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John Gray (Irish politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Gray Knt
MD
JP
, sometimes spelled John Grey (July 13, 1815- April 9, 1875) was an Irish
physician, surgeon, newspaper proprietor, journalist and politician. Gray was active both in municipal and national government for much of his life, and had nationalist
ideals - which he expressed as owner of the Freeman's Journal
, chairman of the Dublin Corporation
Water Works Committee between 1863 and 1875, and Member of Parliament
in the House of Commons
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
for Kilkenny city
from 1865 until his death. He was a supporter of Daniel O'Connell
, and later of Charles Stewart Parnell
, and advocated a repeal of the Act of Union
. Through his offices with Dublin Corporation, the Vartry Reservoir
water supply works were completed, introducing a fresh water supply to Dublin city and suburbs. He died at Bath in England April 9, 1875. Shortly after his death, his contributions to the provision of the water supply, and the beneficial impact this had to conditions of public health
in Dublin, were recognised in a memorial statue on O'Connell Street
.
, County Mayo
; the third son of John and Elizabeth Gray of Mount Street. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin
, and obtained the degree of M.D
and Master in Surgery
at Glasgow University in 1839. Shortly before his marriage in the same year, he settled in Dublin and took up a post at a hospital in North Cumberland Street. He was admitted as a licentiate of the College of Physicians in due course.
Gray was publicly minded, and contributed to periodicals and the newspaper press. In 1841 he became joint proprietor of the Freeman's Journal
- a nationalist paper which was then published daily and weekly. He acted as political editor
of the Journal for a time, before becoming sole proprietor in 1850. As owner, Gray increased the newspaper's size, reduced its price and extended its circulation.
. As a Protestant nationalist
, he supported the movement for the repeal of the Act of Union
with England. In October 1843, Gray was indicted with O'Connell and others in the Court of the Queen's Bench in Dublin on a charge of conspiracy and sedition
against the British establishment. In the following February Gray, together with O'Connell, was condemned to nine months imprisonment, but early in September 1844 the sentence was remitted on appeal. From then on he was careful to distance himself from the advocacy of violence in the national cause, though he was sympathetic to the Young Ireland
movement without being involved in its 1848 rebellion. Through the growing influence of the Freeman’s Journal (of which he was the sole proprietor from 1850), he became a significant figure in Dublin municipal politics. He was also active in national politics at an otherwise quiet period of Irish politics up until 1860. With the resurgence of nationalism after the famine he helped to organise the Tenant's League founding conference in 1850, standing unsuccessfully as the League’s candidate for Monaghan
in the 1852 election.
Later Gray was to originate and organise the "courts of arbitration" which O'Connell endeavoured to substitute for the existing legal tribunals of the country. Following O'Connell's death, Dr. Gray (in 1862) inaugurated an appeal for subscriptions to build a monument to O'Connell on Sackville Street. (Now O'Connell Street
). Independent from O'Connell, Gray continued to take a prominent part in Irish politics and in local affairs.
In municipal politics, Gray was elected councillor in 1852 and alderman
of Dublin Corporation
, and took an interest in the improvement of the city. As chairman of the committee for a new water supply to Dublin, Dr. Gray actively promoted what would become the "Vartry scheme". The Vartry Reservoir
scheme involved the partial redirection and damming of the Vartry river in County Wicklow
, the building of a series of water piping and filtering systems (and related public works) to carry fresh water to the city. This work was particularly important in the improvement of conditions in the city, and to public health, as it improved sanitation and helped reduce outbreaks of cholera, typhus and other diseases associated with contaminated water. On the opening of the works on June 30, 1863, Gray was Knighted by the Earl of Carlisle, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
. Partially in recognition of these efforts, Gray would later be nominated for the position of Lord Mayor of Dublin
for the years 1868-69, but he declined to serve.
at the time was keen to conciliate an influential representative of the moderate nationalists to support British Liberalism and who would resume O’Connell’s constitutional agitation. In an unusual alliance with the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin
, Paul Cullen (1803-1878), a man devoted to O’Connell’s memory, Gray’s newspaper exploited this shift in government policy. It supported the archbishop’s creation, the National Association of Ireland, established in 1864 with the intention of providing a moderate alternative to the revolutionary nationalism of the Fenians. The Freeman’s Journal adopted the aims of the Association as its own: it advocated the disestablishment of the Anglican Church of Ireland
, reform of the land laws, educational aspirations of Irish Catholicism and free denominal education.
