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Bristol April 3/16
Sir Wm. Howell Davies M.P. 3 Whitehall Court,
London SW., Dear Sir William I am writing to ask you to give your kind influence
to a friend of mine who is applying for the Office of
Chief Crown Solicitor of Ireland. My friends name is Mr Wm. Horner, a solicitor in
Londonderry, and I understand he would have the
support of the Attorney General of Ireland, and the
Unionist party, and would also be acceptable to
the Nationalist party. Would you be so good as to mention the matter to
Mr. Birrell, who no doubt, if you asked him, would,
enquire from the Attorney General Mr Horner's status,
in the profession etc. Yours Very Faithfully questionable reading Moore
This is a letter to Sir William Howell Davies (1851-1932) a British politician. Davis
held a seat in Westminster for the South Bristol district. The letter is written in
the context of the death of the Chief Crown Solicitor Malachy Kelly (1850-1916). The
letter begins by asking Davies for his influence to help the author's friend, who
is applying for the vacant position of chief crown solicitor. The letter names the
man as William Horner (b. 1878), a solicitor in London-Derry who is supported by the
Attorney General John Gordon (1849-1922), the Unionist Party and would be acceptable
to Nationalists also. The letter ends with the request to pass on the matter to Augustine
Birrell (1850-1833), the chief secretary of Ireland, stating that Birrell would learn
the status of Mr Horner through the attorney general.