Michael Davitt's "Jottings in Solitary" consists of his drafts on many topics, written while a prisoner in solitary confinement in Portland Convict Prison, 1881-2. Published here for the first time, they contain an autobiographical fragment and a frankly annotated list of Irish MPs of the time.

Michael Davitt's "Jottings in Solitary" consists of his drafts on many topics, written while a prisoner in solitary confinement in Portland Convict Prison, 1881-2. The "Jottings" (Davitt's title) have not been published before and contain a valuable autobiographical fragment and a frankly annotated list of Irish MPs of the time. Davitt gives his views on many other subjects, including an account of his arrest; his random thoughts on the Irish land war; how Ireland was robbed of her Parliament; on Ireland's share of the British Constitution as seen in its Government and Parliamentary franchise; and essays on English civilization and on the education of the Irish citizen.

Synopsis of data for an autobiography
English civilization
Ireland's share of the British Constitution as seen in its government and parliamentary franchise
the education of the Irish citizen
Christmas Day 1881
1st January 1882
synopsis of our parliamentary representation
random thoughts on the Irish Land War - difficulties in the way of a solution of the Irish social problem
letter in reply to that of Aunt Ellen's
how Ireland was robbed of her parliament
my 36th birthday.