| Description | The correspondence is divided into sections: 1 College Government which is subdivided as follows:
Correspondence with Dublin Castle 1853-1887
Correspondence with Board of Works 1874-1893
Letters for Secretary, Queens University of Ireland to College Officers 1850-1891 with printed material, 1845
Correspondence with the Secretary, Royal University of Ireland 1881-[1913]
College visitations which include references to females students and dissecting facilities, 1851-1903 2 Internal Administration which is subdivided as follows:
Incoming letters to Council, Queen's College Cork, 1848-1911
University College Cork Governing Body Elections, 1919
Queen's College Cork Governing Body correspondence 1858-1876
Correspondence with Student Societies, 1902-1926
Correspondence with the Bursar and Secretary, 1908-1913
Correspondence with Academic staff and Departments, [1877]-1911
Correspondence with the Registrar, 1849-1919
Correspondence with the President 1853-1912
The following offer examples from the Correspondence:
Letters laid before Council, 1893-1895, includes, among others, a manuscript letter from the female students of Queen's College Cork to James W Slattery, President, Queen's College, Cork and the Council, Queen's College Cork. It is signed by Dora E. Allman, Lucy E. Maida Park, Jeanetter Hargrave, May Hartog, Mary Aherne, Nannie Lacy, A.E. Musgrave, Mary Fetherston and Susie Merrion. In this letter the female students request that a supply of water be laid on in their room, no date.
Letters laid before Council, Queen's College, Cork from staff and students, 1888-1892.
Correspondence includes a series of letters from Margaret T. Downes relating to her allegation of mistreatment by a number of college staff, 1889, for example:
Manuscript letter from Margaret T. Downes, 22 Kildare Street, Dublin, to Council, Queen's College Cork complaining about 'annoyances' suffered in Dr Stokes's class during session 1887-1888 and the discourteous treatment by President Sullivan including non-acknowledgement of receipt of letters and non-replying of letters on behalf of both men. She expresses her intention to apply for a date to present her case to Council, 9 February 1889
Manuscript letter from Margaret Tierney Downes, 2 Synott Place, Dublin, to Council Queen's College Cork, expressing her dissatisfaction with Council's letter of reply and requesting a time to be appointed without delay to allow her complaints against Professor Stokes and 'those who have directly or indirectly abetted his inexcusable insolence' to be heard, 15 March, 1889
Incomplete manuscript letter from Margaret Tierney Downes, 2 Synott place, Dublin, to Council, Queen's College Cork giving accounts of meetings she has had with both the President, Dr Sullivan, and Professors Stokes, all of whom attempted to persuade her against taking action on the matter concerned, 1 April, 1889
Manuscript letter from Margaret Tierney Downes, 2 Synott Place, Dublin, to Alexander Jack, Secretary, Council, Queen's College Cork, asking for the names of the members who `pretended' to adjudicate on her behalf, 1 April, 1889
Manuscript letter from Margaret Tierney Downes to Council, Queen's College Cork, giving an account of failed attempts to meet Dr Sullivan and threatening to expose `the Council's injustices', 1 April 1889
Manuscript note from Margaret Tierney Downes to Alexander Jack, Registrar, Queen's College Cork, enclosing letter for Council and copy for Professor A Jack. She explains why she is taking the precaution of sending each Council member an individual copy, 3 April 1889
Manuscript letter from Margaret Tierney Downes to Council, Queen's College Cork, arguing the existence of 'false statements' in the resolution of Council which 'pretends' to deal with her case. She states her knowledge of hostility borne towards her by a majority of Council members and gives accounts of various obstacles she encountered to deter her from her intentions. She referees to the advice of Dr Sullivan against taking the matter to Council as `the majority of the Professors had been against his view of admitting female students.' She puts forward her case against Professor Stokes and blames the situation for not having the time or health to complete her degree. She denies that there was any `squabble among students' and states that she received the treatment she did for reasons of being a Catholic. She adds in a postscript that she has attained the names of all Council members despite refusal from the Secretary of the Council, 4 April 1889.
Letters laid before Council, Queen's College Cork, for staff and students, 1906-1909, for example, a manuscript note from J. Charles Johnson, Honorary Secretary, Queen's College Cork, Philosophical Society to Council, Queen's College Cork, requesting permission for [Mrs] Christie, a lady, to read a paper on the subject of cherchez la femme '83, no date, c.1908
Manuscript note from H. Barber, Honorary Secretary, Students Club, University College, Cork, to Council, University College, Cork, stating that some of the lady students wish to attend the proposed smoking concert and calling on them to express their views on same, c.1908.
Letters, includes:
Copy manuscript letter from Sir Robert Kane, President, Queen's College Cork, to John Ryall, Vice-President, Queen's College, Cork, regarding the professors, and the head porter's family. Kane stresses the importance of Ryall providing him with a list of those professors he charges with `neglect of duty' and with details of what inconvenience, if any, was caused by their absence. He again asks for a statement of circumstances in which Ryall accuses the head porter's family, especially the daughter, of misconduct. He notes that vague claims may have a 'permanent and injurious effect' on a young female of that class,' 16 June 1855.
