31. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Storrs, Sir Ronald Henry Amherst.

Typed Letter Signed (TLS) on Stationery of Government House, Cyprus, from Sir Ronald Henry Amherst Storrs to Sir Harry Luke. The one – page letter was written by Storrs in July 1927, during his posting as Governor of Cyprus and reached Sir Harry while he was still Colonial Secretary in Sierra Leone. Storrs writes: “My dear Harry – I can hardly bear to read the first and second pages of your letter….and even now feel a sort of suspense created by its maddeningly tantalizing information. I am consoled on the whole by your refusal of the G.C. from which, in spite of the extra cash, there was no possible increment to your now made reputation and which would, as you feared, have infallibly tended to prolong your exile in W.A. [West Africa]..[…]…Archer [that is Sir Geoffrey Francis Archer] has now put in (more surprisingly to me than actual resignation) for a transfer to the West Indies.”

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Cyprus, July 6th, 1927. Octavo. 1 sheet (1 page). From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

32. [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.

33. [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.

34. [Cyprus Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] / Storrs, Sir Ronald Henry Amherst.

Typed Letter Signed / Monogrammed (TLS with manuscript corrections) from Sir Harry Luke to Sir Ronald Storrs. The two – page letter plus addenda was written by Luke in September 1927, during his posting as Colonial Secretary in Sierra Leone, and reached Storrs during his Governorship in Cyprus. Luke writes about [Mr.] St.Barbe Baker and two pamphlets [by Baker] he sent Storrs of which one is “full of a passionate idealism canalized into the planting of trees in dry countries”. Luke continues: “He is now in the Forestry Service in Nigeria….I imagine he would be the very man for countries such as Ubr and Palestine, which wage a constant and unequal campaign against drought and inadequate rainfall. If you were to think it worth while to place him in touch with yourself, he might conceivably be of value in the direction of organizing voluntary tree-planting in the Regno di Cipro. In the matter of the Handbook [of Cyprus] I enclose on a separate sheet a very few corrigenda and suggestions…..” [The Corrigenda on page three of the letter (Addenda) deals with corrections of Date of publications of e.g.: “Cyprus under the Turks” etc.].

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Sierra Leone], 13th September, 1927. Folio. 3 sheets. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

35. [Malta Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] / 400 Year Anniversary of Great Siege of Malta.

Unidentified Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) regarding Luke’s resignation [possibly from an order or other form of organization regarding Malta]: “Everyone at the meeting on Saturday was really sorry to hear of your resignation and it was immediately unanimously agreed that you should be invited to be the Guest of Honour at the next Dinner. I think this is particularly appropriate this year, when the 400th anniversary of the Great Siege is being celebrated – and who is there who knows more about the History of Malta than you do !”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [London], 29th of April, 1965. A4. Two pages on one sheet with envelope. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

36. [Cyprus Content] – [Luke, Harry / Lukach, Harry].

Vintage wedding photograph of Harry Luke and Joyce Evelyn Fremlin (daughter of Henry James Leigh Fremlin and his wife, Maud Evelyn Deane). The wedding photograph was taken in 1918, at Larnaca, shortly after the wedding – ceremony “in the little Anglican Church of S.Helena” (C&M, II, 44). At the time, Luke was still commissioner of Famagusta (1918-1920).

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Famagusta], 1918. 23 cm x 17 cm. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

37. [Robinson, Sir Joseph B.] Weinthal, Leo [Editor].

Memories, Mines and Millions. Being the Life of Sir Joseph B. Robinson, Bart. Compiled and edited by Leo Weinthal.

London, Simpkin Marshall, 1929. 19 cm x 25 cm. Frontispiece, 247 pages. Five high-quality, tipped-in, vintage monochrome photographs, including frontispiece on 4 plates. Besides the vintage photographs numerous illustrations throughout. Illustrations show for example action on the Pniel Diamond Diggings in 1875, Ferreira’s Camp in Johannesburg, 1886, Pretoria in 1875 / Caricatures of Robinson in “The Moon”, “Pretoria Press” “Truth” etc. Hardcover [publisher’s original red cloth] with gilt lettering on spine and front board. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. Lower corners slightly rubbed. Illegible name of preowner on titlepage. Interior is bright and clean. Pencilled underlining to page 35.

38. [Cyprus / Famagusta / Mudros Content] – [Wemyss, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rosslyn / Governor of Moudros] – Lukach, Harry Charles [later Sir Harry Luke] / [Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Rosslyn Erskine Wemyss / Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Michael de Robeck].

