People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 48, 28 November 1907, Page 28

People We Hear About

jr ( "■ —■•!■■. . ■_—^^^. ■ ■■■■ Sir Thomas Grattan EsmoncCe, M.F., who is a great-grand* son of Henry Grattan, has just entered on his forty-fifth year. The ex-Empress Eugenic, who was born seven years after the late Queen Victoria, is now in her eighty-second year. It is said that Sir Antony Mac Donald is about to visit America, where he will be the guest of Mr James- Bryce, British Ambassador at Washington. ' The Very Rev. John Conmee, S.J., who is at present on a visit to Australia,, is a distinguished writer as well as administrator. He is the author of- that charming little sketch, 'Old Times in the Barony,' published as a pamphlet by the Australian Catholic Truth Society. Owing to the many Gaelic ' and Celtic conferences lately held in Scotland there has been much discussion on the subject of the Gaelic language. It is now authoritatively stated that the King, when a boy, received instruction in the language. His tutor was Mr Donald MacFayden, . who at the time was schoolmaster at Balmoral. « Dr P. W. Joyce, M.A., T.C.D., who was last year's president of the Royal Irish Antiquarian Society, is a retired civil servant. He was born at Limerick in 1827, and was married in 1856 to Caroline, daughter of Lieutenant John Waters, of Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow. He was educated at private schools and at home. Entering the service of the Commissioners of National Education, Ireland, in 1845, he^ held various posts until 1874, when he was appointed ' Prof essor, and subsequently Principal, of the Commissioners' Training College, Dublin, retiring in 1893. He is one of the' Commissioners for the publication of the Ancient Laws of Ireland. He is the author of 'The' Origin and History of Irish Names of Places.' (2 vols.), ' Ancient Irish Music,- a collection of hitherto unpublished Irish airs and songs, and various other works dealing with Ireland. \ His Grace the Archbishop of .Adelaide has just entered on his sixty-second year. His Grace is a native of the city of Kilkenny, and made his preparatory ecclesiastical studies in St. Kieran's College, completing his' course at All Hallows. For eighteen years he labored in the Fremantle district, • diocese of Perth, being for a considerable time editor, and very often, too, the printer of the 'W.A. Record.' When the diocese of Port Augusta was erected he. was appointed its first bishop, and took formal possession of the see on July 15, 1888. ' Archbishop Reynolds, of Adelaide, died in 1893, and Dr O'Reily was transferred to the vacant see by Papal Brief, dated January 5, 1895. The archdiocese covers an area of over 40,000 square miles, or about 8,000 square miles more than the "whole of Ireland. His Grace is a great administrator and financier/ and has been engaged during the past twelve years, in putting the finances of his see on a sound basis. . _^ The death is- reported of Lady Brampton. The deceased was the- second wife of the- late Lord Brampton, who died on Rosary Sunday, October 6. She was a daughter of Mr H. F. Reynolds, of Hulme, near Manchester. There were no children of either marriage. A London secular paper states that Lady Brampton has bequeathed £150,000 to Catholic charities. It may interest young lawyers to knov7 that Lord Brampton earned -the sum of £50 in his second year at the bar, and so pleased was he at his success that he renounced the allowance which his father had made him until such time as he was well established in practice. This was in 1845. Thirty years later; .at the close of the trial of the Claimant for perjury, he was offered a brief marked with a fee for twenty thousand guineas to go out to India and defend the Gaekwar of ' Baroda" on the , charge of attempting to poison the British Resident, but this offer was declined. Of incidents in* his life as a pleader many amusing stories are told. The following is one of the best : — A pickpocket whose gratitude Hawkins had earned by his successful exertions on his behalf solicited his professional aid on behalf -of a colleague. Hawkins intimated that he should be pleased, if properly instructed, to undertake the defence of that gentleman, but added a reminder that it was his rule not to accept a defending brief for any fee less than five guineas. The client said- that he had only succeeded in raising three guineas, but that he would go out and see what he. could do.' In less than half an . hour he returned, his face beaming with" pride and satisfaction. ' 'Ere y' are, guv'ner,' he hurst out eagerly, exhibiting the full fee. ' 'Ere y' are ! 'ad a bit of luck in the Strand !' ~