71. [Ecclesiastical Content] – Luke, Harry Charles / Bertram, Sir Anton.

Report Of The Commission. Appointed By The Government Of Palestine To Inquire Into The Affairs Of The Orthodox Patriarchate Of Jerusalem.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London / Edinburgh / Glasgow, etc. Oxford University Press, 1921. 22,5 cm x 15 cm. VI, 336 pages. Original Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Frayed, bent corners, slight tear and cocking to spine. Otherwise in fair condition. Pages 316 to 336 have some damage, a few words are not readable as a result.

72. [Palestine Content] – Luke, Harry Charles / Keith-Roach, Edward.

The Handbook of Palestine. Edited by Harry Charles Luke and Edward Keith-Roach. With an Introduction By The Right Hon. Sir Herbert Samuel. Issued under the Authority of the Government of Palestine.

First Edition. [This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Macmillan And Co., Ltd., 1922. 19 cm x 13 cm. Frontispiece, XII, 295 pages, (14) pages. With the stunning “Railway Map of Palestine & Transjordania” (64 cm wide x 54 cm high) folded in the pocket to the rear pastedown (stapled to the Map a corrigenda regarding “Kefr Jinnis”). Original Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Fading to boards and spine. Otherwise in good condition.

73. [Ecclesiastical Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry Charles] / Bell, George Kennedy Allen (Bishop of Chichester, later Dean of Canterbury) / Mar Ignatius Elias III (Patriarch of Antioch and Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church) / Davidson, Randall T. (Archbishop of Canterbury / Douglas, John Albert (Dean of St.Luke’s) / R.F.Borough (Chaplain in Constantinople).

Collection of significant Documents and exchange of letters regarding “Intercommunion between the Anglican Church and Orthodox Syrian Church”. The documents and letters show a string of stunning developments during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, between Mar Ignatius and the Archbishop of Canterbury in which the tensions between Churches, the charged atmosphere of the outgoing Ottoman Empire and fragility of the Patriarchate in Jerusalem are manifested in these communications. Striking also the clarity with which is determined that all parties have to avoid to anger the Turks and avoid having the Turks think that Mar Ignatius “is trying to form some political alliance with the British”. See all documents listed below and some highlights mentioned here: Typed Letter Signed (TLS) with manuscript annotations by the later Dean of Canterbury, George Bell, sent to Commander H[arry] Luke while Luke was in Venice during October 2022. The letter is accompanied by two Typescripts of letters between the Archbishop of Canterbury (then Randall Davidson) and Mar Ignatius as well as a highly confidential Memorandum which outlines the very delicate topic of Mar Ignatius asking the Archbishop if he would be “prepared to authorise and arrange that the Syrian Orthodox (Jacobites) in America and elsewhere who were outside the ministrations of their own clergy should be [could be] mininistered to by Anglican Priests”. According to the Memorandum, compiled and sent by Rev. John Albert Douglas, Vicar of S. Luke’s, to “Commander Luke” in October 1922, the highly conflicting topic of “Intercommunion between the Anglican Church and Orthodox Syrian Church”, started “in the autumn of 1920” and the correspondence before us presents the culmination of a two year long, significant correspondence between Lambeth Palace (Archbishop of Canterbury) and the Syrian Patriarchat in Antioch (Mar Ignatios – Elias III). Harry Luke was sought out as intermediate after it became clear that Mar Ignatius had either misunderstood items in the communication or was stalling and the Memorandum suggests that Luke, “possibly with Archdeacon Waddy” should call to Mar Ignatios and “remind him what it was and why it was that the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote to him”. The mediation, hoped for from Luke, was at time clearly based on Luke’s experience in the region and the letter from George Bell suggests he is hought to be the solution to this delicate matter. The Typescript of the Letter from Randall Davidson to Mar Ignatius is of great importance due to the Archbishop and Mar Ignatius firstly establish in no uncertain terms the righteousness of either faith. Randall Davidson, satisfied by this, agrees that “It is now my privilege in consequence of these communications to authorise these recognised members of the Orthodox Syrian Church who, being prevented from access to their own clergy, desire to receive the Holy Communion, or to have their children being baptised, or their marriage solemnized, to avail themselves of the ministration of our clergy”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Canterbury / Jerusalem / Camberwell [South London], June – November, 1922. Octavo / Quarto. Eight Documents [Letters and Typescripts]. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

74. [Ecclesiastical Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] / Archbishop of Canterbury, Randall T. Davidson / Davidson, Randall Thomas (1st Baron Davidson of Lambeth, GCVO, PC).

Typed Letter Signed (TLS) from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Randall T. Davidson, to Harry Luke, then Assistant Governor of Jerusalem: ‘Dear Mr.Luke, I thank you very cordially for your ‘Handbook of Palestine’. I am sure that such a book has for some time been wanted – a book a little different from the mere guide-book. You have now met the need, so far as I can judge, most effectively. I am yours very truly Randall T. Canterbury.’

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Canterbury, Lambeth Palace, 20th of October, 1922. Octavo. One page with original envelope. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

75. [Malta Content] – [Luke, Harry] Belloc, Hilaire / Clayton, Philip Thomas Byard [″Tubby”] / Scrivenor, Sir Thomas / Patrick Terence William Span Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket / [Blackwood, Lord Basil].

