| Description | Also including two letters from Frederick Akbar Mahomed to "Ben" Bagshawe, giving a detailed biography, presumably written by Benjamin Bagshawe or a later Bagshawe. The first letter, dated 21 Jun 1865, is sent from Brighton and signed Akbar Mahomed; the second, dated 14 Feb 1868, is sent from Gateford Villa [Worksop, Nottinghamshire] and signed Fred'k A. Mahomed |
| Administrative History | Transcript of biography, apparently written by the recipient of the letter, Benjamin Bagshawe, 21 Jun 1865
"The writer of this letter - whose mother is Sarah dau. of James Hodgkinson late of Foolow but now of Worksop _ is grandson of Said Dean Mahomed a hindoo [Hindu] who was a native of Patna in Hindoostan [now part of Bihar state, India] he was the first who brought shampooing and the vapour bath into England. About the year 1786 he came into England to see it and whilst he was here the bank in Calcutta broke and he lost all his fortune with the exception of something to keep him, he got into the hands of a designing man, who persuaded him to begin farming at Cork in Ireland and in a short time he had completely ruined him; I think that after this he published or rather an English friend for him "The Travels of Said Dean Mahomed [Mahomet], the matter theerin contained he communicated to a man who put it into tolerable English & published it for him.
Soon after the publication of this work he removed to Brighton and set up the vapour bath and shampooing on the Kings Road Brighton and was very successful for a long time being patronised by the Royal Family & especially by the Prince of Wales afterwards George IV. During the prosperity he lived in very grand style & kept his Carriage & pair [underlined] when about 90 years old or rather more he came down in this workd & ultimately - before his death had to be kept by Mr Fred'k Mahomed the father of the writer of this letter. He married a lady supposed to come from Bath who died a year before him. He died in the year in his 103 year [sic] & was buried in Brighton Churchyard where there is a stone to his memory., he said that his [underlined] father was the great age of 130 when he died. [?] [?] issue three sons viz 1 Akhbar Arthur, 2 Frederick, 3 Horatio
Akbar [sic] Arthur married but has no issue is a rubber & shampooer in Brighton
Frederick, married, first wife died within 2 years of his marriage had one child, who died in infancy. married [sic] secondly Sarah dau. James Hodgkinson & by her has issue 5 sons & 3 daughters
Frederick married & has issue 3 children, wife dead, he is a shampooer in London, when the King of [?]Bade [Bade Emirate, Yobe State, Nigeria] was in England he promised to reinstate him to the rank belonging to his family if he would accompany him to Bade & adopt the Mahommedan religion [Islam] of course this was declined.
Mr Frederick Mahomed father of this writer is a professor of Gymnastics in Brighton."
Frederick Henry Horatio Akbar Mahomed (1849-1884) of Brighton, physician; eldest son of Frederick Mahomed (1818-1888) and his second wife Sarah Hodgkinson (1816-1905) of Foolow. Frederick's father, Dean/Din Mahomed (1759-1851) was born in Patna [India]. He opened the "Hindoostane Coffee House" in London in 1810, being the first Indian restaurant in Britain, and is credited with introducing the ancient Indian practice of 'shampoo' or shampooing to Britain in 1814. |