Intro A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M(1) | M(2) | M(3) | N | O(1) | O(2) | O(3) | P | Q | R | S(1) | S(2) | T | U | V | W(1) | W(2) | X | Y | Z | Addenda

Abernethy, John, Rev., (page 1).- It is more probable that he was born at Brigh, near Stewartstown, County of Tyrone. The controversy between the "subscribers" and "non-subscribers" originated in a difference of opinion as to whether a church had a right to exact from its clergy subscription to a creed. Abernethy was the leader of the free­thinking school of Presbyterians.

Adair, Robert, (page 1).-According to Dr. Reeves, he was not descended from Sir Robert Adair, Knight-banneret.

Adrian, Robert, mathematician, was born at Carrickfergus, 30th September 1775. He commanded a company of insurgents in 1798, and was dangerously wounded, but managed to escape to the United States. He taught school successively at Princeton, New Jersey, and at York and Reading, Pennsylvania. He was Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Rutger's College, in 1810 and 1811; at Columbia College, from 1813 to 1825; and in the University of Pennsylvania, from 1827 to 1834. He was member of many scientific bodies in Europe and America. He edited the Mathematical Diary from 1825 to 1828, prepared an edition of Hutton's Mathematics, and contributed to magazines. Robert Adrian died at New Brunswick, New Jersey, 10th August 1843, aged 67.

Aedan, (page 2).-Dr. Reeves places his birth in 555, and his death in 625.

Aengus Culdee, Saint, (page 2).- The Martyrology of Aengus and the Martyrology of Tallaght are not the same compilation.

Alison, Francis, D.D., a distinguished Presbyterian divine, was born in the County of Donegal, in 1705, studied at Glasgow, and went to America in 1735. He taught in various parts of the colonies, assisting in the education of some of the leading men of the Revolution, and was for many years Vice-Provost of the College of Philadelphia, and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. He died in Philadelphia, 28th November 1779, aged 74, leaving directions in his will for the emancipation of all his slaves.

Babington, William, M.D., F.E.S., a chemist and mineralogist, was born near Coleraine in 1756. He began to practise medicine in London about 1797, and lectured on chemistry at Guy's Hospital. He wrote several works on mineralogy, one of the principal of which was New System of Mineralogy (1799). He was one of the founders of the Geographical Society, of which he was chosen President in 1822. He died in 1833.

Barre, Isaac, Colonel, (page 10), a distinguished politician, was born in Dublin in 1726. His parents, who kept a small shop, were Huguenot refugees. Isaac graduated at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1745. He was intended for the Bar; Garrick urged him to try the stage; he chose the army, and in 1746 received a commission as ensign, and joined his regiment in Flanders. He served in Scotland and at Gibraltar, and in 1759, as major of brigade, was attached to the expedition under Wolfe for the reduction of Canada, and soon won the friendship and respect of his general. In the fighting before Quebec, Barre received a severe wound in the cheek, and an injury to one eye which ultimately resulted in total blindness. The death of Wolfe was a great blow to his prospects. Upon his return to England he became intimate with Lord FitzMaurice, who on succeeding his father, Lord Shelburne, in 1761, and vacating the family borough of Wycombe, thenceforth nominated him to the seat. Barre took a prominent part in the politics of Great Britain as an unflinching Liberal. In his place in the House he is described as a "black, robust, middle-aged man, of a military figure; a bullet, lodged loosely in his cheek, had distorted his face, and had imparted a savage glare to one eye." A writer in Macmillan's Magazine for December 1876, who has given us an excellent sketch of his career, says: "The pre-eminence of Barre as a speaker was due principally to his extraordinary power of invective; but it would be a great injustice to suppose that there was nothing but invective in his speeches. On the contrary, some of them abound with wise maxims, and good, sound, common sense. He was generally on what we would call the constitutional side; and as the great constitutional questions of that day have all been settled in his favour, it is naturally difficult for us to help being struck by his arguments. But Barre does not deserve our unqualified approbation. He was essentially a party man. He spoke for his party, and he voted with his party. Walpole called him a bravo, and nothing can so well illustrate the dependence of his position than the fact that, clever and eloquent as he was, the first trace we find of his making an original motion was in 1778, seventeen years after he entered Parliament... Barre found himself fighting the battles of the people, and his eloquence was of a sort peculiarly adapted to such warfare." Under the Granville government in 1763, he became Adjutant-General of the British forces, and Governor of Stirling Castle - appointments worth £4,000 per annum. In the same year he was brought by Lord Shelburne into close alliance with the elder Pitt, but in consequence of his opposition to the wishes of George III., he lost his offices. His reputation as a speaker gradually rose higher and higher: he possessed the power of making himself feared: his invective was at times unsparing. When Government introduced the American Stamp Act, in 1765, he commenced a course of opposition and advocacy of the cause of the Colonies, to which he in the main adhered after the Declaration of Independence, and up to the conclusion of the Revolutionary war. When Pitt, created Lord Chatham, was recalled in 1766, Barre became Vice-Treasurer of Ireland, and was restored to his rank in the army. He took a prominent place in the affairs of India. In 1768 Shelburne and Barre were again in opposition. He took the most active part in the Wilkes trials, attacking the Government with unsparing violence. In 1773 he was again compelled to resign his appointments in the army, and arrayed himself with the Rockiugham party. Upon its advent to power he was appointed Treasurer of the Navy, and a sinecure of £3,200 as "Clerk of the Pells" was made over to him. In 1783 Barre became totally blind, for some time disappeared from Parliament, and on his return found a new generation of statesmen and a new set of ideas sprung up, and himself out of fashion and in the background. In 1790 a complete divergence of opinion on politics severed a friendship of more than thirty years' standing with Lord Shelburne (become the Marquis of Lansdowne), and Barre vacated his seat in Parliament. He lived in retirement the remaining years of his life, and died in London, 20th July 1802, aged about 75.

Barrett, John, D.D., (page 10), was born in 1753.

