Sir, – Michael Parsons asked if anyone knew the identity of two boys, correctly believed to be pages, pictured at the viceregal-court at Dublin Castle (“Pages from history”, Magazine, February 11th).
The photograph and the costumes which the boys wore were recently up for sale at Sheppards in Durrow.
In fact, the page-boys were Theobald Walter Somerset Henry Butler (1903-1957), Lord Ikerrin, and his brother the Hon Somerset Butler, the twin sons of Charles Ernest Alfred French Somerset Butler, 7th Earl of Carrick (1873-1931).
The slightly older boy, Lord Ikerrin, succeeded as 8th Earl of Carrick in 1931 and is the great-grandfather of (Arion) Thomas Piers Hamilton Butler, the present 11th Earl of Carrick (and 18th Viscount Ikerrin). About the time of this photograph the Carricks sold their Irish seat, Mount Juliet, to the McCalmont family for a reputed £48,000.
Twin sons have been born into the Carrick (Butler) family at least three times since the earldom was created in 1748. It is also one of the junior titles of the current Prince of Wales. I would date the photograph to circa 1916. – Yours, etc,