Harry Charles Luke
Encyclopedia
Sir Harry Charles Luke KCMG
, GCStJ, D.Litt. of Oxford
(1938) and honorary
LLD
of Malta
, (London
1884 - Cyprus
1969) was an official in the British
Colonial Office
. He served in Barbados
, Cyprus, Transcaucasia, Sierra Leone
, Palestine, Malta, the British Western Pacific Territories
and Fiji
. He is the author of some books on several of these countries.
, but later acquired American citizenship
; his mother was a Polish
Catholic
of the minor nobility
.
He was born in London in 1884 and educated at Eton College
and at Trinity College
, Oxford
, of which he became an Honorary Fellow in 1952.
Luke's first official appointment was as Private Secretary
(1908) and Aide-de-Camp
in Barbados, except for a period during May-July when he was attached to the Colonial Office
. He served as Private Secretary to the High Commissioner of Cyprus (1911 -1912) and as Commissioner
of Famagusta (1918-1920).
From 1909 to 1911 he was also second lieutenant
in the London Yeomanry
.
During World War I
, he served as Commander
of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on the Syrian Coast
, and as a Political Officer on the staff of Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss; for his services he was awarded the Italian medal for military valour.
In 1919 he was appointed Political Officer to the Admiral of the Fleet
, Sir John de Robeck
.
In 1920 he spent six months (from April to September) as British Chief Commissioner
in Transcaucasia (Georgia
, Armenia
, and Azerbaijan
).
In 1921, he was Assistant Governor of Jerusalem and was appointed a member of the Haycraft Commission, which was established by Sir Herbert Samuel
to investigate the cause of the riot which started in Jaffa
on May 1 that year, and into the affairs of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
From 1924 to 1928 he held the post of Colonial Secretary
of Sierra Leone.
He was subsequently appointed to be the acting High Commissioner to the Government of Palestine. He assumed this position on 19 July 1928 and held it until 6 December 1928.
In August 1929, acting as deputy to Sir John Robert Chancellor
, he attempted to mediate an agreement between Jewish
and Arab leaders, without success.
Later he was Lieutenant Governor of Malta (1930-1938) and Governor
of Fiji and High Commissioner of the British Western Pacific Territories from 16 September 1938 to 21 July 1942.
On his retirement from the Colonial Service, in 1943, he was for three years Chief Representative of the British Council
in the Caribbean
.
He died in Cyprus, who he was often wintering, on May 11, 1969.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, GCStJ, D.Litt. of Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
(1938) and honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
LLD
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
, (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
1884 - Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
1969) was an official in the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
. He served in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, Cyprus, Transcaucasia, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, Palestine, Malta, the British Western Pacific Territories
British Western Pacific Territories
The British Western Pacific Territories was the name of a colonial entity, created in 1877, for the administration, under a single representative of the British Crown, styled High Commissioner, of a series of relatively minor Pacific islands in and around Oceania...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. He is the author of some books on several of these countries.
Biography
His father was an Austro-HungarianAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, but later acquired American citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
; his mother was a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
of the minor nobility
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
.
He was born in London in 1884 and educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and at Trinity College
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, of which he became an Honorary Fellow in 1952.
Luke's first official appointment was as Private Secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
(1908) and Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
in Barbados, except for a period during May-July when he was attached to the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
. He served as Private Secretary to the High Commissioner of Cyprus (1911 -1912) and as Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of Famagusta (1918-1920).
From 1909 to 1911 he was also second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the London Yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served as Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on the Syrian Coast
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and as a Political Officer on the staff of Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss; for his services he was awarded the Italian medal for military valour.
In 1919 he was appointed Political Officer to the Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
, Sir John de Robeck
John de Robeck
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Michael de Robeck, 1st Baronet GCB, GCMG, GCVO was an admiral in the British Royal Navy who commanded the Allied naval force in the Dardanelles during World War I....
.