Bellingham, O'Bryen, a distinguished surgeon, was born in Dublin, 12th December 1805. He received his medical education at Jervis-street Hospital, and in the College of Surgeons. In 1833 he became a member of the College, and not long after Examiner in Pharmacy, and Professor. Two years later he was appointed surgeon to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he assiduously laboured until his death. He was a constant contributor to the columns of the Dublin Medical Press, and was one of the founders of the Dublin Natural History Society. He died 11th October 1857, aged 51, and was laid in the burying-place of his ancestors at Castlebellingham. Up to the day of his death he was engaged in revising his work on the Diseases of the Heart, which appeared shortly afterwards. His advocacy of the cure of aneurisms by pressure gained for him European fame. Notices of Bellingham and other distinguished Irish physicians, from the pen of Dr. E. D. Mapother, will be found in the Irish Monthly for the early months of 1878.

Beranger, Gabriel, (page 16).- The fullest available particulars relating to Beranger will be found (chiefly from the pen of Sir William Wilde, who contemplated writing a memoir of him) in the Journal of the Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, for January and July 1870, July 1873, and October 1876. Interesting notes of his travels in different parts of the country are given. His account of a tour in the County of Wexford in the autumn of 1770 is full of valuable information as to the condition of the people. Many of the sketches in Grose's Antiquities are by Beranger; and some hundreds of his drawings are preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, and by Lady Wilde. The information he collected in regard to the manners and language of the Barony of Forth is embodied in Vallancey's Collectanea. There is very little reference in Beranger's notes to the exciting political events of the time in which he lived. He was aged 89 at his death, in February 1817, and was buried in the French burial-ground, in Dublin.

Beresford, William Carr, Viscount Beresford, a distinguished general, son of the Marquis of Waterford, was born in Ireland, 2nd October 1768. He entered the army in 1785, and served with distinction in every quarter of the world - America, Corsica, India, Egypt, the Cape, and Buenos Ayres. He was Governor of Madeira in 1808, and was drafted thence to the Peninsula, where he played an important part under Sir John Moore, and in Wellington's campaigns. He commanded at Albuera against Soult, and bore his part at Badajos, at Salamanca (where he was severely wounded), at Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Neve, and Orthez. He led the division that took possession of Bordeaux, and fought at the battle of Toulouse. He was raised to the peerage as baron in 1814, a pension was settled on him, and he received the highest military decorations, was created by the Spaniards Duke of Elvas, and by the Portuguese Conde di Francoso. He was made a viscount in 1823. Under the Duke of Wellington's administration, in 1828, Viscount Beresford was appointed Master of the Ordnance. He died at his seat, Bedgebury Park, Kent, 8th January 1854, aged 85, and was interred at Goudhurst.

Berkeley, George, Bishop of Cloyne, (page 18).- The account of Hester Vanhomrigh's quarrel with Swift (p. 19) is scarcely borne out by recent investigations. [See SWIFT, JONATHAN, p. 508.]

Bianconi, Charles, (page 22).- Mrs. Morgan John O'Connell's interesting life of her father had not appeared when this notice was written. Mr. Bianconi was born 24th September 1786; so that at the time of his death in 1875, he had all but completed his 89th year. He died and was buried on his estate of Longford, near Thurles.

Boulter, Hugh, Archbishop of Armagh, (page 27).- Reference should have been made to his Letters, containing an Account of the Most Interesting Transactions which Passed in Ireland from 1724 to 1738 (Dublin, 1770), a valuable collection of documents, throwing much light upon the secret springs of Government and the general condition of affairs in Ireland between the dates named. They indicate a singularly straightforward and business-like turn of mind, and show conclusively the paramount influence he exercised.

Bourke, Sir Richard, (page 27), husband of Grace O'Malley, or Grania Uaile [see p. 403], was, in Queen Elizabeth's reign, the head of the Bourkes of Galway; he sided with the English in their expeditions, and held his lands under renewed gift from the Crown. In 1576 he is thus described by Sir Henry Sidney, who knighted him: "I found him very sensible; though wanting in the English tongue, yet understanding the Latin; a lover of quiet and civility." He died in 1589.

Bourke, Sir Theobald, Viscount, son of preceding and Grace O'Malley, is said to have been born at sea in 1575. He was called in Irish "Tibbot-na-long" (Theobald of the ships). Lodge says he was cashiered from his command in Elizabeth's forces, for hanging Dermot O'Conor, a Connaught chieftain, who was under the President's protection. In 1597 he was sent to England, apparently as a prisoner. After his return, in 1599, he for a time sided with O'Neill, but ultimately espoused the government side, and was knighted after the battle of Kinsale for his "gallant and loyal behaviour." He and his half-brothers, Murrough and Donnell O'Flaherty, surrendered their estates to James I., and received them back on a Crown grant. In 1613 he represented the County of Mayo in Parliament, and in 1626 was created Viscount Bourke of Mayo. He died 18th June 1629, and was buried with his ancestors at Ballintober.

Bourke, Miles, Viscount Mayo, (page 27), son of preceding, sat in the Parliament of 1634, and when the War of 1641-'52 commenced, was appointed Governor of Mayo; but he soon went over to the side of the Confederates, and joined the Catholic Church. He did his best to lessen the acerbities of the war, and is said to have retired from the Council in 1644. He died in 1649. Three years later his son and successor in the title was tried by the Commonwealth Commissioners at Galway, for complicity in the rebellion, condemned, and shot by their order, and his estates (50,000 acres) were forfeited, but afterwards restored to the family. [For his descendant, RICHARD S. BOURKE, EARL OF MAYO, see page 27.]

Bowles, William, (page 28), was born in Ireland in 1720, and died in Spain in 1780. His chief works were: Introduction to the Natural History and Physical Geography of Spain; Memoir on the Mines of Germany and Spain; History of the Locusts of Spain.

Brownrigg, Sir Robert, Bart., General, was born in Ireland about 1759. He was appointed Military Secretary to the Duke of York in 1795, and accompanied him to Holland in 1799; in July 1809 he was Quartermaster-General in the expedition to the Schelt. In 1813 he was appointed Governor of Ceylon, and held the position until 1820. In 1815 he conquered the kingdom of Candy, in the interior of the island, and annexed it to the British crown. Sir Robert Brownrigg was created a baronet in 1816, and attained the full rank of General in 1819. He died near Monmouth, 27th April 1833, aged 74.

