Striving for a world transformed by justice and peace - a TL from 1827

Caitlin Healy was followed in the debate in the House of Commons by William Elliot Macartney. He was the Conservative spokesman on Ireland, in effect the shadow Ireland Secretary, and MP for South Antrim. He said that although Healy had dutifully said the right words in condemnation of the Cork rebellion, in her heart she was in favour of it and agreed with it. He expressed condolences on the death of her granddaughter, Aoife O'Farrell, but said she would not have been killed, if she had not been in Cumann na mBan. The soldiers who shot her believed they were acting in self defence. It was known that Cumann volunteers were armed. O'Farrell was carrying a revolver.
 
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Macartney said that because the rebels had taken up arms against the democratically elected governments of the United Kingdom and of Ireland, they deserved the death penalty. The government must ban Saor Eireann and Cumann na mBan. His speech was punctuated by interruptions from Commonwealth and Irish Nationalist Party MPs.

The Commonwealth MP for Cork City North spoke passionately about the British army raid on a house in his constituency during the rebellion, in which they shot dead eight men whom they claimed were volunteers in Oglaigh na hEireann. But it was established that they were not.

Commonwealth and Irish Nationalist MPs made the point that the Irish government and parliament could not get more powers, because of the veto on this matter by the House of Lords with its permanent Conservative majority. The Irish Nationalist Party was ambivalent towards the rebellion, both condemning it, and praising the bravery and idealism of the rebels.

The seven signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic were sentenced to death. But the Irish Secretary, Caitlin Healy, commuted their sentences to fifteen years imprisonment, to be served in prisons in Ireland. Therefore they did not have martyrs deaths. The Conservatives and Liberals condemned these prison sentences as too lenient. The left wings of the Commonwealth and Irish National parties, and Saor Eireann opposed them as being too harsh. Another 37 people actively involved in the rebellion received shorter prison sentences. Constance Gore-Booth received a three year prison sentence.
 
Except for those newspapers which supported Saor Eireann, the Irish press came out against the Cork Easter rebellion, though to a greater or lesser extent. The Irish Times , regarded as the most prestigious Irish newspaper, condemned the decision by the Irish Secretary, Caitlin Healy, to commute the death sentences of the seven signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. Even those newspapers which supported the Commonwealth or Irish Nationalist parties, and were sympathetic to some extent to the rebellion, declared that the Irish people did not want a republic, but wanted to keep the monarchy.

Queen Victoria was unpopular for a few years in the early 1860s, when she withdrew from public life in mourning after the death of Prince Albert in 1861. But she was now very popular in Ireland, together with her husband, Prince Patrick, the Prince Consort, and their daughter, Princess Brigid, born 14 February 1866. Victoria and Patrick stayed in their country house, Lismore Castle in County Waterford, several weeks each year. (1)

The convicted male rebels were imprisoned on Spike Island in County Cork. (2) Constance Gore-Booth and the other female convicted rebels were imprisoned in Mountjoy Female Prison in Dublin. (3)

(1) For Queen Victoria, Prince Patrick, Princess Brigid and Lismore Castle, see post # 530 on page 27.

(2) See http://www.spikeislandcork.ie.

(3) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dochas_Centre.
 
There have been dozens of books written about the Cork Easter rebellion, or rising, as it is sometimes called. The latest and most authoritative was published in 2021 as part of the commemorations of its 125th anniversary. It is 377 pages long with bibliography, end notes and index, and has contemporary photographs of locations in Cork which featured in the rebellion, and of prominent rebels. There have also been films, radio discussions, and television documentaries about the rebellion.
 
The Balkan/Ottoman war ended in September 1897. Anglo-French troops liberated Ottoman Armenia. In the Balkans, Greece and Serbia won territory at the expense of the Ottomans, who gained territory from Bulgaria.
 
