Letter from Colonel G.A. French to Mayor Nicholas Byrne, 18 May 1916 Letters 1916-1923 George Arthur French

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In this letter, Colonel George Arthur French, Commanding Officer of the British Army in Wexford, is writing to Mayor Nicholas Byrne to thank the Wexford citizens for their commitment to 'peace, law and order' during the Rebellion. Nicholas Byrne was a Mayor of Wexford in 1916 and 1917. Sir George Arthur French (1841-1921) was born on 19th June 1841, Roscommon, Ireland. He was educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and commissioned in the Royal Artillery in 1860. In 1871, at the request of the Canadian government, he was sent to Canada as a military inspector, eventually becoming head of the School of Gunnery at Kingston, Ontario. He was appointed to organize the North-West Mounted Police on its creation in 1873, and the next year he led the force on its famous march to the foothills of the Rockies. French resigned in 1876 and returned to duty in the British Army, eventually attaining the rank of major-general. The organizational skills developed in Canada were used to establish local defense forces in India and Australia. In September 1883 he was appointed Commandant of the Queensland Local Forces with the local rank of colonel, and arrived in the colony on January 4, 1884. Colonel French married Janet Clarke in 1862, daughter of the late Robert Long Innes, formerly of the 37th Regiment. Colonel French retired in 1891, and returned to England. When French retired in 1902 he received a knighthood and for the next 19 years much of his time was spent guarding the crown jewels in London, where he died on 28 July 1921.

 Wexford County Archive Wexford County Archive, WXCA/P190/2 https://letters1916.ie/item/3043 English George Arthur French 1916-05-18 Wexford, County Wexford Nicholas Byrne Town Hall, Wexford, County Wexford Male 1921 Easter Rising Ireland 1916 Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 WCA/P190/2/1 XIII To His Worship,Alderman Nicholas Byrne,J.P.,Town Hall,Wexford. Dear Mr. Mayor, In my capacity as Officer Commanding the Troops inCounty Wexford, I wish to convey to you and to the citizensof Wexford my thanks for the quiet and dignified way therecent lamentable Sinn Fein movement was met in the town-ship and neighborhood thereof. From the first it was veryevident that the Sinn Fein movement had but few sympathisersin the town and that the inhabitants were practicallyunanimous in upholding the constituted authority for main-taining law and order. Whilst congratulating Wexford as a whole I wish es-specially to thank those citizens who at once volunteeredtheir services for safeguarding the town and other employ-meant in the public interest, and especially wish to conveymy thanks to the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers andmen of the National Volunteers; the citizens who weresworn in as special constables ; and those gentlemen whoso kindly placed themselves and their motor cars at thedisposal of the Military and Royal Irish Constabulary.I would also like to convey my thanks to Alderman GeorgeHadden, J.P., for his general assistance and more especiallyfor his unselfish action and forethought in havingvoluntarily placed his own house at the disposal of theMilitary for hospital purposes in the event of hospitalbeing necessary a contingency which we must all thankDivine Providence did not arise. I may add that form the first I had confidencein the sound common-sense of the inhabitants of Wexfordand that they would not be led into taking any activepart or abetting the mad Sinn Fein movement, a confidencewhich I am glad to say was amply fulfilled. WCA/P190/2/2 XIII 2 It is gratifying to note that far from a disturbanceof any kind having occurred in the town of Wexford andits vicinity, the lovers of peace and good order are nowwelded more closely together and more read to act inunison to uphold the common good. Your very truly,Colonel,Commanding Troops, Co. Wexford. Wexford.May 18, 1916 Town Hall, Wexford, County Wexford Letter from Colonel G.A. French to Mayor Nicholas Byrne, 18 May 1916 Wexford, County Wexford Letter from Colonel G.A. French to Mayor Nicholas Byrne, 18 May 1916 Nicholas Byrne Letter from Colonel G.A. French to Mayor Nicholas Byrne, 18 May 1916Letter from Nicholas Byrne to Colonial George Arthur French, Commanding Officer, Wexford, 18 May 1916 George Arthur French Letter from Colonel G.A. French to Brigadier General, Queenstown (Cobh), 2 May 1916Letter from Colonel G.A. French to Mayor Nicholas Byrne, 18 May 1916Letter from Nicholas Byrne to Colonial George Arthur French, Commanding Officer, Wexford, 18 May 1916