CARSON (Edward Henry, Baron, 1854-1935, Attorney-General and Cabinet Minister, Ulster Leader & Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)

Autograph letter signed, to William T. Kirkpatrick thanking him for his note and saying that “the time you mention for letting your place would not be convenient to me as I cannot leave England till Aug 15th and do not want to return till 20th Oct; & have almost abandoned the idea of taking a place in Ireland...”, 2 sides 8vo., with original autograph envelope, 39 Rutland Gate headed paper, 30th June

Sir Edward was a powerful orator, and one of the leaders against Home Rule for Ireland. In 1912 Sir Edward organised the Ulster Volunteers, and on 28th September, at an enormous meeting in Belfast, took the lead in signing a solemn convenant to defeat Home Rule and to refuse to recognise a separate Home Rule Parliament. The following autumn the Ulster Unionist Council organised itself, under his supervision, into a provisional Government, with a fund of £1,000,000 to which he contributed £10,000. After the war he declared that, though Ulster did not ask for a parliament, she would do her best to make it a success, with the result that the Unionists had an overwhelming majority in the first Ulster Parliament of May 1921.
The recipient is possibly William Thompson Kirkpatrick (1848-1921) who was an Irish teacher and grammar school headmaster. He is best known for having been the tutor of the two Lewis brothers from Belfast, Warnie Lewis and C.S. Lewis. C.S. Lewis lived as a resident pupil with Kirkpatrick from 1914-1917 and in his autobiography reported that he was significantly influenced by his tutor.

Item Date:  1896

Stock No:  42014      £475

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