Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915 Letters 1916-1923 Celia Duffin

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).

This letter is from Celia Duffin (1888-1979) to her sister, Ruth Duffin. Celia Duffin, born in 1888, was one of Adam and Maria Duffin's nine children. She attended the Cheltenham Ladies College. She served in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) during the First World War. Celia Duffin along with her sister Ruth published a book of poems titled "Escape Poem" (illustrated by their sister Emma Duffin) and published by Maunsell & Co. Ltd in 1929. This letter is part of a rich correspondence between various members of the Duffin family, a large prosperous family living in Strandtown, Belfast. Several family members served in the war, including Major Terence Duffin, who served as a staff officer with 107 Brigade, and later with Royal Irish Rifles; Major Charles G Duffin MC, Royal Field Artillery; and their sisters Emma, Celia and Dorothy who served as Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADS) in Egypt and France, and with the YMCA.

 Public Record Office of Northern Ireland Duffin Family Papers, D2109/9/4/B/12 https://letters1916.ie/item/4220 English Celia Duffin 1915-11-03 Ruth Duffin 3rd London General Hospital, London, England Female 1979 World War I (1914-1918) World War I (1914-1918) Personal Relations

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).

 Nov. 9th 1915 To Middle Hall 3rdLondon General Dear Ruth I have owed you a letter for some time to really its hard to find time to write to all the family they are so scattered at present. I wonder how you are getting on, I have heard little of you, write and tell me about the students. How many have you got now? Do you find it hard to keep them in order? Its funny to think of Biddy being there. Mrs MacLeod was enquiring about her. I went to her again last half day. It was pouring outside and I was very tired, so I ended up in a big chair by the fire and she recited to me for ages. She must have a wonderful memory. You don't know how nice an armchair and a fire are until you have been running about on your feet all week. I didn't bother to talk much and stayed for dinner. A Mrs Brown was there for tea who made pretty speeches about my poems. I would love to get home for Xmas, but of course there is no chance of it. I have been here 5 months now and suppose will be asked to sign on again soon. They asked some of us to volunteer for a hospital ship yes— terday but I didn't think I was a good enough sailor. I think when my 6 months are up I shall try to join Emma in Egypt — We get quite responsible work to do now, always under supervision of course. I expect to spend this afternoon in the theatre, but none o#f the operations are bad ones, and I am getting rather good with people's tonsils and noses. One of the men has written a lovely poem about me and the ear syringe, I must get a copy of it. Mrs MacLeod was going to tea with Mrs Harker and was so surprised when I told her I had first been there. I spent an evening with Miss July who was all over me and kissed me when I was going away, she loves her work, and though offered a good post by the War Office would not leave for anything! A queer little French nun who knows no English looks after her rooms, and we had supper with all the other boarders, a queer — looking crew. The Mother Superior apologised for 'pas de viande' as it was a fast day. I went with Mrs Monaghan to have tea and dinner with her people at Ealing. I wasn't much taken with them, though they were very kind, and are is very pretty. Marjorie is cook at one of the hostels here and gets £1 a week, which is pretty good. She is a great talker, rather fat and jolly, and business like — I have just have an affectionate letter from Evelyn Henry asking me to Hurlingham again but I have booked up my next two or 3 half days and it is too far to go in my 3 hours off. I want to get the St John overcoat & hat, this cloak is a miserable garment and very cold now, but will have to wait till I get my next month's pay, as I suppose Garrold's would expect cash. I never write a line, what have you been doing? Please send me a copy of the "Lovers Toll" for Mrs MacLeod the next time you write. Best love, Celia. Ruth Duffin Letter from Terrence Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 10 December 1915.Letter from Olive Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 31 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 6 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915Letter from Dorothy Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 29 November 1915 Celia Duffin Letter from Emma Duffin to her sister Celia Duffin, 29 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 24 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, February 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 22 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 15 March 1916Letter from Helen Duffin to Celia Duffin, 16 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 6 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Auntie D, 3 December 1915Letter from Emma Duffin to Celia Duffin, 15 January 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915letter from Anna Duffin to Celia Duffin, 3 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 13 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 6 February 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 9 January 1916Letter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 27 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, 14 February, 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Maria Duffin to Celia Duffin, 19 March 1916Letter from A. Duffin to Celia Duffin, 2 March 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria DuffinLetter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 10 February 1916Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother, Thursday November,1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 3 November 1915.Letter from Celia Duffin to her mother Maria Duffin, November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 18 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 26 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 1915 3rd London General Hospital, London, England Letter from Celia Duffin to Ruth Duffin, 6 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 8 December 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to Adam Duffin, 9 December 1915From Celia Duffin to Maria Duffin, 9 April 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her sister Ruth, 3 November 1915Letter from Celia Duffin to her aunt, 18 November 1915