THE RT. HON. EDMUND BURKE, LL.D.

From the portrait by John Hoppner, R.A., in the theatre, Trinity College, Dublin, painted for

T.C.D., 1795. (Reduced by kind permission of Messrs Bell & Sons, Ltd., from the full length photogravure in McKay and Roberts, John Hoppner, 1909.)

CHAPTER I

PARENTAGE AND CHILDHOOD

EDMUND BURKE was the second son of Richard Burke, alyout in

at-law, and Mary Nagle, daughter of Patrick Nagle of Ballyduff in the county of Cork. He was born in his father's house on Arran Quay, Dublin. No record of his birth or baptism has been discovered as yet. It is possible that he was privately baptised, as was not uncommon in Ireland at the period. He is described in the Matriculation Register of Trinity College, Dublin, as natus Dubliniï, and this may be taken as an authentic statement that Dublin was the city of his birth, supported as it is by his own letter of 25th February, 1767, to the Lord Mayor of Dublin acknowledging the honour done to him by his "native city" in conferring its freedom upon him. Notwithstanding careful investigation and long discussion, the precise house on Arran Quay in which he was born cannot be satisfactorily identified. Sir Joseph Napier, after comparing an old survey of Dublin, dated 1750, which is in Trinity College Library, with the Municipal Applotment books, was convinced the house was that which was numbered 12, Arran Quay in 1862, but other evidence seems to preponderate in favour of the house numbered 33 in 1897, which was recently demolished to clear a site for a branch of the National Bank1.

There can be no doubt that he was born on the 1st January, O.S. In a letter to Lord Rockingham, dated 12th January, 1775, he adds in a postscript, “My birthday—I need not say how long ago." The 12th January, after the change of the calendar, corresponded to 1st January, O.S. There has been, however, as great a controversy as to the exact year of his birth as exists in regard to the exact house in which he was born. Some fix 1st January, 1728, some 1st January, 1729, some 1st January, 1730, O.S. Prior states it was 1st January, 1730, O.S., adding, "Some have thought it to be 1728 from the entry in the Trinity College Matriculation Book; but as the former was stated by his family, and the age 68 is noted on the tablet to his memory, we perhaps have no right to disturb his own and their belief." There is, however, no evidence to support this assumption of what Burke's

1 See Sir Joseph Napier's lecture on Edmund Burke, Appendix (Dublin, 1862), and The Irish Builder, vol. 39, pp. 239–40; vol. 40, pp. 7–8 and 29.

2 Prior's Life of Burke, 5th ed. (1854), p. 4.

SB

own or his family's belief was as to the year of his birth; neither he nor they made any recorded statement in reference to it. The following facts lead to the conclusion that the 1st January, 1729, O.S., was the correct date. His parents, Richard Burke and Mary Nagle, were married in the end of 1724. There were several children of the marriage, but all of them died in infancy, with the exception of Garret, the eldest son, Juliana, the only surviving daughter, Edmund and Richard. The marriage licence bond, dated 21st October, 1724, entered into by Garret Nagle, on behalf of the bride, and Richard Burke, the bridegroom, prior to the marriage, is amongst the records of the Diocese of Cloyne, deposited in the Public Record Office, Dublin1. It was in the following terms:

Marriage Licence Bond, 1724, Diocese of Cloyne. Noverint Universi per presentes nos Richard Bourke de Shanballyduff in Comit' Corc' gen' & Garret Nagle de ead gen' teneri & firmiter Obligari Reverendo in Christo patri Domino Domino Carolo Providentia Divina Clonensia Episcopo2 in quingentis libris ster. bonae & legalis monetae Angliae solvendis eidem Domino Episcopo aut suo Attornato Haeredibus vel Successoribus suis ad quam quidem solutionem & fideliter faciendam obligamus & nos utrumque nostrum Haeredes Executores & Administratores nostros & utriusque nostrum per se pro toto & in solido firmiter per Praesentes sigillis nostris sigillat. Datum vicesimo primo die mensis 8bris Anno Domini 1724.

The condition of the Obligation is such, That if at all times hereafter, there shall not appear any Canonical Let or Impediment, but that the above-bounden Mr Richard Bourke may solemnize Matrimony with Mrs Mary Nagle of the Parish of Monanimy and that there is no Precontract of Marriage of either of the said parties with any other, nor Suit depending in any Court concerning the same, and that the consent of the Parents and Friends of both parties, be thereunto first had and obtained. And lastly that the said Matrimony be publickly solemnized according to the Canons of the Church of Ireland, that then this present Obligation to be void, and no effect, or else to remain in full Force and Vertue in Law.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered

for the use of the said Lord

Bishop in the presence of
THO. CASEY

(BOY)LE BROWNE.

RICHD. BURKE (seal)
GARRET NAGLE (seal)

It will be noted that the name is spelled Bourke in the body of the bond, but it is signed Richard Burke. The name is spelled indifferently Burke, Bourke, and Burk in several parochial register 1 Now destroyed.

2 Charles Crow, D.D., Bishop of Cloyne (1702-26).

entries, and also in the books of Trinity College, Dublin. The original will, dated 4th November, 1767, of Richard Burke is in the Record Office, Dublin; the testator signs as Burke, and the name is thus spelled in the body of the will, while Edmund, his son, who was a witness, signs his name (quite exceptionally) as Edmd. Bourke. The handwriting of this signature is undoubtedly Edmund Burke's1.

Garret was probably the first-born child of the marriage. His baptismal certificate cannot be discovered and the date of his birth is not known. Juliana was baptised in Castletown-Roche parish church, and her baptism is entered on the first page of the parish register, which is in the Public Record Office, Dublin. The left margin of the entry has frayed away through the effects of time, and the entry reads now as follows:

The next entry in the register is a baptism of the year 17292. Richard Burke, Edmund's father, in his will dated 4th November, 1761, directed that he should be buried "privately and therefore decently in St James' churchyard, Dublin, as near the place where my children are buried as may be guessed." The visitation returns of the register of St James' parish covering the years 1724 to 1729 still exist in the Record Office, Dublin3. The following entries of burials appear in them: "25th April 1728 James Burke.” “1728-1729. 7 March Edmund Bourke." The register of burials preserved in St James' Church does not begin until 1743, but the earlier visitation returns were authenticated by the signatures of the vicar and church

1 See the will, post p. 405. The original is now destroyed.

2 In the note of the entry of Juliana's baptism made by A. P. I. Samuels in 1912, as taken by him from the Parish Register in the Record Office, the date appears as “Jan. ye ist.” From an inspection of the same entry made by me with Mr Herbert Wood, Deputy Keeper of the Records, in March 1922, the first page of the Register appeared to have crumbled away slightly on the edging; and it was not possible then to say from the fragment of the letter preceding "ye Ist" whether the month was January. There is no question as to the year being 1728, O.S. A mere fragment remaining appeared to be the end of the letter "n." This register has escaped destruction, fortunately. (A. W. S.)

3 Now destroyed.