[Malta Content] – Luke, Harry Charles / [Lieutenant Governor of Malta (1930 – 1938)].

Collection of Manuscript Letters Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letters Signed (ALS) as well as Telegrams from friends, colleagues and family regarding Harry Luke becoming the new Lieutenant Governor of Malta [In Malta this was a position equal to a Governor at other locations]. The news of the promotion, while welcomed after the ordeal of waiting for news in the judgement for Luke handling of the Wailing Wall incident in Jerusalem, reached Harry Luke at a troublesome time. Luke’s father had been ill since the year 1926 and would pass away two weeks after his loving son Harry would find relief in finally being awarded a position deserving of his many achievements. Congratulations rained in from everywhere and many combined the congratulations with speaking their mind and offer support regarding Luke’s Palestine-troubles. While some of the congratulations are strictly formal, several are outspoken about how deserving this promotion is: “….it is a definite vindication in advance – Bless you it is perfectly splendid & I gather that your talent for settling religious difficulties will not be wasted there !”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London and other Places, June, 1930. Octavo. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

Congratulatory Letters and Telegrams, which reached Luke mainly at the St.James’ Club in London, are:

1. Letter from Anton Bertram [Sir Anton Bertram – English Barrister and the 22nd Chief Justice of Ceylon (1918 – 1925)]
on Stationery of “The Precincts, Canterbury” – 14th of June, 1930:

″My dear Luke, my hearty congratulations. You will no doubt be glad of a change to another sphere and you can take it with a good conscience after so complete vindication. I have no doubt that you and Father Pascal Robertson together will work out a solution of the problem you have been sent to tackle. I have wanted to …send you a copy of my book on the Colonial Service. I had a letter from Bestwick yesterday saying many pleasant things about the book but not speaking very confidently about our future. My…good wishes and hearty congratulations to you and yours – Sincerely yours – Anton Bertram″

2. Letter from Lucy Storrs (wife of Sir Ronald Storrs) – July 11th, 1930:

″My dear Harry, we missed you at the dinner last night and I wanted an opportunity of congratulating you on your new appointment. I hear you were feasting with your Maltese friends an I hope you laid some sound foundations. What a busy life you lead….We had 5 budding politicians at the dinner, Archie Sinclair, Arthur Duckworth & Archie Ramsay who is going to stand for West Lothian…..″


3. Letter from Edith: – June 13th, 1930:

″My dear Harry, I must send you a line of congratulations on your appointment to Malta – A beautiful and interesting spot – I have followed your “affair” with the deepest interest – what a time you have had ! Well, you came out of it so splendidly that it must have added to your laurels !

4. Letter from Amelia – June, 16th, 1930:

”….it is a definite vindication in advance – Bless you it is perfectly splendid & I gather that your talent for settling religious difficulties will not be wasted there !”.

5. Unknown sender congratulating Luke: “please accept all our heartiest congratulations on your appointment in Malta. It must be a great satisfaction to you after your terrible ordeal of the Palestine Commission you have now got this important post….″

6. / 7. Two letters which Sir Harry Luke kept together with the other congratulatory letters on his Malta – Appointment
are letters addressed by London Stockbrokers Laurence Alfred Baker & Reginald Arthur Baker.

The Bakers sent one to Harry Luke’s father J.H.Luke (one on June 19th, 1930 in order to congratulate him on “the high position to which your son has been appointed” and one sent to Luke’s sister, Lily Boys, on July 2nd, 1930, in which they condole the family on the loss of J.H.Luke.

8. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Harold F. Andersen – 4th July, 1930:

The four page letter on two bifolds comes from Harold Anderson, a schoolfirend of Luke with whom he visted Farnborough School and Andersen combines the condolences for the death of Luke’s father with reminiscing about schooldays and congratulations regarding Malta: “My thoughts go back to a day very long ago when you and I were both at Farnborough & your Father went with the School on some Expedition, I believe to Farnham Castle. He was full of life & his jokes & laughter made a delightful impression on his small audience….As Lieutenant Governor of Malta you will be faced with great difficulties, but you will have great opportunities & while wishing you success, I feel sure that you will be successful″

9. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Daisy [Datchet House, Windsor) – 16th June, 1930:

Daisy seems to work for Luke in Palestine and congratulates him for the new post in Malta but reports how everyone is unhappy about Luke leaving them all behind in Palestine: “Very many congratulations on your new appointment….I do hope you are pleased with it….For us who are left in Palestine the loss is great and Archer and I will miss you very much indeed…….Cannot you find a job for Archer in Malta as well. We both pine to leave Palestine !! Jennings [?] shares the family sorrow at your departure & is miserable at the thought of not seeing “My Michael” again….”.

10. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Bertram Christian – 30th June, 1930:

″Dear Mr.Luke, After our last conversation I must send you a line of congratulation on your promotion to Malta – its presently troubled waters are, I imagine, peace compared to those of Palestine; & it much nearer home. I should think, too, that when the Ecclesiastical fires have died down, it would leave you a lot more time for literary work…..″

11. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Irene Preedy [wife of Kenelm Preedy, Kenelm Preedy, counsel for the Palestine Administration at the Inquiry Commission] – 15th June, 1930:

″Dear Mr.Luke, Kenelm [Preedy] has been terribly busy & has just left for Monmouth – I told him I wanted to write to you + he asked me to tell you he will write to you himself when he gets back later in the week. Sir Henry [Henry Bucknall Betterton, 1st Baron Rushcliffe, GBE, PC (15 August 1872 – 18 November 1949), known as Sir Henry Betterton] & Lady Betterton were dining with us here last week + a small bird had whispered rumors to her about you but she would not tell me much. Have you seen Mr.Drayton [Sir Robert Harry Drayton CMG (14 April 1892 – 20 February 1963)] sice he came back ?….. When do you go to Malta ?…….Kenelm & me wishing you all you wish yourself in the new world you are setting out to conquer – Your sincerely – Irene Preedy″

12. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Robert H Drayton [Sir Robert Harry Drayton CMG (14 April 1892 – 20 February 1963), was a lawyer and a senior colonial civil servant who worked in Palestine, Tanganyika, Ceylon, Jamaica and Pakistan] – 17th June, 1930:

″My dear Luke, Heartiest congratulations from us both on your appointment, which seems to promise you an interesting time & hope for the future.It must be a great relief to you to realize that you are leaving as unsatisfactory a territory as Palestine & going to a place which has a real problem and, at the same time, is an interesting spot with pl;enty of distractions. E.G. there must be a squash racket court in the Island, I am sure. I suppose that you will have to take up your new duties as soon as the Colonial Conference is over….″

13. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from “Tootie” – June 13th, 1930 – with congratulations regarding Malta

14. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from “L. Stamford [?] – Examination Schools, Oxford” – June 23rd, 1930 – with congratulations regarding Malta:

″My dear Luke, The rush of End of Term has prevented me from writing at once to congratulate you on your appointment to Malta. It will be a ticklish job…but also one which you will probably enjoy. I look forward to your playing the part of Prospero rallying the tempest….″

15. Telegram to Luke on 15th of June, 1930 from Nigeria (Lagos) by Rupert [?]:

″Am Delighted to hear your news Malta – Very Many Congratulations – Rupert″

16. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Elliott Benham [?] in Sierra Leone, on Colonial Stationery – 12th of June, 1930:

″Hill Station, Sierra Leone”: “Dear Mr.Luke – Ma I be allowed to offer you my congratulations on your promotion to the Lieutennant-Governorship of Malta. The News of which has just reached here…..Things are jogging along here much the same, only with a more than ever restricted financial outlook″

17. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Harold C. Hilduck [?] on 24th of June, 1930:

″My dear Luke, It was only yesterday hat I wrote to you to Malta offering you our congratulations on your new appointment….I was so pleased to find your efforts in Palestine have been rewarded.

18. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from C.A.Cunningham [?] on 13th of June, 1930:

″My dear Luke, your characteristically thoughtful note duly reached me. I hasten to offer my congratulations to you on your promotion to Malta. They certainly pick you out for nuts to crack, & I don’t know if you really wouldn’t prefer to have stayed on & completed the Palestine operation first. There may be the feeling in certain quarters there that they have got rid of you, though the big step in promotion, the peculiarly difficult nature of the new post & the comments of the press, all go to show that your conduct of affairs in Palestine was fully justified. A number of your friends who have watched your career & who kept their faith in you when all sorts of attacks were being made against your handling of a difficult matter are greatly rejoiced in feeling that you have come out on top. I look forward with equal confidence to the successful issue of your new task, & thereafter – in smoother waters – to the continued success you deserve. Best wishes & good fortune – Yours sincerley – C.A.Cunningham [?]″

19. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Helen Russell (Lyceum Club) on 9th of June, 1930:

″Dear Mr.Luke, to my regret I have twice missed meeting you; today when the Westalls held out hopes & last Monday at the reception at Lancaster House. …I had been with Kenya Friends to the RG.S. dinner& we were very late. But I hope that if you have not already received an invitation to the “Cyprus” dinner here on 14th July that you will do me the pleasure of coming as my guest…..to meet Sir Ronald & Lady Storrs.
Last but not least, my warm congratulations on the Malta appointment, which no doubt you will like on account of your boys to be near Home. I saw your Likeness – not too bad – in the Daily Mail & immediately write to your wife in Jerusalem…….Yours very sincereley Helen Russell″

20. Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from



The governor of Malta (Maltese: Gvernatur ta’ Malta) was an official who ruled Malta during the British colonial period between 1813 and 1964. This office replaced that of the civil commissioner. Upon the end of British rule and the creation of the State of Malta in 1964, this office was replaced by the governor-general, who represented the British monarch and not the government of the United Kingdom as did the governor. The office of Governor-General was itself abolished in 1974 and replaced by the post of president when Malta became a republic.

The governor, appointed by the British monarch (on the advice of the prime minister), maintained executive power in Malta throughout British rule. He was head of the executive council and the pre-independence government of Malta.

The governor was the most powerful official in Malta.

The governor was initially supported by a lieutenant-governor. For example, from ca. 1813 to ca. 1820, Major-General Sir William Hutchinson served as lieutenant governor. After the death of the Marquess of Hastings in 1826, the British government decided to downgrade the post of Governor to Lieutenant-Governor, with a reduced allowance. Sir Frederick Ponsonby was formally designated Lieutenant-Governor and Commander of the Malta Garrison. (Wikipedia)

• Keywords: British Colonial Administration · British Colonial History · British Foreign Office · British Foreign Policy · Harry Luke – Malta (1930 – 1938) · Lieutenant Governor of Malta · Lieutenant Governor of Malta (1930-1938) · Malta · Malta Content (Manuscript Annotations) · Malta Content / Sir Harry Luke Collection · Manuscript / Autograph – Rare · Manuscript Letter Rare · Manuscript Letter Signed · Sir Harry Luke · Sir Harry Luke – Personal Archive of Books and Correspondence · Sir Harry Luke Collection
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 31789AB

EUR 128.000,-- 

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