James Gubbins Fitzgerald
Encyclopedia
James Gubbins Fitzgerald (1852 or 1853 – May 7, 1926) was a medical practitioner and an Irish nationalist
politician and Member of Parliament
(MP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party
, he represented South Longford
from 1888 to 1892. He was a strong supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell
.
Fitzgerald trained at the Meath Hospital and Mercer’s Hospital, Dublin. He won a prize certificate for surgery in 1872. Thereafter he moved to England where he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1876 and was an assistant surgeon at the Edmonton Infirmary. He became a Licenciate of the Apothecaries’ Hall, Dublin in 1877 and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh in 1884. He lived the rest of his life in South London
, at Brixton
, Balham
, Norbury
and finally from 1919 at Beddington
.
He was elected unopposed to represent South Longford at a by-election on 30 June 1888, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Laurence Connolly.
When the Irish Parliamentary Party split in December 1890 over Parnell’s leadership, Fitzgerald was one of the inner circle of Parnell’s supporters. He was one of the small group to be read Parnell’s manifesto in reply to Gladstone on 28 November 1890 before its publication, and took part with Parnell and other Parnellite MPs in the repossession by force of the newspaper United Ireland on 11 December 1890. He was active in the by-election campaigns which took place between then and Parnell’s death in October 1891. He was one of the few people to see the dead Parnell at Brighton.
Fitzgerald did not contest the general election in 1892
. At the general election in 1895
he attempted to dislodge the sitting Anti-Parnellite MP, Daniel Ambrose – also a doctor – at South Louth
, but was defeated by almost 2 to 1.
However, by 1897 Fitzgerald had become alienated from his Parnellite colleagues and their leader John Redmond. In a letter printed in the Freeman's Journal
on 5 March 1897 he referred to 'the hollow sham of Redmondism' and wrote 'any Parnellites or Nationalists in the country who still believe that Parnellism and Redmondism are, or ever have been, one and the same thing, will now be undeceived'. In 1910 Fitzgerald was provisional chairman of the Central London branch of William O'Brien
’s All-for-Ireland League
, which was opposed to the reunited Irish Parliamentary Party led by John Redmond.
Fitzgerald was commissioned as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps at some time prior to 1921. In that year he joined the London Committee of the Irish Cancer Research Fund.
His death on 7 May 1926 at the age of 73 was apparently unmarked by any obituary.
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
politician and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
, he represented South Longford
South Longford (UK Parliament constituency)
South Longford was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which returned one Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
from 1888 to 1892. He was a strong supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
.
Fitzgerald trained at the Meath Hospital and Mercer’s Hospital, Dublin. He won a prize certificate for surgery in 1872. Thereafter he moved to England where he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1876 and was an assistant surgeon at the Edmonton Infirmary. He became a Licenciate of the Apothecaries’ Hall, Dublin in 1877 and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh in 1884. He lived the rest of his life in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, at Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, Balham
Balham, London
Balham is a neighbourhood of south London, England, and is part of the London Borough of Wandsworth and the London Borough of Lambeth.-History:...
, Norbury
Norbury
Norbury is a town in the London Borough of Croydon, also crossing the London Borough of Merton. It shares the postcode London SW16 with nearby Streatham. Norbury is south of Charing Cross.-History:...
and finally from 1919 at Beddington
Beddington
Beddington is a settlement between the London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon. The BedZED low energy housing scheme is located here. In Beddington was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth....
.
He was elected unopposed to represent South Longford at a by-election on 30 June 1888, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Laurence Connolly.
When the Irish Parliamentary Party split in December 1890 over Parnell’s leadership, Fitzgerald was one of the inner circle of Parnell’s supporters. He was one of the small group to be read Parnell’s manifesto in reply to Gladstone on 28 November 1890 before its publication, and took part with Parnell and other Parnellite MPs in the repossession by force of the newspaper United Ireland on 11 December 1890. He was active in the by-election campaigns which took place between then and Parnell’s death in October 1891. He was one of the few people to see the dead Parnell at Brighton.
Fitzgerald did not contest the general election in 1892
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
. At the general election in 1895
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
he attempted to dislodge the sitting Anti-Parnellite MP, Daniel Ambrose – also a doctor – at South Louth
South Louth (UK Parliament constituency)
South Louth was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1918...
, but was defeated by almost 2 to 1.
However, by 1897 Fitzgerald had become alienated from his Parnellite colleagues and their leader John Redmond. In a letter printed in the Freeman's Journal
Freeman's Journal
The Freeman's Journal was the oldest nationalist newspaper in Ireland. It was founded in 1763 by Charles Lucas and was identified with radical 18th century Protestant patriot politicians Henry Grattan and Henry Flood...
on 5 March 1897 he referred to 'the hollow sham of Redmondism' and wrote 'any Parnellites or Nationalists in the country who still believe that Parnellism and Redmondism are, or ever have been, one and the same thing, will now be undeceived'. In 1910 Fitzgerald was provisional chairman of the Central London branch of William O'Brien
William O'Brien
William O'Brien was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
’s All-for-Ireland League
All-for-Ireland League
The All-for-Ireland League , was an Irish, Munster-based political party . Founded by William O'Brien MP, it generated a new national movement to achieve agreement between the different parties concerned on the historically difficult aim of Home Rule for the whole of Ireland...
, which was opposed to the reunited Irish Parliamentary Party led by John Redmond.
Fitzgerald was commissioned as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps at some time prior to 1921. In that year he joined the London Committee of the Irish Cancer Research Fund.
His death on 7 May 1926 at the age of 73 was apparently unmarked by any obituary.
Sources
- F. S. L. Lyons, The Fall of Parnell 1890-91, London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1960
- The Medical Directory (annual), 1877-1926
- The Medical Register (annual), 1877-1926
- The Times, 2 July 1888, 12 December 1890, 6 July 1910, 23 November 1921, 15 June 1926
- Brian M. Walker (ed.), Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, 1978