1 Gilford Lodge Gilford Road Sandymount Dublin 9.1.16 Dear Mr. Yeates Mr. St. John Ervine tells me
you have suggested changing the
names of the characters in 'The
'Spancel of Death' lest their retention
might cause pain, or give offence,
to any living descendants of the
persons dealt with. Needless to say I should be exceedingly 2 Sorry to give offence to any one, and
therefore before writing those names I fully
considered such a possibility, there
was — up to about five weeks ago — just
one person living who might possibly
feel agrieved. — Miss Lynch—Blosse,
an old lady of 94 years, who was a
great grand niece of Sir Harry Lynch—
Blosse. But she died at Monkstown
about five or six weeks ago, and there
is no one else left. As for Sibella
Cottle, all the remains of her is merely
a memory. She was not a native
in the district. Neither was she a
peasant. There remains then but the
name of the old peasant sorceress
Judy Holian. and whilst there
are still some peasant descendants
of remote kinship to her they most
certainly would not claim the
connection. Beyond all this, all the names
mentioned by me are given in
Archdeacon's book, published some
sixty years ago, and subscribed for
at the time by the then existing
Lynch Blosses, Moores. Blakes and
others whose names happen to
occur in 'The Spancel of Death' The rather gloried in the notoriety You may possibly remember
also that Mrs Tynan Hinksom 3 at that time — K.Tynan — published a
story dealing with the same
incidents and giving the correct
names. I happened to tell her the
story once at Whitehall and she
subsequently published it in some
local journal. I remember she
did not change the names. So I
really do not think it necessary. Of course, if you still think otherwise
I shall, but with regret, part with
the names; for they are dear to me. You might please let me know as
the play has not yet been put into
rehearsal. Yours Sincerely T.H. Nally.