Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, circa 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Olivia Duffin

This work was originally published by Maynooth University in Ireland in 2017. In 2026 this data, stored in a relational database was extracted and converted into this TEI/XML document.

 Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities Vienna, AT 2026

This is an open access work licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin (1854-1954) detailing her journey to London. Dorothy writes that she had a good passage but has been feeling a little unwell soon. While uncertain about when exactly she should be called for service she notes that those with three months training are more likely to be called by the War Office first. This letter is part of a rich correspondence between various members of the Duffin family, a large prosperous family living in Strandtown, Belfast. Several family members served in the war, including Major Terence Duffin, who served as a staff officer with 107 Brigade, and later with Royal Irish Rifles; Major Charles G Duffin MC, Royal Field Artillery; and their sisters Emma, Celia and Dorothy who served as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADS) in Egypt and France, and with the YMCA.

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Duffin Papers, D2109/10/1/A/17 https://letters1916.ie/item/2635 English Olivia Duffin 1916 Maria Duffin Female Medicine Personal Relations

The data in these XML files was generated based on a data dump from the Magellan database (https://github.com/Maynooth-Center-for-Digital-Humanities/Magellan). Each database record has been converted to a JSON file (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/json). The element section of the JSON file contains the TEI-encoded contents of the letters. The TEI XML has been cleaned and made well-formed using a Python script (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/src).

 1916 Wed morning Dearest Mamma, I am scribbling this in bed in order to catch the early post. I am staying in bed for breakfast as my throat & chest are a little raw & ruffled & I have plastered myself with thermofene, but it is nothing much & I shall get-up later. I had quite a good passage but started with being sick & then was allright after! Ted Leffer & Peggy were on board, & Bob Kinahan, & Dorothy Richardson. I had a nice cabin to myself. The train was very slow & 1 1/2 hours later. I am afraid Celia can have seen little of Lerry if it was as late when he went. Great difficulty in getting porters or taxis. I had some time to wait in London. Tell D. I went to Devonshire House & saw, not, Mrs Furze, but a nice sensible looking lady in charge. She said they had a good long list waiting but they never knew how many might be called for by the W. O. at any time. Those with 3 months hospital training would have more chance of being called first. She said certainly to say she would like to go to Landsworth — no nurses are being sent to Egypt at present. She seemed to think that if Celia or Emma had done well & were favourable nurses to their matrons, the matron could ask for another sister if she chose. They evidently can ask for any one if they like. I forgot all about the gloves to be changed at the Glove Co. Perhaps Celia could do it, if we told her what each wanted. Miss Hollins leaves this morning & was the sister Do, sho was suddenly ill & thought there might have to be an operation, but she seems to be better. Katherine Leach is here. I was very weary last night & it is quite nice to stay lazily in bed. Let me know any news of Terry. Best love to all. I loved being at home & hated coming away again. It is fine & mild here & all the sheep & cows were out in the fields, coming along & men pursuing. Ever your loving Olive. Maria Duffin Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 5 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 25 March 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 30 March 1916Letter from Terrence Duffin to his mother, Maria Duffin, 31 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 December 2015Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, January 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, circa 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Terence Duffin to Maria Duffin, 29 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Emma Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 5 March 1916Letter from Dorothy to Maria Duffin, 22 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, 31 July 1916Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 27 March 1916Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, 15 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 22 November 1915Letter from Terence Duffin to his mother Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 8 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to Maria Duffin, 28 November 1915Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, 1 November 1915 Olivia Duffin Letter from Olive Duffin to Maria Duffin, circa 1916