Burke, Aedanus, an American revolutionary statesman, was born in Galway in 1743. Educated at St. Omer's for the priesthood, he afterwards studied law, and went to America, where he entered enthusiastically into the War of Independence. In 1778 he was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of South Carolina. When Charleston was taken by the British in 1780, he took a commission in the army; but resumed judicial office when the State was re-organized by the Americans in 1782. He opposed the Federal Constitution, through fear of consolidated power; but served as first United States Senator from South Carolina under that instrument. He wrote a pamphlet against the aristocratic features of the Society of the Cincinnati, which was subsequently translated by Mirabeau, and used by him with effect during the French Revolution. Judge Burke was noted for his wit and eccentricity, and was somewhat addicted to convivial habits. He died at Charleston, South Carolina, 30th March 1802, aged about 59.

Burke, John Doly, (page 50), not John Daly.

Butler, Lady Eleanor Charlotte, daughter of the 16th Earl of Ormond, was born in Ireland in 1739; her friend Sarah Ponsonby, in 1755. They formed a romantic attachment, and after several attempts to run away from their friends to England (in one of which Miss Ponsonby broke her leg), were in 1778 permitted to depart with a faithful maid, Betty Carroll. They settled in a cottage at Llangollen, where they passed the remainder of their lives - more than fifty years - together. They were known as "The Ladies of Llangollen," and were visited and petted by the world of fashion and literature. In 1829 Duke of Wellington perpetrated the job of procuring them a government pension of £200 a year. In September 1823, Charles Mathews thus wrote from Oswestry to a friend: "The dear inseparable immutables, Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Ponsonby, were in the boxes here on Friday. They came twelve miles from Llangollen, and returned, as they never sleep from home. Oh! such curiosities! I was nearly convulsed! I could scarcely get on for the first ten minutes my eye caught them! Though I had never seen them, I instantly knew them. As they are seated, there is not one point to distinguish them from men; the dressing and powdering of the hair; their well-starched neckcloths; the upper part of their habits, which they always wear, even at a dinner party, made precisely like men's coats, and regular black beaver men's hats." Afterwards he met in company "the dear antediluvian darlings, attired for dinner in the same mummified dress, with the Croix de St. Louis, and other orders, and myriads of large brooches, with stones large enough for snuff-boxes, stuck in their starched neckcloths. I have not room to describe their most fascinating persons... They have not slept one night from home for above forty years." Betty Carroll died in 1809; Lady Butler, 2nd June 1829, aged 90; Miss Ponsonby, 9th December 1831, aged 76. The virtues of all three are celebrated in long inscriptions on one stone in the churchyard of Llangollen. A minute account of these ladies will be found in Blackburn's Illustrious Irishwomen, from which this notice is for the most part taken.

Byrne, Myles, (page 65).- There is a more correct account of the battle of Vinegar Hill in the notice of GENERAL LAKE, page 281.

Byrne, William Michael, of Park Hill, County of Wicklow, a prominent United Irishman, was one of the Leinster Directory arrested at Bond's, in Dublin, on 12th March 1798. He was brought to trial, and convicted of high treason upon the evidence of Reynolds. It is said that his life was offered to him if he would give evidence implicating Lord Edward FitzGerald, but he indignantly spurned the suggestion, declaring that he had no regret in dying but not leaving his country free. Hopes were still entertained that his life might be spared, on account of the negotiations then pending between the Government and the state prisoners; but "on the morning of the 28th” [July 1798], says Mr. Madden, "he was sitting at breakfast in Bond and Neilson's cell (the wives of the latter being then present), when the jailer appeared, and beckoned to Byrne to come to the door and speak with him. Byrne arose, a few words were whispered into his ear: he returned to the cell, and apologised to the ladies for being obliged to leave them. Bond asked him if he would not return; and his reply was, 'We will meet again.' He went forth without the slightest sign of perturbation or concern, and was led back for a few minutes to his cell, and then conducted to the scaffold. On passing the cell of Bond and Neilson, which he had just left, he stooped, that he might not be observed through the grated aperture in the upper part of the door, in order that Mrs. Neilson and Mrs. Bond might be spared the shock of seeing him led to execution." He met his death with perfect fortitude.

Callanan, James Joseph, (page 69). - According to a writer in the Athenaeum for 18th May 1878, he died in the Hospital of San Jose, at Lisbon, and was buried within the precincts of the ruined church hard by. No traces remain of his grave.

Cane, Robert, M.D., an Irish nationalist, was born in Kilkenny in 1807. He studied medicine in Dublin, returned to his native city during the cholera epidemic of 1832, and soon rose into good practice. He was the friend of John Banim, and William Smith O'Brien. Although of strong nationalist sympathies, he refused to join in the emeute of 1848; yet he underwent a lengthened imprisonment under the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act. He was afterwards elected Mayor of Kilkenny. Cane projected the formation of the Celtic Union, for the publication of works relating to the history of Ireland. In this series appeared his own Williamite and Jacobite Wars of Ireland, Mr. Supple's Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland, and some numbers of a magazine named The Celt. Dr. Cane died of consumption, 16th August 1858, aged 51.

Castle, Richard, an eminent German architect, who settled in Ireland, and erected some of the principal buildings in Dublin, resided in Suffolk-street in 1720. In 1736 he published An Essay toward Supplying the City of Dublin with Water. His principal designs were the mansions at Powerscourt and Carton, the Rotunda Hospital, Leinster House, Tyrone House, College Printing Office, portions of the College Chapel, and the Music Hall in Fishamble-street, where Handel's Messiah was first performed, the acoustic properties of which were highly praised by the composer. Castle is described as a man of strict integrity, somewhat whimsical, highly esteemed both as an artist and an agreeable companion, and one who might have acquired great wealth, but was in constant difficulties. He died at Carton, 19th February 1751, aged between 50 and 60, and was buried at Maynooth. [The name is variously written - Castle, Castles, Cassel, and Casell. He is mentioned as Robert Cassels in Whitelaw and Walsh's History of Dublin.]

