barbucomedie: “Votes for Women” Badge from Ireland dated around 1916 on display at the N
barbucomedie: “Votes for Women” Badge from Ireland dated around 1916 on display at the National Museum of Ireland-Decorative Arts and History in DublinThis badge belonged to Francis Sheehy Skeffington, an Irish radical who was shot by the British for being suspected of involvement in the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin. In reality Francis had disproved of the growing militarism of the Irish Volunteers and during the Rising had tried to stop looters from ransacking the Dublin shops. Eventually James Connolly listened to him and ordered Volunteers to quell the looters.Francis was a strong socialist and supporter of women’s suffrage as was his wife, the famous Suffragette Hanna Sheehy. When they married they shared each others surnames with no hyphen between them. He was also a strong supporter of Home Rule for Ireland and had been arrested for opposing the war in Europe and the recruitment of Irish citizens into the British Army. Because of this he was arrested after the Rising and executed.There was an inquiry after his death by the British Army but the officer who ordered his death, Captain John Bowen-Colthurst of the Royal Irish Rifles, was allowed to retire with his pension.Photograph taken by myself -- source link