In the 1865 general election
Gray was elected MP for Kilkenny city
as a Liberal
candidate. In this capacity he campaigned successfully at Westminster
and in Ireland for the reforms also advocated in his paper; his newspaper’s inquiry into the anomalous wealth of the established church amidst a predominately Catholic population contributed considerably to Gladstone's
Irish Church Act 1869. Gray helped to furnish the proof that Irish demands were not to be satisfied by anything other than by radical legislation. He fought for the provision in the new Landlord & Tenant (Ireland) Act 1870 for fixity of tenure, which Gladstone eventually conceded. The Act’s other weaknesses however resulted in its failure to resolve the "land question", the accompanying coercion
, the disappointment with Gladstone’s handling of the university question and national education, caused Gray to deflect from the Liberals and become mistrusted in Britain. In the general election of 1874
he was re-elected on this occasion as a Home Rule League
MP for Kilkenny, joining its Home Rule majority in the House of Commons, and held his seat until his death the following year.
Sir John Gray died at Bath, in England
, on April 9, 1875. His remains were returned to Ireland and he was honoured with a public funeral at Glasnevin Cemetery
. Almost immediately afterwards public subscriptions were sought for the erection in O'Connell Street, of a monument to Gray. The monument was completed in 1879 and was dedicated to the "appreciation of his many services to his country, and of the splendid supply of pure water which he secured for Dublin". His legacy also included his contributions to the passage of the Irish Church and Land Bills
, his advocacy for tenant's rights and his support of the Home Rule movement.
Gray had married Mary Anna Dwyer of Limerick in 1839, and they had five children; three sons and two daughters.
One of his sons, Edmund Dwyer Gray
took over the management of the Freeman's Journal. Edmund also followed his father into politics, and would eventually become MP for Dublin (Stephen's Green)
, Lord Mayor of Dublin
(1880-1881), and a supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell
.
Edmund John Chisholm Dwyer-Gray
(Edmund Dwyer Gray's son, and Sir John Gray's grandson) would become Premier of Tasmania.
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, sometimes spelled John Grey (July 13, 1815- April 9, 1875) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
physician, surgeon, newspaper proprietor, journalist and politician. Gray was active both in municipal and national government for much of his life, and had nationalist
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...
ideals - which he expressed as owner of 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...
, chairman of the Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
Water Works Committee between 1863 and 1875, 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,...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
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....
for Kilkenny city
Kilkenny City (UK Parliament constituency)
Kilkenny City was an Irish Borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament...
from 1865 until his death. He was a supporter 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...
, and later 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...
, and advocated a repeal of the Act of Union
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
. Through his offices with Dublin Corporation, the Vartry Reservoir
Vartry Reservoir
Vartry Reservoir is a reservoir at Roundwood in County Wicklow, Ireland. The water is piped from Vartry to a large open service reservoir in Stillorgan in the southern suburbs of Dublin. The reservoir is operated by Dublin City Council....
water supply works were completed, introducing a fresh water supply to Dublin city and suburbs. He died at Bath in England April 9, 1875. Shortly after his death, his contributions to the provision of the water supply, and the beneficial impact this had to conditions of public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
in Dublin, were recognised in a memorial statue on O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
.
Early life
John Gray was born in ClaremorrisClaremorris
Claremorris , is a town in County Mayo in the west of Ireland, at the junction of the N17 and the N60 national routes. The population of Claremoris in the 2011 Census was 3,979....
