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Correspondence from Gerald Yorke to Karl Germer
[Undated: circa mid December 1947]
Dear Germer,
You will be hearing shortly, if you have not already done so from Lady Harris [Frieda Harris] & Louis Wilkinson, but I know you would like an account of A.C.'s death. and cremation service.
Lady Harris and the keeper of a small grocery shop over the way looked after him during his last illness, and he had both day and night nurses at the end. None of his friends, however, were with him at the moment of death—he was unconscious at the time. He cannot have suffered from financial worries as he had over 400 pounds in notes in a cash book. This has been banked by the executors.
I went down with Lady Harris and Wilkinson to help them list, sort, and pack his things. As I expect you know, they and you are his executors and a young author, John Symonds, is the literary executor. Wilkinson in my presence listed all his books, typescripts, MSS., and is sending you a copy. All his literary effects, his ashes, ring, go to the O.T.O. in America. Any money left over after paying debts, which appear to be negligible—will be claimed by the Bankruptcy Receiver as he was still an undischarged bankrupt from 1935, unless you can prove that the money belongs to the Order and was never his. About 100 pounds is owed to the printers for Liber Aleph to be released.
Bailey [James Gilbert Bayley] was the only person from the old days present at the cremation at Brighton. A.C.'s son Aleister [Aleister Ataturk] (aged 9?) was there with his mother [Patricia MacAlpine]. There were some 15 of us with 3 press representatives. In accordance with his wishes Wilkinson recited the Hymn to Pan, most of the Book of the Law, leaving out verses which mention Egyptian names or are Qabalistic, and ending with the Collects from the Gnostic Mass. He read beautifully.
Please do not send me Power of Attorney to act on your behalf. I do not expect you are thinking of doing so, but write this in case you should so think. It would not be honest for me having refused to have official business relations with him since at least 1932 to take them up after his death.
I enclose letters to Jane Wolfe [Jane Wolfe], Smith [Wilfred Talbot Smith], describing the cremation. If they are still alive would you forward them on.
Yours,
Gerald Yorke
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