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Gives an account of her husband’s last illness, and discusses the arrangements for the memorial service.

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Transcript

9th. October, 1961.

I am truly ashamed that I have not written before—yours was almost the first letter I had. I fear I was in something of a daze after the Cremation on the 15th and realised too late that you had started for Devonshire on the 18th.

We went away the week-end after Pethick last spoke in the House of Lords and that is when his illness commenced. I brought him back early to bed from which he never rose again. He knew almost at once that it was the beginning of the end and asked that I should tell no one—and being holiday period this was possible. After a while he followed you into the Manor House Hospital where Mr. Nicholson did all he could in skill and kindness, but it was soon apparent that the end was just a matter of time.

Now I am beginning to arrange a Memorial Service and I think it should obviously be at St. Margarets—so many of his friends are political. Lord Lucan is kindly helping me with it and will consult with the Whips Office on the Tory side.

Myself, I would like you and Kilmuir to speak. You are, I would think Pethick’s oldest friend and Leader of the Labour Peers too. We both like Kilmuir and he has been very good to me and I know thought a lot of Pethick.

Frank Pakenham suggested on the ’phone that an Opposition Peer would be all wrong.

To me, I would like the Service to be just a gathering of Pethick’s friends, regardless of political colour or special religious alliance.

It seems only one person usually speaks. Of course I am an outsider and unconventional. Then again, perhaps I should ask Lord Attlee an ex-P.M. but recently his enunciation is not so good.

So you see, frankly speaking, I think it is probably best to give up personal ideas and be guided by Lord Lucan. I hope to see him next week—then again there are not many free/suitable dates at St. Margarets—which makes it no easier.

This letter is meant to thank you and your wife most sincerely for your sympathy—but I fear it is all about my own problems.

I do trust you are now quite recovered and ready for the fray next Session.

The Rt. Hon. Viscount Alexander,
Well House Farm,
West Mersea,
Essex.

Transcript

Flat 5, 1 Hyde Park Street, W.2
13/9/61

Dear Lady Pethick Lawrence.…

I feel I must write to you about the loss of your husband, which must have been a great sorrow to you; & to assure you of our real sympathy during this week. To me it came as a great shock, as I had not even heard he was ill. He was probably my very oldest friend, & I had known him for well over 70 years. He was Captain of the Oppidans when I was at Eton & though (being much younger than he) I hardly knew him then, we did meet personally several times, because a) we both frequented the School Library, and b) we were both members of the Literary Society. Our real friendship began during the first decade of this century, as I was a great supporter of women’s suffrage & gave large sums to his collections, & also went to prison in 1914. Since then Emmeline & he were among my very dearest friends; we stayed with them when they lived in Holmwood—they stayed with us in Buckinghamshire—& more recently he frequently dined with us in town, & we used often to lunch at the House of Lords. I shall miss him more than I can say, & this week I have thought of little else. His was a very noble mind, & though he never was as far left as I am, it was always a joy & privilege to discuss real questions with him especially economics, which so few of the Labour Party leaders really understand. I was one of the original governors of the London School of Economics, which I helped Sidney Webb to found—so, as well as the Suffrage, we had all that in common.… I remember we dined together the night before he left for India on his great mission, & he said words that I shall never forget. “You & I have both fought for Freedom all our lives; to-morrow I am going to give Freedom to 400 million people.” Dear, dear Fred—his splendid brain, his modest retiring manner, his absolute integrity, were a combination that I have never met in anyone else. God rest his Soul! … Please forgive my unburdening my feelings to you for once

Yours sincerely & affectionately
Henry D. Harben

I need hardly say Miss Mulock joins me in all our feelings of sympathy & friendship to you.