Sir Harry Charles Luke (born Harry Charles Lukach; 4 December 1884 – 11 May 1969) was an official in the British Colonial Office. He served in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

Transcaucasia The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

, Mandatory Palestine, Palestine,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, the

British Western Pacific Territories The British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT) was the name of a colonial entity, created in 1877, for the administration, under a single representative of the British Crown, styled High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, of a series of Paci ...

and

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

. He is the author of some books on several of these countries.

Biography

Luke was born in London in 1884. His father, J.H. Luke (né Lukács) was an

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, but later acquired American citizenship; his mother was a Polish

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

of the

minor nobility Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke), ...

. Luke was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

and at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, Oxford, of which he became an

Honorary Fellow Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...

in 1952, and converted to

Anglicanism Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

. Luke's first official appointment was as private secretary in Sierra Leone in 1908. He became aide-de-camp the following year, and briefly acted as Colonial Secretary for a few months. In 1911 he moved to

to become private secretary to the Governor. He subsequently served as private secretary to the High Commissioner of Cyprus (1911–1912) and as

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

Famagusta Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia District, Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. Duri ...

(1918–1920). From 1909 to 1911 he was also a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the London Yeomanry. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Luke served as

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

of the

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

on the Syrian Coast, and as a Political Officer on the staff of Admiral Sir

Rosslyn Wemyss Admiral of the Fleet Rosslyn Erskine Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss, (12 April 1864 – 24 May 1933), known as Sir Rosslyn Wemyss between 1916 and 1919, was a Royal Navy officer. During the First World War he served as commander of the 12th C ...

; for his services he was awarded the Italian medal for military valour. In 1919 Luke was appointed Political Officer to the Admiral of the Fleet, Sir

John de Robeck Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Michael de Robeck, 1st Baronet, (10 June 1862 – 20 January 1928) was an officer in the Royal Navy. In the early years of the 20th century he served as Admiral of Patrols, commanding four flotillas of destroyers. ...

. In 1920 he spent six months (from April to September) as British Chief Commissioner in Transcaucasia ( Georgia,

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

, and

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

). In 1921, he was assistant Governor of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

and was appointed a member of the Haycraft Commission, which was established by

Sir Herbert Samuel Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, (6 November 1870 – 5 February 1963) was a British Liberal politician who was the party leader from 1931 to 1935. He was the first nominally-practising Jew to serve as a Cabinet minister and to beco ...

to investigate the cause of the riot which started in

Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...

on 1 May that year, and into the affairs of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. From 1924 to 1928 Luke held the post of Colonial Secretary of

. He was subsequently appointed to be the acting High Commissioner to the Mandate for Palestine, 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, Luke attempted to mediate an agreement between

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

and

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

leaders, without success. Later he was Lieutenant Governor of Malta (1930–1938) and

Governor of Fiji Fiji was a British Crown colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the 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 loca ...

and High Commissioner of the

from 1938 to 1942. He left Fiji on 20 July 1942. On his retirement from the Colonial Service in 1943, Luke served for three years as chief representative of the British Council in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. He died in Cyprus, where he often spent the winter, on 11 May 1969. A

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

of the

United Grand Lodge of England The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing Masonic lodge for the majority of freemasons in England, Wales and the Commonwealth of Nations. Claiming descent from the Masonic grand lodge formed 24 June 1717 at the Goose & Gridiron T ...

, in 1919–1920 he served as the 28th First Principal of the St. Paul's Royal Arch Chapter N. 2277 E. C. in Cyprus.

Family

In 1918 Luke married Joyce Evelyn Fremlin, the daughter of Henry James Leigh Fremlin and his wife, Maud Evelyn Deane (divorced 1949). They had two sons, Peter Ambrose Cyprian Luke, born in 1919, and Michael Charles Deane Luke, born in 1925.

Honours

* CMG (1926), Knight (1933),

Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

(1939) * GCStJ (1960), Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John

Luke's published works

* ''The Fringe of the East. Journey through Past and Present Provinces of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

'', (

Macmillan & Co Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publi ...

), 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 Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

), 1921 * ''Report of the commission appointed by the government of Palestine to inquire into the affairs of the orthodox patriarchate 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'', (

), 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: A Gourmet's Compendium'', 1954 (a cookery book) * ''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 , -

Notes

References

Sources

External links

*
Papers of Sir Harry Charles Luke at the Bodleian Library, Oxford

Picture of Harry Luke in Palestine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luke, Harry Charles 1884 births 1969 deaths Governors of Fiji British High Commissioners of Palestine Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John British people of Hungarian descent British people of Polish descent Alumni of the University of Oxford High Commissioners for the Western Pacific British expatriates in Malta Civil servants from London Writers from London Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II British people of American descent British expatriates in Cyprus Colonial Secretaries of Sierra Leone Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England

Biography

Family

Honours

Luke's published works

See also

Notes

References

Sources

External links