1
2 South Circular Road
Portobello. 19 May 1916 My dear Ms.Skeffington Owen was splendid yesterday
and I hope he enjoyed himself.
He is a dear little fellow. Please send him round to see me
when you like. I will always be
glad to see him. Believe me you have my heartfelt
sympathy. I cannot get the horror
out of my mind — Yours sincerely
Francis Fletcher-Vane
of Hatton.
Major. I need hardly tell you that anything I can do
to help you, I will do to the very best of
my power and I am near at hand.
Note from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane (1861-1934) to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946)
regarding his day out with her son Owen (1909-1970) and offering her any assistance
she may need.
Major Sir Francis Patrick Fletcher-Vane was a British officer in command of Portobello
Barracks. When he learned about the activities of Captain J.C.Bowen-Colthurst during
Easter Week he reported the matter to his superiors but, sensing a cover-up, he went
to London and reported it directly to Lord Kitchener and Maurice Bonham Carter, Private
Secretary to the Prime Minister. Although Bowen-Colthurst was court-martialled and
found guilty, Vane was 'retired' from the military for his actions.
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.