THE GONNE FAMILY: Part 2

This page continues the collection of information about the Gonne family of Ireland, Portugal, England, India etc. which began with a look at the ancestry and offspring of William Gonne of Lisbon and London.

Thomas Gonne, 1835-1886 Registers of St. Mary's Church, St. Mary-le-Bone, Middlesex 9 Jul 1835: baptism of Thomas Gonne (born 9 Jan 1835), son of Charles Gonne, Esq., & Susanna, of 19 Gloucester Place, London Thomas's daughter Maud, explaining her family history in 1949, sums up Thomas's early years thus: My grandfather was head of a prosperous firm with houses in London and Oporto- he destined my father to take charge of the foreign business and had him educated abroad. My father spoke 6 languages but had little taste for business, so he got a commission in the English army That explains why Thomas is absent from British census records, unlike his brothers. Army records confirm that Thomas entered the Army by the then-prevalent means of purchasing a commission, rather than simply signing up to be a common soldier. Here is a summary of his early career, from original Army records in the collections "Records of officers' service 1775-1914" and "British Army service records" (on findmypast.co.uk): 1855, Nov 23: purchased rank of Cornet in the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons [Hart's "New Army List" (No. 74, Jan 1857), does not indicate that he served in the Eastern campaign] Trained at Staff College [which had been established in 1854] 1857, Sep 11: purchased rank of Lieutenant [still in the 2nd Dragoons] 1857, Nov 17: transferred to 17th Lancers [based at Cork], by exchange with another Lieutenant [remained with the 17th Lancers permanently] 1858, Jan 29: went to join the main body of the 17th Lancers in India [where they had been sent in October 1857 to help quell the Indian Mutiny] Learned Hindustani and passed exam 1858 Dec 1: appointed as an interpreter 1858-9: Served as staff officer to the Cavalry Flying Column in central India London Gazette, 17 Jul 1860: India Office Lieutenant-Colonel Benson, Commanding 2nd Cavalry Column, to the Assistant-Adjutant-General. Gerapore, December 29, 1858. SIR, I HAVE the honour to inform you, for the information of the Major-General Commanding, that, after a pursuit of 148 miles in one hundred and twenty hours, the column under my command [footnote: 16 officers, 247 men, 266 horses, 2 Royal Horse Artillery guns] came into action with the rebel force this morning at about three miles distance from Gerapore, their number apparently about 4,000 fighting men, under command of Tantia Topee and the Rao Sahib, and, after an engagement of two hours, put them to flight, and pursued them for ten niles with heavy loss, capturing six elephants, and between thirty and forty camels, besides treasure and a prisoner, rank unknown. ... 9. I also beg to state that I received every assistance from my Acting Staff-Officer, Lieutenant Gonne, 17th Lancers, from my Interpreter Mr. Reeves, 6th Native Infantry, and my Acting Aide-de-Camp, Lieutenant Nolan, 17th Lancers; all of whom were most active and intelligent in conveying orders, &c. Summary from Army records continued: 1859, Aug 14: Returned to Britain [although most of the 17th Lancers would remain in India until 1865]. He received the Central Indian Medal [i.e. presumably the Indian Mutiny Medal with Central India clasp] 1862, Jun 10: purchased rank of Captain 1865, Dec 19: Then resident at Colchester, Essex [where the 17th Lancers were based on their return from India earlier that year] he married Miss Edith Frith Cook, of East Peckham, Kent, in her parish church. 1866 Dec 21: Birth of their first child, Edith Maud Gonne, at Tongham near Aldershot, Hampshire [where the 17th Lancers were stationed for a short time]. 1868, Apr 1: served as Brigade Major of Cavalry at the Curragh, Ireland [following the Fenian rebellion of 1867, the Army was in the process of making permanent its camp on the Curragh, one of the best sites for the breeding and training of horses in the world, and "An Act to make better provision for the management and use of the Curragh of Kildare" was passed in Parliament on 16 July] [NB: A Brigade Major is the assistant to a Brigadier, but does not necessarily hold the rank of Major] 1868, Sep 9: Birth of their second child, Kathleen Gonne, at the Curragh 1870: [The 17th Lancers move from Edinburgh to their new long-term base at the Curragh] The New Annual Army List ... 