Teichman Papers

The majority of the material preserved here consists of papers relating to military history, family history and genealogy, travel and topography, particularly travels undertaken by Emil and Eric Teichman.

Oskar Teichman was born in Eltham, Kent, on 1 November 1880, son of Emil Teichmann. He married Edith Harbord in 1909 and they had two sons, Phillip Raymond and Dennis Patrick. He was educated at Caius College, Cambridge, and was to maintain an active relationship with the University for the rest of his life. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) in 1911 and served with distinction in the Great War of 1914-1918, being mentioned 3 times in dispatches and severely wounded twice, including receiving a rifle shot in the neck at Gallipolli in 1915. He also served in Egypt, Palestine and Italy, where he was awarded the Croce di Guerra. After the war, he served as assistant Medical Director of the Radium Institute from 1922-1927, and maintained an active role in military society while pursuing his interests in military history. Major Teichman contributed to many publications on military and historical topics, including the "RAMC Journal", "Cavalry Journal", and Cambridge University publications. He was an active writer, and published "The Diary of a Yeomanry MO", 1921, "The Cambridge Undergraduate 100 Years Ago", 1926, "Pandour Trenck, 1710-1749", 1927, and "Black Horse Nemo", 1957. In 1945 he endowed four scholarships at Caius College and one at Inner Temple in memory of his sons Major Philip Raymond Teichman, MA, killed in action, North Africa, 1942, and Major Dennis Patrick Teichman, MC, MA, killed in action, Normandy, 1944. Oskar Teichman died on 21 April, 1959. The collection also contains papers of his father, Emil Teichmann, and brother Eric Teichman. Eric Teichman (born Erik Teichmann) was born in 1884 and educated at Gonville and Caius colleges, Cambridge. He represented Cambridge against Oxford in the point-to-point Steeplechase of 1903. After travelling extensively in Russia, he was appointed to the British Embassy in Peking (1907) as an interpreter in the consular service. Despite a riding accident that left him severly hampered, he continued to enjoy riding and shooting as hobbies, and travelled extensively through Central Asia as part of his work. From 1919 until 1935 he rarely left Peking, and rose to the rank of Chinese Secretary, achieving the local rank of counsellor of Embassy. He retired in 1937, citing ill health after a journey across China, Afghanistan, Turkestan and India from Peking to Delhi, upon which he based "Journey to Turkistan", published in 1937. Further works by Eric Teichman include "Travels of a Consular Officer in North-West China" (1921), "Travels of a Consular Officer in Eastern Tibet" (1922), and "Affairs of China" (1938). In 1942, he was persuaded to return briefly to China as adviser to the British Embassy at Chungking. He returned to England in 1944. On 3 December 1944, he was shot dead by an American soldier whom he disturbed poaching in the grounds of his home.

The DM numbers are as follows, and contain the items described below: DM 107 - scrapbook of correspondence relating to the French Military, 1777-1911, including orders, reports, analyses, and political statements. This was compiled by Major Dennis Patrick Teichman. Also includes a note that Major Dennis Patrick Teichman was posthumously awarded the Military Cross. "He went out to save his batman, but no-one went out to save him." DM 146 - five notebooks. Subjects: Montesquieu's "L'Esprit des Lois" and "The Federalist", Solomon (a dog), travel in Germany and Austria - 1930s, military training at 43rd Divisional Battle School, and "Mrs. Thrale-Hipkins' New Butler", a play by D.P. Teichman. Property of Dennis Patrick Teichman. DM 317 - 10 volumes of diaries by Emil Teichmann concerning domestic matters and European Travel, written between 1878 and 1923. Also, 7 volumes of diaries by Oskar Teichmann concerning travel through Europe and the Crimea, written between 1901 and 1909. DM 421 - Box, containing the War Record and related correspondence of Major Oskar Teichmann, including x-ray of neck wound sustained at Gallipolli (1915), medals and honours awarded, etc. DM 448 - two bound volumes. One volume pertains to "Pandour Trenck", a historical novel by Oskar Teichmann concerning Baron Franciscus von der Trenck, published in 1927 by John Murray. The other volume concerns Eric Teichman's journey from Peking to Delhi via Chinese Turkestan including newspaper cuttings, maps, letters, articles by Eric Teichman, and reviews of the book he wrote based on his experiences, 1935-1937. DM 518 - Teichman family papers. 3 archive boxes. 1910-1958. Contains notes pertaining to the family history of the Teichmans, historical research by Oskar Teichman, letters and correspondence. Also contains several historical military biographies, information on French military uniforms, poems by Dennis Patrick Teichman, general information on military history, comments on The Yeomanry in Gallipoli and Palestine (World War I) by Oskar Teichman, travel journals, hunt race cards, reviews of "Diary of a Yeomanry M.O" and a folder of family correspondence. DM 544 - Letter from Philip Gosse to Oskar Teichman (1921), and article by Edmund William Gosse (1929). DM 819 - 1902-1906, diary and stud book of the Sitka Basset hounds, bred by Oskar Teichman, miscellaneous military historical notes by Oskar Teichman, several typed comical ballads on Warminster, Penzance and other places (uncredited), and a letter from Spink Teichman to Oskar Teichman regarding historical novels and yeomanry articles. DM 1020 - four bound volumes, property of Oskar Teichman. "Life and Letters of an Ansbach Ranger, 1676-1737, descriptive of the life of Johannes Georg Teichmann", edited by Oskar Teichman. "A Journey to Alaska in the Year 1868: being a diary of the late Emil Teichmann", edited by Oskar Teichman. 2 copies, "The Family of Teichman, 1588-1927", by Oskar Teichman. DM 1030 - "A Journey to Alaska in the Year 1868: being a diary of the late Emil Teichmann", edited by Oskar Teichman, proof copy. Letters from Lady Nellie Teichman, 1956. DM 1426 - Account of a journey through Russia undertaken by Eric and Oskar Teichman in 1904. Typewritten by Oskar Teichman. DM 1537 - a series of fourteen pictures from the Pashkoff Palace in Moscow, Russia. 12 (from an original series of 18) are views of Moscow and St. Petersburg. 2 are late 18th Century watercolour paintings of birds nesting with their young. The pictures were looted from the palace during Napoleon's retreat and show the city before the French burned it. The pictures were entrusted to Marechal Ney's adjutant Lieutenant Horlacher, sold, and eventually found their way into the hands of the Teichman family.

Accessible to all bona fide readers.

Gift of Major Oskar Teichman.

Compiled by Martin Hall, Assistant Archivist, University of Bristol Information Services - Special Collections.

Typescript catalogue available in Special Collections

Permission must be obtained from Special Collections.

These papers were accumulated by the Teichman family from a variety of sources, many unrecorded.