Charles Graves (bishop)
Encyclopedia
The Rt. Rev. Charles Graves, F.R.S., D.D., LL.D. (1812–1899) was a 19th Century Anglican Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe. He was also a mathematician.
, Dublin, the son of John Crosbie Graves (1776–1835), Chief Police Magistrate for Dublin, by his wife Helena Perceval, the daughter and co-heiress of The Rev. Charles Perceval (1751–1795) of Bruhenny, County Cork
. Helena enjoyed the patronage of John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale
, who married a daughter of her father's cousin, John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont
.
Educated at Trinity College, Dublin
from 1829 to 1835, he won a scholarship in Classics. He played cricket for Trinity and later in his life did much boating and fly-fishing. On graduating he took the gold medal in mathematics and physics. It was intended that he should join the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot under his uncle, Major-General James William Graves (1774–1845), and in preparation he had become an expert swordsman and rider.
In 1860 he was appointed Dean of the Chapel Royal (Dublin Castle)
, and from 1864 to 1866 he was the Dean of Clonfert, before being consecrated Lord Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, a position he held for thirty three years, until his death in 1899. He had been elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy
in 1837 and subsequently held various officerships. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1880 and received the honorary degree of D.C.L. from Oxford University in 1881.
A gentleman and a scholar he was well respected as the Bishop of Limerick. He and the Catholic Bishop (O'Dwyer) were on the very best of terms. They cracked Latin jokes at each other, discussed fine points of scholarship and were unclerical enough not to take their religious differences too seriously
Bishop O’Dwyer had once joked at the size of Bishop Graves’ family of nine and Graves warmly retorted with the text about the blessedness of the man who has his quiver full of arrows, to which O’Dwyer replied "The ancient Jewish Quiver only held six"
. He was a colleague of Sir William Rowan Hamilton
and on the latter's death Graves gave a presidential panegyric containing a valuable account both of Hamilton’s scientific labours and of his literary attainments.
Graves was very interested in Irish antiquarian subjects. He discovered the key to the ancient Irish Ogham
script which appeared as inscriptions on cromlechs and other stone monuments. He also prompted the government to publish the old Irish Brehon Laws, Early Irish Law. His suggestion was adopted and he was appointed a member of the Commission to do this.
Charles Graves married Selina, daughter of John Cheyne (physician), Physician-General to the Forces in Ireland, an associate of Graves's father's cousin, Robert James Graves
. Graves was the father of the poet Alfred Perceval Graves
and grandfather of Philip Graves
, Robert Graves
and Charles Patrick Graves
.
Early life
Born at 12 Fitzwilliam SquareFitzwilliam Square
Fitzwilliam Square is a small but historic Georgian square in the south of central Dublin, Ireland. It was the last of the five Georgian squares in Dublin to be built....
, Dublin, the son of John Crosbie Graves (1776–1835), Chief Police Magistrate for Dublin, by his wife Helena Perceval, the daughter and co-heiress of The Rev. Charles Perceval (1751–1795) of Bruhenny, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Helena enjoyed the patronage of John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale
John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale
John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale PC, KC, FRS , known as Sir John Mitford between 1793 and 1802, was a British lawyer and politician. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1801 and 1802 and Lord Chancellor of Ireland between 1802 and 1806.-Background:Born in London, Mitford was the...
, who married a daughter of her father's cousin, John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont
John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont
John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont PC, FRS was a British politician, political pamphleteer, and genealogist...
.
Educated at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
from 1829 to 1835, he won a scholarship in Classics. He played cricket for Trinity and later in his life did much boating and fly-fishing. On graduating he took the gold medal in mathematics and physics. It was intended that he should join the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot under his uncle, Major-General James William Graves (1774–1845), and in preparation he had become an expert swordsman and rider.