1870 edition 17th Regiment of Lancers [based at Edinburgh] ... Thomas Gonne (15 years service on full pay; trained at Staff College)- cornet 2 Nov 1855; lieutenant 11 Sep 1857; captain 10 Jun 1862 (all commissions purchased). "Captain Gonne served with the 17th Lancers in India in 1857-59; was appointed Acting Interpreter to the 17th Lancers and Staff Officer to the 2nd Cavalry Column Malwa Division (mentioned in despatches, Medal)." [HOWEVER, under] STAFF, &c., OF IRELAND ... Cavalry Brigade ... Brigade Major .. Captain T. Gonne, 17 Lancers, 1 April 68. [1871: the purchase of commissions and ranks in the British Army is abolished] Summary continued: 1873, Oct 15: leaves Brigade Major position at the Curragh 1873, Nov 14: takes up post of Garrison Instructor at Shorncliffe Camp, Kent 1874, Jan 26: takes up post of Acting Garrison Instructor at Aldershot Camp, Hampshire The New Annual Army List ... 1875 edition Thomas Gonne listed as Major, since 12 Aug 1874 (not purchased; same regiment, regiment now based at Dundalk) Summary continued: 1876, Mar 10: to Vienna, to observe the military situation in eastern Europe 1876: to Herzegovina, to observe the insurgent fighting against the Turks 1876, Dec: member of the European Commission to mark the Neutral Zone between the Serbians and the Turks 1877: with the Roumanian Army beseiging Plevna [Pleven, Bulgaria] 1878: marched into Bosnia as Military Attaché with the 3rd Army Corps of Austria He was awarded the Austrian War Medal 1878, Sep 14: selected for promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel [following the retirement of Colonel Drury Lowe] 1878, Oct 29: returned to Britain 1879, Jan 22: [Battle of Isandlwana, in Cape Colony (now South Africa), in which the 24th regiment was annihilated] 1879, Feb: The 17th Lancers, among numerous other units, prepare for a campaign in the Cape 1879, Feb 14: THE INFAMOUS ACCIDENT Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper [London], Sunday, 16 Feb 1879: ACCIDENT TO A MILITARY OFFICER.- On Friday afternoon a shocking accident befell Colonel Gonne, of the 17th Lancers, a regiment of cavalry stationed at Hounslow, but which is now amongst the number selected to join the forces of Lord Chelmsford in the Zulu War. Colonel Gonne was with a portion of the regiment range-firing, when a revolver of a brother officer exploded, the ball entering the region of the gallant colonel's thigh. He was at once removed to his residence, and medical aid was called. Upon enquiries being made at Hounslow yesterday, it was ascertained that the bullet had been extracted, but Colonel Gonne was in a critical condition. Daily News [London], Monday, 17 Feb 1879: On Saturday Lieutenant-General Stephenson, commanding the Home District, made an official inspection of the 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers, at the Hounslow cavalry barracks, prior to their departure for South Africa, on Wednesday or Thursday next. ... Major Boulderson was in command, in the absence of Colonel Gonne, who met with a most unfortunate accident on Friday. It appears that the gallant colonel was out with the regiment on the above day practising ball-firing at the butts on Hounslow Heath, and during the time some revolvers were being tried, one of them went off accidentally, the bullet lodging in his thigh. He was at once conveyed to barracks, and on Saturday Professor Hewett, with the surgeons of the regiment, performed an operation on him, which resulted in the extraction of the bullet. The operation was of a most dangerous nature, one of the arteries having to be tied, but we are glad to learn that the gallant officer, who hopes soon to be able to follow his regiment, is progressing as satisfactorily as could be wished. Morning Post [London], 17 Feb 1879: ... As he was shooting at the target on Houslow-heath review ground another officer, who had a rfevolver in his hand, accidentally touched the trigger when a few yards from the gallant colonel, when it exploded, the bullet entering the inside of the thigh and taking a sloping direction downwards. ... Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser [Dublin], 17 Feb 1879: (SPECIAL TELEGRAM) (FROM OUR MILITARY CORRESPONDENT) London, Sunday Night ... The clubs were startled yesterday to hear that Colonel Gonne, of the 17th Lancers, in moving one of his pistols from the holster accidentally engaged the trigger, and has been badly, though not seriously, wounded. It is feared he will not be able to embark with his fine regiment, which will thus fall under the command of Major Balderson [sic], also an excellent officer. LONDON CORRESPONDENCE ... ... Colonel Gonne was originally engaged in mercantile life, but he left that and went to the Crimea. He has, therefore, had a military career. He had six years of staff duty at the Curragh and Dublin, but, save as a spectator, he has had little experience of war. It would be rather unfortunate if, now that he has an opportunity of distinguishing himself, he should be deprived of it by a pure accident over which he had no possible control. Vanity Fair [London], 22 Feb 1879: [report on the shooting, naming the officer responsible] Birmingham Daily Post, Monday, 24 Feb 1879: PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE LONDON, Sunday Evening ... Colonel Drury Lowe, who was recently placed on half-pay after having held the command of the 17th Lancers for five years, is brought back again into the regiment. Colonel Gonne, as your readers are aware, was accidentally shot one day last week on the Rifle Range at Hounslow. The officer who accidentally put his commanding officer hors de combat was Major Lane Boulderson, who would normally succeed to the command; but, taking into consideration all the circumstances of the case, it was deemed inadvisable to permit him to do so, and thus Colonel Lowe takes the 17th out. It is hoped, however, that Colonel Gonne will soon recover, and before hostilities commence be once more at the head of the "Death or Glory boys." Morning Post [London], 24 Feb 1879: A Hounslow paper, referring to the unfortunate accident to Colonel Gonne, of the 17th Lancers, states there is no truth in the report that the bullet had been extracted. It remains near the knee-cap, and the colonel is far from being in a favourable condition. Daily News [London], 24 Feb 1879: Much sincere sympathy and regret are manifested for Colonel Gonne, who was shot by accident a few days since by one of his men, while in the act of reloading a revolver. Unfortunately, Colonel Gonne lost so much blood from his wound, which is in the upper part of the thigh, that it is hardly deemed prudent to make any further attempts for the present to extract the ball, which is supposed to have worked its way round to the under part of the leg. Colonel Gonne therefore can hardly yet, to the sorrow of all who have the advantage of knowing him, be pronounced out of danger. Morning Post [London], Tuesday, 25 Feb 1879: THE ACCIDENT TO COLONEL GONNE TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING POST SIR,- I amn informed and have satisfied myself that the paragraph in the last number of Vanity Fair, stating that Major Boulderson was the person who accidentally shot Colonel Gonne, is incorrect: and I shall be obliged if you will allow me, at the earliest moment, to express my regret at its appearance in Vanity Fair.- Your obedient servant THE EDITOR OF "VANITY FAIR." London, Feb. 24. [Similar messages of apology from the editor of "Vanity Fair" appeared in other London newspapers over the next few days] Birmingham Daily Post, Wednesday, 26 Feb 1879: CORRESPONDENCE ... THE ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING OF COLONEL GONNE To the EDITOR of the DAILY POST. Sir.- I have seen in your paper a statement that Colonel Gonne, of the 17th Lancers, was shot by my brother, Major Boulderson, and that in consequence, it was considered inadvisable to permit him to succeed to the command. Will you have the goodness to inform your correspondent that at the time of the accident to Colonel Gonne, Major Boulderson was not on the rifle range, but in London ? I presume that you will make this letter as public as you have done the statements which it contradicts. I am, yours faithfully, J. BOULDERSON, Captain. Matlock Cottage, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, February 24, 1879. (We have ascertained from another source also that the statement referred to was unfounded, and we have to express our regret that it should have appeared in our columns.- ED. D. P.) Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser [Dublin], Thursday, 27 Feb 1879: MILITARY INTELLIGENCE (FROM OUR MILITARY CORRESPONDENT) London, Feb. 24th. ... I telegraphed to you the accident to Colonel Gonne, of the 17th Lancers, the day after it occurred. It was more serious than was at first supposed, being a bad wond in the groin. And, now that the unfortunate officer is incapacitated for, I hope only a short time from commanding his regiment, instead of giving the position to the next senior, Major Boulderson, they have cast a most undeserved slur on that officer by bringing back Colonel Drury Lowe ... Morning Post, Monday, 4 Mar 1879: IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT ... HOUSE OF COMMONS.- MONDAY ... (Sir W. Barttelot) considered that some assurance was due to the house that the reappointment of Colonel Drury-Lowe to the command of the 17th Lancers after he had retired on half-pay, over the head of the major of the regiment, was a precedent which would not be repeated. (Hear, hear.) Colonel STANLEY [Secretary of State for War] in reply ... With regard to the command of the 17th Lancers, he took the whole responsibility for the appointment upon himself, although he had no personal acquaintance with any of the officers concerned. Colonel Gonne was incapacitated by an unfortunate accident, which for a time placed his life in danger, from proceeding upon active service. Much depended upon the command being placed in the hands of an officer fully acquainted with the regiment from the highest ranks to the lowest. The officer who was formerly the second in command [i.e. Major Boulderson] had only recently returned to the regiment from the Staff College [Boulderson appears in a photograph of the Senior Division at the college, 1875, reproduced in "The Victorian Army and the Staff College 1854-1914" by Brian Bond (2015 edition)]. Colonel Drury-Lowe was an officer who had been almost adored by those serving under him, and he, in the handsomest manner undertook to comply with the condition of serving under Colonel Gonne in case he should recover, and otherwise place his services at the disposal of the regiment. (Cheers.) It was an arrangement to which no officer had demurred; it did not cast the slightest slur upon the officer second in command; and though it was rather a peculiar case it was one in which no time was to be lost, and he (Colonel Stanley) took the whole responsibility for what was done. Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, Monday, 17 Mar 1879: Colonel Gonne, 17th Lancers, is so much better that, although still confined to his bed, he is able to see some of his friends. The bullet cannot yet be discovered, and it is not expected that under the most favourable circumstances his recovery will be complete in less than three months. Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser [Dublin], 25 Jul 1879: On the termination of the Zulu war the 17th Lancers, the 88th, and the 90th Regiments will leave Natal for service in India. Colonel Lowe of the Lancers will return home, and Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Gonne, who was prevented by an accident from going into the field, will assume the command in India. The Star [Saint Peter Port, Guernsey], Tuesday, 12 Aug 1879: ... from the United Service Gazette Lieutenant-Colonel Gonne, of the 17th Lancers, has returned to London from Wildbad [a health spa in Germany], almost thoroughly cured of his wound, and will shortly sail to rejoin his regiment. Northampton Mercury, Saturday, 1 Nov 1879: WOBURN SANDS.- RETURN OF A VETERAN.- On Monday evening Colonel Drury Lowe, late 17th Lancers, arrived at Woburn Sands, home from Zululand. ... The career of that regiment at the Cape is well known from its arrival down to the final charge on Ulundi, led by Colonel Lowe, who now retires again on half-pay ... Summary from Army records continued: 1879, Nov 5: set out for India New Annual Army List, 1886: War Services of the Colonels Colonel Thomas Gonne served with the 17th Lancers in India in 1857-59 ; was appointed Acting Interpreter to the 17th Lancers and Staff Officer to the 2nd Cavalry Column Malwa Division (mentioned in despatches, Medal), and was present at the action of Zerapore. During the Russo-Turkish war of 1877 he was present as British Military Attache to the Head Quarters of the Roumanian army before Plevna (Roumanian War Medal). Was British Military Attache with the Austrian army in Bosnia in 1878 (Austrian War Medal). Deborah McDonald & Jeremy Dronfield, "A Very Dangerous Woman: The Lives, Loves and Lies of Russia's Most Seductive