Letter from Mabel FitzGerald, 24 May 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Mabel FitzGerald

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This is a letter from Mabel FitzGerald (née Washington McConnell) (1884-1958), wife of politician and intellectual Desmond FitzGerald (1888-1947). In the letter, she points out the Desmond was a non-combatant and had been in prison until shortly before the Rising and so could have had no part in the planning of the rebellion. She also requests political prisoner status for those sentenced to penal servitude.Desmond FitzGerald had served in the GPO during the Easter Rising, being placed in charge of the garrison's food supply. He initially escaped arrest after the Rising but was soon rounded up and imprisoned in Dartmoor, Maidstone, Lewes and Portland.Mabel was particularly active in attempting to secure the release of her husband, who had not taken an active part in the actual fighting.

 University College Dublin Archives FitzGerald Papers, P80/1582/1 https://letters1916.ie/item/1353 English Mabel FitzGerald 1916-05-24 2 Loretto Villas, Bray, Co. Wicklow Female Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 2 Loretto Villas, Bray. 24th May, 1916. Dear Sir, My husband, Mr.Desmond Fitzgerald, was tried by Field General Court Martial on Tuesday, 16th May, and sentenced to 20 years penal servitude. The sentence was confirmed on 20th May, 10 years being remitted. Mr.Fitzgerald held no rank whatever in the Volunteers and though in the G.P.O. during the Rebellion was there as a non-combatant. He was neither trained nor equipped to fight and merely helped in the distribution of food and in Red Cross work. At his trial Lieut.King, one of the British Officer prisoners i in the G.P.O. made a written deposition stating that my husband wore civilian clothes and was not to his knowledge engaged in the fighting at all, and that he treated him while a prisoner with great kindness and consideration. I understand from my husband that the only evidence a against him was his own statement thatwhich he made voluntarily that t he was in the Post Office and that he performed certain non-combatant duties there. He was arrested at home on Wed. 10th May. As Mr.Fitzgerald was in Mountjoy Prison from October last till within three weeks of the Rebellion on a sentence of six months for a Nationalist speech he had made here at Bray it is obvious that he would have had no share in plans for the Rebellion. As, therefore, he was neither responsible for it, nor took a prominent XXXX or even a belligerent part in it, his sentence is quite disproportionately severe even among sentences which are all harsh, and I shall be grateful if you will bear the above facts in mind and if opportunity arises will press his claim to a proper trial with a view to revision of the sentence in in accordance with the evidence, or will take whatever other action you think suitable, recognising however that my husband while welcoming inquiry into his case, does not in any wise disassociate himself from his friends whom circumstances placed in the position of combatants. I am, Yours faithfully, Mabel W.Fitzgerald P.S. It would give great satisfaction generally in Ireland f if conditions of political imprisonment could be obtained for the prisoners sentenced to terms of Penal Servitude; at least they might be permitted to keep their own clothes. Mabel FitzGerald Letter from Margaret Pearse to Mabel FitzGerald, 16 July, 1916.Letter from Neans bean í Rathgaille (Nancy O'Rahilly) to Mabel FitzGerald, circa 26 May 1916.Letter from Nancy O'Rahilly to Mabel FitzGerald, May 1916.Letter from Caitlín Burgess to Mabel FitzGerald, 1 June 1916.Letter from Desmond FitzGerald to Mabel FitzGerald, 8 November 1915Postcard from Mabel Fitzgerald to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 28 February 1916Letter from Charles Arthur Munro to Mabel FitzGerald, 22 February 1916Letter from Charles Arthur Munro to Mabel FitzGerald, 21 March 1916Letter from Charles Arthur Munro to Mabel FitzGerald, 24 March 1916Letter to Mabel FitzGerald, 1916Letter from T.M. Healy to Mabel FitzGerald, 24 May 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald, 24 May 1916Letter from John Dillon to Mabel FitzGerald, 24 May 1916Letter from John Dillon to Mabel FitzGerald, 24 May 1916Letter from Anna O'Rahilly to Mabel FitzGerald, 25 May 1916Letter from John Brosnan to Mabel FitzGerald, 25 May 1916Letter from John Muldoon to Mabel FitzGerald, 26 May 1916Letter from T.J. Hanna to Mabel FitzGerald, 26 May 1916Letter from Laurence Ginnell to Mabel FitzGerald, 26 May 1916Letter from Julia Evans to Mabel FitzGerald, 13 May 1916Letter from Captain, Richmond Barracks to Mabel FitzGerald, 14 May 1916Letter from J.H.G. Stantin to Mabel FitzGerald, 20 May 1916Letter from R.F. Sergeant probably to Mabel FitzGerald, 21 May 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to Brigadier General, Richmond Barracks, 22 May 1916Letter from Nancy Campbell to Mabel FitzGerald, 23 May 1916Letter from George Bernard Shaw to Mabel FitzGerald, 25 May 1916Letter from W. Goodman to Mabel FitzGerald, 12 April 1916.Telegram from Superintendent of Police, Kingstown to Mabel FitzGerald, 10 May 1916.Letter from Mabel FitzGerald, 10 May 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to the Governor of Richmond Barracks, 11 May 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to John Redmond, 27 May 1916.Letter from Annie F. to Mabel FitzGerald, 27 May 1916.Letter from Robert Lynch to Mabel FitzGerald, 28 May 1916.Letter from John Redmond to Mabel FitzGerald, 29 May 1916.Letter from Caitlín Ní Shéaghda to Mabel FitzGerald, 30 May 1916.Letter from the Major E. Reade to Mabel FitzGerald, 31 May 1916Letter from Harry Stockman to Mabel FitzGerald, 31 May 1916.Letter from R.C. Barton to Mabel FitzGerald, 1 June 1916.Letter from R. C. Barton to Mabel FitzGerald, 21 May 1916.Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to the Governor, Mountjoy Prison, 2 June 1916.Letter from Máire Ní Catháin to Mabel FitzGerald, 3 June 1916.Letter from Austin Stack to Mabel FitzGerald, 4 June 1916.Letter from the Charles Arthur Munro, the Governor of Mountjoy Prison, to Mabel FitzGerald, 5 June 1916.Letter from Ernest Blythe to Mabel FitzGerald, 8 June 1916.Letter from M.B. McDonough to Mabel FitzGerald, 16 June 1916.Letter from Major E. Reade to Mabel FitzGerald, 20 June 1916.Letter from Major E. Reade to Mabel FitzGerald, 5 July 1916.Letter from Major E. Reade to Mabel FitzGerald, 10 July 1916.Letter from Major E. Reade to Mabel FitzGerald, 15 Jult 1916.Letter from Major E. Reade to Mabel FitzGerald, 20 July 1916.Letter from Major E. Reade to Mabel FitzGerald 4 August, 1916.Letter from The Governor, Dartmoor Prison to Mabel FitzGerald, 18 August 1916.Letter from Charles Arthur Munro to Mabel FitzGerald, 24 November 1915Letter from Mabel FitzGerald [June 1916]Letter from Desmond FitzGerald to Mabel FitzGerald, 7 March 1916Letter from Desmond FitzGerald to Mabel FitzGerald, 30 December 1915 Letter from Desmond FitzGerald to Mabel FitzGerald, 8 February 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to the Governor, Dartmoor Prison, 22 June 1916. 2 Loretto Villas, Bray, Co. Wicklow Letter from Charles Arthur Munro to Mabel FitzGerald, 22 February 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald, 24 May 1916