The Modern Traveller. By Hilaire Belloc with pictures by B.T.B. (that is Lord Basil Temple Blackwood). Inscribed and signed by Philip Thomas Byard Clayton: “To Sir Harry Luke, Lieut. Governor of Malta & Chairman of Toc H with Gratitude from Tubby” [″Tubby” was Philip Thomas Byard Clayton, the founder of “Toc H”). With two manuscript letters to Sir Harry Luke loosely inserted. LETTER No.I: The first letter is from Patrick Plunket (Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II and Deputy Master of the Household of the Royal Household (1954-1975)). On his personal stationery (Mount Offham, West Malling (Kent)) Patrick Plunket thanks Luke for making him aware of the book (″The Modern Traveller”) by Hilaire Belloc to which Plunket’s uncle Basil (Lord Basil Blackwood) has contributed the illustrations. Plunket writes on August 1st, 1966: “Dear Sir Harry, i am writing to say how grateful I am to you for telling me about the Modern Traveller. I have it now in front of me. Uncle Basil’s drawings are superb and depict our black brothers as I am sure they would not wish to be shown today. But especially the travellers are equally ludicrous ! In fact the whole book is a delight and will be specially treasured. It makes one even sadder that my uncle insisted on joining up when we was over-age. Yours very sincerely – Patrick Plunket”. [Blackwood was killed in action in a night raid at Boesinghe near Ypres on 4 July 1917] / LETTER No. II: The second letter included in the book is from fellow colonial administrator, Sir Thomas Scrivenor to Luke in which Scrivenor alerts Luke of the fact that he enclosed an “Unpublished Ballade” by Hilaire Belloc (Typescript). He continues to talk about a piece of poetry Scrivenor wrote in reference to the Corona Club and in anticipation of a Dinner when Duncan Sandy was Secretary of State for the Colonies. The This Typescript is also included.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Edward Arnold, 1923. Octavo. 80 pages with illustrations. Illustrated Hardcover. Stronger signs of external wear to the book. The manuscript letters and poems in excellent condition. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

76. [Cyprus Content] – Luke, Harry Charles.

Anatolica. [With a typed letter loosely inserted, signed by Paul Xioutas from Nicosia, Cyprus: “Dear Sir Harry, I am getting Larry Durrel [sic] [that is Lawrence Durrell] to help me write you a brief line to acknowledge your great kindness in sending me your books. It was a great pleasure as it brought to mind our pilgrimage round Cyprus and the many friendly arguments we had about everything from Art to Enosis. I do hope you come again. May I add that I found the passages on Cyprus in Anatolica admirable and moving. They could not have been bettered [sic]. ….”].

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1924. 22,5 cm x 15 cm. XII, 210 pages, 43 illustrations. Original Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Bumping to corners and spine. Otherwise in good condition.

77. [Turkey Content] – Luke, Harry Charles.

Anatolica.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1924. 22,5 cm x 15 cm. XII, 210 pages, 43 illustrations. Original Hardcover with original dustjacket in protective Mylar. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Some chipping to dustjacket. Otherwise in very good condition.

78. [Transcaucasia Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry].

Manuscript “Notes for Lecture on Transcaucasia” on embossed Stationery of “Governorate Jerusalem”, clearly written during his appointment as Assistant governor of Jerusalem under Sir Ronald Storrs between the years 1920 – 1924. The wonderfully detailed preparation-manuscript cites many details from Luke’s mission to Transcaucasia as “British Chief Commissioner in the disturbed countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan; Luke later remembered the Armenian capital, Erivan, as ‘the saddest town’ he ever saw” (see Luke, Cities and Men, Volume 2, page 170).

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Jerusalem], c.1924. Quarto. 7 pages. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

79. [Ecclesiastical Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Bell, George Kennedy Allen.

Typed Letter Signed (TLS) on Lambeth Palace stationery from Bishop George Kennedy Allen Bell to Sir Harry Luke: ‘My dear Luke – very many thanks for your letter and kind congratulations. I am sending this in duplicate to Jerusalem and to the St. James’ Club. I should greatly like to see you when you are in London if this is possible. I do not disguise the sorrow with which I hear of your impending departure from Jerusalem. The loss of yourself following so soon after Deedes’ [Brigadier General Sir Wyndham Henry Deedes] departure must be a great loss to Palestine and in particular to the Patriarchate. I am also very sorry to hear that Barron [J.B.Barron of the Palestine Land Commision Weights and Measure Commission] is leaving and I wonder what is going to happen to the Commission and all its affairs. I shall be leaving Lambeth on March 31st and spending ten days in the Lakes: then I go down at once to Canterbury where I shall be from April 12th to May 5th. I shall be in London for about a fortnight from May 5th onwards. I would greatly like to see you if you are about at that time. Yours very sincerely, G.K.A. Bell.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Lambeth Palace, 18th March 1924. Octavo. 1 page with original envelope. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

80. [Mesopotamia / Mosul Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry].

Wonderful example of the research trips Harry Luke made for his later publications: Copy of a full page letter Sir Harry wrote from Mosul to his father in 1924: “My dear Father, only a hearty line in the state of great rush to tell you that we safely accomplished the Journey across the desert from Jerusalem to Damascus to Baghdad, though it took us 5 days instead of 2 and a half owing to breakdown and sticking in the mud etc. At one place, half way across the desert, we stuck for 20 hours. We left Jerusalem on the 9th and got to Baghdad on the 14th at noon and had to leave that same evening for Mosul, as the trains only go twice a week. We had 15 hours in the train to the Northern terminus of the Baghdad Railway and then 75 miles by car. We are being put up by the British Political Officer here, in a charming house. Today I have been out all day in neighbouring Jacobite and Chaldean villages and monasteries and this evening visited one of the persons I had especially come here to Kurdistan to see, namely the hereditary Patriarch of the Nestorians, now a boy of 15, who has been Patriarch for 3 years, an attractive shy lad who not officiating as Patriarch plays football with the other Nestorian children. Tomorrow we go out to the Shrine of the Yezidis, or Devil-worshippers, in the company of their hereditary Emir (who I am told is always tight). We leave here on the 20th for Bagdad and then straight back to Jerusalem.”

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Mosul, 1924. Octavo. One and a half page – Typescript Letter. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.