Churchill, Fleetwood, M.D., an eminent obstetrician, was born at Nottingham in 1808. He took his first medical degree at Edinburgh in 1831, and in 1851 had the honorary degree of M.D. conferred upon him by the University of Dublin. In conjunction with Dr. Speedy, he founded the Western Lying-in Hospital, which for many years did much for the poor of Dublin. For eight years he was Professor of Midwifery to the School of Physic in Ireland, was twice President of the Obstetrical Society, and in 1867 and 1868 was President of the King and Queen's College of Physicians in Ireland. For a lengthened period he was the foremost obstetric practitioner in Ireland; and both at home and abroad he enjoyed a wide reputation as the author of treatises on The Diseases of Women, The Diseases of Infants and Children, and other works which for a quarter of a century have been standard text-books. Some of them have been republished in the United States, and translated into foreign languages. Dr. Churchill was a man of great refinement and considerable literary attainments. He retired from the profession on account of ill-health in 1875 (presenting his fine library to the College of Physicians), and died at his son-in-law's rectory at Ardtrea, near Stewartstown, 31st January 1878, aged 69.

Collins, David, Colonel, Governor of Van Diemen's Land, son of General Collins, of Pack, in the King's County, was born 3rd March 1756. When but fourteen he received an appointment as lieutenant in the Marines; he fought at Bunker's Hill and elsewhere abroad, and on the proclamation of peace in 1782, settled in Kent on half-pay, with an American wife. In May 1787 he sailed with Governor Phillip as Secretary and Judge-Advocate on the expedition to establish a convict settlement at Botany Bay, New South Wales, recently discovered by Captain Cook. The proposed locality was found unsuitable; Port Jackson was preferred, and there Sydney was founded. Collins remained in Australia for ten years, and after his return wrote an Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, with some Particulars of New Zealand from Governor King's MSS.,2 vols. quarto. (London, 1798-1802.) The book is embellished with many plates, and as the first published account of the infant colony, has a permanent interest. The Quarterly Review styles it "a singularly curious and painfully interesting journal, which may be considered as a sort of Botany Bay calendar." Shortly after the publication of this work he was commissioned to establish another convict settlement in Australia. He made an abortive attempt to found one on the south-eastern shore of Port Phillip, and then crossed to Van Dienien's Land (now Tasmania), where, on 19th February 1804, he laid the foundations of the present city of Hobart Town. Collins was the first governor of the island, and died at his post, 24th March 1810, aged 54. "His person was remarkably handsome, and his manners extremely prepossessing; while to a cultivated understanding, and an early fondness for belles lettres, he joined the most cheerful and social disposition," says the Gentleman's Magazine, in noticing his death; but it must be evident to the readers of his book that the management of a convict settlement in accordance with the ideas of his time was little calculated to develop such characteristics.

Colton, John, Archbishop of Armagh and Lord-Chancellor of Ireland, was born in Norfolk early in the 14th century. In 1373 he was appointed Lord-Treasurer of Ireland, next year Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin; in 1379,Lord-Chancellor; in 1381, Lord-Justice (on the death of Edmund Mortimer); and in 1382 he was raised to the primacy by Pope Urban VI. "He was a man of great talent and activity; .. was of high reputation for virtue and learning, dear to all ranks of people for his affability and sweetness of temper." In 1372, at his sole cost, he raised a body of twenty-six knights, "and being reinforced by the well-affected of the district," marched against O'Moore and O'Byrne. Archbishop Colton died at an advanced age, 27th April 1404, and was buried in the church of St. Peter, at Drogheda. His Visitation of the Diocese of Derry in 1397, was in 1850 published, from the original at Armagh, with an exhaustive preface and notes, by Dr. Reeves.

Cregan, Martin, R.H.A., was born in the County of Meath in 1788. He studied art in the schools of the Royal Dublin Society, and under his countryman Sir Martin A. Shee, in London, and was one of the first exhibitors at the Royal Hibernian Academy, established in 1823. He rose to a high place as a portrait-painter in Dublin, and was for twenty-three years President of the Academy. His paintings are said to be "faithful as to likeness and effective in colour, full of feeling, but subdued and natural, characterized by much taste and fine tone and finish." He died in Dublin, 12th December 1870, aged 82, and was interred at Mount Jerome Cemetery.

De Clare, Richard, (page 128).- It was Maurice, not Raymond FitzGerald, that accompanied FitzStephen. Queen Victoria is said to be descended from Strongbow and Eva's daughter Isabel. Strongbow's daughter by a former marriage became the bride of Robert de Quincey, who fell in battle with the Irish.

Digby, Lettice, Baroness Offaly, daughter of Gerald, Lord Offaly, grand­daughter of the 11th Earl of Kildare, in 1596 married Sir Robert Digby, an Englishman, who died in 1618, leaving her a widow with seven children. Lady Digby unsuccessfully laid claim to the Barony of Offaly and the estates of her grandfather. In 1619 James I. created her a baroness, and awarded to her the barony of Geashill, in the King's County. In April 1642 she was besieged by a body of the O'Dempseys in her castle of Geashill, where she held out with great bravery for six months. The letters that passed between her and her assailants are, on her side, models of scornful determination, and on theirs, of insolent swaggering. We are told that in the course of the siege a shot having struck the wall beside her, she wiped the spot with her handkerchief, to show the assailants how little she valued their attacks. A curious incident in the contest was the construction, by the besiegers, of a piece of ordnance out of one hundred and forty pots and pans, which, after two months spent in its manufacture, burst at the first discharge. The Baroness had an opportunity of leaving the castle and getting safely away under convoy of a relief party sent from Dublin; but elected to hold out; which she did until again relieved in October 1642. She retired to Cole's Hill, in Warwickshire, where she died, 1st December 1658.

