Michael Davitt was born in Straide, Foxford in Mayo in 1846, the second of five children. In about 1850, his parents, Martin and Sabina Davitt were evicted from their smallholding and moved to England to find work, settling in Haslingden in Lancashire, where former neighbours had settled. At the age of 10, Michael began work in a cotton mill but two years later had his right arm amputated in an accident.

By 1861, Michael and his father were working as labourers and all his sisters were factory hands. He found a job with a printing firm and in 1865, joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood, becoming organising secretary in Northern England and Scotland.

This police register of suspects is arranged in alphabetical order by name and includes a number of Irish people resident in England. Davitt was arrested in London in 1870, and sentenced to 15 years hard labour for treason-felony, but was released on ticket of leave in 1877. He toured America calling for land reform in Ireland and returned to Ireland in 1879, campaigning actively through the National Land League for the reduction of rents. Davitt was re-arrested in 1881, upon release in 1882 he campaigned for land nationalisation and an alliance between the British working class, Irish labourers and tenant farmers. Despite his differences with Parnell on the land question he was a strong supporter of the Liberal/Nationalists alliance and maintained this position in 1890 when the party split over Parnell's divorce. In 1892 Davitt became the anti-Parnellite MP for Meath and in 1895-99 represented West Mayo. In 1898 he helped found the United Irish League and he is commonly regarded as the founder of the British Labour party. When he died in 1906 the viceroy paid his respects at the funeral, an indication of the dramatic political journey taken by the former Fenian prisoner. He is buried in Straide Co. Mayo where he was born. Davitt died in Dublin in 1906. There is now a Davitt museum at his birthplace.

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