The ink press used to take the fingerprints of the 14 Irish martyrs of the Easter Uprising in 1916 shortly before their secret executions goes under the hammer at Ludlow, Shropshire (England) next month.
 
Housed in its original 12×10x6ins wooden casket, it is clearly identified by a metal memorial plaque on the lid, listing each of the Martyrs by  the Irish forms of their names. The first on the list is Padraig Mac Pharais (Patrick Pearse) The inscription reads: ‘A tribute from the National Aid Assn. Dublin to the memory of those who showed great self sacrifice & signatories on behalf of the Provisional Government during the Easter Rising 23rd April 1916’. The rest of the inscription reads: ‘John Bull’s Finger Press which inked the Condemned Souls – 30th April & 12th May 1916. The Very Rev. Father Augustine OFM Cap, 21st May 1922. An inspiration of Selfless Devotion.’ The item goes under the hammer at the next Mullock Madeley specialist auction of historical documents, autographs and memorabilia at Ludlow Racecourse on Wednesday December 14th. It has an estimate of £10,000-15,000.

Also in the sale – and from a completely different source – is a scarce original copy of the Proclamation issued by the Executive of the Anti Treaty IRA dated June 28th 1922, - a crude cyclostyled document on a single sheet of quarto paper, with manuscript pencilled note to top left hand corner :’This is issued by the Irregulars’.

The Mullock Madeley sale will feature a wide ranging spectrum of important historical documents, autographs and memorabilia, including a copy of the original surrender of the Japanese which ended WWII, one of the rarest signatures of Marilyn Monroe, the microphone used by Sir Winston Churchill to make his VE day speech, and an item of porcelain owned by the legendary suffragette Emiline Pankhurst.

More details at Mullock Madeley Auctioneers

Posted: 11|28|05 at 10:52 am. Filed under: Collectables.