The Homeward Mail from India, China, and the East was first published on 1 January 1857 by Messrs. Smith, Elder, & Co. It is compendium of political, military, and economic news from the East. A predominant part of the paper is related to news about India, the jewel of the British imperial crown. In the early years, it was published every two weeks, but this steadily increased until 1876 when it was published weekly.

The Homeward Mail provided people in Britain with political and military news from the East, as well as civil service appointments, shipping intelligence, and trading updates. Each edition published the names of passengers who arrived in England and the names of passengers traveling further afield. For example, in 1857, the paper published, ‘Captain Noaks, on board Earl of Hardwicke, arrived 17 December from Madras and Cape of Good Hope’ and listed the names of the ships’ passengers. You will also find public notices of births, marriages, and deaths. The Homeward Mail provides a British perspective on events in Asia at the height of the British Empire.