121. [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.

122. [Palestine Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] Roberts-Wray, Sir Kenneth [Order of St Michael and St George].

Six – Page (!) Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) by Sir Kenneth Roberts-Wray to Sir Harry Luke. Stunning manuscript letter in which Roberts-Wray discloses information from the inner workings of the “Palestine Commission”, which investigated Sir Harry Luke and the Wailing Wall – Incident. Roberts-Wray would go on to become an important Legal Adviser for the Crown and the Colonial Office and his star rose steady and led to him writing “Commonwealth and Colonial Law”, the most important work on understanding the british understanding of legal procedure and Colonial Power today.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. German Colony, Jerusalem, , 12th of January, 1930. Small Quarto. 6 pages on 3 sheets with original envelope. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

123. [Cyprus Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry] / Lieut.-Colonel A. C. Tompkins.

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) from Lieut.-Colonel A. C. Tompkins who congratulates Luke for his new posting in Malta and refers to the positive outcome for Luke from the Palestine Commission (regarding the Wailing-Wall-Incident from 1928): “My dear Luke, Hearty congratulations on what I read in The Evening Standard this evening. I heartily hope you will indeed get the reward & promotion you deserve. You must have had a interesting time, then & since, but you have come out as I knew you would “on top” …” Tompkins then goes on to talk again about his case of destitution at the end of his colonial career (see also Harry Luke item 31711AB): “I only wish in my small way, that I could get some justice + compensation either “in kind”, or in employment after 6 long years of struggling + patience but with the desperate sharks now, my patience is exhausted + I shall let go ‘la dernière Cartouche’ + if I can get a paper to accept it will expose the whole persecution + unsults I had to submit to under the “Stevenson-Fenn [John Cyril Douglas Fenn]” + “Clique’s” regime in Cyprus…..[….] – Yours sincerely, A.C.Tompkins”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Thursday, 12/VI/1930. Octavo. 3 pages on Octavo Bifold. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal library.

124. [Ecclesiastical Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] / [Lieutenant Governor of Malta (1930 – 1938)] / Counsell, H.E.

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) from H.E.Counsell – 13th June, 1930: “My dear Luke, Many congratulations I am sure it is going to be another feather in your cap. You are going to have a job though – so forgive even a few baby suggestions !1. see Ld. Plumer [Field Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer] if possible he will tell you all about ..[Stuck ?] / 2. Stuck’s great pride if the great Phoenician race from whom he traces his ascent [?] / 3. The Arch….-Bishop is a stern ecclesiastic with a soft heart. On Father Platoris death whom he had ony known a month he was “broken hearted” / 4. Pull all the strings you can at the Vatican – All good wishs and best of luck – Yours Ever – H.E.Counsell / 5. Count Mattei – or at least his wife – who was Judge D[?] daughter might be of service/help – They will probably be on the church side but I should say the Court not too much so.”

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Oxford, June, 1930. Small Octavo. 1 leaf / two pages. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

125. [Ecclesiastical Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] / [Lieutenant Governor of Malta (1930 – 1938)] / [Mac Innes, Bishop] / Bickersteth, Rev. E.M.

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Reverend E.M.Bickersteth, secretary to Bishop Mac Innes, on stationery of “Jerusalem and the East Mission”: “Dear Mr.Luke, May I be allowed to offer you my congratulations on your appointment to Malta – Everyone connected with Palestine will be very sorry that you have to leave. But Malta certainly needs all the tact, ….+ judgement which you can so clearly bring to your new & very responsible task – so we of Palestine must act grudge you to it. ….Bishop Mac Innes has been successful in getting you the ticket for St.Paul’s, at the reopening service – I have the ticket here –…will you tell me where to send it….”

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, June, 1930. Quarto. 1 leaf / two pages. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

126. [Palestine Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] Wilson, Sir Arnold Talbot.

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) addressed to Harry Luke at “The Athenaeum” to congratulate him on becoming the next Lieutenant-Governor of Malta. Wilson uses the occasion to also spread his “Anti-Zionism” by bragging about a lecture he just held in front of the Palestine Society: “Dear Luke, I want to congratulate you very heartily on your appointment to Malta, to which I may be permitted to add an expression of my personal delight at the report of the Palestine Commission so far as it refers to you. I was confident that you would emerge with credit, & indeed nailed my colours to the mast by lecturing to the [?] Palestine Society in January, in a sense far from [?] to Zionism, & saying that I was confident that the Commission would absolve the principal officials, and that the Zionists had made a great error in making an attack on them. I believe I am the only Anti-Zionist who has ever spoken to them! I can send you if you like a copy of my notes ! It is curious that having had your fill of Jewry you should be posted to Malta where the Vatican will be your principal preoccupation. May God – the God of sound Protestants – speed you ! Yours sincerely A.T.Wilson”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London [Britannic House], 13th of June, 1930. Quarto. 2 pages on one page of Stationery from Wilson’s office at Britannic House. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

127. [Malta Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] / [General Sir John Philip Du Cane].

