Thomas
Conolly (1738-1803) had extensive property in both Ireland and England and sat
in both the Irish and British parliaments, occupying a seat in the former from
1761 to 1800. Here he is writing to his mother in England. The duel between the
Attorney General of Ireland, John Fitzgibbon, later First Earl of Clare
(1748-1802), and John Philpot Curran (1750-1817) was fought over an insult but underlying
were the differences between defenders of the Protestant supremacy, opposed to
any form of Catholic emancipation, and their opponents seeking to mitigate the
cruelty or overturn a dreadful status quo. It is this which Conolly calls “the
business”. Curran has a lengthy Wikipedia page describing a remarkable career
and which records Karl Marx calling him the greatest people’s advocate of the
18th century; Curran also had a taste for duelling and fought five.
I
note that Conolly’s wife appears to have attended debates in the Irish House of
Commons which on the present occasion have kept her up all night.
Transcription
Addressed
to: Lady Anne Conolly Twickenham Middlesex
Datelined:
Dublin August the 18th 1785
Postmarks:
IRELAND applied on arrival in England;
London arrival marks (“Bishop Marks”) dated AU 18 which implies either that the
dateline is wrong or a slug in the Bishop Mark has not been updated – I incline
to the latter.
My
Dr Mother
I
am sorry you should think it any trouble for me to settle about the £100
overpaid [? underpaid] to Louisa Pakenham. You will have nothing to do but to
pay it to Messrs Gore & Hood upon account of Messrs Latouche & I will
explain it to them. I am glad Little Stephen has Recov’rd so fast under Mr Pott
& I think that the Change of Air will both be Pleasant & Healthy to
you. Southampton is a very Pretty & Healthy place & Fanny can make you
a visit there from her Cottage. I am tired to death with Politicks & two
long & warm days debates which have thank God ended quietly with only one
duel, between the Attorney General & a Mr Curran a lawyer, in which no one was Hurt, & the
Business is given up for this year & I hope for lon. Was it to begin again,
upon the same Principle it would undoubtedly throw this Kingdom into a [illegible] without
serving Gt Britain. You may rest assured that no English Party can make, or Has
Made, any Impression upon me, in my Politicks. The Place, Honour & Welfare
of the Empire is what I have always aimed at. Louisa [his wife] sett up in the
House of Commons, till nine o’clock last Saturday morning & went home afterwards
to Castletown without going to Bed, which she did not do till next night, &
was not the worse for it. Miss Banbury is so ill I think she cannot last many
months, unless she gets a Change for the Better. It is a long Time since I
heard about Lord Strafford, although I wrote to him, when he Return’d from
Boughton into Yorkshire. I hope he continues well, & as Happy as his
Situation will Permitt. With all our loves I am Your Most Dutiful Son &
affectionate Friend T C
References
Wikipedia:
Thomas Conolly (1738-1803)
Wikipedia:
John Fitzgibbon, 1st Earl of Clare
Wikipedia:
John Philpot Curran (worth reading)
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