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
; the third son of John and Elizabeth Gray of Mount Street. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, and obtained the degree of M.D
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
and Master in Surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
at Glasgow University in 1839. Shortly before his marriage in the same year, he settled in Dublin and took up a post at a hospital in North Cumberland Street. He was admitted as a licentiate of the College of Physicians in due course.
Gray was publicly minded, and contributed to periodicals and the newspaper press. In 1841 he became joint proprietor of 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...
- a nationalist paper which was then published daily and weekly. He acted as political editor
Political Editor
The political editor of a newspaper or broadcast media is the senior political reporter who covers politics and related matters for the newspaper or station...
of the Journal for a time, before becoming sole proprietor in 1850. As owner, Gray increased the newspaper's size, reduced its price and extended its circulation.
Politics
Gray entered politics at a relatively young age, and attached himself to O'Connell's Repeal AssociationRepeal Association
The Repeal Association was an Irish mass membership political movement set up by Daniel O'Connell to campaign for a repeal of the Act of Union of 1800 between Great Britain and Ireland....
. As a Protestant nationalist
Protestant Nationalist
Irish nationalism has been chiefly associated with Roman Catholics. However, historically this is not an entirely accurate picture. Protestant nationalists were also influential supporters of the political independence the island of Ireland from the island of Great Britain and leaders of national...
, he supported the movement for the repeal of the Act of Union
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
with England. In October 1843, Gray was indicted with O'Connell and others in the Court of the Queen's Bench in Dublin on a charge of conspiracy and sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
against the British establishment. In the following February Gray, together with O'Connell, was condemned to nine months imprisonment, but early in September 1844 the sentence was remitted on appeal. From then on he was careful to distance himself from the advocacy of violence in the national cause, though he was sympathetic to the Young Ireland
Young Ireland
Young Ireland was a political, cultural and social movement of the mid-19th century. It led changes in Irish nationalism, including an abortive rebellion known as the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848. Many of the latter's leaders were tried for sedition and sentenced to penal transportation to...
movement without being involved in its 1848 rebellion. Through the growing influence of the Freeman’s Journal (of which he was the sole proprietor from 1850), he became a significant figure in Dublin municipal politics. He was also active in national politics at an otherwise quiet period of Irish politics up until 1860. With the resurgence of nationalism after the famine he helped to organise the Tenant's League founding conference in 1850, standing unsuccessfully as the League’s candidate for Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
in the 1852 election.
Later Gray was to originate and organise the "courts of arbitration" which O'Connell endeavoured to substitute for the existing legal tribunals of the country. Following O'Connell's death, Dr. Gray (in 1862) inaugurated an appeal for subscriptions to build a monument to O'Connell on Sackville Street. (Now O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
). Independent from O'Connell, Gray continued to take a prominent part in Irish politics and in local affairs.
In municipal politics, Gray was elected councillor in 1852 and alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
, and took an interest in the improvement of the city. As chairman of the committee for a new water supply to Dublin, Dr. Gray actively promoted what would become the "Vartry scheme". The Vartry Reservoir
Vartry Reservoir
Vartry Reservoir is a reservoir at Roundwood in County Wicklow, Ireland. The water is piped from Vartry to a large open service reservoir in Stillorgan in the southern suburbs of Dublin. The reservoir is operated by Dublin City Council....
scheme involved the partial redirection and damming of the Vartry river in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the building of a series of water piping and filtering systems (and related public works) to carry fresh water to the city. This work was particularly important in the improvement of conditions in the city, and to public health, as it improved sanitation and helped reduce outbreaks of cholera, typhus and other diseases associated with contaminated water. On the opening of the works on June 30, 1863, Gray was Knighted by the Earl of Carlisle, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. Partially in recognition of these efforts, Gray would later be nominated for the position of Lord Mayor of Dublin
Lord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...
for the years 1868-69, but he declined to serve.
Political reformer
In national politics, the Liberal governmentLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
at the time was keen to conciliate an influential representative of the moderate nationalists to support British Liberalism and who would resume O’Connell’s constitutional agitation. In an unusual alliance with the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin
Archbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic)
The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Archdiocese of Dublin. The Church of Ireland has a similar role, heading the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. In both cases, the Archbishop is also Primate of Ireland...
