Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Dorothy Duffin

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 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

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This letter was written by Dorothy DuffIn (b. 1881) to her mother, Maria (1854–1954). In this letter Dorothy hopes that her sister Emma (1883–1979) has reached home. She writes that unless she gets a raise in pay at the Admiralty she will be in a net loss situation. She has been talking to a secretary in the War Office and has learned that pay and conditions there are much better but there aren't any vacancies at the moment. Despite the snow Dorothy hopes her mother will be able to visit in May.This letter is part of a rich correspondence between various members of the Duffin family, a large prosperous family that lived in Strandtown, Belfast. Several family members served in the war, including Major Terence Duffin, who was a staff officer with 107 Brigade, and later with Royal Irish Rifles; Major Charles G Duffin MC, Royal Field Artillery; and their sisters Emma, Celia and Dorothy who served as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADS) in Egypt and France, and with the YMCA.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Duffin Papers, D2109/10/1/C/35 https://letters1916.ie/item/648 English Dorothy Duffin 1916-03-30 Ardeevin, Epsom, England Maria Duffin Dunowen, Belfast, Ireland Female World War I (1914-1918) Personal Relations

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 'Ardeevin' March 30th Dearest Mamma I do hope poor Emma has returned home! I have been thinking & worrying about her being showered and she would feel the cold so. We had a great meeting together but she will tell you all that & about our visit to the Admiralty. I hope I've done the right thing. I don't know. But any way I am not bound to anything. I dread the start. I wish I could have had my visit to Eastbourne & Winchester first. I have found rooms (for a time anyway) by a strange chance at 152 Vauxhall Bishope Road London I went to enquire at Alexandria Ladies Club, Grosvenor St about rooms, quite a smart place. Not II feel sure the place I intended. I saw the Secretary who was pleasant and said she had a friend upstairs who might keep me. Down came a Mrs R ONeill, widow of a Colonel R ONeill, who said she was now living & working at the Club but she had left a friend, Miss Holmes at her flat & this friend was anxious to find paying guests so as not have to give it up. Already a girl working at the Admiralty is there & one or two other ladies. After much chat we came to terms ( I think I must have looked pathetically tired!) She said I will lodge at the flat for a guinea a week & have breakfast & dinner there, (also lunch on Sundays) bath, light and attendance. Her friend (Miss Holmes) was coming to tea with her at the Club, and she gave me a note to the maid & I went off & saw the place. It is near Victoria station & convenient to Whitehall - quite a pleasant house, with a nice drawing room, flowers and bright fire, quite nice bedrooms & a cheerful maid. Well — I've heard from Miss Holmes, & I go there on Saturday. I shall lunch with the MacLeods & probably meet Celia in the evening, & start work on Monday. It seems a promising venture but I doubt if she'll keep me long on those terms. 26/— was asked even so with washing, lunching out etc, I calculate I shall be losing at least 10/— a week! If there is no rise I can't stay at the Admiralty — however they may chuck me! I interviewed a Secretary at the new War office place — the pay and hours were better there but no immediate vacancy. The Secretary said I should do much better I'm sure you are delighted to have Emma. I feel I did not half see her - everything was sorushed I've been all over London lately between looking for jobs & lodgings. Bedford House was quite full up. Annie Hollins turned up here last night 6 hours late because of the snow which make me fear for Emma. She has been babbling ever since! I trust that now you will come over in May & see me & Annie F. Best love Dear- I won't have much time for letters when I start work! Your loving Dussie Best love to Papa. I hope he keeps well. I didn't expect to be away so long when I left home! Ardeevin, Epsom, England Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 25 March 1916Letter from Dorothy (Dussie) Duffin to Auntie B, 27 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 22 March 1916 Dunowen, Belfast, Ireland Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 22 December 1915Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 16 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 25 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Emma Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 5 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 22 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 31 July 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 27 March 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 22 November 1915Letter from Terence Duffin to his father Adam Duffin, 10 November 1915Letter from Terence Duffin to his mother Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Adam Duffin to his daughter Dorothy Duffin, 7 November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 8 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915 Dorothy Duffin Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 25 March 1916Letter from Dorothy (Dussie) Duffin to Auntie B, 27 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 22 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 31 July 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to his sister, Dorothy Duffin, 12 November 1915Letter from Adam Duffin to his daughter Dorothy Duffin, 7 November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 8 November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 29 November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 November 1915 Maria Duffin Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 5 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 25 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916Letter from Terrence Duffin to his mother, Maria Duffin, 31 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 December 2015Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, January 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, circa 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Emma Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 5 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 22 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 31 July 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 27 March 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, 15 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 22 November 1915Letter from Terence Duffin to his mother Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 8 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 1 November 1915