TE LAWRENCE LETTERS TO HENRY WILLIAMSON

“…the death of Yeates strikes me as a direct loss to myself: queer, for I’d never met him. Thank heaven you got him delivered of that work, while he could. It would have been tragic for him, if he had died and the tale not recorded…I recommend his book to everybody likely, as I meet them, and find a general agreement that it is unsurpassed…”

Lawrence writes to Williamson about his cottage Clouds Hill “…look out my cottage (1 mile north of Bovington Camp, 3½ miles north north west of Wool) and imagine yourself coming to see me. A twin pleasure for at Clouds Hill there is literally nowt else!”

With the original envelope in Lawrence’s hand

Victor M. Yeates was an old schoolfriend of Williamson’s who had been an air ace during WWI and wrote a novel, “Winged Victory” which was published by Cape 1934, based on his flying experiences. With Williamson, Lawrence had helped push it to publication.

Provenance: Property from the library of a Dorset Gentleman.

Bibliography: T.E. Lawrence, Correspondence with Henry Williamson, ed. Peter Wilson, p.172; Genius of Friendship, ‘T.E. Lawrence’ by Henry Williamson p.72

After T.E. Lawrence wrote to Henry Williamson from India in January 1928 about his book Tarka the Otter which had been published in 1927, the two men began a correspondence and friendship which lasted until Lawrence’s death. They were both very unusual, sensitive men who Williamson himself described as having twin psyches. Their letters were frank, honest and very illuminating and most of their friendship was conducted through their correspondence (they only met twice and very briefly). We have nine of these important letters from T.E. Lawrence to Williamson which date between August 1928 and December 1934, thus documenting most of their relationship. Lawrence died on 19th May 1935.