The letter is not available online. You are most welcome to visit the British Library to view the document or you could purchase a copy. Please see our website for details of reader registration or Imaging Services.

Not yet! Dorota did a lot of delving in the India Office Records and everything she found has been published on the blog. Maybe there is related material at The National Archives to be uncovered?

Please send an email to apac-enquiries@bl.uk and we'll do our best to help.

No I haven’t anything to add to this yet. I’m still hoping that a family member may contact me with more details.

Rosangela - Please send your contact details to apac-enquiries@bl.uk and we'll see if we can help.

The records aren’t available online but please send your grandfather’s name to apac-enquiries@bl.uk for further advice.

If you have further information about Salim Rashid Suri and his family, please send a message to ior@bl.uk.

A reply from Adrian Edwards: Thank you for your interest in this blog story. The book itself is part of a major British Library digitisation programme, which is just getting underway. By next year, images of the entire book should be freely available through a link from the relevant record in the British Library catalogue. In the meantime, the test images of some pages can already be seen on Google Books at http://books.google.co.uk/books.

Another example in 'Our Mutual Friend' - the Greenwich pensioner at Bella’s wedding walks on two wooden legs.

Thanks to Historical Recipes @historecipes for the suggestion that ‘Rockem Bowl’ is rocambole (wild onion or shallot).

From Bob Milburn - Lucy and George Imeson had four children; William Edwin, Lucy, George and Lucy Elizabeth. William would have been 22 when she asked for financial assistance for him. He seems to have survived the rebuttal as the census records show him to have developed as a businessman via groceries and agricultural machinery into the owner of a property portfolio. He is finally recorded in 1891 living close to Crystal Palace in Streatham, a fashionable area of London in that period. Lucy appears to have died in childhood at about 14 months. Lucy Elizabeth grew up and married William Tanner Raine. They are both recorded as school teachers in 1861. Whilst researching the Imesons in the church records I accidentally found records to other families, on the same pages, who are recorded as living in East India House. Joseph and Elizabeth Frances Dart are recorded with eight children between1817 and 1827; Joseph Henry, Elizabeth Mary, Frederick, Frances Maria, Philip Francis, Ellen, Mary Harriet and Charles Lewis. I believe that Joseph Dart was the Secretary to the East India Company. Joseph Henry went to Exeter College, Oxford and after graduation became a Barrister of Lincoln’s Inn. He had a successful career in Law and became a Verderer of the New Forest. Peter and Mary Jane Auber had a daughter Mary Jane in 1823. I suspect that Peter Auber was another Secretary to the East India Company. Finally William and Charlotte Pixley had a son Stewart in 1824. William Pixley is recorded as a Captain in Trinity House in 1861. He is also recorded as an Elder Brother of Trinity House, a significant Merchant Marine Appointment. His reason for Living in East India House is as yet unknown. This would suggest that there could have been up to 14 children in East India House during the 1820’s. There may be more - I have not yet followed up these discoveries.

From John Conibear - Robbie James was noted for his explosive bursts and when in the mood was almost impossible to dispossess. He hardly ever had an off-day and you could guarantee that he would be fighting to the end , no matter how the game had gone. Robbie was in the Bradford City team against the Swans at Valley Parade in November 1991 when the Swans won 6-4. I think this is the Swans highest away score. My wettest ever day at the Vetch Field was in February 1936 when the Swans beat Bradford City 8-1 to equal their highest League score. I don't think there is many more I could say about Robbie than you have already he said. He was universally admired.

Kieron - High resolution images of First World War India Office Records are now available from the Europeana website - I have added the link to the blog post. If you would like an easier-to-read copy of the images used in the blog, please contact me via ior@bl.uk.

Thanks very much for pointing this out - we have corrected the entry.