So Winston Churchill wrote in October 1906 while he was serving in his first ministerial post as under-secretary of state for the colonies to his old teacher at Harrow, Charles Mayo.
As Churchill admitted, he regarded maths as a “detestable subject”. However, he needed Mayo’s help to tackle it to pass his Sandhurst exams. Charles Henry Powell Mayo (1859-1929) was Churchill’s mathematics master for his last year at Harrow and in just six months managed to teach him enough to pass.
The letter was written in gratitude for the support: “The memory of those exertions & of your kindness & care, makes your praise & interest especially valuable to me.”
Mayo was among the guests at Churchill’s wedding in 1908.
Estimated at £6000-8000, the message handwritten in black ink on on folded four-sided official Colonial Office letter-headed paper signed “Winston Churchill”, came up for auction at Noonans (24% buyer’s premium) in Mayfair, London, on June 19. It hammered down at £14,000 - with proceeds reportedly going to the Reform UK political party.
