Читать книгу The Life and Times of Mary Ann McCracken, 1770–1866 - Mary McNeill - Страница 8

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

At the outset, I would like to thank the family of the author, Mary Alice McNeill, for permission to republish this seminal biography. Without their continued support, this republication would not have been possible.

The text remains largely unaltered from the original, but work was required to update the original footnotes due to re-cataloguing of archives since Mary McNeill undertook her research in the 1950s. In particular, special thanks is due to Cathryn McWilliams for her work on the references related to the holdings of the Public Record Office Northern Ireland and Trinity College Dublin as well as the Joy-McCracken family tree; to the Archive and Heritage Development Officer at Clifton House for updating the references for material from the Belfast Charitable Society Archive; Teresa Flanagan for proofreading the original transcript; and to National Museums Northern Ireland for permission to reproduce images from its collections.

I am grateful to the past and present Presidents of the Society. Lady Moyra Quigley, for her continual support and for introducing the Charitable Society to the esteemed historian, Marianne Elliot. Marianne will be familiar to many who are interested in the 1798 Rebellion, and we are indebted to her for writing the new foreword. Also Sir Ronald Weatherup, who has written the new Introduction to this edition and who has, in his short time as President, shown much interest and support for the Society’s work.

Thank you to Conor Graham and the Irish Academic Press for their belief in the project from the beginning and their continued support throughout this process.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of all those at Belfast Charitable Society. The foresight and support of the Board and the work of Paula Reynolds (CEO) and all her staff have made this reprint a reality. I am pleased to have been part of this project working alongside all involved. We have produced a fitting tribute to two Belfast women who both strived to do their part in tackling the social issues of their respective times.

David Watters

Chair of Belfast Charitable Society