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Family, and family history, correspondence of the Hon. Geoffrey L. Parsons, including: a letter from his father, the 4th Earl, just before the latter’s death; letters from his brother, the 5th Earl, who writes from the Front during the First World
War, and a letter reporting that the 5th Earl has been seriously wounded; letters from Anthony de Brie, a portrait-painter, about his portraits of the 4th Earl and of Parsons’s wife; letters from Dr Otto Boeddicker offering items of antique furniture for sale; and an envelope of newspaper cuttings and other material concerning the family collected by Geoffrey Parsons, c.1915-55. [For letters to Geoffrey Parsons from his uncle, Sir Charles Parsons, see Section R.]

File of photographs of friends, acquaintances and unidentified portraits.
The file contains a wide variety of photographs. One notable example includes a photo of 'little Henry' baring the inscription 'for Sheelah with love and best wishes'.
Another notable photograph is that of Edward Aurelian Ridsdale. Attached to the back of the photograph is a copy of a letter of condolence from Sir Frederick Treves to Lady Ridsdale. The letter dated 8 Sept 1925 expresses Fredrick's admiration for Edward Aurelian Ridsdale. He writes 'During the war, he bore upon his shoulders the heaviest burden of the Red Cross work. He sought no prominent position no applause and indeed not even thanks. He thought never of himself but undertook whatever duty- agreeable or disagreeable came in his way. His absolute integrity, his unselfishness, his devotion is the cause and his great administrative ability did more than did the work of any other man to make the Red Cross organisation the success it was in the great war.' 2 framed photographs of an unidentified soldier.

Letters sent by and sent to Theodora Trench from 1913 until 1917.

During this Theodora volunteered with the Red Cross as a Chauffeuse and as such the file contains letter relating to this. Examples include two 1916 letters from the Royal Automobile Club regarding driving tests and a 1916 letter from the Red Cross Voluntary aid detachment informing members of their latest activities.

The file also includes a copy of a letter from Moscow dated Oct 9th 1917. The letter discusses the increasing difficulty faced by those who wish to travel, 'It is no easy matter to get to Petrograd now-a-days; one has first to get permission from the commissaire of the town here and then get a ticket, and it is by no means easy to get either. , but got there at 12.10, and found the place shut'. The letter also discusses the hostility within society 'They seem to be taken by a sort of wave of madness, which brings out all the brute in them'.

Ms letter to Banagher Local Pensions Allotment Board from P. J. Molloy regarding the grant paid to his mother. Letter states that both his parents are ill and unable to survive on the present grant of 9s 2d. With annotation from Major Rogers endorsing the application.

Two requisition forms of Banagher district of King's County Relief Committee relating to monthly (September and November 1917) advance from Treasurer of County Local Pension Committee.
With ms. letter of 30th October relating to alterations in the requisition form.

Nine memoranda from A & L Goodbody Solicitors Dublin re Belgian Relief fund.
Memorandae requests information as to how many refugees are in Banagher and details of monies being forwarded for the maintenance of the refugees.

Three letters from Ms Theresa Harton, 25 Belsize Park Gardens, South Hampstead to R. H. Moore regarding the use of her house in Banagher for the housing of Belgian refugees. On March 22 1915 she writes 'I should let the committee continue to have the use of the house if they agree to give it up on a month notice as I think we ought to help the Belgians as much as possible'.

One page of accounts showing income and expenditure of Banagher Refugee accounts.
One page of accounts (postage) relating to Banagher Refugee Committee (April 1916).
Receipt from Belgian Refugee Committee (Ireland) (21.11.1918).

Personal and military papers of William Edward Parsons, Major Lord Oxmantown, (from 1908 the fifth earl of Rosse) including commissions; illuminated addresses from the Heaton and Shipley tenants on his coming-of-age, 1894; and from the Birr Parish Vestry on his marriage, 1905; a fairly savage attack on him in The Midland Tribune at the time of his return from the Boer War in 1900 to join the newly formed Irish Regiment; letters from him to Toler R. Garvey during the Boer War and the first World War; a page recording the signatures of Lord Oxmantown and other Irish notabilities who attended a shoot at Ashford, Cong, Co. Mayo; during a visit by the Prince of Wales, 1905; and the fifth earl’s London address book, 1911.

Also includes copy of his birth certificate (1873); commissions and applications to Officers’ Reserve (1908); appeal to be allowed to appear before Medical Board in Dublin, not London (1916); detailed medical reports on the extent of his wound, by shell to the head, where a palm-sized piece missing, damage to his speech, comprehension and gait causing 80% disability with epileptic attacks; his death certificate plus further obituary of the fifth earl by Michael Pegum prepared for the Kildare St and University Club for publication in a book of memorials to those members of the Club who gave their lives in WWI and WWII (2010).

Includes letters to Toler R. Garvey (‘Rob’) from the front describing poisonous gas attacks in the trenches (26 April 1915 and 11 May 1915).

Contains lists of Irish Guards noting their name, regiment number, rank and where interned, including a separate listing of those from Birr; letters from Selfridge's & Co., Oxford St, London to Lois, Countess of Rosse, in relation to the contents of nine parcel types assembled for sending to the Irish Guards Prisoners of War; correspondence from Mary Britton, Rosfaraghan, Ferbane and Col. Douglas Proby, in relation to subscriptions collected in her village on behalf of Private B. Anderson (Reg No 3220), who is interned in Limburg; and correspondence between Major de Vesci, Regimental Adjutant, Irish Guards to Lady Rosse, mainly in relation to the movement of Irish Guards prisoners between POW camps in Germany so that parcels can be sent to them. Also includes ephemeral material such as newspaper cuttings relating to the Irish Guards, a packet of jam jar covers, and a copy of an illuminated address presented to Queen Mary from the Women of Ireland in July 1911, and distributed by Lady Aberdeen, the head of war relief in Ireland.