CHURCHILL, Winston S.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Secretarial letter signed, to Rennell Rodd, providing assistance to the Duchess of Aosta. A letter signed by Churchill as Colonial Secretary arranging assistance for an aristocratic sportswoman in Northern Nigeria. Churchill sometimes dictated letters for his staff to handwrite for him to sign.Churchill served as Colonial Secretary from 14 February 1921 to October 1922. He writes to Rennell Rodd (1858-1941), former British ambassador to Italy and then British delegate to the League of Nations. "I will most certainly do what I can to help the Duchess of Aosta", referring to Hélène of Orléans, Duchess of Aosta (1871-1951). "I think the best man for the purpose would be the Lieut-Governor of Northern Nigeria, Mr. W. F. Gowers": William Frederick Gowers (1875-1954), Lieutenant Governor from June 1921 to May 1925.Churchill notes that Gowers is currently on leave in Britain, and that Churchill is "having a letter sent to him to ask him to put himself in touch with the Duchess, and do all he can to assist". The Duchess was a keen sportswoman. It was reported soon afterwards that she had been on a shooting trip in West Africa, during which the Governor of Nigeria "placed his own special train at her disposal" (Bradford Daily Argus, 4 September 1922) - presumably the assistance that was requested.Provenance: the collection of Steve Forbes, chairman of Forbes Magazine, and presidential candidate in the 1996 and 2000 US elections.

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