[Collection of five items of Signed Portrait of Sir Rosslyn Wemyss and Excellent Manuscript-Letter – Exchange with Harry Lukach, later Sir Harry Luke] The collection includes: 1. Original SIGNED Portrait of Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, while Rear Admiral, Senior Officer and Governor of Moudros / Mudros / 2. Together with autographed and signed manuscript-letter by Sir Rosslyn to his friend and subordinate, Harry Lukach [later Sir Harry Luke], who obviously had sent him congratulations when Wemyss was appointed as Admiral Sir Jellicoe’s replacement in December 1917 as First Sea Lord: “My dear Lukach – it was nice of you to send me your telegram but you will realize that I haven’t looked upon my appointment as an object for congratulations, though it is none the less nice that I should receive them from my friends. I had a letter from your father the other day, who told me that he thought it was possible that you decided to get out of your present Job, & that if so I could possibly be [?] for you to do so. If you have any ideas on the subject, do write & let me know, for you may be quite sure that I shall be only too glad to do anything to help you in that direction, for as I have told you before, I think that your powers should be need in some less circumscribed area than where you are at present – All good luck – Believe me – Yours very sincerely (s o) R.E. Wemyss” (dated 5th January, 1918) / 3. Together with Harry Lukach’s answer in a manuscript letter from February 11th, 1918, on Stationery of “Famagusta Club – Cyprus”: “Dear Sir Rosslyn, I am most grateful for your letter of the 5th January, & for your kindness in thinking of me among your many preoccupations. I need scarcely assure you that I am only too anxious to [?] what Service under the Admiralty, if this were possible, as I feel that, although I have recently been given promotion inside Cyprus to the Commissionship of Famagusta, I might perhaps be of more use at present Day in Palestine, the Balkans, or Elsewhere in the Near or Middle East than here. If any Naval Mission in those theatres required someone to do work of a kind for which you thought me fitted, I do not think the CO would think of declining to second me if you were to be good enough to ask for my services, especially as I am known to you personally through having had the privilege of serving on your Staff, Yours very sincerely (so) HCLukach”. / 4. Together with a stunning Typescript-copy of Luke’s application from his post in Famagusta, Cyprus, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on 31 October, 1918, in which Luke lists his many achievements and asks for an administrative or political appointment in Turkey or Persia “if on conclusion of peace any territories in those countries should pass under British administration or control (this typescript is written while Lukach is Commissioner of Famagusta, Cyprus and he mentions the service under Sir Rosslyn Wemyss) – Luke also includes a typescript of C.D. Fenn for the Chief Secretary to Government in the year 1916 in which the Government confirms appreciation of his valuable service in connection with the administration of Mudros. Luke kept all these items together in his collection with the scrapbook-collection of printed Mudros – Orders he received from Wemyss and de Robeck while on Mudros (see below description of item No.5).

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Mudros, Authority, c. 1918. 33,5 cm x 21,5 cm. Size of the Original Photograph Portrait of Sir Rosslyn Wemyss: Image: 14.5 cm wide x 19.5 cm high, signed in ink and mounted on board which measures 17.5 cm wide x 22.7 cm high. / The Volume with official documents counts c. 100 pages. Original Hardcover. The extremely rare photograph of Sir Rosslyn Wemyss in very good condition and beautifully signed and only with some minor signs of wear / The Mudros – Volume of official orders by Wemyss, de Robeck and Lukach with some minor staining to boards, very occasional only some foxing to pages. Otherwise in excellent condition.

39. [Weston, Frank] Smith, H. Maynard.

Frank Bishop of Zanzibar – Life of Frank Weston, D.D., 1871-1924. With Portraits.

London, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1926. 15 cm x 22 cm. Frontispiece, 326 pages. 9 black-and-white photographs. Hardcover [publisher’s original brown cloth] with gilt lettering on spine. Very good+ condition with only minor signs of external wear. Interior very bright and clean with sharp corners. Preowner’s name on front endpaper. Discreet bookseller’s label on front pastedown.

40. Battiscombe, E.

A Descriptive Catalogue of Some of the Common Trees and Woody Plants of Kenya Colony.

London, The Crown Agents for the Colonies, (1926). 18.5 cm x23.5 cm. 142 pages with numerous photographic illustrations and an Index of Vernacular Names. Hardcover [publisher’s original dark green cloth] with gilt lettering on front board. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Interior bright and clean. Binding strong and firm. Front pastedown carries bookplate of the Linnean Society of London – dated February 1922. Tipped into the endpaper is a Pro forma-‘with compliments’ letter to the Linnean Society’s Librarian from The Crown Agents for the Colonies on behalf of the Government of Kenya.