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            <title type="main">Letter from Sharman D Neill to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916</title>
            <title type="sub">Letters 1916-1923</title>
            <author>Sharman D Neill</author>
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            <date>2026</date>
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               <p>Letter from Sharman D Neill (1858-1934) to  Edward Carson (1854-1935). Carson was a prominent Unionist Politician. Originally a practicing solicitor from Dublin, Carson's opposition to the proposed third Home Rule bill made him the figure head of Unionism throughout the island. He was the centerpiece of the speaking tour that culminated in Ulster Day (28 September 1912), when just under half a million signed Ulster's solemn league and covenant pledging to use ‘all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a home rule parliament in Dublin’. Carson inaugurated the Larne gunrunning in 1914 which armed the UVF, many of whom Carson would encourage to join the British Army throughout the First World War.. Neill was one of the finest Irish silversmiths of the late 19th century and designer of the cap badges of the Ulster Volunteer Force from 1912 until 1914. Neill would lose both of his sons in the First World War. </p>
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              <date>1916-10-07</date>
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               <item n="death">1934</item>
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             <hi rend="underline">Private</hi>   22 Donegall Place Belfast,  Oct 7 1916  <lb/>IRISH SILVER FACTORY- 14. FADE ST ., DUBLIN   Dear Sir Edward Carson   Although I have never taken any active part in Politics I am constrained to <lb/>offer you the opinion of a plain man in the street which I know is the opinion <lb/>of many others like myself —   It seems to me in this hour of the Empires urgency for Man Power, you have <lb/>a supreme opportunity to show the bona fides of Ulsters <sic>Attatchment</sic> to the Empire. <lb/>Why not offer on behalf of the Six Counties to agree to Conscription?    The friends of those Conscripted (even if the police would not) would see <lb/>to it that any Nationalist who crossed their borders to take the place of <lb/>men called up, would automaticaly be arrested &amp; made to serve. <lb/>This would to my mind effectually put out of Court the Nationalists, before <lb/>the bar of public opinion in England, unless they fell into line, which <lb/>there seems to be no prospect of their doing.   It would definately kill Home Rule for it would seperate the Six <lb/>Counties from the rest of Ireland by a barrier that could never <lb/>be broken down.   We know Conclusively the Nationalists will never accept Home Rule <lb/>with the Six Counties left out.   Many many of us Unionists feel deeply humiliated that so many <lb/>hundreds of eligible men calling themselves Unionists, are sheltering <lb/>themselves and their sons under the Nationalist umbrella. <lb/>A Unionist cannot logically object to doing his part for the <lb/>Empire in her hour of need.   Now is the time Sir to speak out and save our province from <lb/>the lasting stigma of cowardice and our Beloved Division from extinction.   I remain <hi rend="underline">with</hi> humble apologies <lb/>Yours faithfully   <hi rend="underline">Sharman D Neill</hi> 
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            <noteGrp><note target="item__0527.xml" type="mentions">Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 29 May 1916</note><note target="item__1130.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Sir Dawson Bates to Edward Carson, 2 December 1915</note><note target="item__1135.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William Robert Young to Edward Carson, 9 July 1916</note><note target="item__1137.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 20 July 1916</note><note target="item__2224.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Hugh de Fellenerg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 31 May 1916</note><note target="item__2229.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 9 June 1916</note><note target="item__2232.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Hugh de Fellenberg Montgomery to Edward Carson, 9 June 1916</note><note target="item__2313.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Frederick Hugh Crawford to Edward Carson, 8 March 1916</note><note target="item__3996.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Edward Carson to Thomas McGregor Greer, 12 July 1916</note><note target="item__4136.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Sir Edward Carson to Sir Robert Ponsonby Staples, 10 December 1915</note><note target="item__4285.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 19 November 1915</note><note target="item__4287.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William R. Young to Edward Carson, 2 November 1915</note><note target="item__4288.xml" type="mentions">Letter from J.M. Wilson to Edward Carson, 3 November 1915</note><note target="item__4289.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Turner Oliver Read to Edward Carson, 12 November 1915</note><note target="item__4290.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William R. Young to Edward Carson, 12 November 1915</note><note target="item__4292.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Harold Tennant to  Edward Carson, 17 November 1915</note><note target="item__4294.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Henry Mulholland to Pembroke Wicks, circa November 1915</note><note target="item__4295.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Wilfrid Spender to Edward Carson,  25 November 1915</note><note target="item__4296.xml" type="mentions">Letter Wilfrid Spender to Edward Carson, 3 December 1915</note><note target="item__4298.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 4 December 1915</note><note target="item__4299.