[Education of Sir Harry Luke] – [Lukach, Harry Charles / Sir Harry Luke].

Four beautiful Manuscript Letters Signed / Autographed Letters Signed by Harry Charles Lukach, which he wrote home from Eton College (Windsor), between the years 1898 – 1902. One of the letters on Stationery of Luke’s Tutor, Reverend Lional Ford (later Dean of York), the other three letters on fine Eton Stationery.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London / Kensington, 1910. Octavo. Two pages manusript letter signed (MLS) on folded A4 sheet. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

Letter One (on Lionel Ford’s Eton Stationery, undated but in the year 1900):

″My dear Father, How are you, & how did you find Mother & Lily ? Did you have a decent crossing ? I have never known a summer like this in all my life. Here we are, with the days already getting shorter & with about one week’s fine weather; I am talking about England only, of course. Mrs. Todd took Eric & me to Henley last Thursday. Thank goodness, we had fine weather then. I was awfully annoyed, Eton was fast beaten by half a length in the final for the Ladies’ Plate. We won it seven years wunning before, so this is the first time for eight years that it has not been at Eton” [which means that according to the Henley-Records for the Ladies Challenge Plate, this letter was written in 1900] ….Luke continues: “The cup itself was at Carter’s last year as Nilson was Captain of the Boats. We had Extra Books last week. It is really too silly having them so early. We usually hav them at the End of the half, so I had a most frightful cram, I worked without a stop for two days, all day long & getting up extra early in the morning. We had a debate last night as to whether the Channel Tunnel would be a good thing or not. I said it would not be, as there would be no sufficient protection against a French invasion. Mr. Ford, in his speech, made references to the splendid work of the Central London Regt……..
This China Business is awfully bad, it seems if it is [?] the result would be disastrous. About 400,000,000 people, even though only Chinamen, could do a frightful lot of damage……Last Saturday we had a debate about Corporal Punishment & just for a rage, we asked two masters, quite young men, despised by masters & boys alike & considered hopeless fools, but to our surprise, they spoke extremely well. I am sorry to say young Tyhurst died this morning from bloodpoisoning. There is an epidemic of measles in the school now but it is not very bad. With much love, Your loving son Harry″

Letter Two and Three are all snet from “The Timbralls” on beautiful Eton Stationery embossed with “Floreat Etona” and are equally addressed to Luke’s father and deal with Harry reporting how well he is doing “I am top of my division this fortnight…..we had our House Steeplechase this morning….

Letter Four, also on Eton stationery and sent from “The Timbralls”, is directed to “My darling Mother….I arrived safely on Thursday night after a pleasant few days in London. I slept on the Sofa in Down Street…I have all the underclothing you told me to. What sort of weather are you having in Paris ? Now I must say good night. Please give my love to Everybody – Your loving son, Harry″

• Keywords: British Colonial Administration · British Colonial History · British Foreign Office · British Foreign Policy · Education / Luke · Education of Sir Harry Luke · Eton · Eton – Sir Harry Luke · Harry Luke – Education Chapter · Private – Harry Luke · Sassoon, Sir Philip Albert Gustave David · Sir Harry Luke · Sir Harry Luke – Personal Archive of Books and Correspondence · Sir Harry Luke Collection
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 31725AB

EUR 275.000,--