Bennett's of Ballinacurra Descriptive List (Ref. B609)

B609/

B609/9/B/2 John H Bennett, letters received from his son John H Bennett, and letters of sympathy on the death of his son and on that of his wife, Brida (1915- 16, 1905, 1918, 1925). This file contains three letters from Jack Bennett to his father, from School and from the War, and a large number of letters of sympathy received by Bennett following Jack’s death in action in October 1915, and the death of his wife in April 1916. A small number of other items, listed below, are also present. The letters from Jack are dated 23 March 1905, and 20 and 24 September 1915. Persons and bodies writing to Bennett to express sympathy include the following [arranged chronologically, from October 1915 to May 1916, as they occur]: Gerald LM McElligott, Wigan (1 st Royal Munster Fusiliers); Edward Gaffney, Downside School; Ethel Laun, Pitlochry, Perthshire; Select Vestry, Midleton Parish; William R Burton, Ipswich; John Perrin, Hoylake; Albert [WJ Luke], Aghada Camp; Petty Sessions Office, Midleton; Ballinacurra Workingmen’s Club; GS Peake, 1 st Cavalry Division; Herbert Hunter; [ ], Shiels Court, Brundall, Norwich [page missing]. Also present are a newscutting forwarded by Lady Swinfen, Co Clare; an ms transcript of a poem, ‘Sons of Britannia’, which first appeared in Punch, Spring 1891; Pamphlet of the poem ‘To The Day’, by WS Pakenham-Walsh. Two other letters are present in the file. The first is to Bennett from his friend Marshall Harry Humphreys, from Spa, Belgium, shortly after the Armistice (letter dated 3 December 1918). The second is to Bennett from his daughter Gwendoline regarding her journey to visit the cemetery where Jack is buried, at Dud’s Corner, near Loos, France (25 April 1925). She writes ‘I think I never set my foot in a lonelier spot all my life’. At the back of the file is a copy of ‘Our Heroes’ a supplement to ‘Irish Life’, 26 November 1915, containing short biographies and photographs of fallen soldiers, including Jack Bennett. B609/9/B/3 Small file, John H Bennett, personal letters, 1924. Two letters present. Includes a letter, 18 September 1924, from RM Pollack, 48 Upper Leeson St, Dublin, thanking Bennett for his and referring to the Campbells’ new home in Bray; Letter, 22 September 1924, from JC Campbell, Highnam Lodge, Bray, Co Wicklow, in reply to Bennett’s, commenting on his retirement from the Department of Agriculture and his new home.

B609/9/B/4 Letter, dated 30 April 1934, from John H Bennett to Exhams, solicitors, releasing Rev PE Prince (husband of his sister Janie) from repayments owed to him [see also B609/9/A/27].

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