James Pearse was born in London on 8 December 1839. A gifted sculptor, he came to Ireland in about 1860. In the early 1870s he formed a partnership with Patrick J. O’Neill specialising in monumental works which had its workshop on Great Brunswick Street (now Pearse Street) in Dublin. This partnership was dissolved in about 1878. Between 1880 and 1891 Pearse worked in partnership with his foreman Edward Sharp (who was also from England). Following the dissolution of this partnership, Pearse ran his own monumental sculpture business in the Irish capital. Pearse married twice. By his second wife, Margaret Brady, whom he married in October 1877, he had two daughters and two sons. Pearse was largely self-educated. As a bibliophile, he was an avid reader and embraced rationalist thinking and scientific method. Although Pearse was nominally a Catholic (he converted to the religion in about 1869), evidence suggests that he was an atheist. He was an avid supporter of the radical English politician and atheist propagandist Charles Bradlaugh (1833-1891) and wrote several tracts for various secularist publications under the pseudonym ‘Humanitas’. Influenced by the strongly nationalist opinions of his wife, Pearse was also a supporter of Irish Home Rule. He died suddenly on 5 September 1900 in Birmingham while on a visit to relations. After his death, the family business was carried on for a few years under the name James Pearse & Sons by his younger son, the sculptor William Pearse (1881-1916), with some help from his elder son, Patrick Pearse (1879-1916). Both were executed for their part in the 1916 Rising. The collection includes correspondence (including letters to James Pearse from Charles Bradlaugh, Annie Besant and other prominent secularist and atheist activists) and financial and photographic records relating to his monumental sculpture business.
Copy letter from James Pearse to Charles Bradlaugh. The letter reads ‘The fact is I am extremely disgusted with what I read in this morning’s papers, especially the action of the ungrateful Irish Party’.
A clipping of an article reporting on the funeral of William Woodlock. The article notes that Woodlock died on 12 June 1890 (aged 58). It reads ‘The remains of the late Mr. William Woodlock JP, one of the Divisional Police Magistrates of Dublin, were removed this morning from his residence, Mounty Square, for internment in Glasnevin Cemetery … the burial service was recited by the Most Rev. [Bartholomew] Woodlock, Bishop of Ardagh’. The article notes that Bishop Bartholomew Woodlock was William Woodlock’s uncle.
A poem written by William Woodlock (1801-1803) for his grand-daughter Frances Woodlock 'on receiving from her a lock of her hair'. The poem is dated 12 June 1877 at Bruges, Belgium. This William Woodlock was the father of William Woodlock (1832-1890), the barrister and Dublin Police Court Magistrate.
Flier seeking subscriptions for a testimonial in favour of Philip Callan MP (1837-1902) during his 'absence in South America'. The flier is dated 22 January 1884 at Dundalk, County Louth. The reverse of the document is endorsed with manuscript notes by William Woodlock.
Postcard print of Lisdoonvarna with annotations (by Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap.) identifying 'Fr. Tim O’Keeffe, Fr. Horgan PP, and Canon [Patrick] Sheehan'. The photograph was most likely taken at Lisdoonvarna Spa in County Clare.
