26/07/2025
Remembering Jim Corbett on His 150th Birth Anniversary
A personal tribute from our family archives.
As we mark the 150th birth anniversary of Jim Corbett its apt to talk about his memories—not just from the pages of his famous books, but from personal encounters etched in our family’s history. My grandfather, the late Giri Raj Singh, had the rare privilege of knowing Corbett personally, and his recollections offer a tender window into the quiet dignity and warmth that defined the man behind the legend.
From 1944 to 1947, during Jim’s stays in Nainital, my grandfather often spent quiet evenings with him and his sister Maggie at their home, Gurney House. These moments—filled with warmth, gentle conversation, and mountain silence—remain a cherished part of our family’s history.
Corbett wasn’t just a guest or a neighbor—he was generous with his time and support. He helped my grandfather in negotiations with British members of the Old Nainital Club to take over the Boat House and yachts. He even assisted in the formation of our family’s Shikar firm, connecting my grandfather with Safari Land Ltd. in Kenya.
One special memory my grandfather loved to share was of Jim taking him for a walk behind Gurney House, where his Cocker Spaniel once stirred up a flock of Kaleej pheasants. The house also played host to a semi-tame Streaked Laughing Thrush who picked raisins off the tea cakes—more fond of Maggie than Jim, apparently!
Jim was a quiet, humble man. He spoke of his hunting days only when pressed—but once he did, it was always with great love for the forests and the creatures that called them home.
As Jim’s time in India came to an end, he grew frail. Walking up even from town to his home became a bit of a struggle. Maggie, older but sturdier, kept Gurney House spotless with her own hands, though their garden always remained charmingly wild.
On Corbett’s 150th, we remember not just the legend—but the gentle, generous soul who sat at our family’s tea table and left behind stories we still pass on.
Shivi