Drummond, William Hamilton, D.D., (page 159), Unitarian minister and author, was born at Larne, County of Antrim, in August 1778. Educated at the Belfast Academy, and at Glasgow, on 9th April 1800 he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Armagh, which, with that of Antrim, rejected subscription to any formula of belief. He was shortly afterwards ordained minister of Holy wood, subsequently married, and opened a boarding school at Mount Collier, in the neighbourhood of Belfast, which was for a time popular and profitable. In 1815 he responded to a call from the Unitarian congregation of Strand-street, Dublin, and passed the remainder of his life, first as its junior and afterwards as its senior minister. He devoted much attention to poetry, especially of a patriotic character, and was the author, among other pieces, of the Battle of Trafalgar, the Giant's Causeway, Clontarf, and Bruce's Invasion of Ireland, besides a translation of Lucretius. An Irish scholar, he gave to the world a volume of translations, entitled Ancient Irish Minstrelsy. The Memoir of his friend Hamilton Rowan is one of his best known works. Dr. Drummond was for a time Librarian of the Royal Irish Academy, and obtained the £40 prize of the Academy for his Essay on the Poems of Ossian (printed in vol. xvi. of the Transactions). He had a great love for books, and was an omnivorous collector. Many of his warmest personal friends were clergymen and members of the Established Church, embracing people of the highest intellectual attainments. In the domestic circle his affectionate disposition manifested itself unceasingly. Dr. Drummond died in Dublin, 16th October 1865, aged 87, and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery. His Sermons, and a Memoir, by the Rev. J. Scott Porter, were published in 1867.

Emmet, Robert, (page 169), was born 4th March 1778.

Feargal, or Virgilius, Saint, Bishop of Salzburg, was a learned Irishman, who arrived in France before 746. He was hospitably received by Pepin, son of Charles Martel, remained with him two years, and then proceeded to Bavaria, where he had a dispute with St. Boniface relative to baptism. He was appointed Bishop of Salzburg by Pope Stephen II., in 756. It is stated that he narrowly escaped excommunication for maintaining the sphericity of the earth. He died in 785, and was canonized by Pope Gregory in 1233. The 27th of November is the date of his festival.

Gandon, James, (page 217).- The Irish Houses of Parliament were not completed until 1739. [See PEARCE, SIR E. L., p.432.]

Gillespie, Sir Robert Rollo, Major-General, descended from a family long settled in the parish of Tynan, County of Armagh, was born at Comber, County of Down, 21st January 1766. He entered the Carabineers as a cornet, in April 1783, served in St. Domingo against Toussaint L'Ouverture, became a major in 1796, and a lieutenant-colonel in 1799. Before his return to England with his regiment, in 1802, he received a vote of thanks from the House of Assembly in Jamaica. Shortly after this he was "most honourably acquitted" of charges brought against him at a court-martial, for his management of the 20th Light Dragoons, with which regiment he had latterly been connected. In 1805 he proceeded across the continent of Europe to India (at Hamburgh being saved from falling into the hands of the French by the interposition of his countryman Napper Tandy), and was instrumental in suppressing the mutiny at Vellore in 1806. He saw much active service in Java, rose to be a colonel, and on the surrender of the island to the British, was appointed Military Governor. In 1812 he led an expedition against Sumatra, deposed one sultan and installed another favourable to the British. He received the special thanks of the Governor-General in Council of India, and was promoted to the rank of major-general. In 1814 he was associated with Colonel Ochterlony in the invasion of Nepaul, and fell, heading his troops in the unsuccessful effort to take the fort of Kalunga, 31st October 1814, aged 48. He was after his death gazetted Knight Commander of the Bath. A monument has been erected to his memory at Comber.

Haverty, Joseph Patrick, artist, was born in Galway towards the close of the 18th century. He was successful as a portrait painter in oils, and also executed a great many works of a genre and scriptural character. Several of the latter are to be found in the Catholic churches of Dublin. He painted seven pictures illustrating the administration of the Sacraments, chiefly as among the Irish peasantry, but they were sold separately, and have become scattered. His "Limerick Piper" obtained much popularity, and is preserved in the Irish National Gallery, to which it was presented by William Smith O'Brien. Among his best portraits may be mentioned a full-length of Daniel O'Connell, belonging to the Reform Club, in London, of which there is a fine engraving, and another full-length of O'Connell, considered superior to the former, the property of the Limerick Corporation. Haverty spent so much of his life in Limerick, where he received a great deal of patronage, that he was frequently regarded as a Limerick man; but he lived also much in London, having to rely chiefly on English support. In his colouring, which was the weakest feature in his works, he followed the English school. He died in Dublin in 1864, aged about 70. [His brother, Martin Haverty, one of the librarians of the King's Inns, Dublin, is the author of a careful History of Ireland, Ancient and Modern (Dublin, 1860), which has been constantly referred to in this Compendium].

Henry II. (page 248).- Mr. Richey, in his Lectures on Irish History, shows that Henry's policy towards the Irish chiefs was at first one of conciliation and respect, their lands being confirmed, "to hold the same in peace, so long as they shall observe their fealty to the King of England, and fully and faithfully render him tribute and his other rights, which they owe to him, by the hand of the King of Connaught." The only early departure from this policy was the grant of Meath to De Lacy; but Meath may have been considered the appanage of the Monarch of Ireland, whose position Henry assumed. This course was, however, entirely abandoned by Henry after his return to England, and the rights neither of princes nor of people were regarded. Doubtless the pressure from barons desirous of obtaining lands in the new dominion was more than he could withstand. In the confiscations that ensued, Henry was careful to make grants to fresh adventurers, rather than add to the domains of the earlier invaders.

Hickey, William, Rev. ("Martin Doyle"), well known for his efforts to elevate the condition of the peasantry of Ireland, was eldest son of Rev. Ambrose Hickey, rector of Murragh, County of Cork. He was born about 1787, graduated at St. John's College, Cambridge, and subsequently took the degree of M. A. in the University of Dublin. He was ordained a clergyman of the Established Church in 1811, and appointed to the curacy of Dunleckny, County of Carlow. In 1820 he was inducted into the rectory of Bannow; in 1826 was transferred to that of Kilcormick, in 1831 to Wexford, and in 1834 to Mulrankin, where he ministered the remainder of his life. When at Bannow he started the South Wexford Agricultural Society and the Bannow Agricultural School, both of which flourished while under his superintendence. As a parochial clergyman he was esteemed alike by Catholics and Protestants. He commenced his career as a writer in 1817, his first work being a pamphlet on the State of the Poor in Ireland. Afterwards followed a series of letters under the pseudonym of "Martin Doyle," under which he continued to write. Among his numerous works may be mentioned: Hints to Small Farmers, The Hurlers, Irish Cottagers, Plea for Small Farmers, Address to Landlords, The Kitchen Garden, The Flower Garden, Hints on Emigration to Canada, Hints on Health, Temperance and Morals, Book on Proverbs, Cyclopaedia of Practical Husbandry. He translated from the French Sermons by Monod, and for a length of time was a regular contributor to Blackwood's Agricultural Magazine, Chambers' Journal, and other periodicals. His latest production, published a few years before his death, was Notes and Gleanings of the County Wexford. In all his writings he took the broadest philanthropic views, studiously avoiding religious and political controversy. He was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Dublin Society, in recognition of his services to Ireland, and enjoyed a pension from the Literary Fund. He was a man of an eminently charitable and feeling nature, and died comparatively poor, 24th October 1875, aged 87. These particulars of his life have been furnished by George Griffiths, author of Chronicles of the County of Wexford, one of the best authorities upon biographical and archaeological lore of that part of Ireland.

