William John Fitzpatrick
Encyclopedia
William John Fitzpatrick (31 August 1830 – 24 December 1895) was an Irish
historian.
, Dublin. The son of a rich merchant, he had an interest in investigative biography. Educated partly at a Protestant school, partly at Clongowes Wood College
, he took early to writing and in 1855 published his first work, The Life, Times and Correspondence of Lord Cloncurry. The same year he wrote a series of letters to Notes and Queries
charging Sir Walter Scott with plagiarism in his Waverley novels
, and attributing the chief credit of having written these novels to Sir Walter's brother Thomas. The latter was dead, but his daughters repudiated Fitzpatrick's advocacy and their father's supposed claims, and the matter ended there.
In 1859 Fitzpatrick published The Friends, Foes and Adventures of Lady Morgan. From that date to his death, he wrote constantly. Notable examples are The Sham Squire (1866), Ireland before the Union (1867), The Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell
(1888), and Secret Service under Pitt (1892). Fitzpatrick also wrote works dealing with Archbishop Richard Whately
, Charles Lever
, Rev. Dr. Lanigan, Father Tom Burke O.P., and Father James Healy of Bray. In 1876 he was appointed professor of history by the Hibernian Academy of Arts
. Fitzpatrick's painstaking research as well as his spirit of fair play are specially to be commended and have earned words of praise from two men differing in many other things - Lecky
and Gladstone
.
He died in Dublin in 1895.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
historian.
Life
He was born in Thomas StreetThomas Street (Dublin)
Thomas Street is a street in The Liberties in central Dublin, Ireland.-History:The street is named after the church of St. Thomas, founded in 1175 near St. Catherine's church. The founder was William FitzAldelm, deputy and kinsman of King Henry II. The church was dedicated to Thomas à Beckett...
, Dublin. The son of a rich merchant, he had an interest in investigative biography. Educated partly at a Protestant school, partly at Clongowes Wood College
Clongowes Wood College
Clongowes Wood College is a voluntary secondary boarding school for boys, located near Clane in County Kildare, Ireland. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1814, it is one of Ireland's oldest Catholic schools, and featured prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the...
, he took early to writing and in 1855 published his first work, The Life, Times and Correspondence of Lord Cloncurry. The same year he wrote a series of letters to Notes and Queries
Notes and Queries
Notes and Queries is a long-running quarterly scholarly journal that publishes short articles related to "English language and literature, lexicography, history, and scholarly antiquarianism". Its emphasis is on "the factual rather than the speculative"...
charging Sir Walter Scott with plagiarism in his Waverley novels
Waverley Novels
The Waverley Novels are a long series of books by Sir Walter Scott. For nearly a century they were among the most popular and widely-read novels in all of Europe. Because he did not publicly acknowledge authorship until 1827, they take their name from Waverley , which was the first...
, and attributing the chief credit of having written these novels to Sir Walter's brother Thomas. The latter was dead, but his daughters repudiated Fitzpatrick's advocacy and their father's supposed claims, and the matter ended there.
In 1859 Fitzpatrick published The Friends, Foes and Adventures of Lady Morgan. From that date to his death, he wrote constantly. Notable examples are The Sham Squire (1866), Ireland before the Union (1867), The Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
(1888), and Secret Service under Pitt (1892). Fitzpatrick also wrote works dealing with Archbishop Richard Whately
Richard Whately
Richard Whately was an English rhetorician, logician, economist, and theologian who also served as the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin.-Life and times:...
, Charles Lever
Charles Lever
Charles James Lever was an Irish novelist.-Biography:Lever was born in Dublin, the second son of James Lever, an architect and builder, and was educated in private schools. His escapades at Trinity College, Dublin , where he took the degree in medicine in 1831, are drawn on for the plots of some...
, Rev. Dr. Lanigan, Father Tom Burke O.P., and Father James Healy of Bray. In 1876 he was appointed professor of history by the Hibernian Academy of Arts
Royal Hibernian Academy
The Royal Hibernian Academy is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823.-History:The RHA was founded as the result of 30 Irish artists petitioning the government for a charter of incorporation...
. Fitzpatrick's painstaking research as well as his spirit of fair play are specially to be commended and have earned words of praise from two men differing in many other things - Lecky
William Edward Hartpole Lecky
William Edward Hartpole Lecky, OM was an Irish historian.-Early life:Born at Newtown Park, near Dublin, he was the eldest son of John Hartpole Lecky, a landowner....
and Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
.
He died in Dublin in 1895.