Letters of Thomas Ulick Sadleir,
1893-1958.
Collection includes mainly letters to or from Thomas Sadleir. For the period 1921-1924 there is a block of material written by Sadleir to his superior Nevile Wilkinson in his capacity as Deputy Ulster covering the period marked by the Irish War of Independence and the Civil War. Another substantial block of material covers Sadleir's correspondence with members of the Ascendancy classes with whom he was on personal terms. These letters are of a more personal nature but also refer to heraldry and genealogy. Special reference has been made to the correspondence from Lord and Lady Mayo due to the substantial amount of material that has survived There are also letters from Wilkinson to Sadleir on his various travels around the world with Titania’s Palace (1925-1940), and more office-related material referring to Northern Ireland addressed to Wilkinson ca. 1923. Other office material relates to staff matters in the Office of Arms (1929-1931) and a small amount of material relating to the Knights of St. Patrick (2 items). Also included are letters addressed to Arthur Vicars (1893-1904) a former Ulster King of Arms. Post 1943 letters relate mainly to research matters. Part of this collection contains letters written to Sadleir by the poet John Betjeman, who was a good friend of Sadleir and contact with Trinity College Dublin in relation to various matters (4 items). Other collection material includes items such as school reports, copies of invitations received, research, references and material relating to membership of various organisations such as his election to the council of the Royal Irish Academy, 1925-1926. Also included are newspaper clippings mainly relating to the 1943 changeover of the Office of the Ulster King of Arms from British administration to the Irish government.
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| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
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| Notes: | Thomas Ulick Sadleir was born in 1882 at the Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, where his father, the Rev. Franc Sadleir was stationed as chaplain to the British Army. He attended Dover College Junior School as a day-boy from 1892-96, afterwards attending Rosall near Fleetwood in Lancashire. He then attended Trinity College Dublin, graduating with a BA and BL in 1904 and was called to the Irish bar in 1906. He worked as a barrister on the Leinster circuit for the next ten years. His work with the Office of the Ulster King of Arms at Dublin Castle commenced in an informal way whilst he was still a student in the early part of the century, and by 1913 he was working there on a daily basis. In 1915 he was appointed registrar of the Order of St. Patrick at the Office of Arms, becoming Deputy Ulster in 1921 after the tragic death of the then deputy George Burtchaell. Wilkinson as Ulster King of Arms 1908-1940 was absent from the office for much of this period, travelling the world with the famous dolls house he created, which meant that certainly from 1921 on, Sadleir ran the Office of the Ulster King of Arms in Dublin Castle on a day to day basis. Dublin Castle was the home of British Administration in Ireland until 1922 and the Office of Arms was the only Office to remain under British control until 1943. From 1940 (after the death of Wilkinson) to 1943 (when the office came under Irish control) Sadleir continued his work in the office, despite an uncertain future and resigned his position in 1943 although he had been offered a role in the office when it transferred to Irish control. Sadleir continued to work on arrears at the office at the time of the transfer, and later on secured a post in the library at King's Inns, where he worked until his death in 1957. Physical description: 2 boxes. Indexes: Finding aid available : NLI Manuscripts Collection List GO MS 1000. more |
| Arrangement: | Fonds |
| Provenance: | Originally in the possession of Randal Sadleir, son of Thomas Ulick Sadleir. |
| Online Access: | https://www.nli.ie/pdfs/mss%20lists/sadleir%20(2).pdf |