Spy" (2015) [biography of Moura Budberg, nee Zakrevsky, c1892-1974] ... her closest companion was her nursemaid, ‘Micky’, who had been with the family since before Moura’s birth. Micky’s real name was Margaret Wilson, and she was a woman of character – young, beautiful, strong-willed and utterly devoted to her charges. She was also a woman with a past that had made her life in her home country untenable. Born in Liverpool in 1864, Margaret had married young, to an Irishman who stayed with her long enough to give her a son and then went off to take part in one of the frequent uprisings that broke out in Ireland in the 1880s – the so-called Land War – and was killed there. Margaret, a spirited, unconventional girl, became mistress to a British cavalry officer, Colonel Thomas Gonne, who had served in Ireland and was old enough to be her father. In July 1886 she gave birth to a daughter, Eileen. As if there were some pattern at work, a few months later Colonel Gonne died of typhoid fever, and Margaret was again left alone with a child – this one shamefully illegitimate. Her life from that time on must have been intolerable, but eventually help came from a surprising source. In 1892 Ignatiy Zakrevsky was visiting England on business. He came into the company of British people who were like himself – wealthy, upper class and politically radical. Among them was Maud Gonne, actress, supporter of Irish nationalism and mistress of the poet W. B. Yeats. She was also the daughter of the late Colonel Thomas Gonne, which made her the half-sister of Margaret’s little daughter Eileen, who was now six years old. Maud had been helping Margaret support Eileen since her birth (in the teeth of opposition from her uncle, the late Colonel’s brother). Ignatiy Zakrevsky took an interest in young Margaret, and an arrangement was agreed. Zakrevsky – a man whose charitable impulses often outweighed his good sense – would take Margaret with him back to Russia, where she would teach English to his twin daughters, Alla and Assia. Meanwhile, Eileen would be taken care of by Maud. When Ignatiy Zakrevsky returned to Russia with Margaret, it was intended that she be employed for twelve months and that her duties would consist simply of teaching English to the twins. But she was soon drawn into the heart of the family, and the original plan was forgotten. Margaret ended up spending the rest of her long life with the family. Having had little education, Margaret was no teacher, and aside from English, the Zakrevsky children were taught other subjects by tutors. Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser [Dublin], Thursday, 2 Dec 1886: GOSSIP FROM TODAY'S "TRUTH" ... Dublin has the largest garrison of any town in the kingdom, and the most unsanitary barracks. On account of the prevalence of fever, General Dormer, the newly appointed Infantry General in Ireland, does not intend to inhabit the official residence in the Royal Barracks. Besides other cases, General Gonne is at present suffering from fever there. [That was presumably where the original piece ended; however ...] General Gonne has since died, and will be buried today. Belfast News-Letter, Friday, 3 Dec 1886: DEATH OF COLONEL GONNE. DUBLIN, THURSDAY.- The death of Colonel Thos. Gonne, Assistant Adjutant-General, Dublin district, took place from typhoid fever in his quarters in the Royal Barracks on Tuesday. [career summary given, including award of a Roumanian war medal after the siege of Plevna] Shortly after three o'clock today, the remains of Colonel Gonne were removed from the Royal Barracks to the North wall for conveyance to England, where the interment will take place. [details of Dublin ceremony given] Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser [Dublin], Thursday, 16 Dec 1886: THE ROYAL BARRACKS IN DUBLIN. H.R.R. the Commander-in-Chief has appointed a commission to investigate and report upon the condition of the Royal Barracks. [see "Report on the prevalence of enteric fever in the Royal Barracks, Dublin", published by H.M.S.O, 1888] Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser [Dublin], Saturday, 18 Dec 1886: EXECUTOR'S SALE. ROYAL BARRACKS, DUBLIN. Sale of Horses, Brougham, Harness, and Saddles, etc. MESSRS. BENNETT AND SON are favoured with instructions from the Executor of the late Colonel T. Gonne, Assistant Adjutant-General, Dublin District, TO SELL BY AUCTION, On FRIDAY, the 24th December