Who's who in "Baratariana."

Baratariana

This book has always possessed peculiar interest for historic students of the period to which it refers; and several communications have appeared from time to time in *Notes and Queries *touching it. In reply to an inquiry, [First Series, vol. x., p.185.] the late Right Hon. J. Wilson Croker promised to contribute particulars as to the writers of “Baratariana,” [Ibid., vol. x., p. 353] but failed to do so, although he lived for several years subsequently. [Ibid.] “That promise not having been fulfilled,” observed a writer, “permit me to ask from some of your Irish correspondents materials for a history of this very curious volume;” [Second Series, vol. viii., p. 52] and ABHBA expressed a hope that “Mr Fitzpatrick would be induced to furnish us with a key to the characters which figure in the book.” In accordance with these suggestions, we gathered from a variety of sound sources, well authenticated, though perhaps not important details.

Sir Hercules Langrishe, Mr Grattan, (then a young barrister not in Parliament,) and Mr Flood, were, according to the “Memoirs of Flood,” (p.79,) the principal writers of “Baratariana.” In “Grattan’s Life” (vol. i., p.185) there is an account of a visit to Sir Hercules in 1810; and the octogenarian is found repeating with enthusiasm some of his flash passages in “Baratariana.” The contributions of Sir Hercules to this bundle of political pasquinades are noticed in Grattan’s elegy on the death of the patriot baronet, (*vide *vol. i., p.188.) The late Hon. Major Stanhope informed us that Mr St George, a connexion of his, hold the very voluminous papers of Sir H. Langrishe, and not the present baronet. They threw, he said, great light on the political history of the time, and he promised to give us access to them if desired. The articles written by Grattan were, as his son informs us, (vol. i., p. 185,) - “Posthumous,” “Pericles,” and the dedication of “Baratariana.” He read them to his friends, and they were struck by his description of Lord Chatham. Gilbert’s “Dublin” (vol. i., p. 294) tells us, what the “Life of Flood” does not, that the articles signed “Syndercombe” were from Flood’s pen. The volume of “Public Characters for 1806,” in noticing William Doyle, K.C., and Master in Chancery, remarks (p. 64) that he was “universally admired for his brilliant wit,” and that “he contributed largely to ‘Baratariana.’”

To the second edition of the book, published in 1773, there is appended the following so-called key; but the difficulty is to recognise, at this distance of time, the names which have been initialed, and to supply them:-

Sancho Lord T---d.
Goreannelli Lord A---y.
Don Francisco Andrea del Bumperoso Rt. Hon. F---s A---s.
Don Georgio Buticarny Sir. G---e M---y.
Don Antonio Rt. Hon. A---y M---e.
Don John Alnegero Rt. Hon. J---n H---y H---n.
Don Philip Rt. Hon. P---p T---l.
Count Loftonso L. L---s, now E. of E---y.
Don John Rt. Hon. J---n P---y.
Don Helena R---t H---n, Esq.
Donna Dorothea del Monroso Miss M---o.
Don Godfredo Lily G---y L---ll, Esq.
The Duke Fitzroyola Duke of G---n.
Cardinal Lapidaro The late Prim. S---e.
The Bishop og Toledo Dr J---t B---e, late Bishop of C---k.
Don Edwardo Swanzero E---d S---n, Esq.
Don Alexandro Cuningambo del Tweedalero Surgeon C---m.
Donna Lavinia Lady St. L---r.
Don Ricardo R---d R---r, Esq.

The first named is George Viscount Townshend, who** **became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, October 14, 1767, and continued in the Government, until succeeded by Simon, Earl of Harcourt, Nov. 30, 1772.