Career
After leaving Trinity Graves followed in the steps of his grandfather, the Dean of Ardfert & Connor, and great uncle Richard Graves (clergyman). He was appointed a fellow of Trinity from 1836 to 1843 before taking the professorship of mathematics, a position he held until 1862.In 1860 he was appointed Dean of the Chapel Royal (Dublin Castle)
Chapel Royal (Dublin Castle)
The Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle was the official Church of Ireland chapel of the Household of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1814 until the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922...
, and from 1864 to 1866 he was the Dean of Clonfert, before being consecrated Lord Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, a position he held for thirty three years, until his death in 1899. He had been elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
in 1837 and subsequently held various officerships. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1880 and received the honorary degree of D.C.L. from Oxford University in 1881.
A gentleman and a scholar he was well respected as the Bishop of Limerick. He and the Catholic Bishop (O'Dwyer) were on the very best of terms. They cracked Latin jokes at each other, discussed fine points of scholarship and were unclerical enough not to take their religious differences too seriously
Bishop O’Dwyer had once joked at the size of Bishop Graves’ family of nine and Graves warmly retorted with the text about the blessedness of the man who has his quiver full of arrows, to which O’Dwyer replied "The ancient Jewish Quiver only held six"
Publications
In 1841 Graves published an original mathematical work and he embodied further discoveries in his lectures and in papers read before and published by the Royal Irish AcademyRoyal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
. He was a colleague of Sir William Rowan Hamilton
William Rowan Hamilton
Sir William Rowan Hamilton was an Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathematician, who made important contributions to classical mechanics, optics, and algebra. His studies of mechanical and optical systems led him to discover new mathematical concepts and techniques...
and on the latter's death Graves gave a presidential panegyric containing a valuable account both of Hamilton’s scientific labours and of his literary attainments.
Graves was very interested in Irish antiquarian subjects. He discovered the key to the ancient Irish Ogham
Ogham
Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Old Irish language, and occasionally the Brythonic language. Ogham is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.There are roughly...
script which appeared as inscriptions on cromlechs and other stone monuments. He also prompted the government to publish the old Irish Brehon Laws, Early Irish Law. His suggestion was adopted and he was appointed a member of the Commission to do this.
Private life
His official residence was The Palace at Limerick, but from the 1850s he took he lease of Parknasilla House, Co. Kerry, as a summer residence. In 1892 he bought out the lease of the house and a further 114 acre (0.46134204 km²) of land that included a few islands. In 1894 he sold it to Great Southern Hotels, who still own it to this day.- Parknasilla, today
- View from Parknasilla House
Charles Graves married Selina, daughter of John Cheyne (physician), Physician-General to the Forces in Ireland, an associate of Graves's father's cousin, Robert James Graves
Robert James Graves
Robert James Graves, M.D., F.R.C.S. was an eminent Irish surgeon after whom Graves' disease takes its name. He was President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Fellow of the Royal Society of London and the founder of the Dublin Journal of Medical Science...
. Graves was the father of the poet Alfred Perceval Graves
Alfred Perceval Graves
Alfred Perceval Graves , was an Anglo-Irish poet, songwriter, and school inspector . His first marriage to Jane Cooper, eldest daughter of James Cooper of Cooper Hill, Co. Limerick, resulted in five children: the journalist Philip Graves, Mary, Richard, Alfred, and Susan...
and grandfather of Philip Graves
Philip Graves
Philip Perceval Graves was an Irish journalist and writer. While working as a foreign correspondent of The Times in Constantinople, he exposed The Protocols of the Elders of Zion as an antisemitic plagiarism, fraud, and hoax.-Life:Graves, eldest son of the writer Alfred Perceval Graves , was born...
, Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
and Charles Patrick Graves
Charles Patrick Graves
Charles Ranke Patrick Graves was a journalist and writer.Born in Wimbledon, England, he worked on the Sunday Express, Daily Mail and many other newspapers. He published 46 books in all including the Thin Blue Line or Adventures in the RAF. His hobbies were golf and gin rummy...
.