On Wednesday, April 26, 1922, Belle, Ana M. (Nancy), and Julia M. (Sheila), departed New York aboard the Cunard White Star Lines' RMS Scythia bound for the port city of Cobh (Queenstown), County Cork, in the Free State of Ireland. During the previous five months, significant events had taken place in Ireland. Until December 1921, all of Ireland was part of the British Empire. On December 6, Ireland became partitioned: Dominion status was granted for 26 counties south and west, including counties Kerry and Cork; the nine counties which comprised Ulster province in the northeast remained part of the Empire and became known as Northern Ireland. On January 7, 1922, the treaty was ratified by the Irish Parliament, the Dail, thus forming the Irish Free State.
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Bella Murphy Barker
This was the name as it appeared on her passport, with an a at the end of her first name. She signed her letters Belle, with an e at the end; for this reason I refer to her as Belle on this web site. |
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