In 1920 he spent six months (from April to September) as British Chief Commissioner
Chief Commissioner
A Chief Commissioner is a commissioner of a high rank, usually in chief of several Commissioners or similarly styled officers.-Colonial:In British India the gubernatorial style was Chief Commissioner in various provinces , the style being applied especially where an elected assembly did not exist,...
in Transcaucasia (Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
).
In 1921, he was Assistant Governor of Jerusalem and was appointed a member of the Haycraft Commission, which was established by Sir Herbert Samuel
Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel
Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel GCB OM GBE PC was a British politician and diplomat.-Early years:...
to investigate the cause of the riot which started in Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
on May 1 that year, and into the affairs of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
From 1924 to 1928 he held the post of Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary
Colonial Secretary may refer to:* Secretary of State for the Colonies, British Cabinet minister who headed the Colonial Office, commonly referred to as Colonial Secretary...
of Sierra Leone.
He was subsequently appointed to be the acting High Commissioner to the Government of Palestine. He assumed this position on 19 July 1928 and held it until 6 December 1928.
In August 1929, acting as deputy to Sir John Robert Chancellor
John Chancellor (British administrator)
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Robert Chancellor, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO was a British soldier and colonial official.After a career in the British Army's Corps of Royal Engineers, which included service on the North West Frontier and being Secretary of the Colonial Defence Committee, he became a...
, he attempted to mediate an agreement between Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Arab leaders, without success.
Later he was Lieutenant Governor of Malta (1930-1938) and Governor
Governor of Fiji
Fiji was a British Crown Colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987. During this period, the Head of State was the British Monarch, but in practice his or her functions were normally exercised locally by the Governor prior to independence ,...
of Fiji and High Commissioner of the British Western Pacific Territories from 16 September 1938 to 21 July 1942.
On his retirement from the Colonial Service, in 1943, he was for three years Chief Representative of the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
He died in Cyprus, who he was often wintering, on May 11, 1969.
Honours
- CMG (1926), Knight (1933), Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(1939)
Luke's published Works
- The Fringe of the East. Journey through Past and Present Provinces of TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, (Macmillan & Co), 1913 (First published under the name Harry Charles Lukach) - The City of the Dancing Dervishes, 1914
- Cypriote Shrines, (Faith Press), 1920
- The Handbook of Cyprus (London), 1920 (together with D.J. Jardine)
- Cyprus under the Turks 1571-1878, (Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
), 1921 - Report of the commission appointed by the government of Palestine to inquire into the affairs of the orthodox partiarchate of Jerusalem, 1921 (together with Anton Bertram)
- The handbook of Palestine, 1922 (together with Edward Keith Roach)
- Anatolica, (London), 1924
- Mosul and its minorities, 1925
- Prophets, Priests and Patriarchs: sketches of the sects of Palestine and Syria, 1927
- In the Margin of History, 1933
- An Eastern Checkerboard, 1934
- More Moves on an Eastern Checkerboard, 1935
- The Making of Modern Turkey, (Macmillan & Co), 1936
- The British pacific islands, 1944
- From a South Seas Diary, 1938-1942, 1945
- "Aden", in: The British Empire, by Hector Bolitho, 1948.
- Malta, an account and an appreciation, 1949
- Caribbean Circuit, 1950
- Aegean, Cyprus, Turkey, Transcaucasia and Palestine (1914-1924), 1953
- Cities and Men: an autobiography - Vols. 1 & 2, 1953
- Queen Salote and her Kingdom, 1954
- The Tenth Muse, Cookery Book, 1954
- The Old Turkey and the New: from Byzantium to Ankara, 1955 (First published in 1936 under the title The Making of Modern Turkey)
- Cities and Men: an autobiography, Vol. 3, 1956
- Cyprus: a Portrait and an Appreciation, (Harrap), 1957
See also
- List of Governors of Fiji
- British Mandate of Palestine#British High Commissioners for Palestine
