Letter from Lady Henrietta MacDonnell to Lady Clonbrock, 28 October 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Lady Henrietta MacDonnell

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A letter from Lady MacDonnell of the Irish Women's Association to Lady Clonbrock (1839-1928). The letter includes a list of Christmas 1916 parcel items that will be dispatched to the 1st and 2nd Batallions of the Connaught Rangers attached to the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force by the Co. Galway Military and Naval Committee. MacDonnell laments that what she considered the best item, 'Soup Rolls,' which the men serving on the Western Front greatly appreciated, were substituted out. She hopes that Lady Clonbrock will approve of her amendments to the package.Augusta Caroline Dillon (née Crofton) was the wife of Luke Gerald Dillon (1834-1917), the 4th Baron of Clonbrock, Co. Galway and the daughter of Lord Crofton of Mote Park (Edward Henry Churchill Crofton, 3rd Baron), Co. Roscommon. Aged 75 at the outbreak of war, Lady Clonbrock, worked closely with the Irish Women's Association to send basic necessities to Irish POWs. Many of her care packages went to members of the Connaught Rangers imprisoned in Limburg near Cologne.

 National Library of Ireland Mss 35,787-97, Mss 35,787-97 https://letters1916.ie/item/829 English Lady Henrietta MacDonnell 1916-10-28 London, England Lady Clonbrock Galway, Ireland Female World War I (1914-1918)

