| Description | Letter written from Howth House, Howth, dated 3 July and addressed 'Dear Sir'. Boyd permits Churton Collins (1848-1908; literary critic and scholar) to use the contents of his letter (LAdd/30) in any way he sees fit, with the exception of comments made about the involvement of the 'religious element' in the Bourke Kirwan case, which he wishes to be kept private for fear of provoking 'bitterness'.
The trial referred to took place c1852-1853. William Bourke Kirwan, who was convicted of murdering his wife, was given a prison sentence rather than the death sentence due to inconclusive evidence. He was released on the expiration of his sentence, and moved to America. |