Ireton, Henry, (page 259, col. 2, line 7).- For "O'Dwyer," read "O'Brien."

Kavanagh, Julia, authoress, was born at Thurles, in 1824. Her parents early removed to Paris, where she gained that minute insight into French life displayed in her works. In 1844 she went to London, and embraced literature as a profession. Her first work, The Three Paths, a tale for children, was published in 1847; and in 1850, Woman in France during the Eighteenth Century, perhaps her best known book, appeared. She travelled through France, Germany, and Switzerland, and works of travel, fiction, and general literature, flowed from her pen almost yearly. She was subject to agonizing attacks of neuralgia the latter years of her life, and died somewhat suddenly, at Nice, 28th October 1877, aged about 53. A correspondent of the Athenaeum wrote: "Her pictures are faithful and accurate. Her writing was quiet and simple in style, but pure and chaste, and characterized by the same high-toned thought and morality that was part of the author's own nature. Her short stories are beautiful and touching pastorals... In her Englishwomen of Letters and Frenchwomen of Letters, Miss Kavanagh showed discriminating and analytical powers far beyond anything she has attempted in her simple and touching novels." Natalie is mentioned as one of the best of her works of fiction.

Keightley, Thomas, a voluminous writer, chiefly of educational works, was born in Dublin about 1792. He graduated at Trinity College in 1808, abandoned the intention of studying for the Bar, went to London in 1824, and devoted himself to literature. His name is familiar as the author of several useful, though somewhat dry, school-books, including Histories of Rome, Greece, and England. His Outlines of History formed one of the early volumes of Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia. He also prepared editions of several of the ancient classics, and compiled a Fairy Mythology, which was deservedly popular in its day. He translated a novel from the Dutch, edited Milton's Poems and the Elzevir edition of Skakespere, and wrote the Shakespere Expositor. During the last few years of his life, Mr. Keightley enjoyed a Civil List pension. He died at Erith, Kent, 4th November 1872, aged 80.

Lawrence, Sir Henry, (page 285).- His full name was Henry Montgomery Lawrence.

Leadbeater, Mary, (page 286).- Mrs. Trench, in a letter dated August 1826, speaks of Mrs. Leadbeater's "delicate feelings, highly refined, yet never degenerating into susceptibility, or exacting from others those attentions she never failed to bestow herself; her taste for everything that was admirable in nature and art; her polished mind and manner, which seemed instinctively to reject all that others are taught to avoid; her quick sense of wit and humour, and her own unaffected pleasantry; her entire absence of all self-comparison with any human being, which left her capable of doing complete justice to the merits of all; her rare suavity, and her uncommon talents."

McAuley, Mary Catherine, Rev. Mother, the foundress of the Order of Mercy, was born at Stormestown House, County of Dublin, 29th September 1778. Her parents, who were Catholics, died whilst she was young, and she and her brother and sister were brought up by Protestants. At eighteen she was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. O'Callaghan of Coolock House. They were not of her belief; and whilst they were kind and affectionate, and encouraged her self-imposed ministrations amongst the poor, it was almost necessary for her to practise the observances of her religion in private: yet so great was Catherine's influence that she had the satisfaction of bringing both of them over to the Catholic Church before their decease. Mr. O'Callaghan died in 1822 (having survived his wife but a few years), leaving Catherine a large fortune, which she determined to devote to works of mercy. She accordingly bought a plot of ground in Baggot-street, Dublin, and without well-defined intentions, laid the foundations of an institution for the education of the young, the protection of servants and women of good character, and to serve as a home for ladies who were willing to devote themselves to the visitation of the sick and dying. This "House of our Blessed Lady of Mercy" was completed in 1827. For three years Catherine McAuley and her friends continued their ministrations without recognition as a regular order. On 12th December 1831, she and two of her companions, after a searching novitiate of fifteen months, pronounced, according tothe rule of the Presentation Order, theirvows of perpetual poverty, chastity and obedience, subject to whatever alteration should be deemed necessary for the due performance of the duties of the new institute of the Sisters of Mercy. Catherine McAuley was, by Archbishop Murray, canonically appointed Mother Superior. Thus a new order was founded which has since spread over the world, and in 1863 numbered 154 convents under its rule. The Institution of the order was approved by Pope Gregory XVI. in 1835. Mrs. McAuley died, 11th November 1841, aged 63, and was buried in the little cemetery adjoining the Baggot-street Convent. One of her biographers says: "The character of Catherine McAuley.. is the most precious legacy that her children can inherit from her. Its chief strength seems to lie in its simplicity. It was this that probably preserved her through the trials to which her faith was exposed during her younger years, and kept her from being chilled and hardened while for so long a period of her life she was unable to practise her religion except in mere necessaries, and was hardly allowed to make any open profession of it. Yet we find her, after she had passed forty, able to begin the work of mercy with which her name will now be connected for ever. What is still more remarkable is the pliancy and gentleness with which she allowed herself and her work to be moulded and directed by authority, without claiming any rights or dictating any conditions on the ground of the large fortune which she brought with her to the undertaking."

McCracken, Henry Joy, (page 306). - His sister, Mary McCracken, died in Belfast, 26th July 1866, aged 96.

MacDonnell, Alaster MacColl (page 310).- For further particulars of the battle of Knocknanuss, see p.513.

Madden, Samuel, D.D., (page 321, line 55).- For "1749-'50," read "1750."