, Paul Cullen (1803-1878), a man devoted to O’Connell’s memory, Gray’s newspaper exploited this shift in government policy. It supported the archbishop’s creation, the National Association of Ireland, established in 1864 with the intention of providing a moderate alternative to the revolutionary nationalism of the Fenians. The Freeman’s Journal adopted the aims of the Association as its own: it advocated the disestablishment of the Anglican Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
, reform of the land laws, educational aspirations of Irish Catholicism and free denominal education.
In the 1865 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
Gray was elected MP for Kilkenny city
Kilkenny City (UK Parliament constituency)
Kilkenny City was an Irish Borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament...
as a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate. In this capacity he campaigned successfully at Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
and in Ireland for the reforms also advocated in his paper; his newspaper’s inquiry into the anomalous wealth of the established church amidst a predominately Catholic population contributed considerably to Gladstone's
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...
Irish Church Act 1869. Gray helped to furnish the proof that Irish demands were not to be satisfied by anything other than by radical legislation. He fought for the provision in the new Landlord & Tenant (Ireland) Act 1870 for fixity of tenure, which Gladstone eventually conceded. The Act’s other weaknesses however resulted in its failure to resolve the "land question", the accompanying coercion
Irish Coercion Act
The Protection of Person and Property Act 1881 was one of more than 100 Coercion Acts passed by the Parliament of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland between 1801 and 1922, in an attempt to establish law and order in Ireland. The 1881 Act was passed by parliament and introduced by...
, the disappointment with Gladstone’s handling of the university question and national education, caused Gray to deflect from the Liberals and become mistrusted in Britain. In the general election of 1874
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
he was re-elected on this occasion as a Home Rule League
Home Rule League
The Home Rule League, sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was a political party which campaigned for home rule for the country of Ireland from 1873 to 1882, when it was replaced by the Irish Parliamentary Party.-Origins:...
MP for Kilkenny, joining its Home Rule majority in the House of Commons, and held his seat until his death the following year.
Death and legacy
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on April 9, 1875. His remains were returned to Ireland and he was honoured with a public funeral at Glasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery , officially known as Prospect Cemetery, is the largest non-denominational cemetery in Ireland with an estimated 1.5 million burials...
. Almost immediately afterwards public subscriptions were sought for the erection in O'Connell Street, of a monument to Gray. The monument was completed in 1879 and was dedicated to the "appreciation of his many services to his country, and of the splendid supply of pure water which he secured for Dublin". His legacy also included his contributions to the passage of the Irish Church and Land Bills
Irish Land Acts
The Land Acts were a series of measures to deal with the question of peasant proprietorship of land in Ireland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Five such acts were introduced by the government of the United Kingdom between 1870 and 1909...
, his advocacy for tenant's rights and his support of the Home Rule movement.
Gray had married Mary Anna Dwyer of Limerick in 1839, and they had five children; three sons and two daughters.
One of his sons, Edmund Dwyer Gray
Edmund Dwyer Gray (Irish politician)
Edmund Dwyer Gray was an Irish newspaper proprietor, politician and MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
took over the management of the Freeman's Journal. Edmund also followed his father into politics, and would eventually become MP for Dublin (Stephen's Green)
Dublin St Stephen's Green (UK Parliament constituency)
St Stephen's Green, a division of Dublin, was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the British House of Commons 1885–1922....
, Lord Mayor of Dublin
Lord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...
(1880-1881), and a 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...
.
Edmund John Chisholm Dwyer-Gray
Edmund Dwyer-Gray
Sir Edmund John Chisholm Dwyer-Gray was an Irish-Australian politician, who was the 29th Premier of Tasmania from 11 June to 18 December 1939.-Early life:...
(Edmund Dwyer Gray's son, and Sir John Gray's grandson) would become Premier of Tasmania.