inst, At the Stables, Royal Barracks, The following outdoor effects, [details given of a riding mare "steady under all classes of fire, and has carried a lady," a harness horse, a brougham "Built to order for the Khedive of Egypt" etc.] Liverpool Mercury, Tuesday 1 Feb 1887: MESSRS. DIXON & MOORE have the honour to announce receipt of instructions from Messrs. Burgess, warehousemen, of 29, North Frederick-street and 4, Great Strand-street, Dublin, to SELL by AUCTION, ON WEDNESDAY, 9TH FEBRUARY, AND FOLLOWING DAYS, WITHIN GALLERIES, 55, CHURCH-STREET, LIVERPOOL. A portion of the grand effects of Castle Irwyn, co. Fermanagh, the seat of the late Darcy Irwyn, esq., which has been warehoused 15 years; also nice old furniture, porcelains, bronzes, statuary, clocks, valuable pictures from the residence of the late G.H. O'Dell, Dungarran, co. Waterford, which have been in warehouse since 1883, together with ancient and modern Furniture of high class, pictures, china, regimental attire, and liveries from the late Colonel Gonne, &c. It seems the above sale was not entirely successful, for "ANCIENT AND DECORATIVE FURNITURE, &c, from the residence of the late Colonel Gonne" was auctioned by Burkitt and Wimpenny in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, on 9 March, also on instructions from Messrs. Burgess, with further items from their warehouse, as advertised in the Huddersfield Chronicle and West Yorkshire Advertiser, 26 Feb 1887. Then yet another sale was advertised in the Morning Post on 12 May, to be held by Messrs. Walpole, Lewin, and Andrews in London on 19 May- but it was postponed until 26 May due to a libel case brought by the auctioneers against Mr Henry (Harry) Darbyshire, a commission agent who had mounted a procession in front of the auction rooms, of men with sandwich-boards stating "Cautionary notice- beware of mock auctions" and had said "I shan't allow any one to buy here unless they buy through us." Reports on the case in the Central Criminal Court at the end of July revealed the underlying problem, and the reason for the succession of auctions in England: from the first attempts to sell the various warehoused collections in Dublin, the auctions were subject to Boycotting in support of Home Rule. Morning Post, Wednesday, 23 Feb 1887: No. 25, Albert-gate, Hyde-park.- By order of the Executors of the late Colonel Thos. Gonne. MESSRS. WM. GROGAN and BOYD will SELL, by AUCTION, at the Mart, Tokenhouse-yard, Lothbury, E.C., on WEDNESDAY, 23d day of March, 1887, at two o'clock precisely (unless previously disposed of by Private Treaty), The LEASE of the above Charmingly-situated BIJOU RESIDENCE. It contains eight bed-rooms, bath-room, double drawing-room, dining-room, library, and good domestic offices; and has a garden in front and rear. [etc.]

Maud Gonne Many biographies available, but I may add some information. What biographies rarely get right is the appearance of Maud Gonne. First, the standard 19th century photographic chemistry was quite insensitive to red, meaning that her gorgeous Celtic hair tends to look black (the photos usually being printed in greyscale when they appear in books). Second, she seems to have chosen mostly to distribute photos which made her look like a serious political figure, emphasising her firm jawline. Here, however, is an enlargement from a cabinet card by Reutlinger of Paris (apparently using non-standard photographic emulsion to overcome the "black hair" problem) which she gave to a "fellow nationalist" in April 1896, and which is now in the National Library of Ireland. I have retouched scratches, slightly darkened the faded image, and slightly increased the colour saturation to take advantage of the original sepia tone. This, I think, is more like the Maud Gonne who so bewitched Yeats and many others. DISCOVERY DATABASE (NATIONAL ARCHIVES) Ireland: Dublin Castle Records. administration; and there are also files containing information about personalities who figured prominently in the struggle, including Eamon De Valera, Roger Casement, Maud Gonne and Countess Markievicz. Held by: The National Archives [England] - Colonial Office, Commonwealth and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices Date: 1795 - 1926 Reference: CO 904 Ireland: Dublin Castle Records. PERSONALITIES. GAF - GON files 154-166. (Details are given at item level). File 166A, 161 folios: Miss Maud Gonne, activities. Held