Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to Sir John Maxwell, 20 May 1916. Letters 1916-1923 Henry Lemass

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Francis Sheehy Skeffington (1878-1916) was a pacifist, feminist, and suffragist, a freelance journalist and an author. During the Easter Rising he was on the streets trying to muster a civilian force to prevent looting. On 25 April 1916, Skeffington, and two others, pro-British journalists, Thomas Dixon and Patrick McIntyre, were arrested by Captain J.C. Bowen-Colthurst (1880-1966), an Anglo-Irish officer of the Royal Irish Regiment. On 26 April all three were summarily executed by firing squad at Portobello Barracks. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, (1877-1946), suffragette, nationalist, language teacher, 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 and it wasn't until almost two weeks later that the full detail emerged. Sir John Maxwell (1859 - 1929) was primarily responsible for government policy in the immediate aftermath of the Rising. Henry Lemass is acting for Hanna Sheehy-Sheffington in the matter of the murder of her husband and subsequent raids on their home by the military. The solicitor requests all letters, papers, and other documents taken from the person of Mr. Sheehy-Skeffington or from his residence, or an opportunity to view and copy them in good time before an inquiry, and that they be produced at the inquiry. He asks for full details of the circumstances of the arrest and execution of Mr. Sheehy-Skeffington and details in relation to the raids on Mr. Sheehy-Skeffington's residence and those involved in them. Mrs. Sheehy-Skeffington's two sisters called to Portobello Barracks enquiring after Mr. Sheehy-Skeffington and were questioned and detained there for some time – reports and explanations of this incident are also requested. This copy was enclosed in a letter, (MS6387/23/1) of 23 May 1916 from the writer to John Dillon MP. This letter also survives.

 Trinity College Dublin Ms. 6837/23/4 https://letters1916.ie/item/5872 English Henry Lemass 1916-05-20 Parliament Chambers, 31 Parliament Street, Dublin, Ireland. Sir John C.Maxwell Parkgate, Dublin, Ireland. Male Easter Rising Ireland 1916 Easter Rising Ireland 1916

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 Copy May 20th Sir, Referring to previous correspondence with you on the subject of the Public Investigation which in accordance with the promise of the Prime Minister in the House of Commons is to be made into the circumstances under which Mr. F. Sheehy Skeffington met with his death — I now beg to make formal application that all letters papers and other documents whether taken from the person of the Deceased or seized at his residence should be returned to me forthwith. In the alternative I would ask that I should be afforded an opportunity of examining these documents a sufficient time before the Inquiry to enable me to master their contents and make copies of such as I may consider necessary and in addition that they should be produced at the Inquiry. I would also ask you to let me know at your earliest convenience the time when, the place where and the grounds upon which Mr. Sheehy Skeffington was arrested; I should also be furnished with the names and rank of the parties who effected the arrest, also of the persons who were present at the trial (if any), at the execution and at the subsequent search of Mr. Sheehy Skeffington's residence and in addition the name and rank of the several persons interviewed by Mrs. Kettle and Mrs. Culhane when they called at Portobello Barracks. I must also seek to be furnished with a copy of every report by whomsoever made which was reduced to writing dealing either with the arrest trial or execution of Mr. Sheehy Skeffington or verifying the cause of death or explaining the reasons why the search was made at Mr. Sheehy Skeffington's residence after his arrest, why Mrs. Kettle and Mrs. Culhane were placed under temporary arrest, why my client has not yet received any official notification of the death of her husband and why her request that his remains should be handed over to her for burial was altogether ignored. I have no doubt that the Authorities will be only too anxious to facilitate a thorough investigation of all the circumstances under which Mr. Sheehy Skeffington met with his death. They will I feel sure recognise that unless the information asked for above is supplied to me that I will not be in a position to deleted text properly instruct the Counsel who will appear at the Inquiry on behalf of my client. Of course all the information asked for should be given some days before the actual date of the Inquiry that all documents having any bearing on the matter should be available for my inspection several days before and should be produced at the Inquiry. Your obedient servant, Henry Lemass Sir John G. Maxwell Commanding-in-chief the Forces in Ireland Parkgate Dublin. Henry Lemass Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to John Dillon, 23 May 1916.Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to John Dillon, 16 June 1916.Printed copy of letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to Herbert Henry Asquith, 13 June 1916.Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to Sir John Maxwell, 20 May 1916. Parkgate, Dublin, Ireland. Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to Sir John Maxwell, 20 May 1916. Parliament Chambers, 31 Parliament Street, Dublin, Ireland. Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to John Dillon, 23 May 1916.Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to John Dillon, 16 June 1916.Printed copy of letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to Herbert Henry Asquith, 13 June 1916.Letter from Henry Lemass, solicitor, to Sir John Maxwell, 20 May 1916.