Correspondence and Financial Documents Related to the Construction of M. A. Jinnah's Residence, Bombay (1938)

Sub title : Letters, Certificates, and Accounts from Gregson, Batley & King, Architects, and Associates

Subject: Construction Management | Jinnah House — Bombay | Colonial Indian Business Correspondence.

Date of publication: 1938

Language: English

Page: 151 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27387

Keyword: M. A. Jinnah — Jinnah House — Mount Pleasant Road — Gregson Batley & King | Gannon Dunkerley & Co. —Construction Correspondence — Payment Certificate | Architectural Supervision — 1938 —| Bombay | Imperial Bank of India — General Electric Co.

Abstract: This collection comprises letters, payment certificates, invoices, and financial documents chronicling the ongoing construction of Muhammad Ali Jinnah's residence in Bombay in early 1938. It includes correspondence between the architects (Gregson, Batley & King), the client (Jinnah), and the contractors (Gannon Dunkerley & Co.), covering topics such as progress payments, sale of old materials from the site, clarification of contract terms, submission of design drawings, and a complaint from Jinnah regarding construction delays. Also included are detailed estimates for electrical work and dividend warrants from banks, providing a comprehensive view of the project's financial and administrative aspects.

Description: This archive offers a real-time glimpse into the construction process of M. A. Jinnah's iconic Bombay residence. It includes practical documents such as salary certificates for the site supervisor, payment requests from contractors, the architect's first bill for professional services, and letters discussing contractual safeguards and design approvals. A letter from Jinnah himself in May 1938 expresses strong dissatisfaction with the pace of work, highlighting the challenges encountered during the build. The collection is supplemented with finalized estimates for electrical installations and personal financial documents of Jinnah, such as dividend receipts. These records are invaluable for understanding the day-to-day realities of a major architectural project and the client-architect-contractor relationship in pre-independence India. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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