by: The National Archives [England] - Colonial Office, Commonwealth and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices Date: 1899 - 1900 Reference: CO 904/202/13 Ireland: Dublin Castle Records. PERSONALITIES. GAF - GON files 154-166. (Details are given at item level). File 166B, 152 folios: Miss Maud Gonne, activities. Held by: The National Archives [England] - Colonial Office, Commonwealth and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices Date: 1899 Reference: CO 904/202/14 per Elizabeth Keane, "Seán MacBride, A Life: From IRA Revolutionary to International Statesman" (2007) Maud's first child with Boulangist politician Lucien Millevoye was Georges Silvère Gonne, born 11 Jan 1890. Died of meningitis, 31 Aug 1891. Iseult Germaine Lucille Gonne was born in Paris, 4 or 6 August 1894. Rossnaree: Family History Mrs Judy Law lived at Rossnaree until her son, Robert Law, returned from Africa in 2000 with his wife, Aisling, and their family. Sadly, Robert Law passed away in 2004. Aisling Law continues to develop Rossnaree and the marks of her own artistic lineage are clear. Aisling’s great grandmother, Maud Gonne, is one of the most famous romantic figures of Irish history. Gonne was renowned for her radical political beliefs and tireless effort to promote Irish independence. She founded the revolutionary group, the Daughters of Erin and, with William Butler Yeats, helped to establish the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. Maud Gonne’s daughter Iseult married Francis Stuart, a prolific Irish writer who died in 2000 after receiving Ireland’s highest literary award, the Saoi of Aosdana, for his prodigious output of prose and poetry. Aisling’s mother, the German born Irish sculptor Imogen Stuart, is one of Ireland’s most respected artists. Imogen's biography 'Imogen Stuart: Sculptor' by Brian Fallon (Four Courts Press, 2002) is available to buy on Amazon. Aisling’s father Ian Stuart, the son of Iseult Gonne and Francis Stuart, died in 2013. He was also a sculptor who has work in The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Aisling has her own silvermark issued by Dublin Castle and has trained in Austria and Africa where she made gold jewellery using the lost wax method. Aisling has worked in many mediums including film and sculpture. After living in Florence, where she trained in the classical techniques of drawing and oil painting in an atelier south of the Arno River, Aisling founded Rossnaree School of Art. Irish Independent, 3 Dec 2012 Laragh's exotic delights there for all to see Growing up in Indian ashrams, travelling the Old Silk Road and living in Norway's most remote and beautiful spots, those things are my inspiration, Laragh Stuart tells me. The daughter of sculptor Ian Stuart (possibly the most heroically attractive man I've met), Laragh and her sisters, Suki and Sophia, certainly had magical, memorable, peripatetic childhoods. And it is the desire to recapture the remarkable sights and smells from those exotic landscapes that has prompted Laragh and Suki to start a blog showcasing their respective, highly complementary talents. Laragh started Laragh Stuart Foods when she was barely in her 20s, while sister Suki, who used to be married to Hothouse Flower Fiachna O Braonain and lives in France these days with sculptor Laurent Mellet and their two children, is a photographer with remarkable aesthetic and artistic sense. … Laragh adds: "I'll be spending Christmas at home in the Wicklow hills with my sons, Milo and Lucian, but after that, it's straight back to France for 10 days to finish everything off. "We'll have the site up by the end of January." THE SILVERY BEES: Food, photography & a life inspired [The Stuarts' blog] Irish Independent, 19 May 2016 'I believe that without the Rising, Ireland would still be occupied' Celine Naughton interviews Mary McBride Walsh "Joseph MacBride married Eileen, and his brother John married Maud, so two brothers married two half-sisters." ... Seán never took sides in his parents' separation and, to the delight of the MacBride family, once he was of age, he sought them out and visited often. For years, he and Mary made an annual pilgrimage to Arbour Hill Prison to pay their respects to his father and the other executed Rising leaders in their final resting place. She also spent time in Seán's Dublin home, entertaining a global A-list of his close friends. "You