From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915 Letters 1916-1923 Celia 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

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Letter from Celia Duffin (1888-1979) to her mother Maria (1854-1954) discussing her life in London. Celia also writes about one of her patients taking poison to avoid being discharged from the hospital. 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 D2109/9/4/B/27 https://letters1916.ie/item/3147 English Celia Duffin 1915-04-09 3rd London General Hospital, London, England Maria Duffin Female 1979 Medicine Country and City Life

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 3rd London General Tuesday Dearest Mamma Here I am busy at work again and feeling quite fit after drinking a bottle of some awful mixture that tasted like strong ammonia. It was snowing here this morning and very hard to drag myself outsi of bed in the dark. I made an expedition into town and ordered my winter coat at Harrods yesterday. I had to have it made as the ready-mades were no use for me and it only cost 2/6 more. Don't dream of sending me any money for it, I have paid for it, and don't want any more, thanks all the same ever so much for offering. I have also bought the black winter hat which is quite becoming. It is splendid your having collected all that money for Emma, she will be delighted when she gets it. It must have kept you quite busy acknowledging all the letters. Our men are quite well-looked after, but at present their breakfasts are very dull as eggs are too expensive and they never get anything but porridge and bread and butter every morning. We are each giving a shilling in our ward to get them sausages some morning for a break. I had a kind note from the Miss Bruces asking me to stay there and get convalescent, but of course I got no leave, and the Tillings were ever so kind offering to come and bring me anything I wanted until I was well enough to go to them. I couldn't help laughing as I got their letters when I was back at work again. My sister was very kind and looks after me. One of the patients in our Ward took poison this morning; one of the men came and told me, and we had quite a time trying to get him right again. He took it on purpose, poor thing, because he was leaving hospital to-day. It was a mixture we use for syringing ears, and was marked 'poison'. The doctor and sisters made him very sick and gave him oil and whites of eggs, and he seemed all right when I left. He seemed quite a cheery sort of person, but evidently was depressed because he got giddy sometimes when he tried to work. I went to tea with the Halls. Bonnie had been seeing Marcia at Eastbourne, and says she has grown very fat indeed and the baby is very pretty. I can't imagine her fat. A friend of Lady R's came in to tea, rather an amusing person. London is so dark, one always has to get back early these days. Thanks so much for the nice par- cel from Malcolmson's. Best love from Celia 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 Celia Duffin From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915 3rd London General Hospital, London, England Letter from Celia Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 6 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 18 November 1915