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The History Sale 2015
www.adams.ie810
ROBERT CHILDERS BARTON (1881-75)
An ALS “to my dear Hamilton” from Gendalough
House, concerning an appointment of a judge.
“There are not many who jeopardised their future
by giving judgement on a National issue adverse
to the Cosgrave party’s standpoint at a time when
the dice appeared to be loaded in Cosgrave’s
favour”.”
Barton was an officer in The Royal Dublin Fusiliers
and was stationed in Dublin during the 1916 Easter
Rising. He resigned in protest at the heavy-handed
government suppression of the revolt and joined
the republican movement. At the 1918 general
election he was elected as Sinn Féin member
for West Wicklow. He was appointed Minister
for Agriculture in Dáil Éireann, later of Economic
Affairs. He travelled to London for the Treaty
negotiations and reluctantly signed the Treaty on 6
December 1921, defending it as” the lesser of two
outrages forced upon me and between which I had
to choose” but later rejected it. €400 - €600
811
LETTERS OF A PROTESTANT LADY,
1827-28
A good collection of about 12 autograph ‘letters
from my dearest aunt’, initials MEC, 1827-28,
mostly from her home in the Vale of Avoca,
Co. Wicklow, to a Miss Mordaunt in Brighton,
with one letter in a different hand. Mostly 2-3
pp, with postal markings, seals etc., and with
typed transcripts supplied. Includes an appalling
description of a Catholic funeral. ‘The Protestants,
thank God, are making many converts -- as far
as I can see with Popery goes Beggary & idleness
& error and fanaticism & these amongst the lower
orders are serious & mischievous evils -- I never
was so anti-Catholic as since I came to Ireland
-- & never so much so as since I saw an Irish
Catholic funeral. We were sitting quietly by the
fireside Wednesday morning -- when a shout or
roar was heard behind the house & suddenly a
party of men reeling staggering & shouting singing
& dancing came under the windows -- all well
dressed in long great coats, hats & each a sprig of
Shillelah (viz a stout stick) in their hands -- some
were on horseback & some on foot but all drunk
-- & all flourishing their sticks & shortly they were
about 30 or 40 in number -- & in the midst more
drunk than the rest reeled four men carrying on
a piece of plank supported by poles the Coffin
-- containing the body of the unfortunate woman
who was to be so interred .. They had been 8
miles round stopping at every public house to get
Whiskey .. The Protestants are not so savage
-- but more industrious and more rational -- the
Evangelistic party & the Protestant clergy are
doing a great deal & schools are established
everywhere, which receive both sects, Ca. & Pt.
There is a good clergyman here but it seems the
gentry are a little set against the poor who are I
suppose their tenants & don’t pay, & the misery
of some is dreadful to think of -- one visit to
a cabin made me heartsick for the day -- the
squalid unhealthy look of the children is the most
melancholy ..’ (the second letter, dated 6.3.27). An
interesting collection.
€200 - €300
812
AN ACCUSATION OF RIBBONISM
An autograph letter (unsigned) from 6 Leinster
Street, Dublin, 5 April 1837, to Rev. George
Trulock, Skreen Rectory, Dromore West,
mentioning a sworn accusation of Ribbonism
against the Master at Carraghmore in Achonry,
and asking for further details; also mentions the
finding of malt in Kilmactigue Schoolhouse by a
revenue official and asks again for more details.
€60 - €80
814
LETTERS OF A YOUNG LADY 1898-
1901
A box of about 100 autograph letters from a young
lady named ‘Sis’ Whelan, a shop worker initially at
Henry Lewis, Newtownbarry (Bunclody), later from
Whitegate, Co. Clare, addressed to a Mr. Eames,
c/o Fayle & Co., Parsonstown, mainly a romantic
correspondence, a few mentions of current events
such as Boer War. Mostly in original envelopes
with postage stamps, Postal markings etc.
Interesting social history. As a collection, w.a.f.
€50 - €60
Lot 810
Lot 811
Lot 812
Lot 814