Memoirs, (chiefly autobiographical), from 1798 to 1886 / edited by his son Thomas More Madden.

  • Richard Robert Madden
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoirs, (chiefly autobiographical), from 1798 to 1886 / edited by his son Thomas More Madden. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    Sunday walks, accompanied by some of his children, my father used to point out the remains of this old castle where his early education had been thus im- parted (not without much risk to the teacher and pupils of that proscribed Catholic school)—and which stands about a mile from the scalp and a quarter of a mile from what was known as the ‘ Upper Bead,’ between Enniskerry and Dundrum. Near this is the old burial-ground of Killeigar where some of my father’s family were interred.] 130.—Edward Madden (No. 129 in O’Hart’s pedigree), was bom in 1739, and died in his 91st year, November 2l)th, 1829, interred in Donnybrook. In an article published in The Dublin Post on the occasion of his death in November 1830, Edward Madden is described as “An upright man, just in all his dealings, prudent and moderate in his opinions, singularly pious, very charitable, humane and tolerant. He interfered with no man’s sentiments on controversial subjects, and during Ids’ whole life he suffered nothing to interrupt his own religious duties. Like the devout Simeon, from his youth upwards he was daily to be seen in the temple of the Lord. Remembering his Creator in the days of his youth, he departed not from him in his old age : and in his last hours, full of peace aud retaining unimpaired his mental faculties, he steadily and serenely contemplated death, and spoke of his pas- sage to eternity as one might speak of an approaching journey to another country, happier and better than the one he was about to leave.” Before the Union he was an eminent manufacturer in Wormwood-gate, Dublin, and in 1792 his name is to be found amongst those of the ‘ Delegates’ appointed by the Catholics of Ireland to tale the sense of the whole people on the subject of their existing grievances and the constitutional means to be adopted for their redress. It was the first time that object was attempted; and the success of that memorable effort, on the presentation of their petition to the king by their chosen Delegates, was the date of the earliest concession made to the Catholics of Ireland of any moment, viz., that of 1793. He married first Mademoiselle Marie Duras of Bordeaux, and had issue six children, all since deceased. [In 1791 M. Duras died in Bordeaux, leaving a pro- perty, and by his will nominated as his executor and residuary legatee, Edward Madden. This estate however, was so destroyed during the French Revolution, as to have scarcely a remnant recoverable by those to whom it was bequeathed, being seized by the Revolutionary Govern- ment as British property, though subsequently at the peace of 1802, some useless attempts were made to effect the restoration of the se- questered inheritance. Shortly after the death of M. Duras his residuary legatee, Edward Madden, undertook what was then a long and difficult jour- ney to Bordeaux to look after this property. The notes still existing of that visit to France, where he remained for some months, during the reign of terror (100 years ago), present a curious contrast to the conditions of Con- tinental travel now. The passage from Dublin to Holyhead for iustanee, occupied twenty-four hours, and from Dover to Calais, thirty-seven hours, whilst his bill for ten weeks stay in the Hotel de Angleterre at Bordeaux, was but 406 francs.] Edward Madden married, secondly, Miss Elizabeth Forde, youngest daughter of Thaddeus Forde, Esq., of Cony, county of Leitrim, and of Elizabeth, his wife (daughter of Thaddeus Lyons of Lvoustown, in the county of Roscommon, Esq.,) of which marriage there was issue, inter alii* five sons, who attained mature age, viz., Edward, born 1785, died 1814: Henry, born 1788, died 1830 ; William, born 1793, died 1819 ; James, born 1795, died 1828 ; Richard Robert (of whom hereafter), bora 17 98. died 1880. and a daughter, Elizabeth, born 1787. [Miss Elizabeth Madden married in 1815 Bryan Cogau, Esq., of Athgarret, in the county of Kildare aud of the city of Dublin, who died in 1830, leaving issue, firstly, the Right Hon. William Forde Cogan, P.C., D.L., of Tinode, county of Wicklow, formerly for twenty-five years M.P. for the county of Kil-