Martin, Richard, of Ballinahinch Castle, the "Animals' Friend," was born towards the close of the 18th century. He was the owner of a property of some 192,000 acres in Connemara, extending thirty miles from Oughterard to Clifton, and from Lough Corrib to the Atlantic, containing within its limits some of the finest scenery in the west of Ireland, where he exercised something nearly akin to feudal rule. He is best remembered as the introducer in Parliament, in 1822, of the Act of 3 George IV. c. 71- "To prevent the cruel and improper treatment of cattle" - the first modern enactment in the United Kingdom for protecting the rights of animals. Mr. Martin, who was member for the County of Galway, pressed the Bill with extraordinary resolution, in the face of great opposition from the Attorney-General, and even from Mr. Buxton, who desired its postponement. The second reading was carried on the 24th May, the third on 10th June, and the Bill received the royal assent on 22nd July. It is sad to have to record that Mr. Martin died in poverty, 6th January 1834, at Boulogne, whither he had retired to be out of the way of his creditors. The famine and subsequent sales by the Encumbered Estates Court completed the ruin of his family, and his granddaughter, Mrs. Bell Martin [see p. 333], once “the Princess of Connemara," died in indigent circumstances in New York in 1850.

Montgomery, Henry, Rev., LL.D., the champion of the non-subscribing Presbyterians in Ireland, was born at Killead, County of Antrim, 20th January 1788. He was educated at Crumlin Academy, and at the University of Glasgow. Soon after receiving licence to preach from the presbytery of Templepatrick, he declined a call to Donegore, because it involved subscription to the Westminster Confession, and accepted one to Dunmurry, in the County of Antrim, with which place his name was for the rest of his life intimately and honourably associated. In 1817 he took a professorship in the Belfast Academical Institution, where he taught a considerable number of the Protestant middle-class youth of Ireland. He soon rose to distinction as a preacher, and at an unusually early age was elected Moderator of the General Synod of Ulster. His friend the Rev. C. J. McAlester writes of his after life: "Some years after, the controversy broke out in the General Synod, which ultimately resulted in the withdrawal of those ministers and congregations that would not submit to the terms of subscription which the majority required. In this controversy Henry Montgomery bore a conspicuous part: he threw himself with his whole heart into the liberal cause; and by his commanding eloquence and his ability in debate, he soon became the acknowledged leader of the small but noble band that resisted the imposition of what they believed to be an unscriptural creed, and withdrew from the church of their fathers, rather than violate their conscience, or abandon their liberty. At this period, and earlier, Mr. Montgomery was prominent in all efforts to advance the cause of civil and religious liberty. In the great question of Catholic Emancipation he took a conspicuous part; and it is not too much to say that his eloquent appeals contributed to the ultimate triumph of the Catholic cause, and helped to wrest from an un willing Government rights which had been so long and so unjustly withheld." As a recognition of his superior abilities and acquirements, he received the degree of LL.D. from Glasgow College. Above every other claim to eminence was that of being the champion of the non-subscribing Presbyterians, or Unitarians, of Ireland, as Dr. Cooke (see p. 90) was of the subscribers or orthodox section of the same body. It was largely owing to his exertions that a share of Presbyterian Church property and of the Regium Donum was preserved to his section of the Church. Dr. Montgomery was of a commanding presence, his voice was rich, clear, and sonorous, and he spoke with remarkable fluency. His natural gifts he had cultivated to the utmost, and he wielded great influence, not only among his co-religionists, but in the north of Ireland generally, and with the Government. He was made welcome in the highest circles; but nowhere was he happier than in intercourse with the members of his own flock at Dunmurry. He died of a long and agonizing disease, borne without a murmur, 18th December 1865, in the 78th year of his age, and the 56th of his ministry, and was buried at Dunmurry.

Montgomery, Richard, (page 345). - His remains were buried within the walls of Quebec, and were in 1818, at the request of his widow, disinterred and entombed in New York.

