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            <title type="main">Letter from Violet Tillard to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 8 May 1916</title>
            <title type="sub">Letters 1916-1923</title>
            <author>Violet Tillard</author>
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            <pubPlace>Vienna, AT</pubPlace>
            <date>2026</date>
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               <p>Letter from Violet Tillard (1874-1922) to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946)expressing her sympathy in regards to the death of Hanna's husband, Francis. She writes of his value in life and the honorable nature of his death, then closes by requesting that Hanna send for her should she require any assistance.

Violet Tillard was a suffragette, nurse, and pacifist, who worked to help conscientious objectors 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.</p>
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             Aberfoyle<lb/>New Road<lb/>Bookham<lb/>Surrey   <lb/> May. 8. <lb/>  Dear Mrs.Skeffington,  <lb/>Because of my nationality<lb/>I am almost ashamed to write to you but,<lb/>while we hope with all our hearts<lb/>that this report about Mr. Skeffington<lb/>is not true, I felt I must tell<lb/>you of my horror at the present<lb/>happenings &amp; extreme sympathy<lb/>with you in your trouble both<lb/>personal &amp; for Ireland. 
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             we cannot hear at all what has <lb/>happened to most of our friends. Delia <lb/>is naturally in a terrible state <lb/>of mind &amp; bitterly regrets having <lb/>been away from Dublin — personally <lb/>I begin to wonder whether those <lb/>who have gone over are not <lb/>better off than those of us <lb/>who remain to see everything <lb/>which makes life decent <lb/>destroyed. At all events your
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             husband &amp; and those others have been <lb/>able to make the supreme sacrifice <lb/>for a living ideal. &amp; they have <lb/>died resisting evil. here we <lb/>are welcoming it. With the <lb/>exception of a small body <lb/>of people — &amp; most of whom <lb/>will also be in prison before <lb/>very long probably.   All this doesn't express in <lb/>the least all I would like 
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             to say to you, but please believe <lb/>that our hearts are full of <lb/>sympathy &amp; let us know <lb/>if there is anything we can <lb/>do to help.   Yours Very Sincerely  Violet Tillard
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