Letts family of Glenart Avenue and Dal Riada, Avoca Avenue, Blackrock
Ernest Frederick Letts married Mary Isabel Ferrier
born 1850 6 Aug 1874 born 10 Jan 1846
Sydenham, Kent St Barnabas, Ranmore, Surrey Dublin
died 24 Mar 1904 died 13 Jun 1933
Bournemouth Dal Riada, Blackrock
Ernest Frederick Letts born 1850 at Sydenham to Thomas Letts, a stationer printer and Emma
Horwood Barry of Berry Hill, Lewisham and Black Gang, Isle of Wight. He graduated BA Trinity
College Dublin in 1875. He took Holy orders and married Mary Isobel Ferrier, daughter of
Alexander Ferrier of Knockmaroon. He was licensed to the Chaplaincy of St Edward’s School
in Summertown in 1875, chaplain of New College, Oxford in 1877 and a minor canon of
Manchester Cathedral in 1878. The family were regular visitors to Ireland spending time at
Knockmaroon. In 1881 they were living at 270, Great Clowes Street, Broughton, Salford,
Lancashire. In 1885 Edward was appointed rector to All Saints, Newton Heath, North
Manchester. Ernest died 24 Mar 1904 at Christchurch, Bournemouth and Mary and her
daughters moved to Nyanza on Glenart Avenue in Blackrock where they stayed until at least
1912. They had removed to Dal Riada on Avoca Avenue by 1915. Mary died at Dal Riada on
13 Jun 1933 and was buried at Deansgrange. Her son in law William made the funeral
arrangements.
1 Mary Felicia Simeon Letts born 12 Dec 1875 at Grove House, Summertown, Oxford.
She joined the Red Cross and was working as a VAD from 1915 doing hospital work
and housework at Linden Blackrock. She got a mention in a War Office Communique
of 1919 for valuable service. She was a spinster living at in Faversham with her
sister Dorothea and brother-in-law in 1939. She returned to Dublin and died at
The Royal City of Dublin Hospital on 15 Mar 1959 late of 25 Mount Eden Road,
Donnybrook. Probate was granted to her niece Stella Verschoyle-Campbell.
2 Dorothea Margaret Letts born 30 Dec 1877 at Grove House, Summertown, Oxfordshire
married Charles Arthur Williams on 5 Dec 1907 at All Saints Church, Blackrock. Charles
was the son of Charles Williams and was resident at Eastbourne at the time of his
marriage. Dorothea was staying with her mother at Glenart Avenue in 1911. Dorothea
and Charles were living The Old Vicarage, Ospringe, Faversham in 1939 and Charles was
a retired secondary schoolmaster. Dorothea died 10 Nov 1950 at Faversham.
1 Margaret Stella Marion (Stella) Williams born 12 Jan 1910 at Eastbourne married
Walter Islay H Verschoyle Campbell in 1931 at Lewisham. Walter was the son of
Richard Stuart Dobbs Campbell, Dean of Clonmacnoise and Lily Sarah Verschoyle.
Walter was a member of the Ireland Field Hockey Team at the London Olympics
in 1908 and lived at Tassaggart, Saggart.
3 Winifred Letts born 10 Feb 1882 at Higher Broughton baptised at Manchester on
25 Mar 1882. She attended Alexander College, Dublin and worked as a VAD from June
1915. She was posted to the Western General in Manchester in August 1915. She was
a playwright, author and poet. She wrote a number of books for girls and her first
play ‘The eyes of the blind’ was produced in the Abbey theatre in 1907. 'Songs from
Leinster' was published in 1913. She identified as Irish, and it appears she was not
concerned that her middle name was sometimes given as Mary, instead using the more
Irish name to her advantage. Some of her poems were set to music by Charles Villiers
Stanford and sung by Plunkett Green. ‘A Soft Day, thank God’ was recorded by Kathleen
Mary Ferrier in the 1940’s. Her early work was often dismissed as doggerel and twee
but when looked at in conjunction with her poems on war, this style is more to do with
compassion and sincerity given her understanding of the fear and suffering of soldiers.
She married widower, William Henry Foster Verschoyle (who had lost two sons to the
war) on 5 May 1926 and they lived at 19 Fitzwilliam Square. 'Knockmaroon' was published
in 1933 and is considered her best work. William died 26 Dec 1943 aged 65 at 19
Fitzwilliam Square and was buried with his parents at Rathcoole. Winifred went to
England after his death to stay with her sisters. She returned to Ireland and settled in
Ballybrack and died in 1972. She was buried at Rathcoole with her husband.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – October 2022
Our thanks to Bairbre O'Hogan (researcher into the life and works of Winifred Letts) for her input.
