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A file relating to William Henry Bliss. Includes letters from William Bliss to Dr Charles Russell and copies of Dr. Russell's letters to William Bliss. Includes 4 letters from William Bliss to Fr Matthew Russell SJ concerning the publication of the correspondence in the Irish Monthly (22 March 1880 - 24 September 1893, 4 items).

Letters from Mary Jane Bliss (wife of William H. Bliss), Oxford to Dr Charles Russell concerning the faith that her children should be brought up in. Remarks that her husband wishes all of the children to be brought up Roman Catholic '...he is about to remove Mary our eldest child altogether from my care.' Continues 'As to the boys it is another matter - I wish to be quite fair and just - and it is right that my husband should have some and it seems natural that he should have the boys - while the girls who need a mother's care so much should be left to me. Why should I have to go lonely to Church for the rest of my life?'.

Letter from Fr Edmund O'Reilly SJ, Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare to Dr Charles Russell concerning the religious upbringing of the children of William Bliss. Offers his opinion on the case. Remarks 'Something depends on the age of the children. The eldest girl, being fit for school is probably old enough to be in danger of becoming a thorough Protestant under the mother's care.' Continues 'He (William Bliss) ought without delay to appoint a testamentary guardian and to take care the document is all right in it's form and execution....'.

Letter from [ ] Wray (mother-in-law of William Bliss), Liverpool to Dr Charles Russell concerning William Bliss and his conversion to the Catholic religion. Appeals to Dr. Russell '...to suggest to him that there are natural as well as moral rights of others which ought to be considered as well as his own religious and legal rights.' Refers to William Bliss' desire to have all of his children brought up in the Catholic faith 'To be thus bereft of her children one by one, will break the mother's heart; it will certainly not win her to her husband's religion; and will necessitate proceedings which will create domestic discord and probably bring this scandal before the world.' Concludes 'There is another matter which also has a bearing upon this case, which, for his own sake, should not come before the public. I allude to his extreme excitability of temper which not infrequently has made my daughter fear for her own personal safety. I have plenty of witnesses to prove this.'