Lord Annaly, Lord Chief-Justice of the King’s Bench in Ireland. As John Gore he represented Jamestown in Parliament for several years; d. April 3,1783. A notice of Lord Annaly may be found in the *Annual Registeter, *1784, p. 220.
The Right Hon. Francis Andrews. He succeeded Dr Baldwin as Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1758. Andrews had previously represented Dublin in Parliament; d. 1774. [Taylor’s Hist. of the Univer. of Dublin, pp. 251-2; Wilson’s Dublin Direc., (1770,) p.41.]
Sir George Macartney, Knight, [*Vide *List of Privy Councillors, Dublin Direc., (1770,) p.41.] b. 1737; Envoy Extraordinary to the Empress of Russia, 1764, and Plenipotentiary, 1767; knighted, October 1764. In July 1768, he was elected for the burgh of Armagh. In 1769 he became secretary to Lord Townshend, Viceroy of Ireland. In 1776 Sir George Macartney was raised to the peerage. He married the daughter of Lord Bute - hence the nickname Buticarny.
The Right Hon. Anthony Malone. For upwards of half a century an ornament to the Irish Bar; d. May 8, 1776. For a long account of him see Hardy’s “Life of Charlemont,” (vol. i., pp. 133-9;) Taylor’s “Hist. of the Univer. of Dublin,” (pp.395-6;) and Grattan’s “Memoirs,” passim. [In Wilson’s Directory for 1770, Malone is styled “King’s First Counsel at Law, Sackville Street.”]
Right Hon. John Holy Hutchinson. In the “Directory” of the day he is styled “Prime Serjeant and Alnager of Ireland, Kildare St.” He subsequently became Secretary of State and Keeper of the Privy Seal. For a long account of Hutchinson, see Hardy’s “Charlemont,” (i., 141; ii., 185.) Having obtained a peerage for his wife, he became ancestor of the Lords Donoughmore. [Burke’s Peerage, (1848,) p.315. For an account of his regime as Provost of Trin. Cell., see Taylor’s Hist. of the Univer. of Dublin, p.253] Hutchinson died Sept. 10,1793.
Right* *Hon. Philip Tisdall, P.C., Attorney-General. He represented the University of Dublin in Parliament from 1739 until his death in 1777. For a full account and character of Tisdall, see Hardy’s “Charlemont,” (i., 152-6.) In the Directory of 1770 he is styled “Prin. Secre. of State, and Judge of the Prerogative Court, Leinster Street.”
The Hon. Henry Loftus succeeded his nephew Nicholas as fourth Viscount Loftus; [His ancestor, A. Loft-House, accompanied Lord Sussex to Ireland. Various family links subsequently united the Loftuses to the house of *Townshend. *General Loftus married, 1790, Lady B. Townshend, only daughter of Marquis Townshend. Her daughter Charlotte married Lord Vere Townshend.] b. November 11, 1709; advanced to the earldom of Ely, December 5, 1771. [Burke’s Peerage, p.371, (1848.)]
Right Hon. John Ponsonby, son of Lord Bessborough, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons; b. 1713; d. Dec. 12, 1789. [*Ibid., *p.93; Hardy’s Charlemont, i., pp. 184, 201, 293.]
“Robert Hellen, K. C., and Counsel to the Commissioners, Great Cuffe Street; called to the bar Hilary Term, 1755.” [Wilson’s Dublin Directories.] On May 4, 1778, he became Chief-Justice of the Common Pleas; [Smyth’s Law Officers of Ireland, p.254.] d. July 23, 1792 [Gent. Mag., 1793, p. 769.]]
A Miss Munro was said to have been mixed up with some of the political intrigues which characterised the Townshend and other administrations. “Dolly Monro”is traditionally described as a woman of surpassing beauty and powers of fascination. She was quite a Duchess of Gordon in the political circles of her time.
“Godfrey Lill, Esq., Solicitor-General, Merrion Square, M---, 1743.” [Wilson’s Dublin Directories.] On Dec. 15,1774, he became Justice of the Common Pleas. [Smyth’s Law Officers of Ireland, p.253.] Died Sept. 24, 1782. [Annual Register for 1783, p. 239.]
Augustus Henry, third Duke of Grafton, b. 1735, filled the offices of Secretary of State and First Lord of the Treasury in 1765 and 1766, and that of Lord Privy Seal in
Primate Stone. He was the great political rival of Lord Shannon. Death closed the eyes of both within nine days of each other, in Dec. 1764. [Dublin Directory, 1769, p. 42; ‘Hardy’s Charlemont vol. i., passim.]
Dr Jemmet Browne, consecrated Bishop of Cork, 1743; promoted to Elphin, 1772. [Wilson’s Dublin Direc., 1774, p.52.]
Edward B. Swan, Esq., Surveyor-General of the Revenue. [Dublin Direc., 1774, [Com. Rev.,] p.73. The Viceroy, at p. 228 of Baratariana, is made to speak of “his trusty friends Swan and Waller?’ In the Directory for 1774, “George Waller, Clerk of the Minutes in Excise,” is mentioned.] He was the father of the famous Major Swan, who arrested the 13 delegates of the United Irishmen at Oliver Bond’s in 1798, (Plowden’s ” Hist. Ireland,” ii. 424,) and who afterwards assisted in the capture of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. (?) [“Castlereagh Correspondence,” vol. i., 463.]
“Surgeon Alexander Cunningham, Eustace Street,” figures in the list of surgeons at p. 98 of Wilson’s Dublin Directory for 1770.
Lady St. Leger. R. St Leger (nephew of Hughes Viscount Doneraile, whose title became extinct in 1767) represented Doneraile from 1749 to 1776, when his Majesty pleased to create him Baron Doneraile as a reward for parliamentary services. He married Miss Mary Barry. She died March 3,1778. [Archdalfs Lodge’s Peerage, vol. V., p.123.] This is probably the party referred to.
Richard Power, K.C. In the Directory of 1774, we find him styled “Third Baron of the Exchequer, and Usher and Accountant-General of the Court of Chancery, Kildare Street, Hilary, 1757.” Mr Daunt, in his “Recollections of O’Connell,” (ii. 145,) narrates an extraordinary anecdote of O’Connell’s in reference to Baron Power, who, having failed to take Lord Chancellor Clare’s life with a loaded pistol, proceeded to Irishtown to commit suicide by drowning. It was remarked as curious that in going off to drown himself, he used an umbrella as the day was wet. Baron Power was a convicted peculator.

The *Anthologia Hibernica *for February 1794, p 154, details the particulars of Baron Power’s death. Besides his judicial office, he was usher to the Court of Chancery, and large sums were frequently deposited in his hands for the security of suitors. The Baron having pocketed £3,000 in the Chandos suit, Lord Chancellor Clare was appealed to, who ordered the Baron to appear in court and answer for his conduct. The Judge hesitated, declaring that he held a seat on the same bench with the Chancellor in the Court of Exchequer Chamber. Lord Clare issued his command in a still more peremptory tone; and the tragedy detailed by Mr O’Connell was the result. Sir Jonah Barrington’s elaborately embellished account of this transaction is most inaccurate. He suppresses all allusion to the embezzlements - of which, by the way, Barrington was himself convicted as a judge [Personal Sketches, vol. i., pp. 457-9. See notice of Barrington further on.] and merely says that Lord Clare teased Power to madness, because the Baron was arrogant himself, and never would succumb to the arrogance of Fitzgibbon, to whom in law he was superior. Both accounts, however, agree in saying that Power was immensely rich.

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