Visitations, includes:
Manuscript report of the proceedings of the Ordinary Visitation of Queen's College, Cork held on 6 June 1903 in the Examination Hall. The visitors were the Right Honourable Lord Justice Holmes, Dr McCann, President of the Royal College of Physicians and Dr Ormsby, President of the Royal College of Surgeons. Among other issues raised, Dr McCann asked the Professor of Midwifery, Dr Henry Corby, a number of questions regarding the subject. In particular, he asked whether the person appointed Professor is given, by virtue of his appointment to the college, an ex-officio position at any clinical institution in the city. He noted that such a connection had recently been made in Belfast. Dr Corby informed the Visitors of the facilities available in the city hospitals for he teaching of Practical Midwifery and of Gynaecology. He explained that he was appointed professor because he was physician to the Cork Maternity Hospital and because he had opportunities of teaching the students clinically in Gynaecology. He noted that no official connection exist between the two but that for practical subjects it was a sine qua non that the Professor have facilities for teaching practical work. He confirmed that there is no special gynaecologist to any of the hospitals of the city. Also included in the report is the reply to a question by the Registrar on the presence of five female students in the college, three in Arts and two in medicine.
Letter from J.J. Ryan Mountpleasant, Loughrea, County Galway, to W.F. Butler, Registrar, Queen's College, Cork, requesting a copy of the College Regulations. She also asks whether there were any female Medical Students last Session and whether there are likely to be any during the coming Session, 22 August 1907.
Printed copy of a letter, 6 February 1912, signed John P. Molohan, Registrar, University College, Cork, to Miss E. Penrose, Principal, Somerville College, Oxford, informing her of the following facts in reply to the request contained in her letter of 5 February 1912: 27 women were admitted to University College, Cork in 1910-1911 as students beginning a full University course, two women took the BA honours degree, 1912, six women took the BA pass Degree, 1912, no women obtained the BSc degree in 1912 but three women obtained it in 1911, one woman took the MA with honours in 1912.
Letter from Amy Barrington, 18 Bradley Gardens, West Ealing, London West, to John P. Molohan, Registrar, University College, Cork, asking if there is a special female official at the college to look after the morale and manners of the women students who do not reside in Hostels. She also wishes to know whether it is part of this official's duties to decide whether those women who desire to become students `are fit and proper persons to have at College'. She adds that she is endeavouring to get this information from all Colleges and Universities in the United Kingdom where co-education exists, 2 May 1912.
Typed letter, signed David Harrel, Office of the Chief Secretary, Dublin Castle to the President of Queen's College, Cork, regarding certain alterations in the Statutes of Queens College, Belfast, which have been suggested to the Lord Lieutenant, in particular, the suggestion that provision be made for the admission of women to Scholarships and Prizes in that College. It is noted that it appears from teh College Calendar that women are admitted to Scholarships and Prizes in Queen's College Cork. It is requested that Slattery state the precise date on which a woman first obtained a Scholarship in the College, and whether there is any minute or entry in the Books of the College in reference to the admission of women to Scholarships or prizes, 23 March 1895.
Copy of a manuscript letter from G.F. Savage Armstrong, Deputy President, Queen's College, Cork, to the Under Secretary, Dublin Castle, in reply to his letter of 23 March, concerning the granting of scholarships to woman students. Armstrong summarises the various resolutions passed at College Council relative to the following:
The admittance of women students (6 November 1883)
The acceptance that women entered as Matriculated Students would afterwards be entitled to all the privileges of such a student (20 November 1883)
The admittance of the first woman student (1 November 1886)
The first awarding of a Scholarship to a woman student (7 November 1888).
He also encloses abstracts of the Council Minutes relating to these minutes. These show that the Council first resolved that women could be admitted to courses of lectures, after considering a letter from Mrs R Gregg, Honorary Secretary of the Cork Ladies Literary Association. They also show that the first woman student admitted was Miss Barbara C Denroche and that she was also the first woman to be awarded a scholarship. Letter dated 18 March 1895.
Letter from Alice U Cashel, 52 Lower Glanmire Road, Cork, to Bertram C.A. Windle, President, Queen's College, Cork, applying for entrance to lectures at Queen's College, Cork, for the coming Session, 5 October 1905. She states she passed the Second Arts Examination of the Royal University in 1897 and now wishes to study for a pass degree in the Mental and Social Sciences. She adds that she is one of Miss Donelan's Cambridge students and that it was she who recommended her to finish her Course at the Queen's College.
Printed copy of a letter, with copy signature of John P. Molohan, Registrar, University College, Cork, initialled by B. Perry, Registrar's Office, addressed to Miss M.G. Spenser, Central Bureau for the Employment of Women, 5 Princes Street, Cavendish Square, London, West. In reply to her letter of 23 July 1912. Molohan is forwarding a copy of the College Regulations and Courses for 1912-1913 and refers Spencer to the parts containing details as to Fees and Scholarships and as to Houses of Residence. It is added that women students can enter all faculties and enjoy all the privileges of male students. Attention is also directed to the Ladies Club and the Athletics Clubs provided for Women Students, 26 July 1912.
Manuscript letter from Margaretta G. Magrath, 97 Patrick Street, Cork, to the Council, Queen's College, Cork. In this letter, Magrath requests to be admitted as a matriculated student of the college. She states that she has passed the Matriculation Examination of the Royal University of Ireland, 14 October 1894. |
|---|