Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 13 December 1915 Letters 1916-1923 Alfred Gerald Crofton

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 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton (1882-1942) to his aunt, Augusta Caroline Dillon, Lady Clonbrock (1840-1928). In the letter, Crofton informs 'Aunt Tweety' that he will be joining the Canadian army having enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and lists his reasons for doing so. The first is to 'serve my country'. The second relates to a large debt that he has accrued on his ranch and is unable to pay. He hopes that Lady Clonbrock will cover the debt, which he will repay on his return from war, and that his wife will be able to live off the 'separation allowance' that she will receive.Crofton had emigrated to Canada aged fifteen and was a rancher in Ganges, Saltspring Island, British Columbia. Lady Clonbrock was a prominent member of the Irish Women's Association, founded to provide aid and assistance to Irish prisoners of war and the wife of Luke Gerald Dillon, 4th Baron Clonbrock. Lady Clonbrock paid the debt and Crofton survived the war, remaining in Ganges until his death.

 National Library of Ireland Clonbrock Estate Papers, Collection List No. 54, Ms. 35,797 (1) https://letters1916.ie/item/155 English Alfred Gerald Crofton 1915-12-13 Harbour House, Ganges, Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada Augusta Caroline Dillon Ahascragh, County Galway, Ireland Male World War I (1914-1918)

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 Harbour House Ganges Dec 13/1915. My Dearest Aunt Tweety. I am writing to let you know that I am off tomorrow to join the Canadian Army having been sworn in a few days before into the 88th Regiment C.E.F. There are two reasons for my doing so 1st to serve themy country every man being needed & 2nd its a long story but I am going to tell it all to you. I have been unable to keep my head above water & its only with a hard struggle I amhave been able to keep things going at all. I have kept it all to my self as I did not want to worry my mother. There are certain debts I have accrued which I am unable to meet at the present time & I dont want to leave the country for the war with this hanging over my head leaving Nona to have to face it. Norman her brother is going to look after the place for her with half interest but as he has his ranche & wife & children to look after but he cannot resume the re- sponsibility of this debt of $400 = 8£80. I have never written ofor had to ask for help since I came out here 18 yrs. And if you can raise it for me it will be the 1st debt paid on my return from the war as Nona & her brother are going to run a boarding house in Ganges in this house & hope after the 1st year to be able to make it pay. I have nearly settled all my other debts & as we had depended on selling land to help out since the war there has been nothing but very hard times. With my 1/2 pay1/2 my pay & her separation allowance for a wife & six children Nona will be have something for her to live on consistingI will not most likely leave Canada for England till the spring when I hope to have enough leave to be able to meet you somewhere in England or Ireland && then I will be able to tell you everything I hope it will be a happy New Year for us all & I am taking this beststep hoping it all for the best. I will write you again telling you how I like the life. Again wishing you all a happy Christmas Ever Yr Affec Nephew Fred. My address is : Private A.G. Crofton. 88th Victoria Fusiliers C.E.F. Willows Camp Victoria Ahascragh, County Galway, Ireland Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 13 December 1915Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 1 October 1916Letter from Private M. Cahill to Lady Clonbrock, 17 April 1916Letter from Emma Armstrong to Lady Clonbrock, 2 August 1916 Harbour House, Ganges, Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 13 December 1915 Augusta Caroline Dillon Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 13 December 1915Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 1 October 1916Letter from Private M. Cahill to Lady Clonbrock, 17 April 1916Letter from J. L. Hay to Lady Clonbrock, 7 January 1916Letter from Private Patrick Furey to Lady Clonbrock, 4 January 1916Letter from Jessie Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 19 April 1916Letter from John J. Thompson to Augusta Caroline Dillon, Lady Clonbrock, 13 November 1915Letter from Josephine Murray to Lady Clonbrock, 22 May 1916Letter from Elizabeth Francis Neill to Lady Clonbrock, 21 February 1916Letter from Maude Chenevix Trench to Lady Clonbrock, 13 June 1916Postcard from Maude Chenevix Trench to Lady Clonbrock, 16 May 1916Letter from Lady Clonbrock to Eliza Chamier, 24 May 1916Letter from George Hugh Chetwood Townsend to Lady Clonbrock, 1 April 1916Letter from Edith Francis Maxwell to Lady Clonbrock, 22 June 1916Letter from Emma Armstrong to Lady Clonbrock, 2 August 1916Letter from Ursula Mahon to Lady Clonbrock, 18 July 1916Letter from Lady Mayo, Royal Dublin Fusiliers Kildare Committee, to Lady Clonbrock, 31 December 1915.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 12 August, 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 12 August 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 29 February 1916.Letter from Mrs. Arthur Goff to Lady Clonbrock, 25 February, 1916.Letter from Lady Mayo to Lady Clonbrock, 28 December, 1915.Letter from N. Maxwell, 23 July 1916.Letter from Emma Armstrong to Lady Clonbrock, 23 February, 1916.Letter from Kathleen Lewis, 19 October 1916.Letter from George C. Townshend to Lady Clonbrock, 18 October 1916.Letter from Emma Armstrong to Lady Clonbrock, 26 June 1916Letter from the Marquess of Sligo to Lady Clonbrock, 23 October, 1916.Letter from Florence to Lady Clonbrock, 28 November 1916. Alfred Gerald Crofton Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 13 December 1915Letter from Alfred Gerald Crofton to Lady Clonbrock, 1 October 1916