The terms of Treaty of Paris signed in October 1897 were as follows:
Armenia became an independent country . It was to be a neutral country with its independence guaranteed by Britain, France and Russia. It was landlocked and comprised the six vilayets of Ottoman Armenia, with Erzurum as its capital. (1) Greece gained Epirus and the Monastir vilayet from the Ottomans. (2) Serbia gained the sanjuk of Novi Pazar from the Ottomans. (3) Bulgaria ceded the kasas of Kirkkilise, Kizilagac, and Mustafapsa to the Ottoman Empire. (4) They had been transferred to Bulgaria by the Treaty of Vienna in November 1877. See post #1486 on page 75, link to Constantinople Conference.

(1) See map below the first paragraph here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenians_in_the_Ottoman_Empire.

(2) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epirus, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastir_Vilayet.

(3) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjak_of_Novi_Pazar.

(4) In OTL they are now the towns of Kirklareli, Elhovo and Svilengrad respectively. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirklareli,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elhovo and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svilengrad.
 
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The Armenian National Assembly chose Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, as Tsar of Armenia.. (1) He was the sixth son and youngest child of Tsar Alexander II of Russia by his first wife, and an uncle of Tsar Nicholas II, Though Russia did not gain any territory by the Treaty of Paris, a member of the Russian royal family was now Tsar of Armenia.

The British government claimed credit for acheiving its war aim of an independent Armenia. But the opposition Conservative and Liberal parties attacked it for not gaining any territory for the British Empire.

(1) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Paul_Alexandrovich_of_Russia.
 
William Morris, the President of the Health and Local Government Board, and Commonwealth MP for St. Pancras North, died on 3 October 1896. He was also renowned as a poet, writer, and designer. He was 62 years old. He was survived by his wife, Kate, and their five sons and four daughters. His funeral Mass at the Catholic Church of Our Lady Help of Christians in Kentish Town, was attended by his family and friends, members of the government and MPs.

In the subsequent government reshuffle, the Prime Minister, Robert Applegarth, made the following changes:
John Bruce Glasier from President of the Board of Education to President of the Health and Local Government Board,
Charles Conybeare from Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to President of the Board of Education,
Will Thorne from Financial Secretary to the Treasury to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and promoted to the cabinet.
 
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The Commonwealth Party candidate for the St. Pancras North by-election on Saturday 7 November 1896 was Edith Nesbit. (1) She was married to Hubert Bland, but used her maiden name. (2) Their marriage was stormy and other women had children by him. Nesbit had written poems and stories for magazines, but not her children's books yet. She was a member of the Commonwealth Party, and had spoken at meetings, and written for them. Bland was also a party member, but left in December 1895 because the British government rejected territorial gains from the Ottoman Empire as a war aim. He called himself a Socialist Imperialist. Nesbit supported British policy in relation to the war. Bland left Nesbit when she was selected as Commonwealth candidate for the by-election, because he was opposed to women having political careers.

The percentage votes for each party in the by-election were as follows (1894 general election):
Edith Nesbit (Commonwealth): 51.7 (53.9)
Conservative: 34.6 (30.8)
Liberal: 13.7 (15.3)
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Commonwealth majority: 17.1 (23.1)
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(1) For Nesbit see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Nesbit.

(2) For Bland see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Bland.
 
Edith Nesbit supported the British government's policy in respect of the Cork rebellion. Hubert Bland advocated the execution of the rebel leaders, and condemned the prison terms on those involved in the rebellion as too lenient.

The number of seats won by each party in the Irish general election in October 1887 were as follows (October 1883 general election):
Irish Nationalist: 78 (82)
Commonwealth: 23 (22)
Conservative: 4 (33)
(Liberal: 4)
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Total : 105 (141)
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The number of seats in the Irish Parliament fell from 141 to 105 because the five counties in the north of Ireland were no longer under its jurisdiction as a result of the Government of Ireland Act 1886.
 
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John Blake Dillon, the First Secretary of Ireland and the head of the Irish government, resigned on 10 April 1888 because of ill health. He died about a month later. He was succeeded as First Secretary by the Finance Secretary, Michael Davitt.

