96A; f.119 is followed by f.119A; f.172 is followed by f.172A; f.179 is followed by f.179A-M (f.179A is an envelope containing two smaller envelopes: f.179B and f.179I; within in each envelope are a small number of photographs and negatives, which have their references on the back); f.200 is followed by f.200A. The following numbers are missing from the sequence: f.5, ff.24-33, ff.37-42, f.49, f.113 and f.127.
The letters, telegrams and other items in the volume relate to the acquisition of land in Bahrain for the purposes of developing British aviation (both military and civilian) and naval facilities. The principal correspondents in the file are the Political Agent in Bahrain, Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch, the Adviser to the Bahrain Government, Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, and officials at the India Office and Air Ministry in London. The land acquired at Jufair for naval facilities is discussed in detail in ‘File No. 5/7 I Jufair Naval Base’ (IOR/R/15/2/216).In 1934 the British Government acquired four pieces of land in Bahrain: 1) an area, approximately 1200 x 1000 yards in size on Muharraq Island, for the development of an aerodrome; 2) a strip of the coast on Bahrain Island, approximately 800 x 400 yards in size, for use as a seaplane anchorage; 3) a large expanse of land at Jafair [Jufair], south of Manama, for the purposes of a British naval installation; and 4) a second plot at Jufair adjacent to the first, also for naval purposes. The correspondence indicates that Government officials in London were keen to acquire the land in question as expediently as possible, while trying to keep the identity of the purchasers (the Air Ministry) unknown.The volume includes copies of public notices announcing the imminent acquisition of land (most in Arabic, folios 57, 58, 86, 87), copies of the title deeds (all in Arabic and with maps on the reverse, folios 179-82), details of the costs of acquisition, including excesses (folios 76, 77), and subsequent surveys of the acquired land (folios 210-17, 225-29). The volume also includes numerous large-scale maps, including sketch maps of the proposed areas for acquisition at Muharraq and Manama (folios 15, 16), and more detailed maps (accompanying reports) showing the boundaries and dimensions of all four areas of acquired land (folios 69, 83, 88, 194-98, 218-21).1 volume (259 folios)The volume’s content are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest items at the front of the volume to the latest at the end. Office notes at the end of the volume (folios 245-60) mirror this chronological arrangement.Foliation: The main foliation sequence starts on the first folio and ends on the last folio; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and can be found in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A second foliation sequence is present between ff. 5-242; these numbers are written in either blue crayon or pencil, are not circled, and can be found in either the top centre or right corner of the recto side of each folio. A third short incomplete foliation sequence is present between ff. 5-7; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.The volume includes a number of fold-out maps: ff. 15-16, f. 69, f. 83, f. 88, f. 103, ff. 195-198 and ff. 218-221.
The file concerns two Bahrain merchants' (Messrs Mohd and `Ali Jamal Khunji) complaints about a defective supply of white mulls shipped by J M Shasha of Manchester; the case against him had implications for British trade. The file contains copies of letters between J M Shasha, the Chamber of Commerce in Manchester and the Department of Overseas Trade.1 file (93 folios)The papers in the file are arranged chronologically. There are file notes at the end, on folios 85-94. The notes are arranged chronologically and refer to documents within the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-84; these numbers are also written in pencil, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence, but they are not circled.
The file contains correspondence sent and received by the Political Agent at Bahrain concerning Japanese trade interests in the Persian Gulf; in particular, the correspondence concerns a request by Yusuf Kanoo to operate as agent in Bahrain for the sale of goods of Mitsubishi Enterprises.There is a letter in Arabic, with English translation, sent to the Resident Agent at Sharjah.1 file (32 folios)The papers in the file are arranged chronologically. There are file notes at the end, on folios 30-34. The notes are arranged chronologically and refer to documents within the file.Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 34; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-34; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.