The Man of Letters

Abstract

Literary ambition was a common prerogative of Civil Servants when Lockyer joined the War Office. It was commonly said at the time that all the leading writers of the period were recruited either from the Bar or from the Civil Service. When War Office reform was under consideration in 1865 the main object of the inquiry was said to be, ‘to improve the efficiency of the Establishment and getting the clerks to understand that they are paid for work and not for literary distinetion’.¹ There was an especial reason for increased literary activity in the sixties — the removal of certain restrictions during the 1850s, such as the abolition of newspaper duty, led to a sudden burgeoning of periodical literature and a consequent demand for competent writers. It is therefore not surprising that Lockyer should have tried his hand in this direction very soon after settling at Wimbledon. His literary interests were, however, certainly reinforced by his friendship with Tom Hughes.