Letter from Edith Sanderson to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 10 November 1915 Letters 1916-1923

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

This is an open access work licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Letter from Edith Sanderson regarding recent personal events and to tell her that they can not write an article for the upcoming "Citizen" edition. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946), 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 33,604/13-4 https://letters1916.ie/item/3724 English 1915-11-10 Hanna Sheehy Skeffington Female Politics Country and City Life

The data in these XML files was generated based on a data dump from the Magellan database (https://github.com/Maynooth-Center-for-Digital-Humanities/Magellan). Each database record has been converted to a JSON file (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/json). The element section of the JSON file contains the TEI-encoded contents of the letters. The TEI XML has been cleaned and made well-formed using a Python script (https://github.com/letters1916static/letters-data/tree/main/src).

 7 Mt Temple Tce Dalkey Rd Nov 10th Dear Mrs Skeffington I went to the Four Courts this morning & heard the Seduction Case Seeds v. Becks. I wish most heartily I knew more of the ropes— I wonder if it could be possible for Miss Duggan to give those anxious to attend Court a few hints as to legal positions procedure etc! This Case appeared very peculiar to my ignorant eyes. The two Counsel were deep in conversation when M Staunton & I got into our seats at five minutes to eleven. & at five minutes past they were still discussing the case. I could catch a word here & there & I suspected the matter would be settled out of court however his Lordship made his appearance (Mr Justice Dodd) to be told he was rather soon! So he retired. Then the Registrar who went out with him came & beckoned to the plaintiff Counsel who also retired! At last they all came back. & I heard the plaintiff's Counsel say "That's all right - I'll just say ------------- something or other. The jury was sworn & the case stated in a few words. Bech., a young farmer aged 21 had seduced Lizzie Seeds aged 24 eldest daughter of — Seeds farmer the seduction had been denied but that was withdrawn & the matter for the jury would simply be a question of damages — Then the girl a slim delicate looking creature very "ladylike"! was put in the witness box. The judge objected saying ""I understand our purpose is to save the girl. So she may stand down. We only want to prove position etc. Call the father." The father 3 an eminently respectable, indeed fine looking man of superior class gave evidence as to his daughters age. Mother delicate family of 6. Eldest girl practically mistress of the farm. Baby born March. Girl and child still living with him & he intended keeping them, told what he knew of defendant well to do farmer aged 21. Nothing more.. JW Justice Dodd then turned to the jury & said that in view of the fact that the boy had withdrawn the denial to spare the girlhe would simply ask the jury to award £120. Remembering that the boy was a minor & in fact to do so the common sense plan with the law was always the best & he thought such a verdict wld satisfy everyone — this was agreed to with some question of waiting 21 days, which I couldn't understand or follow. But Oh the callousness of the whole affair! of course the girl had been to blame. It takes two but she had suffered more than any man could ever guess & to have these men laugh & quote Shakespere's Connection with Anne Hathaway, talk about human nature & dismiss that girl & her baby with a wave of the hand & the insufficient sum of £120 made my blood boil. I overheard two men say talk as we left court — one said — "Im glad that case was settled like that" "Yes" said the other "I hate these cases"! That was all! That silly brazen looking boy got off with a lightened pocket. The girl has a millstone round her neck for the rest of her life. My jury once makes it impossible for me to write anything for the Citizen but perhaps you can pick a word or two out of this that might serve. Friday is the Conference of reference to Women position in Industry. They want me to write an account for your paper 6 I wish I had chosen someone better able but I'll do my best to send you an idea as to how things go. With heaps of apologies for this scrawl. Yrs vy sincerely Edith Sanderson I was at Lady Wrights this afternoon a "Dublin Union of Women Workers" is fait accompli, the Vice presidents were chosen, also provisional Committee. Miss James of the U.U.W.W. spoke splendidly. The idea if Gork if it could be worked — the Cooperation of all women workers of all shades of opinions & aims, I guess the Joint Committee may lapse! Lady Fryell. Lady Arnott, Lady Wright. Mrs Haslam & Mrs White & another are Vice president Miss R. Barrett. Miss Buchanan. Miss Hayden Mrs etc. etc. are on the provisional Committee.