Letter from Sir Wilfrid Spender to his wife Lady Lillian Spender, [January 1916]

Foo, Bar; Bar, Foo

Letter from Sir Wilfrid Spender to his wife Lady Lillian Spender, [January 1916]

1 My PR The enclosed is addressed to
dear folks on 2nd thoughts, tho'
not at first so intended. I thought your letter would be
from the flat , & wonder if you
have been getting mine sent there!
Please see the Porter, as I don't
want an official — other than
the Mill censor to read what
I may have written about the
Govt! Genl very difficult to move
in some things. A big scheme
I am doing which is wanted in
a hurry but which the Genl
whose decision I must have on
certain points unless I assume 2 command of the Div ! says
he prefers to do this when the
weather gets more settled ! There'll be a row, & I can't
see the Genl to do this or R to
push him along a bit. In is own
ideas there is no holding of him
& it is difficult to keep pace but
in matters from above he is
quite a different man ! R is getting gloomier. I thought
I could get him to speak out
but he changed his mind. I think
perhaps it is as well. I really
am sorry , & we shall probably get
a beast in his place. Bruce is doing quite well
& I like him — a steady workhorse
with a little more Mill experience
a useful man — but I miss R.
When do you go to the flat??? WBS

Letter from Wilfred Spender to his wife Lady Lillian Spender née Dean, (1880-1968). Sir Wifrid Spender (1876 -1960) expresses concern over officials other than the censor reading the opinions he has expressed about the government. Wilfred also informs his wife about the difficulties he is having working with his General. This letter is part of a series of correspondence from Sir Wilfrid Bliss Spender to his wife Lady Lillian Spender. The letters date mainly from 1915 to 1918, when Sir Wilfrid was serving in France. The letters concern politics, the Irish question, personal life, and Wilfrid's experience of the Great War. Spender was a member of the British Army until 1913 when controversy surrounding his signature of the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant resulted in his resignation. Spender was called up for military service in 1914 and from 1915 served in the 36th (Ulster) Division. Throughout the war, Spender remained in contact with the Ulster Unionist leadership, and consistently opposed Home Rule and the six-county solution.

Open image in new tab

How to cite

Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__2849.html)