My ancestors - Flanagan - Contents

The Caravaggio story

References:
- Caravaggio - The Master Revealed, Sergio Benedetti, [NGI], 1993.
- Feature on the Caravaggio, Irish Times, 6th Nov 1993.
Sources yet to be consulted:
- The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece, Jonathan Harr (2005). This may be made into a movie.

My grandmother Dr. Nora Stack was a good friend of Dr. Marie Lea-Wilson.
When Nora's daughter, my aunt Peggy Flanagan, was born in 1934, Marie Lea-Wilson was her godmother and gave her a christening present of some jewellery. (Not, as formerly thought, silver spoons.)

Around the same time, early 1930s, Marie Lea-Wilson gave an old painting to the Jesuits.
She had bought the painting in 1921. She was not a collector or speculator - she liked it just because it was a nice religious painting. No one had any idea of its worth.
The painting hung for decades unnoticed in the Jesuits' dining room in Leeson St, Dublin, until in 1993 it was sent to be cleaned and was dramatically identified as the lost masterpiece, The Taking of Christ by Caravaggio, worth tens of millions of dollars.
It now hangs in the National Gallery.

It is a family joke now that one could imagine Marie Lea-Wilson deciding on presents: "Now, this nice painting for Peggy. No. I'll tell you what. I'll get her some nice jewellery. I'll give this old painting to the Jesuits. .."

The Taking of Christ by Caravaggio.
See full size. From Wikipedia.

The Caravaggio on a stamp, 1994.
From poppe-stamps.com.

Dr. Marie Lea-Wilson

In Nora Stack's medical class at TCD in the late 1920s was Marie Lea-Wilson, the widow of an assassinated RIC officer. She was a mature student in her late 30s.

References:
- Entry for Capt. Percival Lea-Wilson in [RIC officers].
- MUSKERRY in [Burkes Peerage, 1970]
- Research by David Neary.
Sources yet to be consulted:
- File of Lea-Wilson household bills, [DCA].
- Article on the Lea-Wilsons, David Neary, The Holly Bough, Cork, 2009.

Marie Lea-Wilson.
Detail of larger photo of resident doctors at Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital, 1929.
Photo from RCPI, reference PDH/6/3/33.
See RCPI blog. Reproduced by kind permission of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

Patrick Ryan.
He was a solicitor.
He mar Josephine Daly.
Listed at Marie's birth 1887 as of Main St, Charleville, Co.Cork.
They are listed in 1901 census on Main St, Charleville.
They are listed in 1911 census on Main St, Charleville.
[Burkes Peerage, 1970] lists him as of The Turrets, Charleville.
They had issue:

Marie Ryan,
Catholic,
born 3 May 1887, Main St, Charleville, Co.Cork [GROI].
Marie Monica Ryan. Listed as Marie Monica Eugenie Ryan at birth and mar. "Maria" on grave.
Known to her friends as "Monica". Think NOT Monique.
We have a book inscribed "To Nora from her friend Monica". Also nicknamed "The Monarch" in our family.
Later better known as Dr. Marie Lea-Wilson.
She is listed in 1901 census as a boarder at the Ursuline Convent, Blackrock, Cork.
At home with parents in 1911 census.
Listed as living The Turrets, Charleville, at mar 1914.

She mar 27 Jan 1914 to Capt. Percival Lea-Wilson [born 22 Apr 1887, Kensington, London, "Perceval" on census form, "Percival" on grave].
He was Church of England, son of Samuel Henry Wilson, or Lea-Wilson.
Percival was educ New College, Oxford.
He is listed in 1911 census in Woodford, Co.Galway.
They mar at Catholic Church, Charleville [GROI].

Percival was an RIC officer.
Percival is killed, 1920:
He was killed by the IRA, in Gorey, Co.Wexford, 15 June 1920 (NOT 1921), age 33, in the War of Independence.
He was bur Putney Vale Cemetery, London. See his grave.
Two memorial stained glass windows to him in Church of Ireland church, Gorey.
After his death Marie started a new life, went to study medicine at TCD, in her late 30s. She became doctor in Dublin.
She was in Nora Stack's medical class at TCD. Though Marie quite a bit older than Nora they became good friends. There were only 3 women in the class, all Catholic.
Marie graduated 1928 (age 41).
She acted as godmother 1934 to Nora's first child Peggy.
She lived 19 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin. Living there by [Thom's, 1945]. Still there at death.
She died Tue 20 July 1971, age 84 yrs [GROI].
See death notice in Irish Times and Irish Independent, Wed 21 July 1971.
Funeral Thur 22 July 1971, St.Andrew's church, Westland Row, Dublin.
She was bur Deansgrange Cemetery, location: 96 B, St.Kevin's. Directions: go in gate, far LHS, nearly in corner.
Adeline Ryan.
She mar 1 Aug 1916 to Hamilton Deane-Morgan, 4th Baron Muskerry [born 18 May 1854].
She was his 3rd wife, him age 62.
He was father of 5th and 6th Barons by his 1st wife.
He died 9 June 1929, age 75 yrs.
She died 14 Mar 1950.

Dr. Nora Stack (left) and Dr. Marie Lea-Wilson (right).
Garden at Walkinstown House.
See larger and full size.

Left to Right: Dr. Nora Stack, Dr. Marie Lea-Wilson and a friend.
Stables at Walkinstown House.
See larger and full size.

Grave of Capt. Percival Lea-Wilson, Putney Vale Cemetery, London.
From irishgraves.com.

Grave of Marie Lea-Wilson, Deansgrange Cemetery, Co.Dublin.
Photo from David Neary.

The movie Michael Collins (1996)

It was said that Capt. Percival Lea-Wilson abused a number of prisoners after the 1916 Rising surrender, including Ned Daly and the old Tom Clarke. It is said that an angry Michael Collins marked Lea-Wilson for later assassination. (Lea-Wilson was killed in 1920.)

A scene inspired by this (with James Connolly being abused) features in the movie Michael Collins (1996), with Collins angrily watching and taking note.

The movie Michael Collins (1996).
See the script in Michael Collins: Film Diary and Screenplay by Neil Jordan (1996).
"Captain Lee-Wilson", an army officer, not an RIC officer, says: "Now, show me the ringleaders of this little farce".
A detective called "Smith" abuses the prisoners.

See an exchange in the Irish Times about the truth of this: