Catalogue description The Lewin Family Papers

The collection contains material created by members of the Lewin family between 1779 and 1926. The largest proportion relates to Thomas Herbert Lewin, covering the years 1856-1915, and reflects his interest in India and its languages, genealogy and religion as well as revealing something of his social and family life and his political views.

Lewin's papers consist of semi-official papers concerning his work in India; diaries; scrapbooks; philological and literary manuscripts; correspondence; photographs and sketches by him; genealogical papers collected by him; copies of published works, both by him and by other authors, many on India or Far Eastern languages; and articles and reviews on his publications.

Other family members who are represented in the collection are Lewin's grandfather, Thomas Lewin of the Hollies in Kent, his brothers and sisters, his wife Margaret, and their eldest daughter Everest.

Mainly English.

Arranged according to subject, and chronologically within those groups.

The British Library Oriental and India Office Collections holds typescript copies of other family correspondence, 1855-1875.

Lewin family of India

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room.

Deposited on permanent loan in the University of London Library by the T H Lewin's granddaughter, in 1973

• East India Company, 1600-1858
• Lewin, Thomas Herbert, 1839-1916, Lieutenant-Colonel
• Lewin, Thomas, 1753-1843, Indian administrator
• India
• Burma
• Bangladesh
• Colonial countries
• Linguistics
• Cultural anthropology

S J Lewin, 'The Lewin Papers: a catalogue with introduction', (University of London Library, 1985). This catalogue includes an extensive introduction to the papers and to the history of the Lewin family. There is also a Lewin family tree and an index of correspondents mentioned in the catalogue.

The Lewin family came from Bexley and Eltham in Kent. In the mid-eighteenth century Richard Lewin became commander of an East India Company ship, and started a connection with the Company which would continue through several generations of the family. Richard's son Thomas worked for the Company between 1770 and 1800, and was resident in India for about 20 years during that period. It is Thomas Lewin's grandson Thomas Herbert, whose papers form the bulk of this material.

Thomas Herbert Lewin was born in London on 1 April 1839. He was educated at a school in Littlehampton and later became a cadet at the Addiscombe Military College. In September 1857, Lewin travelled to India as a lieutenant and was involved in several campaigns to put down the Indian Mutiny. He became the District Superintendent in Police at Rampur Bandleah in April 1861. In January 1864 he moved to the same post for Noacolly in South Bengal and then to Chittagong in October 1864. In March 1866, he was promoted to Captain. His appointment, first as Temporary Superintendent and later permanent Deputy Commissioner and Political Agent for the unregulated Hill Tracts - a post that he held until 1875 - meant that he became in effect the governor of the remote Lushai and Chittagong Hill tracts. His abilities as an administrator led him to be regarded with affection by the local tribes and his work in understanding the language and culture of the region was of lasting significance. From his experiences he wrote The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and the Dwellers therein (Calcutta, 1869) and The Wild Races of South-Eastern India (England, 1870).

In January 1874, Lewin returned to England due to ill health; he was made an honorary Lieutenant Colonel and received a Colonel's pension. He returned to India in 1875 to take up the post of Deputy Commissioner of Cooch Behar. During another period of furlough in England, 1876-7, he married Margaret Elliot, and they returned to India together in October 1877, where Lewin was take up the post of Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling. Between 1873 and 1879, Lewin wrote three further books: Hill Proverbs of the Inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Calcutta, 1873), a handbook on the Lushai Dialect (1874), and a manual of Tibetan (1879). He remained at the post until 1879 when he was permitted to retire and returned to England. In 1885, he bought Parkhurst, a house in Abinger, near Dorking, Surrey where he lived until his death in 1916.

In 1884, Lewin's book, A Fly on the Wheel was published giving an account of his time in India between 1857 and 1873, with a second edition being published in 1912. His interest in India continued until his death and he corresponded with his acquaintances from his days there. After his death, his wife continued this correspondence.

In 1882, he began researching his family history, which resulted in the publication of The Lewin Letters in 1909. During his later years he was also concerned with questions of religion and philosophy, interests which are demonstrated in the papers and the publication of his final book Life and Death, being an authentic account of the deaths of one hundred celebrated men and women (1910).

Lewin had contact with several well known literary, artistic and scientific figures. Both the author, George Meredith, and the artist, Sir Edward Burne-Jones were friends. He also knew Sir Arthur Lister and George Bidder.

Thomas and Margaret Lewin had 3 children, Everest, Charles and Audrey. Everest married Thomas MacDonald in 1901, and the couple and their children spent some time in India, where Tom MacDonald had business interests. After they returned from India they lived in Argyllshire, Scotland.

• View Record
• View Record
• View Record