Letter from Maurice Wilkins to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 3 May 1916 Letters 1916-1923 Maurice Wilkins

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Letter from Maurice Wilkins to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946) concerning the murder of Hanna's husband, Francis. Maurice expresses his sadness regarding the event and the rumour that surrounded it, as well as elaborating on the character of Francis' life and the effects his death will have. Maurice Wilkins was a suffragist who helped to produce the "Irish Citizen", a suffragette newspaper. Wilkins was also the husband of Eva Wilkins (née Stephenson) who spent time in Holloway prison for suffrage activism in 1910. 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 33,605/3-10 https://letters1916.ie/item/3609 English Maurice Wilkins 1916-05-03 9 Dunville Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland Hanna Sheehy Skeffington Male Easter Rising Ireland 1916 Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 9 Dunville AvenueRathminesDublin 3rd May, 1916 My dear Mrs Skeffington I have been for sometime dumbly anxious to let you have aword from me to tell you, howeverinadequately, what we have beenfeeling about Frank's death, — hisheroic death, — and about his life too,for his life and death were of the samepattern. For a number of days we,in common with many others, were in astate of horrible uncertainty about him,— afraid of every rumour, hating to credit the wickedness which made itpossible to murder wantonly such alife as his, and yet forced to a slowand reluctant conviction of the dreadfulreality. One thing that made itcredible was the agreement of what wewere told of his last moments with theunflinching character and devotion toprinciple which we knew so well;another was the conspiracy of officialsilence regarding his fate which revealedso truly the nature of the hostile elementwhich dared to kill him in violationnot only of constitutional right andof the law of humanity, but wen ofthe laws of war, — but did not dare to avow publicly the murder. He hasbeen killed for his principles, — killedbecause he was an outspoken andfearless opponent of every tyrannyand lying pretence; because also hewas in the truest sense an uncomprom—ising Nationalist; but more than allI believe, because he dared to standfor peace and for the internationalfriendship of peoples. The last has been,doubtless, his crowning offence againstthe ruling powers. He will live notonly as one of the national martyrsof Ireland, but as a martyr ofinternational humanity, as a martyr in the cause of oppressed womanhood andof the trampled multitudes of everyclime and age. I cannot think of him as dead: itseems altogether unreal. He was thevery embodiment of life in its bestand highest quality. Utterly brave, hehad yet no trace of bitterness orarrogance or contemptuousness. Utterlyuncompromising in his demands uponhimself, he was yet tolerant of others'weaknesses and kindly and unruffledwen in the most critical of moments.To me he has been for years an idealfigure. It is truer for me to say thatof him than any other whom I have 9 Dunville AvenueRathminesDublin known personally. I have wondered athim, looked up to him, and loved him.Now I feel not unlike a disciple whosemaster has been taken away, for therewas no one else like him and for methere is a gap left which can neverbe filled. There was a spiritualkeenness and moral tonic about him,a strength and inspiration, and acourage and selflessness which was allhis own. His intellect and energy werea marvel to me, but even they were notwhat made his deeper influence. I cannot think of him as dead,and I do not believe that he isdead. A spirit like his is quenchless.Bullets cannot end or destroy it. Theworld of aspiration and thought, ofenergy of mind and heart, in whichhe dwelt must have a reality andpermanent quality superior to that ofthe leaves which fall and perish.Like him, I turn aside fromreligious orthodoxies of every brand,but nothing can annihilate myfaith: somehow, in the immortalnature of life and especially of itsnobler forms of consciousness. His death and the manner of it may work as a potent influence to do morefor the causes which he had at heartthan years of plodding work wouldhave accomplished. I pray andbelieve that it will be so. Ireland andthe world, if they are in one sensethe poorer for his loss, in another waywill be compensatingly enriched bythe nobility of the life so barbarouslycut off. Tyranny, in his case, willhave overreached itself. As I writethese words, I feel the uselessnessof words to appease the source ofpersonal bereavement. I am hauntedby it: what it must be to you andto Owen I can only guess. We must mourn, Dublin must mourn, his lossas well as that of many another ofher bravest and best; — and yet Iknow that Frank himself would wishus to have done with sorrow as soonas might be. With deepest sympathy from Eveand myself. Ever your sincere friend,Maurice Wilkins 9 Dunville Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland Letter from Maurice Wilkins to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 3 May 1916 Maurice Wilkins Letter from Maurice Wilkins to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 3 May 1916