Pembroke College : Ronald Storrs Photographs

Pembroke College

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Sir Ronald Storrs was born at Bury St Edmunds on 19th November 1881, educated at Charterhouse and Pembroke College, Cambridge. He graduated with a first class degree in Classics in 1903 and the following year he entered the Egyptian Civil Service. In 1909 he was appointed oriental secretary at the British Agency in Cairo where he was in his element mixing with people from all walks of life.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>In 1917 he was appointed as military governor in Jerusalem. T.E. Lawrence describes him there as “the urbane and artful Governor of the place” but it was not an easy time. He promoted musical societies and art exhibitions and set up the Pro-Jerusalem society to guard the city’s beauties and bring together the leaders of Jerusalem’s divided communities. Storrs was knighted in 1924, a knight justice of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>In 1926 Storrs went as governor to Cyprus, where he enjoyed considerable popularity for a while, but Enosis extremists, who wanted a closer union with Greece, caused an uprising. Troops from Malta and Egypt restored order but Storrs’ collection of books and works of art were destroyed.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>At the end of 1932 Storrs was appointed governor of Northern Rhodesia but ill health forced him to retire in 1934. After this he lectured on Dante, Shakespeare, the Bible and T.E. Lawrence and represented East Islington on the London County Council as well as giving his services to many other bodies. He died on 1st November 1955.</p>