Neilson, Samuel, a distinguished United Irishman, was born in September 1761, at Ballyroney, County of Down, of which place his father, Rev. Alexander Neilson, was Presbyterian minister. He received a liberal education, displayed peculiar ability in mathematics, and when about sixteen was put to business with his elder brother, John, a woollen draper in Belfast. In September 1785 he married and commenced business on his own account; and when he gave himself up to politics, had amassed a fortune of about £8,000. Like most leaders of the United Irishmen, he commenced his nationalist career in the ranks of the Volunteers. In 1790 we find Neilson actively engaged on a committee to secure the return, in the liberal interest, as member for the County of Down, of Robert Stewart, afterwards Lord Castlereagh. In the summer of 1791 he suggested to McCracken, in Belfast, the idea of a society of Irishmen on the basis of perfect religious equality, and he acted in conjunction with Tone in establishing the Society of United Irishmen for the promotion of Catholic Emancipation and Parliamentary Reform. Strictly speaking, Neilson was the originator, and Tone the organizer of the Society. In January 1792 he established and became editor of the Northern Star, the organ of the United Irishmen in the north. He was one of the committee chosen to give effect to the resolutions of the Dungannon Reform Convention of 15th February 1793. Down to the year 1795 it is probable that the leaders of the United Irish movement in Dublin would have been satisfied with Catholic Emancipation and Reform, while on the other hand there can be little doubt that from a much earlier date Neilson and his northern associates entertained, in common with Tone and Russell, the idea of complete separation from England. Neilson, as editor of the Northern Star, tided over various prosecutions and actions for libel, until September 1796, when his office was ransacked by the military, and he, Russell, and several others were arrested, conveyed to Dublin, and committed to Newgate. Solitary confinement was at first enjoined, but the rigour of their treatment was soon relaxed, and when their numbers were increased to some four hundred, separation became impossible. Relatives andfriends were allowed to visit them, and altogether their confinement was much less strict than that of political prisoners at the present time. From Newgate they were removed to Kilmainham. Broken down in health and spirits, he was in February 1798 liberated on his own recognizances and those of his friend Mr. Sweetman, on condition that he should not join any treasonable committee. This agreement he kept in the letter, but not in the spirit - forwarding the arrangements of the Leinster Directory by every means in his power, and at night, with Lord Edward FitzGerald, making occasional excursions into the neighbourhood of Dublin to prepare plans for the contemplated insurrection. During the two months of Lord Edward's concealment in Dublin, before his arrest "on 18th May 1798, Neilson was actively engaged in bringing him intelligence of the movements of the Government, conveying his instructions to the leaders, attending meetings of the Directory, and communicating with the northern delegates. On the 23rd May, while reconnoitring Newgate with a view to the rescue of his friend and leader, he was arrested after a desperate resistance, in which he was severely wounded. On 26th June he was indicted for high treason, with Bond, Byrne, McCann, and the two Sheares brothers. When brought up for trial, loaded with fetters, Neilson indignantly refused to plead or to name counsel, and made a vigorous protest against his imprisonment:- "I scorn your power and despise that authority that it shall ever be my pride to have opposed. Why am I kept with these weighty irons on me, so heavy that three ordinary men could scarcely carry them?" All the prisoners except Neilson were put on their trial and capitally convicted; and all those tried, except Bond, were found guilty and executed. Neilson's life was saved by the compact made between certain state prisoners and the Government, under which, for the purpose of staying further executions - seeing that all hopes of successful insurrection were over - they agreed to disclose their plans and objects, without implicating individuals. Examinations of Neilson and other leaders ensued before Committees of the Lords and Commons, reports of which were published by Government. The prisoners declared these to be garbled, and procured the insertion of an advertisement in the Dublin papers, impugning their accuracy, and emphatically denying the statement that "they had acknowledged their crimes, retracted their opinions, and implored pardon." The Government were much incensed at this proceeding, and partly in consideration of the refusal of the American minister to permit the deportation of any prisoners to the United States, broke through the agreement, and sent Neilson and his companions into confinement at Fort George, in Scotland. Neilson was detained there from 9th April 1799 to 30th June 1802. The prisoners were treated with great kindness by Governor Stuart, and no restrictions were imposed further than were necessary for their safe custody. They were even allowed to bathe under the walls of the fort. Neilson, by sacrificing his daily pint of wine, was allowed to have his eldest son rationed with him. He superintended this son's education, and kept up a constant correspondence with his wife. In June 1802 Neilson and his companions were deported to Holland, and set at liberty. Writing to his friend Rowan at this period, he says: "Neither the eight years' hardship I have endured, the total destruction of my property, the forlorn state of my wife and children, the momentary failure of our national exertions, nor the still more distressing usurpation in France, have abated my ardour in the cause of my country and of general liberty. You and I, my dear friend, will pass away, but truth will remain." A month after his liberation he formed the rash project of visiting his family and friends in Belfast before leaving for the United States, and, with Anthony McCann, (Campbell's "Exile of Erin") crossed to Drogheda. The authorities got wind of their arrival, seized the vessel, and imprisoned the captain; but Neilson managed to reach Dublin in safety, and was concealed by his friends. He proceeded to Belfast, where he secretly saw his relatives, and returning to Dublin, lay hidden at the house of a friend at Irishtown for some weeks, until the American vessel could sail in which his passage was taken. Neilson succeeded in reaching the United States, and was about making arrangements for the reception and settlement of his wife and family, when he was seized with yellow fever, and died at Poughkeepsie, State of New York, 29th August 1803, aged 41 - or, according to the inscription that marks his resting-place at Poughkeepsie, aged 44. His widow, a noble-spirited woman, embarked in business in Belfast, and her five children attained respectable positions in life. She died in November 1811, and was buried at Newtown Breda. The eldest son, William, a promising young man, died, also of yellow fever, in Jamaica, 7th February 1817, aged 22. It is not necessary here to examine the baseless charges that have been made against Samuel Neilson in connexion with the arrest of Lord Edward FitzGerald.

O'Connell, Daniel, (page 379, col. 1, line 8).- After "29th," insert "April."

O'Connor, J. A., a self-taught artist, was born about 1790, as it is believed, in Dublin, where he kept a print-shop early in the present century. Danby, attracted by his talents, made his acquaintance, and took him to London, where they worked together for some time. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1828. He spent some years in Brussels, was driven back to London by the Revolution of 1830, and continued to exhibit annually until 1840, about which time he died in considerable distress, owing, it is said, to intemperate habits. Ottley says: "O'Connor painted rustic landscapes, chiefly scenes in Ireland, with a fine eye and feeling for nature; and although he executed his works with great rapidity, often painting a picture in a day, he displayed a peculiar richness of impasto, particularly in foliage. .. O'Connor's more carefully finished pictures are in considerable request with collectors.

O'Mahony, Connor, (page 401, line 46).- For "1829," read "1826."

Pakenham, Sir Edward Michael, Major-General, second son of Baron Longfield, was born about 17 79. He commanded two British regiments which garrisoned Stralsund in 1812, and was afterwards more actively employed in Holland. He distinguished himself during the Peninsular War, where he acted for a time as quartermaster-general to his brother-in-law, Lord Wellington, receiving the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. He was in command, and fell, in the unsuccessful attack on New Orleans, 8th January 1815. The Gentleman's Magazine, in its account of the battle, says: "The brave commander of the forces, who never in his life could refrain from being at the post of honour, and sharing the danger to which the troops were exposed, as soon as from his station he had made the signal for the troops to advance, galloped on to the front to animate them by his presence, and he was seen with his hat off, encouraging them on the crest of the glacis: and it was there (almost at the same time) he received two wounds, one in his knee, and another, which was almost instantly fatal, in his body." His death caused a wavering in the column, the British fell back in the greatest confusion, and the battle of New Orleans was lost. Major-General Pakenham was aged 36 when he fell.

Sacrobosco, Johannes a, a philosopher and mathematician, who lived in the 13th century, is supposed to have been born at Hollywood ("Sacrobosco"), County of Wicklow. He is said to have been educated at Oxford, and spent most of his life in Paris, where he died about 1235. The inscription on his tomb in the Convent of St. Maturine is given in Harris's Ware. He was the author of numerous works, of which may be mentioned his treatise De Sphaera, first printed in Venice in 1518.



Intro A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M(1) | M(2) | M(3) | N | O(1) | O(2) | O(3) | P | Q | R | S(1) | S(2) | T | U | V | W(1) | W(2) | X | Y | Z | Addenda

All contents of this site are copyright © LibraryIreland.com 2007



QUICK NAVIGATION

Library Home | About | Links | Mailing List | Contact Us