In the Irish general election in October 1891, the number of seats in the Irish Parliament won by each party were as follows (1887 general election):
Irish Nationalist: 63 (78)
Commonwealth: 31 (23)
Conservative: 11 (4)
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Total: 105 (105)
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The number of seats won by each party in the Irish general election in October 1895 were as follows:
Irish Nationalist: 56
Commonwealth: 33
Conservative: 15
Liberal: 1
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Total: 105
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The Irish Nationalists were still the largest party, but were losing votes to the Commonwealth and Conservative parties who thought that the Irish government was too left wing or too right wing respectively.
 
William Friese-Greene is credited with the invention of projected moving films. (1) The first ones were shown in London in October 1892. (2) They were shown in 'penny gaffs', which were usually converted shops. In the next five years, makeshift moving picture theatres, as cinemas are called in this TL, had opened in cities in Britain and Ireland. The first films shown outside the UK were in Paris in 1893, and by 1897 had spread to other major cities in Europe and North America.

Penny gaffs were basic with little in the way of comfort. George Nathan opened the first purpose built moving picture theatre in Sheffield in April 1897. (3) He called it the Regal. It had comfortable seats and luxurious decoration in the Art Noveau style. Tickets were six pence each. Nathan was a music hall owner. He was 48 years old and married with five children. In this TL moving picture theatres are often called movie theatres, and films movies.

(1) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Friese-Greene.

(2) In OTL this was in Paris in 1895.

(3) He is a fictional person.
 
Technical developments in movie making were three to four years ahead of OTL. The dissolve, double and multiple exposure, and the stop trick were invented in 1893. The Brighton School of movie making was founded in 1893. (1) From 1895 movies developed from single shots to successive scenes. The first woman movie director was Alice Guy-Blache. (2) Movies were silent, but they were accompanied by an orchestra, or much more often, a piano player. Story boards narrated the action and dialogue. Movies varied in length from a few minutes to one hour. They were mostly documentaries, but some fiction movies were made.

The Moving Theatres Act 1894 laid down safety standards for them. The Movie Theatre Co-operative charged a fixed ticket price of 4d. Members who bought tickets for six consecutive films, could see the seventh one free.

In the southern states of the United States, movie theatres were racially segregated. The Civil Rights Act 1881 banned segregation in public accommodations, such as theatres, but the act was not effectively enforced.

(1) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighton_School_(filmmaking).

(2) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Guy-Blache.
 
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Roisin Riordan (nee Griffiths) gave birth to a baby girl on 2 August 1893. She and her husband, Desmond, named their daughter Aoife (pronounced (ee-fa). Roisin was Maire and Nye Griffiths second eldest daughter, born 21 August 1874. She gave birth to a baby boy on 4 September 1894. She and Desmond named him Eoghan (pronounced O-awn). It is the Irish version of Owain.
 
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Roisin gave birth to her second daughter on 11 September 1895. She and Desmond named her Brid. Their third daughter was born on 10 November 1896. They named her Siobhan. Her older sister, Eithne, was the midwife at all her births. They gave their children Irish names because of they were proud of their Irish heritage.

A week after giving birth to four children, Roisin told Desmond, her husband, that she loved her children very much, but did not want anymore. She hated being pregnant and giving birth was long and painful. She wanted to enjoy their love making without the fear of pregnancy. She would use artificial birth prevention. Because he loved his wife, Desmond agreed. Though they were both practising Catholics, they rejected their Church's teaching on the sinfulness of birth control. The next day, she had a diaphragm, or cap, fitted in her vagina at the Swansea mother and baby clinic. This was permitted under the Provision of Birth Prevention Methods Act 1894.
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Desmond was born on 21 May 1873. He was a violinist with the orchestra of the Star Theatre in Swansea. He and Roisin and their children lived in a rented two bedroom terrace house in Swansea.
 
Maire Griffiths was surprised but delighted when she found she was pregnant after making love with Aneurin on 26 December 1892. When they were living together she used a vaginal sponge when they had sexual intercourse, but after they separated she had bought any sponges. After she missed her periods in January and February 1893, she was sure she was pregnant. She told Hannah Davis, her beloved helpmeet and wife in all but name, the good news, then her children and siblings. She told Nye and Arwen Smith when they visited her at home in Swansea. Nye was pleased, but Arwen was furious with Aneurin was furious for being unfaithful to him.

