Letter from M. Atkinson Williams, 1 May 1916 Letters 1916-1923 M. Atkinson Williams

This work was originally published by Maynooth University in Ireland in 2017. In 2026 this data, stored in a relational database was extracted and converted into this TEI/XML document.

 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

This is an open access work licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Letter from M. Atkinson Williams, the Principal of the Southlands Training College for the Chief Secretary of Ireland. Williams offers her services as an educator in light of the young age of many of the participants in the Rising. She suggests that she could help by becoming a principal of a school in an effort to to prevent this from happening again. She gives her background as an Irish woman, claiming that there would be no resentment towards her as she was born in Ireland and has enough Irish blood to deal sympathetically with the students. She goes on to give her experience teaching abroad. The letter contains an enclosure which recounts Williams' education and experience. Williams is writing this letter for the attention of the Chief Secretary of Ireland Augustine Birrell (1850 - 1933). Birrell resigned as chief secretary on 3 May 1916 after accepting responsibility for the outbreak of the Easter Rising. His official successor, Henry Edward Duke, would not be appointed until 31 July 1916.

 National Archives of Ireland Chief Secretary's Office Registered Papers, CSO RP/1916/5613/9217 https://letters1916.ie/item/403 English M. Atkinson Williams 1916-05-01 Southlands Training College, High Street, Battersea, S. W. England Male Easter Rising Ireland 1916

The data in these XML files was generated based on a data dump from the Magellan database (https://github.com/Maynooth-Center-for-Digital-Humanities/Magellan). Each database record has been converted to a JSON file (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/json). The element section of the JSON file contains the TEI-encoded contents of the letters. The TEI XML has been cleaned and made well-formed using a Python script (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/src).

 SOUTHLANDS TRAINING COLLEGE HIGH STREET BATTERSEA, S.W. Principal : Miss M. ATKINSON WILLIAMS, M.A. (London) 1.5.16. Dear Sir May I beg you to give the contents of this letter your careful consideration, and, if necessary, to pass it on to the Chief Secretary for Ireland. The recent Irish troubles have suggested to me that I may be of use, in a small way, in the necessary reconstruction of Irish affairs, from the point of view of Irish education. Since it appears that many of the rebels are adoles- cents, who have come under undesirable influence, it is important to try to get a wholesome & loyal atmosphere in the elementary schools & Colleges where such teachers are trained. I have made a study of adolescents, during all my professional experience, and have had much to do with planning & carrying out suitable courses of Literature & History for schools & Colleges of all grades. Could I be of use as Principal of a College for them: Teachers, or Inspector of schools, or similar work? I do not think I should arouse resentment, as, though I have been in England nearly all my life, I was born in Ireland, of Anglo-Irish parents, whose family had been in Ireland since Cromwell's time, and I have sufficient Irish blood in me to make me understand Irish tem- peraments and deal sympathetically with Irish young people, at a very impressionable age. I have travelled widely in the British Empire & have had more experience of handling my fellow creatures than most English professional women of my class. I know Australia, Canada, & U.S.A. & have met Irish people in all parts of the Empire. I am a Protestant but have many Catholic friends, & when I was a Lecturer in Education in the University of Melbourne (Australia) I gave several courses & Lectures on 'The Teaching of English' to Roman Catholic Training Colleges, with which I was on most friendly terms. At present, I am Principal of the above College & extremely happily placed. So far as social status salary, personal comfort, & the society of friends, I am bound to be a loss by taking on Irish post. I mention this, merely to show that I have no 'axe to grind' & but am simply anxious to help my Country & Empire & win the war. This may be the definite piece of war work that I can do, & if so, I will gladly do it. There are probably not many women of my training who would stand in the same relation to England & the Empire as I do, with English training & sympathies, and yet with Irish birth - which would appeal to the Irish students. Add to this, that I have also a much wider knowledge of & belief in the solidity of the Empire than other women who have not travelled as widely than I. If you should think seriously of me then I can supply the fullest answers to all enquiries as to my birth, age, education, experience & character. I only want to be of use, &, something will have to be done to deal with the problems of Irish educational influence as soon as possible. Believe me Faithfully Yours, M. Atkinson Williams Academic Qualifications 1. B.A. University of London 2. M.A. ' ' ' 3. Diploma in Pedagogy University of London 4. Higher Froebel Certificate 5. Gilchrist Travelling Service, University of London Experience 1. Trained as teacher in above College. 2. Lectures in above College in English and Educational Method. 3. Six months visit to America (Canada & U.S.A. to study educational problems. 4. 4 1/2 years in Australia Lectures in Ed : Melbourne Uni. Head of ?Giver? Grammar Sch. Queensland. 5. Principal, above College : ( on the said returning from Australia to take this post - when war broke out.) M. Atkinson Williams Letter from M. Atkinson Williams, 1 May 1916 Southlands Training College, High Street, Battersea, S. W. England Letter from M. Atkinson Williams, 1 May 1916