Woulfe-Flanagan Family, 1869 - 1925
Scope and Contents
Over 200 letters and other ephemera related to the Woulfe-Flanagan family, prominent Catholic landowners with holdings in counties Roscommon, Sligo, and Clare as well as Dublin. With very few exceptions the letters are addressed to Jane Frances Winifred Mary Flanagan (1862-1953), daughter of judge and barrister Stephen Woulfe Flanagan and Mary Deborah Flanagan (neé Corballis), and are mostly from her parents and brothers John and James (Jim), with other correspondents including siblings Terence (Terry), Richard (Dick), and Mary (Sister M. Scholastica) as well as various nieces and nephews. A handful of letters sent to John and other family members are also included. The contents of the letters are a mix of family news and political events. Also present are a number of family documents and other keepsakes ranging from funeral cards to house inventory lists and photographs. Jane appears to have curated these materials quite extensively, often making comments on envelopes noting the contents of each letter. Of particular significance is Jane’s correspondence with Jim, who was assassinated by the IRA on June 4th 1922: she notes his final letter to her, which is kept alongside a lock of his hair. Please note: A number of family nicknames are used throughout: Jane is often “Jenny”, “Jenkins”, and “Jim”; her sister Johanna is called “Sis” or “Sissy” by all; John’s wife Mary is “Milly”, his daughter Jane is “Pussy” or “Baby”, and his son John is “Jack.”
Dates
- 1869 - 1925
Conditions Governing Access
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Biographical / Historical
The Woulfe-Flanagan family (sometimes styled Woulfe Flanagan) were prominent Catholic landowners, with significant holdings in counties Roscommon, Sligo, and Clare, as well as estates in Dublin and London. An eminent legal family, they had considerable influence in 19th century politics and though staunch Catholics, were rigorous opponents of Irish home rule. Stephen Woulfe Flanagan and Mary Deborah Corballis had 11 children; the eldest son, John Woulfe-Flanagan (1852-1929), followed in his fathers footsteps to become a barrister and high sheriff of Roscommon, though he ultimately spent the bulk of his career as a journalist at The Times where he was known for leading the paper’s charge against Irish nationalist Charles Stewart Parnell. Fourth son James “Jim” Woulfe Flanagan (1864-1922) became a resident magistrate for the Newry district, and was assassinated by the IRA while leaving Newry cathedral in 1922. Jane, the recipient of the letters, never married.
Extent
From the Collection: 30 Cubic Feet (68 boxes)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: Latin
From the Collection: French
From the Collection: Italian
From the Collection: Welsh
From the Collection: Danish
From the Collection: Swedish
From the Collection: Spanish
From the Collection: German
From the Collection: Norwegian
From the Collection: Persian
From the Collection: Japanese
From the Collection: Russian
From the Collection: Greek, Ancient (to 1453)
Creator
- From the Collection: Scheetz, Nicholas B., 1952-2016 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository
Lauinger Library, 5th Floor
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057
speccoll@georgetown.edu