Letter from Evelyn Sharp to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 11 May 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Evelyn Sharp

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In this letter from Evelyn Sharp (1869–1955) to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946), Evelyn offers her condolences regarding the tragic death of Hanna's husband, Francis. Evelyn conveys the extent to which Francis' death is a loss to their cause and Ireland as well as a personal one, and offers her assistance to Hanna in any way that it would be necessary. She writes that the women of the United Suffragists are similarly moved in response to the tragedy and then praises how quickly the whole affair was brought to light. She finishes by assuring Hanna that she need not respond unless there is anything she would like the United Suffragists to do. Evelyn Sharp was a key member in the Women's Social and Political Union and the United Suffragists, two militant suffragist organizations, the latter of which Evelyn helped to form. She was the editor of Votes For Women during the First World War. 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.

 National Library of Ireland Sheehy-Skeffington Papers, Collection List No.47; MS 33,605/1-29 https://letters1916.ie/item/3566 English Evelyn Sharp 1916-05-11 12 John Street, London, England Hanna Sheehy Skeffington Female 1955 Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 TELEPHONE,HOLBORN 5724. May 11: 1916: 16 John Street38, Douchty Street,Bedford Row W. C. Dear Mrs Sheehy Skeffington, I do not know how to write to youin your great sorrow. You will hear frommany who know you and knew your splendidhusband much better personally than myself,but I cannot refrain from sending you afew words to tell you how outraged I feel athis tragic fate and how deeply sympatheticwith you. The loss to our own cause is irrepa——rable, as it is to Ireland and to humanity,But his soul will go marching on: no one whoeven met him once for 5 minutes, as I did, candoubt that for a moment. You poor dear woman!Let me know if there is anything more we can do over here. At two United Suffragists' meetingsthis week, we told the audience what had happened,and they were profoundly moved, knowinghow much you and your husband had donefor our Cause. Mr. Nevinson has been splendid:I think it is very largely owing to his untiring effortsthat the affair was bought to light sopromptly in Parliament. Do not dream ofanswering this unless there is anything we cando for you over here— Mr. Laurence and MrLansbury have been working hard too. Yours with warmed—sympathy Evelyn Sharp Evelyn Sharp Letter from Evelyn Sharp to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 11 May 1916 12 John Street, London, England Letter from Evelyn Sharp to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 11 May 1916