| Summary: |
Audio recording of oral history interview with Kenneth Warren and Mrs Warren, covering the period 1906-1926.
Cassette side OA1/70/1: Family involvement in origin of tea industry in Assam. Description of father's voyage to India and up river to Assam; primitive conditions and communications there in 1860. Degree of British popularity; loyalty of local leader; Warren's meeting with him 1906. Early career; learning tea tasting. Description of voyage to India 1906; visit to Port Said.
Cassette side OA1/70/2: Continues description of voyage. Visit to Aden; incident with unscrupulous local boatmen. Arrival at Calcutta. Origin of family firm, Planter's Stores. Journey by train to Dum Duma. Strange reception; earthquake on first night. Description of bungalow built on pillars. Learning language as junior assistant. Organisation and care of tea labour force. Malaria hazard.
Cassette side OA1/70/3: Good treatment of labour force; medical facilities. Organisation of staff; high proportion of Scots. Defence of tea planter's treatment of labour force. Description of morning sessions dealing with labour force problems: stories illustrating problems which arose; rough justice used to solve them; respect and acceptance shown by local police and authorities. Distance of cookhouse from bungalow.
Cassette side OA1/70/4: Story illustrating disadvantage of separation of cookhouse from bungalow. Civilised nature of area between Dum Duma and Dibrugarh 1906; social activities centred on polo clubs. Using essential work ponies for polo. Standard of polo; tournaments. Stories of local characters. Restrictions placed on marriage by lack of accommodation. Leave allowances. Unwilling visit to Britain to see ear specialist. Exceptional nature of Assam's wet climate.
Cassette side OA1/70/5: Suicides caused by Cherrapunji's wet climate. Different types of malaria. Description of temporary hut liable to floods in jungle site of new tea garden. Importance of dressing for dinner even though alone. Dismissal of drunken manager. Planter's drinking habits. Prices and wages. Continuous nature of work; close escape whilst sleep walking. Daily routine. Description of seasonal tasks on tea estate. Assam's cold season climate.
Cassette side OA1/70/6: Enjoyment of fishing opportunities; techniques. Mrs Warren's recollections of living in Assam: insects; primitive conditions; evocative sights and sounds; restricted lifestyle of British women. Mr Warren's recollections of river trips to convalesce after malaria; reason they were abandoned. Illustration of increasing speed of travel in Mr Warren's lifetime.
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| Main author: |
Warren; Kenneth (fl 1906-1972); tea planter |
| Other authors: |
Warren; ? (fl 1972); wife of Kenneth Warren, Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer |
| Extent: |
2 hr. 52 min.
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| Admin history: |
British tea planter in Assam. |
| Access status: |
Closed
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| Access conditions: |
Access to sound recording of this interview is currently unavailable at SOAS Library. The transcript can be consulted. Researchers can access a copy of this sound recording at the British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/70/01-06. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
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| Copyright: |
Copyright held by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) |
| User restrictions: |
Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist |
| Language: |
English
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| Copies: |
Copy available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/70/01-06
Copy available at Imperial War Museum. Reference: 004969/06 |
| Related material: |
Transcript available at SOAS Library. Reference: OA1/70/T |
| Format: |
Archive
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