Aneurin's book of poems about Carmarthen and the surrounding countryside, Arwen and Thomas, their son born on 20 April 1893, was published in May 1893. It was dedicated to Arwen and was a critical and popular success. It was well known that he had left his wife and was living with Arwen. Most people sided with Maire. rather than Nye in them living separately. She and Hannah were sleeping together, but their intimacy was now more affectionate than sexual. Maire and Nye loved each other, and they made love a few times when he visited her. She used a vaginal sponge every time. They were legally married to each other. But she would not leave Hannah, and he would not leave Arwen.

Maire gave birth to a baby girl at home on Wednesday 4 October 1893. Her eldest daughter, Eithne, and her friend, Elizabeth Kelly, were the midwives. Hannah was also there. She phoned Nye at his home in Carmarthen. He was happy that his wife had given birth to a daughter, and they were both well. They named their daughter Sorcha. She was their thirteenth child and eighth daughter.

Arwen became pregnant by Nye in mid October 1893. She gave birth to a baby boy at home in Carmarthen on 17 July 1894. She and Nye named him Emrys. She insisted on giving him the surname of Smith. He was her third son and third child by him, and her seventh son and tenth child.
 
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The Equality of Treatment Bill received the royal assent and became law in April 1896. It made discrimination on the grounds of race, nationality or religion illegal in the provision of housing, services in pubs, restaurants and similar places, and banks and financial services.

Orla Griffiths, the third daughter ot Aneurin and Maire Griffiths (born 24 August 1876), was a novice with the Sisters of the Love of Christ. This was a Catholic religious order founded by St. Ann Walsh in Limerick in 1869. (1) It combined prayer and religious services with work with the poorest and most vulnerable. They wore a modified habit of blue blouse, blue jacket and blue knee length skirt. They took life long vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Orla joined the order as a novice when she was 18 years. She had not yet taken her final vows. She lived in the order's convent in Swansea. Her parents and siblings visited her there on alternate Sunday afternoons.

(1) This relgious order and St. Ann Walsh are fictional.
 
The four eldest children of Emperor Napoleon IV of France and his wife, Empress Gisela Louise Marie, were all married into European Catholic royal families by 1897. Therese (born 17 September 1873) into the Polish- Lithuanian, Marie (born 21 January 1875) into that of Southern Italy and Sicily, Napoleon (born 29 August 1876 into the Austro-Hungarian, and Philippe (born 12 June 1878) into the Spanish.
 
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Karl Marx died on 21 M ay 1849 in this timeline. Socialism is not Marxist, but democratic socialist and greatly influenced by Social Anarchism. (1)

In 1896 there were Social Democratic parties in the legislatures of most European countries including Austria-Hungary-North Italy, Bavaria, Prussia, and Rhineland. and Socialist parties in Italy, and Southern Italy and Sicily.

In the self-governing Australian colonies of the British Empire Labour parties were founded in the following years: in New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria in 1886, Queensland in 1891, Tasmania in 1893, Western Australia in 1894. In Keewatin, which comprises OTL northern and western Canada, the Commonwealth Party was founded in 1875. The Commonwealth Party of New Zealand was founded in 1891.

(1) For Social Anarchism see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_anarchism.
 
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1896 was a presidential election year in the United States. In accordance with the two term precedent, Jeremiah Rusk did not run for re-election as president. The Liberty Party national convention in Cleveland, Ohio, in June 1896, chose the vice president, Blanche Bruce, as candidate for president, and Robert La Follette, Senator from Wisconsin, as candidate for vice president. (1)

The Constitution Party national convention in Chicago in July 1896, selected Joseph Blackburn, Senator from Kentucky, as candidate for president, and Robert Pattison, Governor of Pennsylvania, as vice presidential candidate. (2)

(1) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanche_Bruce, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette.

(2) See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._S._Blackburn, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Pattison.
 
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