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72 P.H. PEARSEAn important collection of five autograph signed letters to his legal advisers, Gerrard & Co. of Westmoreland St., Dublin, 1911-1912, on headed St. Enda’s paper, mostly
concerning financial and/or legal matters arising from his plans for St. Enda’s, some illustrating Pearse’s chronic shortage of money, as follows:
1. ALS on Sgoil Eanna paper, 24 Feb. 1911, objecting to a clause in a contract. ‘I am surely entitled to the lands and to all profits and emoluments accruing from them as
from August 1st. I accept the other figures and calculate that the amount due is therefore £92.4.1. P.S. - Please make out at once agreement for letting large lawn @ £57
from Mar. 1st to Feb. 1st, to Fallon, Rathfarnham, no responsibility for fencing etc. to be on me.’ With a good signature.
2. ALS on Sgoil Éanna paper, 28th June 1911, enclosing Mr. MacManus’ letter. ‘I think you may go ahead on the strength of this, especially as I told Mr. MacManus some
time ago that we were making an assignment to Mr. Dolan for the benefit of the two of them (Dolan and MacManus)’. This is probably the writer Seamus MacManus, one of
the backers for St. Enda’s. With a good signature.
3. A remarkable ALS dated 19th Oct. 1911, on Sgoil Eanna paper (large sheet). ‘I enclose cheque £52.10.0 and bill signed at bottom. It is better that I should meet neither
Vanston nor Farmer, as it would be difficult for me to restrain my inclination to assault them. I was very nearly assaulting Mr Vanston in a tramcar the other evening, but
was restrained by respect for his years and feebleness. So I gravely acknowledged his salute instead.’ With a bold signature, underscored.
4. ALS on Sgoil Éanna paper, 21st Feb. 1912. ‘Mr. Vanston has written me that unless I let him have cheque for £50 today he will at once issue writ for amt. of promissory
note, costs, and interest. I cannot, unfortunately, let him have it today .. Could you ring up Vanston and Farmer and do your best to get them to agree to either of my pro-
posals - (1) to renew the bill for a month, or (2) to wait until I can let them have the £50, which should not be very long.’ With a copy appended of Pearse’s letter to Vanston,
explaining that money from his pupils is slow coming in, one man’s little daughter ‘is this week undergoing an operation in which her life trembles in the balance, & in the
circumstances I do not care to write him’, etc.
5. ALS on Sgoil Eanna paper, 1st Sept. 1912, 2 pp, saying he now has £225.10s. in cash and promises, and listing ‘all those who served writs during last twelve months’,
including Farmer Bros. (Vanston, Solr.) and seven others, with reference numbers added in another hand. The amounts of the writs are not given here. ‘If all goes well
tomorrow, it is essential that all creditors should have communication Tuesday morning, explaining the situation.’ With a good signature, underscored.
These letters appear to be unpublished, and some of the detailed information is new, particularly the list of writs outstanding (item 5). The threat of personal violence in
item 3 is striking, coming from the usually urbane and unflappable Pearse. He never had the capital needed to establish St. Enda’s securely, and this letter vividly indicates
his frustration. Messrs. Farmers were the builders making alterations at The Hermitage for St. Enda’s; Vanston was their solicitor. The correspondence is generally in very
good clean condition.
€ 4,000 - 6,000