‘“These are Great Services:” Major Nicholas Gosselin and the Home Office Secret Service, 1890–1905’

This article examines the career of Major Nicholas Gosselin as head of the Home Office secret service. Despite the absence of any immediate threat of terror attacks, Gosselin centralized the collection of intelligence about Irish revolutionary organizations and employed spies to disrupt their activities abroad. The government’s sustained support of his efforts and particularly his handling of a supposed dynamite plot in 1896, reveal a broader commitment to the use of espionage in Britain than previously recognized. Despite the expense and potential for political embarrassment, officials believed that Gosselin performed ‘great services,’ securing the British mainland from potential threats.