never knew who'd be sitting next to you at his dinner table - Bishop Desmond Tutu, Kader Asmal, Anthony Cronin, Bono, Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese… Seán was an extraordinary man, highly intelligent, a dedicated human rights activist, and a very caring man with a great sense of humour." Funeral Of Sean McBride. (R71)..1988..18.01.1988..01.18.1988..18th January 1988.. Today saw the Funeral of Seán McBride. Seán MacBride was an Irish government minister, a prominent international politician and a former Chief of Staff of the IRA. His funeral took place from the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin to the family plot in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. The chief mourners were Tiernan McBride, son, Anna White, daughter and Declan White, son in law... An Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, is pictured offering condolences to Mr Tiernan McBride at the funeral of his father, Seán. Galway Review, 27 Dec 2015 Croagh Patrick and Me: a book that puts St Patrick’s achievement into perspective by Éamon Ó Cuív, TD Sean McBride’s daughter Anna who died a few short years ago was married to my mother’s first cousin Declan White. Declan is the son of a sister of Sinead de Valera and is still alive. He was a veterinary surgeon and for that reason when my daughter qualified as a vet and Anna attended a small family dinner for my daughter after the conferring. G. Higgins, “Heroic Revivals from Carlyle to Yeats” (2012) I first saw Maud Gonne's letters to Yeats in Anna McBride and Declan White's parlor. Now that they are in Emory's library, I regularly take students there ... DISCOVERY DATABASE (per NATIONAL ARCHIVES) Gonne, Maud (1866-1953) afterwards MacBride, Irish Patriot and Philanthropist, corresp with WB Yeats Held by: Emory University Library: Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Book Library Date: 1890 - 1938 Reference: Manuscript Collection No. 930

Kathleen Gonne Covered in biographies of Maud, but I may add some information Register of St. George's parish, Hanover Square, London 18 Dec 1889: Capt. Thomas Pilcher married Kathleen Mary Gonne (daughter of the late Lieut. Col. Thomas Gonne)

Eileen Wilson Registers of Dublin, St Matthias (COI) 10 Nov 1886: Baptism of Eileen Constance Wilson (born 18 Jul 1886), 17 Charlemont Mall, daughter of Thomas George Wilson (Clerk of Works C E) and Margaret Wilson [Thomas George Wilson is not named in any other scanned register] Thom's Dublin Street Directory, 1887: 17 Charlemont Mall vacant [NB: This directory still lists Col. T. Gonne as Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General] Census 1891: 80 Holloway Vale, Godalming, Surrey: William & Ellen Hoar have a boarder, Daisy Wilson, aged 4 (born Ireland) [NB: No Irish-born Daisy Wilson in 1901 GB census] Census 1901: Stanley House, Netley St., Farnborough: Mary A. Meredith, widow, 67, retired nurse (born Clapton, Middx.); Eileen C. Wilson, adopted daughter, 14, no occ. (born Ireland) Sinead McCoole, "Easter Widows" (2014) includes research into the childhood of Eileen. The death of Mary Anne Meredith, the Gonne girls' childhood nurse, with whom young Eileen went to live in Farnborough after her mother became a nanny in Russia, was registered by a Daisy Wilson (which may have suggested Maud's biographical pseudonym for her, Daphne) [address still Stanley House] ... Apparently, as a child, Eileen liked to get Maud's daughter Iseult into trouble, and Iseult never stopped regarding her as "incredibly nasty". Registers, Dublin, Terenure, St. Joseph: 20 Jun 1904: baptism of Eileen Constance Wilson, Coulson Avenue, Terenure (born 18 Jul 1886), daughter of Thomas Wilson and Margaret Wilson. Sponsors, John J. Stephens; Maud Gonne Mc Bride. Priest: Thos. J. Graham. Thom's Irish Who's Who (1923) McBRIDE, Joseph M. (T.D. for Mayo, West, 1918, and for Mayo N. and W., 1921 and 1922) ; F.R.S. Antiquaries ; Permanent Member International War Congress ; Founded Irish Volunteers in Co. Mayo ; Promoted originally the '98 Committee, Gaelic Athletic Association and Gaelic League in Mayo ; Secretary Westport Harbour (Commissioners ; son of Patrick McBride and Honoria Gill. Pubns. : Folk-lore and other literary articles in various papers and periodicals ; b. 1860 : m. 1904, Eileen, dau. of Thomas Wilson, of London, and has issue one son and four daus. Res. : Mallow Cottage, Westport, Co. Mayo.