Page:A Compendium of Irish Biography.djvu/356

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

MAR

apprenticed to Philip Crampton. In 1818 he took his degree, walked the Paris hospi- tals, and in 1820, having settled in Dublin, was appointed physician to Dr. Steevens' Hospital. Thenceforward his progress in the medical profession was rapid. He en- joyed an increasing private practice, and held some of the most onerous and honour- able positions connected with Dublin medical charities; and in 1839 he and Surgeon Crampton were created baronets. He died suddenly at his residence in Mer- rion-square, Dublin, ist December i860, aged 70, and was buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery. Sir Henry was greatly beloved in private life, and was held in high esteem by the members of his own profession. "* 's?)

Marsh, James, a Dublin physician and chemist, who distinguished himself by the discovery of a process by which the most minute portions of ai-senic can be de- tected in any body or liquid, was born in 1789. His discovery was given to the world in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal for October 1836. The process, details of which will be found in the En- cyclopoedia Britannica, is constantly made use of in medical jurisprudence. He died at Woolwich, where for some time he had occupied the position of practical chemist to the Royal Arsenal, 21st June 1846, aged 56. 7 34

Marsh, Narcissxis, Archbishop of Armagh, was born at Hannington in Wilt- ehire, 20th December 1638. Educated at Oxford, he became Doctor of Divinity in 1671 ; and seven years afterwards, through the influence of his friend the Duke of Or- mond, was appointed Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. In 1682 he was conse- crated Bishop of Leighlin and Ferns ; in 1690 was translated to Cashel; in 1694 he was promoted to the archbishopric of Dublin; and in 1702 became Archbishop of Armagh. The writings of this eminent prelate jarcely merit record ; he is re- membered for his bequests to the see of Armagh, for the foundation of widows' alms-houses at Drogheda, and above all by the foundation, in 1707, of a free public library contiguous to St. Patrick's Cathe- dral, Dublin — probably the first of its kind in Ireland. He laid out £4,000 on the build- ing, which at his death contained 10,000 volumes. Forty years afterwards it re- ceived an important addition in a bequest of books and MSS. from Dr. Steame. The salary of a librarian was provided for by a charge of £250 per annum on church lands in Meath. An Act of the Irish Par- liament exempted Marsh's Library from taxes. This venerable foundation, which, although somewhat restricted in ita scope, 332

MAR

contains many valuable works, is still open to the public. Archbishop Marsh died 2nd November 1713, aged 75,^' and was buried in a vault in the churchyard of St. Patrick's, adjoining the library. A stately monument was erected to his memory in St. Patrick's Cathedral. He at one period occupied a house at Leixlip, still known as the Archbishop's palace. No relation- ship appears to have existed between him and Francis Marsh, his predecessor in the see of Dublin. '" "^ =54 332

Martin, John, a distinguished Irish nationalist, was born 8th September 181 2, at Loughorne, near Newry, where his father was a Presbyterian clergyman. After a preliminary education at Newry, he passed to Trinity College, where he took a degree in 1834. He then commenced the study of medicine, which he eventually abandoned, partly from want of nerve in the dissecting-room, and partly from want of faith in the science. The death of an uncle in 1835 left him in indepen- dent circumstances. In 1839 he visited America, and in 1841 travelled on the Continent. His attention was turned to politics by the progress of the Repeal agi- tation, and he gave in his adhesion to the movement, nothing but diffidence prevent- ing him from advocating the cause in public. He joined in the secession of the Young Ireland party, and took a prominent part in the councils of the Confederation, occasionally contributing articles to the United Irishman. Although the purity and sincerity of his character were well known, he showed more courage and deter- mination than he had been credited with, when, on the seizure of the United Irish- man in 1848, he settled his affairs in the north, proceeded to Dublin, and commenced the publication of the Irish Felon from the abandoned office of the United Irishman, and openly advocated the policy of revolu- tion and forcible separation from Great Britain. After the issue of the third number a warrant for his arrest was in the hands of the police, and the fifth number was the last. On 8th July 1848 he surrendered himself to the authorities (having kept out of the way for a few days to avoid trial at a commission then sit- ting), and was committed to Newgate. On 19th August he was tried for treason- felony before the Commission Court sit- ting in Dublin, and a verdict of guilty having been returned, he was sentenced to ten years' transportation. Next year he was sent in the ship Elphinstone, in com- pany with Kevin I. O'Doherty, to Tasma- nia, where they arrived in November 1849. During his exile, in common with the other