Ernest Frederick Letts married Mary Isabel Ferrier
born 1850 6 Aug 1874 born 10 Jan 1846
Sydenham, Kent St Barnabas, Ranmore, Surrey Dublin
died 24 Mar 1904 died 13 Jun 1933
Bournemouth Dal Riada, Blackrock
Ernest Frederick Letts born 1850 at Sydenham to Thomas Letts, a stationer printer and Emma
Horwood Barry of Berry Hill, Lewisham and Black Gang, Isle of Wight. He graduated BA Trinity
College Dublin in 1875. He took Holy orders and married Mary Isobel Ferrier, daughter of
Alexander Ferrier of Knockmaroon. He was licensed to the Chaplaincy of St Edward’s School
in Summertown in 1875, chaplain of New College, Oxford in 1877 and a minor canon of
Manchester Cathedral in 1878. The family were regular visitors to Ireland spending time at
Knockmaroon. In 1881 they were living at 270, Great Clowes Street, Broughton, Salford,
Lancashire. In 1885 Edward was appointed rector to All Saints, Newton Heath, North
Manchester. Ernest died 24 Mar 1904 at Christchurch, Bournemouth and Mary and her
daughters moved to Nyanza on Glenart Avenue in Blackrock where they stayed until at least
1912. They had removed to Dal Riada on Avoca Avenue by 1915. Mary died at Dal Riada on
13 Jun 1933 and was buried at Deansgrange. Her son in law William made the funeral
arrangements.
1 Mary Felicia Simeon Letts born 12 Dec 1875 at Grove House, Summertown, Oxford.
She joined the Red Cross and was working as a VAD from 1915 doing hospital work
and housework at Linden Blackrock. She got a mention in a War Office Communique
of 1919 for valuable service. She was a spinster living at in Faversham with her
sister Dorothea and brother-in-law in 1939. She returned to Dublin and died at
The Royal City of Dublin Hospital on 15 Mar 1959 late of 25 Mount Eden Road,
Donnybrook. Probate was granted to her niece Stella Verschoyle-Campbell.
2 Dorothea Margaret Letts born 30 Dec 1877 at Grove House, Summertown, Oxfordshire
married Charles Arthur Williams on 5 Dec 1907 at All Saints Church, Blackrock. Charles
was the son of Charles Williams and was resident at Eastbourne at the time of his
marriage. Dorothea was staying with her mother at Glenart Avenue in 1911. Dorothea
and Charles were living The Old Vicarage, Ospringe, Faversham in 1939 and Charles was
a retired secondary schoolmaster. Dorothea died 10 Nov 1950 at Faversham.
1 Margaret Stella Marion (Stella) Williams born 12 Jan 1910 at Eastbourne married
Walter Islay H Verschoyle Campbell in 1931 at Lewisham. Walter was the son of
Richard Stuart Dobbs Campbell, Dean of Clonmacnoise and Lily Sarah Verschoyle.
Walter was a member of the Ireland Field Hockey Team at the London Olympics
in 1908 and lived at Tassaggart, Saggart.
3 Winifred Letts born 10 Feb 1882 at Higher Broughton baptised at Manchester on
25 Mar 1882. She attended Alexander College, Dublin and worked as a VAD from June
1915. She was posted to the Western General in Manchester in August 1915. She was
a playwright, author and poet. She wrote a number of books for girls and her first
play ‘The eyes of the blind’ was produced in the Abbey theatre in 1907. 'Songs from
Leinster' was published in 1913. She identified as Irish, and it appears she was not
concerned that her middle name was sometimes given as Mary, instead using the more
Irish name to her advantage. Some of her poems were set to music by Charles Villiers
Stanford and sung by Plunkett Green. ‘A Soft Day, thank God’ was recorded by Kathleen
Mary Ferrier in the 1940’s. Her early work was often dismissed as doggerel and twee
but when looked at in conjunction with her poems on war, this style is more to do with
compassion and sincerity given her understanding of the fear and suffering of soldiers.
She married widower, William Henry Foster Verschoyle (who had lost two sons to the
war) on 5 May 1926 and they lived at 19 Fitzwilliam Square. 'Knockmaroon' was published
in 1933 and is considered her best work. William died 26 Dec 1943 aged 65 at 19
Fitzwilliam Square and was buried with his parents at Rathcoole. Winifred went to
England after his death to stay with her sisters. She returned to Ireland and settled in
Ballybrack and died in 1972. She was buried at Rathcoole with her husband.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – October 2022
Our thanks to Bairbre O'Hogan (researcher into the life and works of Winifred Letts) for her input.