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 THE IRISH WOMEN'S ASOCIATION (to aid Irish Regiments and Prisoners of War) I enclose some memos of our Xmas parcels to P. of W. for distribution if you will be so kind! Kensington Palace, London, W. October 26th 1916. Dear Lady Clonbrook, Strangely enough, I was yesterday morning dictating a letter for you when I was interrupted by most urgent business connected with this next Scheme for the P. of W. which the Govt. is starting. During my absence, your letter came — but I got back here so late that I was unable to answer your letter — & when I got home, I was too tired to do any thing but go to bed. I was writing yesterday with the intention of sending you the single copy of what had been sent to the 1 st C.G. in Mesopotamia. I didn't wait for the , as my people disappointed me as to the date of their arrival & substituted what I consider the best thing we have for cold & weary men — namely some quite delicious 'Soup Rolls'. I know our men in Flanders love that. It's called Pea Soup & Bacon! & is warm and comforting, though not as 'Christmassy' as sweets. I hope you will think I did right. I was so anxious to get our things off by the 16th, that I didn't wait for the sweets. The W.O. told me by Novr. 1st but I know it is better to send off a fortnight earlier, & I am thankful to say our whole 37 bales or cases went off on 16 th. We had some socks ready to send but your Co. Galway contribution was so magnificent that I have kept ours for a little later. Indeed I doubt if the P.O. at Avonmouth would accept any more packages for me. Request over 18 Cwt. went off Dover transfers last Monday! I wish I could see their joy when that consignment arrives! — In case you would like to have it know & not because I want the money! I enclose a rough memo of the cost the freight to Avonmouth (our new port for Mesopotamia) I cannot yet tell, as the weekly Cashier's bill is not yet in, so please don't send any money yet. This new W. O. scheme is going to give us a great deal of extra work at first — but I have no fear for the future. I am confident we shall always get the money we require. — The new W.O. Committee is very friendly & very complimentary to us — & I think the extra trouble is well worth the in going through, for there was a hideous amount of overlapping, & a woeful amount of carelessness or ignorance on the part of many Committees who should have known better. Our expenses will be on record — but as I have already said, I don't feel any doubt as to our being able to keep up to it for our friends are very good to us. Forgive this badly written letter Dear Lady Clonbrook — my hand is almost as tired as I am myself. I am very sincerely, Henrietta MacDonnell approximate Memo exclusive of freight of cost of Xmas cases to Ps of W Mesopotamia. 480 lbs plum pudding @ 1/0 per lb 500 lbs Cake @ 1/- (Discount within reduces the bill to £23-6-8 180 Rolls of Soup @ 4½ dper doz. rolls. 9,500 Woodbines @ 7/8 per 1,000 12 lbs Gallaghers Plug @ 1/9 12 lbs Navy Cut @ 2/- 100 Pipes @ 7d each 4 Footballs @ 12/6 8 extra bladders for same 2/6 - (these were sent in all by water hose) The Soup Rolls each should make 12 good P.T.O. cups of soup — & they do really make 10 really splendid cups from each roll. so each man will get two good cups. Alas! the Battalion has not more, I hear, than 700 or 800 men. I sent 'broken' quantities of some things (for instance, of plum pudding) on account of the packing — I really didn't have to add another package. That's why I didn't spend the £80 I originally meant to spend — of course we divide & pay for half cost of every thing with you. I explained to the C.O. in my accompa covering letter that the first six bales were entirely the gift of the Galway Fund, & the remainder a joint gift in equal parts of from that Fund and the I.W.A. Pre-printed text The irish Women's Association (to aid Irish Regiments and Prisoners of War) Kensington Palace London, W. Exact copy of licence sent by me to the C.O. 1st C. Rangers CHRISTMAS PARCEL sent to the 1st. and 2nd. Battalions of the CONNAUGHT RANGERS, MESOPOTAMIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, starting on the 16th October, 1916. O.C. 1st. BattalionE.R. (1). Bale. 150 prs. socks, From Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee. E.R. (2). Bale. 150 prs. socks, From Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee. E.R. (3). Bale. 120 mufflers, From Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee. E.R. (4). Bale. 100 mufflers, From Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee. E.R. (5). Bale. 80 mufflers, 132 prs. mittens, From Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee. E.R. (6). Bale. 276 prs. mittens, From Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee. — E.R. (7). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding, & 12 soup rolls, From Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the Irish Women's Association. E.R. (8). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (9). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (10). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (11). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (12). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (13). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (14). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (15). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (16). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (17). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (18). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (19). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (20). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. E.R. (21). Case. 32 lbs. plum pudding and 12 soup rolls, From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. — E.R. (22) to (35) inclusive. Cases. 500 lbs. cake. From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. — B.G. (1). Case. 3500 'Woodbines'. 6lbs. Gallagher's Plug. 4 lbs. Navy Cut. 6 pipes. From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. B.G. (2). Case. 6500 'Woodbines'. 6lbs. Gallagher's Plug. 8 lbs. Navy Cut. 94 pipes. 4 foorballs. 8 bladders. From the Co. Galway Naval & Military Committee, and the I.W.A. — London, England Letter from Lancelot Worthy Horne to Robert Chalmers 31, May 1916Letter from Edward O'Farrell to Bertram Cubitt, 10 June 1916Letter from Lancelot Worthy Horne to Command Paymaster, 8 May 1916Telegram from Basil Home Thomson, Assistant Commissioner at New Scotland Yard, to Sir Neville Chamberlain, 9 April 1916Letter from Sir Edward O'Farrell to Sir Reginald H Brade, War Office, 12 November 1915Letter from John Condon to Herbert Samuel, 17 June 1916Letter from Matthew Nathan to the Treasury, 3 March 1916Letter from Lady Henrietta MacDonnell to Lady Clonbrock, 23 September 1916Postcard from C.D. 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Groom to Lady Clonbrock, 1 March 1916Letter from Lady Henrietta MacDonnell to Lady Clonbrock, 28 October 1916Letter from Patrick Foran to Lady Clonbrock, 27 November 1915Letter from Aidan Nolan to Lady Clonbrock, 29 December 1915Letter from T West to Lady Clonbrock, 22 February 1916Letter from T West to Lady Clonbrock, 31 July 1916Letter from John Burns to Lady Clonbrock, 21 March 1916Letter from John Burns to Lady Clonbrock, 20 July 1916Letter from John Burns to Lady Clonbrock, 21 Dec 1915Letter from John Burns to Lady Clonbrock, 2 July 1916.Letter from M. Dolan to Lady Clonbrock, 16 October 1916Letter from Joseph Connolly, 5 April 1916Letter from Joseph Connolly to Lady Clonbrock, 7 March 1916Letter from Mabel C. Wright to Lady Clonbrock, 4 April 1916Letter from J. Eyre to Lady Clonbrock on collection of moss for surgical dressings, 20 April 1916Letter from Richard Newell to John F. 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Groom to Lady Clonbrock, 1 March 1916Letter from Lady Henrietta MacDonnell to Lady Clonbrock, 28 October 1916Letter from Pte B Ward to The Lady Clonbrock, April 1916Letter from Robert Edward Dillon to his mother Augusta Dillon (Lady Clonbrock), 17 July 1916Letter from John Burns to Lady Clonbrock, 21 Dec 1915Letter from Joseph Connolly to Lady Clonbrock, 29 May 1916Letter from John Burns to Lady Clonbrock, 2 July 1916.Letter from M. Dolan to Lady Clonbrock, 16 October 1916Letter from T Furey to Lady Clonbrock, 17 February 1916Letter from Joseph Connolly, 5 April 1916Letter from Thomas Furey to Lady Clonbrock, 6 December 1915Letter from Joseph Connolly to Lady Clonbrock, 7 March 1916Letter from Mabel C. Wright to Lady Clonbrock, 4 April 1916Letter from Joseph Connolly to Lady Clonbrock, 30 July 1916Postcard from Private Cahill to Lady Clonbrock, 19 March 1916Postcard from Private M. Cahill to Lady Clonbrock, March 1916Letter from Private B. 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Lynch to Lady Clonbrock, 25 September, 1916.Letter from Lady Mayo to Lady Clonbrock, 1 September, 1916Letter from Minsie Arkwight to Lady Clonbrock, 22 July 1916Letter from Lady Clonbrock to Mrs Budson, 19 April 1916 Lady Henrietta MacDonnell Letter from Lady Henrietta MacDonnell to Lady Clonbrock, 23 September 1916Letter from Lady Henrietta MacDonnell to Lady Clonbrock, 28 October 1916