Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 17 July 1916
Whitehall Place, S.W. 17th July 1916. My Dear Mrs Skeffington, In have but now only returned from
Essex, were I was with, (all yesterday),
Mr H.G.Wells — with whom among
other things I discussed the Irish question,
and made him understand it. Though
so brilliant a man, I do not really
believe that he has quite grasped the
recent developments of it, but now I feel
sure he does. Being away, therefore, I could not arrange
for the meeting between you and Mr Bonham
Carter, and I am not sure that even if it
had been here, that it would have been
wise. You see the Prime Minister has
all the papers, is dealing with these papers,
is forced to attend to my claims through 2
your lamentable affair, and has promised
1 To institute the Inquiry 2 To see according
to his public statement as to my action,
justice done. The admission which he has made of the
justice of my case is a portion, the admission
of yours, therefore I do not think that
we need trouble about the matter so far. I put the Government under an obligation to
me - the obligation involved a great injustice
to you. If the 1st, so must be the 2nd. I leave here my declaration only signed
by me and witnessed by a Magistrate.
I do not think that they can send me
away out of recall as a witness, and
if they do, they must use this affidavit
as evidence. I will let you know anything which happens,
and you will do the same. My love and good comradeship to my
young friend Owen. Yours very sincerely
Francis Vane of Hutton .
Major. 3 Have I to pay up at once?
Dr Js account
How soon moving? Part
the property?
Vane
Asquith
Healy
Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane (1861-1934) to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946) detailing his recent activities. Aside from visiting H.G. Wells, Vane discusses his recent dealings with British politicians regarding an inquiry into the death of Francis Sheehy Skeffington during Easter Week. 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.
How to cite
Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__3869.html)
- Place
- National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London, England
- Mentioned in
- Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 7 June 1916
- Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 28 July 1916
- Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 20 July 1916
- Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 17 July 1916
- Mentioned in
-
- Postcard from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 25 July 1916
- Note from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 16 May 1916
- Note from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 19 May 1916
- Note from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 21 May 1916
- Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 7 June 1916
- Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 28 July 1916
- Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 20 July 1916
- Letter from Major Francis Fletcher-Vane to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, 17 July 1916
- Letter from Francis Fletcher-Vane to Joseph Cyrillus Walsh, 23 June 1917