Letter from Catherine Wheelwright to Fr Thomas Wheelwright, 23 June 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Catherine Wheelwright

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This letter is from Catherine Wheelwright (née Coll) (1858-1932) to her son Fr Thomas Wheelwright (1890-1946). She writes from Rochdale, New York concerning the Easter Rising and Éamon's involvement. She tells of the various influential contacts she has made in America on his behalf. Catherine Wheelwright was the mother of Éamon de Valera (1882-1975), teacher, revolutionary and politician and Fr Wheelwright was her son and de Valera's half brother. Éamon de Valera had joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and was adjutant to Thomas MacDonagh (1878-1916), Dublin Brigade commandant. He went on to command forces at Bolands Mill during the Rising and was the most senior participant to escape execution. De Valera would go on to become one of the most influential figures in Ireland's 20th century.

 University College Dublin Archives DeValera Papers, P150/201/1 https://letters1916.ie/item/1457 English Catherine Wheelwright 1916-06-23 New York, U.S.A. Fr.Thomas Wheelwright Female Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 18 Brighton St Rochester N Y 23rd June 19160 My Dear Son We received your letters. I am so pleased you are well and happy. I hope Our dear Lord will always keep you so. I know you will if you try to do God's work as faithful as you can and always remember you are a priest of God. We are well also thank God. I have filled the Blank Certificate today it was too late to see a Notary Public I will try tomorrow morning to find one if possible. Now please if you have Sinead's and Uncle Patt's letters send them to me. There can't be much in them to upset me. I have realized all the facts about Eddie since I saw in the papers about the Sinn Fein uprising I knew he couldn't escape the authorities over there when he was a Professor of Gaelic in Dublin University. Innocent or guilty they treat every Catholic alike 'Perfidious Albion' I have being praying for him and I hoped Almighty God in His mercy would save him from an unexpected or sudden death or from a prison cell. However May His Holy Will be done. I went to see Chief Quigley yesterday. he sent me to a Mr McCarthy who has charge here of the Sinn Fein movement in U.S. I gave him some old letters of Ed's also copy of Birth Certificate and all particulars, he told me a Mr Moore was coming here in a few days and he would shown them and consult with him. Mr Moore is National Secretary of the organisation. Mr McCarthy got a letter from Post Master Buckley saying Senator Wadsworth would attend to the matter or had already attended to it he had notified Ambassador Page in London. I am not so sure is this statement correct. I saw Mr Whitney and he said he would write to Congressman Danforth today and he would tell us what to do. I am sorry I didn't know about it sooner for I can do more than you are aware of. You ought to know although I am frail now Almighty God has given me nerves of steel and in His Mercy given me a peculiar mind, if I must say so. All these things I believe come from His Divine Wisdom to prepare us for a brighter eternity. I will This is added upside down at bottom of page P.S send me Sinead's address This is added vertically at top of page enclose all the letters documents in this letter. Don't worry for us. Everything will come out all right with God's help. Your loving mother. Catherine Wheelwright Letter from Éamon de Valera to his mother, 18 September 1916.Letter from Catherine Wheelwright to Fr Thomas Wheelwright, 23 June 1916 New York, U.S.A. Letter from Catherine Wheelwright to Fr Thomas Wheelwright, 23 June 1916