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) from a friend of Sir Harry Luke, informing Luke about making contact for him with “Johnny du Cane”, clearly because of Luke’s imminet posting as Lieutenant-Governor of Malta, which had been announced the very same day. Du Cane had at this moment been Governor of Malta since 1927: “My dear Harry, I have written to Johnny du Cane for you. He is a real good [?], very intelligent and gloriously indolent – Which a men thinks me in everywhere ! – Ever yours – Archie Weyall [?]”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Petwood / Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, 30th of June, 1930. Octavo. One page letter with envelope. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

128. [Malta Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office / Downing Street.

Typed Letter Signed (TLS) addressed to Harry Luke and signed OGR Williams on “Downing Street Stationery” / “The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office”: “Sir, I am directed by Lord Passfield to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th of July and to inform you that the Crown Agents for the Colonies are being authorised to pay to you subsistence allowance at the rate of 25/– a night in respect of your attendance at the Colonial Office Conference for the period 23rd of June to the 15th of July (inclusive). I am, Sir, your obedient servant, OGRWilliams [?]”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [London] Downing Street, 23rd of July, 1930. A4. One page with envelope “On His Majesty’s Service”. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke. Important letter stating Luke’s attendance at the Colonial Conference in 1930, shortly before he started the Governorship on Malta.

129. [Palestine Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] Bentwich, Norman.

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) addressed to Harry Luke by Norman Bentwich, British-appointed Attorney-General of Mandatory Palestine, who is writing to Luke on the occassion of the passing of Sir Harry Luke’s father: “My dear Harry, I am very sorry to read the announcement of your father’s death. I know how devoted you have been to him & what a grief it will be to you. But it is, I hope, some comfort, that you had been able to have some days with him this year + last. I had your letter…..the Jerusalem ….launched this year after all & under your auspices. [?] is now convinced that he must do something at once about ……I believe that he will try to see you + Pirie-Gordon about it in London. Perhaps the ….has already been launched + if so you all have conjured up ….[?]Norman Bentwich”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Jerusalem, 11th of July, 1930. A4. One page on Stationery of “Government of Palestine – Attorney General’s Office, Jerusalem”. With original envelope, cnacelled stamp from Palestine, addressed to Harry Luke at St.James’s Club. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

130. [Palestine Content / Malta Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Vilmos, William de.

Important Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) on the Palestine and Malta-Postings from Sir Harry Luke’s Great Uncle William de Vilmos. The letter, written in german, was addressed to Luke just after he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Malta in the year 1931. Remarkably, the letter touches on William de Vilmos being happy that in this year 1931 his nephew Harry Luke, has now escaped Palestine “this impossible place, where the bloody disputes will be neverending…” / “…such life-endangering scenes you had to endure [in Palestine] will hardly occur during your posting in Malta” [free translation]”. The letter reads: ‘Budapest, 20. Jaenner 1931 – Mein geliebter Harry. Du hast mir mit Deinem lieben Brief vom 9. dieses eine grosse Stueck Freude bereitet & ich danke Dir dafuer herzlichst. Deine Neujahrswuensche erwidere ich aufs Herzlichste fuer Dich, wie fuer die liebe Joyce, Peter & Michael. Sehr freut es mich, dass der Aufenthalt in Malta, sowohl was Klima als Behausung, Garten etc. betrifft, jeden Einzelnen von Euch sehr conveniert & Euch viel Vergnuegen bereitet. In der schwierigen Weltlage in der wir jetzt leben, gibt es jetzt ueberall Schwierigkeiten die unausweichbar sind, aber jedenfalls bin ich froh und gluecklich, dass Du von Palaestina, diesem unmoeglichen Fleck Erde, wo die blutigen Zwistigkeiten kaum jemals aufhoeren werden, gluecklich und & lebendig weggekommen bist. Solche Szenen, wie Du durchzuleben gezwungen warst, in fortwaehrender Lebensgefahr Dich befindend, wirst Du in Malta nicht ausgesetzt sein. Ich wuensche Deiner Thaetigkeit den allerbesten Erfolg. Deine liebe Mutter habe ich waehrend den Weihnachtsfeiertagen, die ich in Wien verbrachte, mehrmals gesehen, war mit ihrem Aussehen & ihrem Gemuetsstand recht zufrieden. Mir geht es gottlob gesundheitlich sehr gut. Ich kann selbst ueber mein Alter nicht klagen, denn ich habe gottlob trotz meiner 92 Jahre ueber Altersbeschwerden keinerlei Klagen zu erheben. Leb wohl mein lieber guter Harry, ich gruesse & kuesse Dich & die theuere Joyce in aller Liebe – Dein Onkel Vilmos”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Budapest, 20. Jaenner 1931. Octavo. 1 sheet with a three-page letter. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.