T. E. Lawrence

:"Lawrence of Arabia" redirects here. For the motion picture, see Lawrence of Arabia (film).

Early years

Lawrence was born in Tremadoc, Caernarfonshire, North Wales, of mixed English and Irish ancestry. His father, Thomas Chapman, was a prominent member of the Irish aristocracy who had escaped a tyrannical wife to live with his daughters' governess, with whom he had five sons.

Related Topics:
Tremadoc - Caernarfonshire - Wales - English - Irish

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Lawrence was educated at Jesus College, Oxford, from where he graduated with First Class Honours after submitting a highly-acclaimed thesis entitled The influence of the Crusades on European Military Architecture – to the end of the 12th century.

Related Topics:
Jesus College, Oxford - First Class Honours

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On leaving university he commenced postgraduate research in mediaeval pottery, which he abandoned after he was offered the opportunity to become a practising archaeologist in the Middle East. In December 1910 he sailed for Beirut, and on arrival went to Jbail (Byblos) where he studied Arabic. He then went to work on the excavations at Carchemish near to Jerablus in the northern part of Syria, where he worked under D.G. Hogarth and R. Campbell-Thompson. It was while he was excavating ancient Mesopotamian sites that he met Gertrude Bell, who had an influence on him for much of his time in the Middle East.

Related Topics:
1910 - Beirut - Byblos - Arabic - Carchemish - Jerablus - Syria - D.G. Hogarth - R. Campbell-Thompson - Gertrude Bell

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In the late summer of 1911 he returned to England for a brief sojourn and, by November, he was back en route to Beirut for a second season at Carchemish. Prior to returning to work he worked briefly with William Flinders Petrie at Kafr Ammar in Egypt. At Carchemish he was to work with Leonard Woolley. He continued making trips to the Middle East as a field archaeologist until the outbreak of World War I. His extensive travels through Arabia, his excursions, often on foot, living with the Arabs, wearing their clothes, learning their culture, language and local dialects, were to prove invaluable during the conflict.

Related Topics:
1911 - William Flinders Petrie - Kafr Ammar - Egypt - Leonard Woolley - World War I - Arabia

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In January 1914 Woolley and Lawrence were co-opted by the British military as an archaeological smokescreen for a British military survey of the Sinai peninsula. At this time Lawrence visited Aqaba and Petra. From March to May, Lawrence worked again at Carchemish. Following the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, on advice from S.F. Newcombe, Lawrence did not enlist immediately, but held back until October.

Related Topics:
1914 - Sinai peninsula - Aqaba - Petra - S.F. Newcombe

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