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Robert Thompson to Edward Carson, 18 December 1915</note><note target="item__4300.xml" type="mentions">Letter from W.T. Bailey to Edward Carson, 22 December 1915</note><note target="item__4301.xml" type="mentions">Letter from General Nevil Macready to Edward Carson, 1 May 1916</note><note target="item__4302.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 2 May 1916</note><note target="item__4303.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Horace Plunkett to Edward Carson, 4 May 1916</note><note target="item__4304.xml" type="mentions">Postcard to Edward Carson, 4 May 1916</note><note target="item__4305.xml" type="mentions">Letter from D.P. Barton to Edward Carson, 5 May 1916</note><note target="item__4307.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Edward Carson to Herbert Asquith, 9 May 1916</note><note target="item__4309.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Herbert Asquith to Edward Carson, 10 May 1916</note><note target="item__4311.xml" type="mentions">Copy of a letter from John Crozier to Edward Carson, 9 May 1916</note><note target="item__4312.xml" type="mentions">Letter from J.M. Wilson to Edward Carson, 11 May 1916</note><note target="item__4313.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 15 May 1916</note><note target="item__4315.xml" type="mentions">Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 3 June 1916</note><note target="item__4317.xml" type="mentions">Letter from G.L. Moore to Edward Carson, 6 June 1916</note><note target="item__4318.xml" type="mentions">Letter from sir William Robert Robertson to Edward Carson, 7 June 1916</note><note target="item__4320.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Nevil Macready to Edward Carson, 8 June 1916</note><note target="item__4321.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Arthur Warren Samuels to Edward Carson, 14 June 1916</note><note target="item__4322.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Frederick Stringer Wrench to Edward Carson, 15 June 1916</note><note target="item__4323.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 15 June 1916</note><note target="item__4326.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 17 June 1916</note><note target="item__4327.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 17 June 1916</note><note target="item__4329.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 21 June 1916</note><note target="item__4331.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Ronald McNeill to Edward Carson, 22 June 1916</note><note target="item__4332.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Crozier to Edward Carson, 26 June 1916</note><note target="item__4333.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Charles F. Down to Edward Carson, 28 June 1916</note><note target="item__4335.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 29 June 1916</note><note target="item__4336.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Archibald Salvidge to Edward Carson, 30 June 1916</note><note target="item__4338.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 1 July 1916</note><note target="item__4339.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Charles Clements to Edward Carson, 3 July 1916</note><note target="item__4343.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 5 July 1916</note><note target="item__4346.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Horace Plunkett to Edward Carson, 5 July 1916</note><note target="item__4347.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Charles F Down to Edward Carson, 8 June 1916</note><note target="item__4350.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Herbert Samuel to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916</note><note target="item__4351.xml" type="mentions">Letter from William Martin to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916</note><note target="item__4352.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Travers R. Blackley to Edward Carson, 11 July 1916</note><note target="item__4354.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Travers R. Blackley to Edward Carson, 13 July 1916</note><note target="item__4356.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Pembroke Wicks to Edward Carson, 14 July 1916</note><note target="item__4358.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Somerset Francis Saunderson to Edward Carson, 15 July 1916</note><note target="item__4359.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Edward Carson to William Martin, 17 July 1916</note><note target="item__4362.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Herbert Samuel to Edward Carson, 21 July 1916</note><note target="item__4363.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 21 July 1916</note><note target="item__4365.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Strachey to Edward Carson, 27 July 1916</note><note target="item__4366.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Alexander McDowell to Edward Carson, 5 October 1916</note><note target="item__4367.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916</note><note target="item__4368.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Sharman D Neill to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916</note><note target="item__4369.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Strachey to Edward Carson, 7 October 1916</note><note target="item__4370.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Rosalind Hamilton to Edward Carson, 10 October 1916</note><note target="item__4371.xml" type="mentions">Letter to Edward Carson, 14 October 1916</note><note target="item__4373.xml" type="mentions">Letter from David Lloyd George to Edward Carson, 14 October 1916</note><note target="item__4374.xml" type="mentions">Letter from J. Beatty to Edward Carson, 16 October 1916</note><note target="item__4882.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Edward Carson to Richard Dawson Bates, 21 April 1919</note></noteGrp></person>
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