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TELEPHONE NO. 2670. 10th May 1916 42, LOWER BAGGOTT STREET,
DUBLIN. Dear Mrs Sheehy—Skeffington I had been hoping tuntil to—day that
the rumours which were current as to your
husband's death were untrue, but I find
now that there is no doubt. I know nothing
of the circumstances, but there must
have been some terrible misunderstanding.
My wife and I wish to offer you our
sincerest sympathy. Although there
were probably few points on which your
husband and I had much agreement,
there were few even of my acquaintances
for whose and I had so
much respect, or whose intellectual
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powers I so much admired. His early
death is a less to
estimate. Believe me
Yours very sincerely
Robert J Rowlette
In this letter from Robert James Rowlette (1873–1944) to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington
(1877-1946), Robert expresses condolences regarding the death of Hanna's husband Francis.
He writes that, though he did not agree with Francis on many issues, he had a lot
of respect for him.
Robert James Rowlette was a medical doctor, politician, and athlete. Rowlette published
considerable work in publications such as the Irish Times, the Medical Union's Journal,
and the Medical Press and Circular, the latter of which he edited. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington
suffragette, nationalist, language teacher, was the founder of the Irish Women’s Franchise
League and a founding member of the Irish Women Workers’ Union. She was the widow
of Francis Sheehy-Skeffington who was summarily executed on 26 April 1916. She was
active during the Rising, bringing food to the Volunteers in the G.P.O. and the College
of Surgeons. Four days passed before she found out what had happened to her husband,
Francis (1878-1916), and it wasn't until almost two weeks later that the full details
of his execution emerged.