John Patrick Prendergast (7 March 1808 – 6 February 1893) was an Irish land agent and historian.

Life

Born on 7 March 1808, at 37 Dawson Street, Dublin, he was eldest son of Francis Prendergast (1768–1846), registrar of the court of chancery of Ireland, by Esther ( Patrick; 1774–1846), eldest daughter of John Patrick, of 27 Palace Row, Dublin. Educated in England at

Reading grammar school Reading School is a grammar school for boys with academy status in the English town of Reading, the county of Berkshire. It traces its history back to the school of Reading Abbey and is, thus, one of the oldest schools in England. There are no ...

under

Richard Valpy Richard Valpy (7 December 1754 – 28 March 1836) was a British schoolmaster and priest of the Church of England. Life and career Valpy was born the eldest son of Richard and Catherine Valpy in Jersey. He was sent to schools in Normandy and ...

, he graduated at

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, in 1825, and was called to the

Irish Bar The Bar of Ireland ( ga, Barra na hÉireann) is the professional association of barristers for Ireland, with over 2,000 members. It is based in the Law Library, with premises in Dublin and Cork. It is governed by the General Council of the Ba ...

in 1830. In 1836 Prendergast succeeded his father and grandfather in the agency of

Lord Clifden Lord Clifden (1860 – 7 February 1875) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He was undefeated as a two-year-old, including wins in the Woodcote Stakes and Champagne Stakes (Great Britain), Champagne Stakes. As a three-year-old he was just ...

's estates, which he administered for many years. His experiences made him an advocate of tenant right and a supporter of the early land reformers in Ireland. Prendergast died in Dublin on 6 February 1893, aged 84.

Works

In 1840 Prendergast was commissioned to make some pedigree researches in

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...

, which led him to a study of the settlement of Ireland at the restoration of Charles II, and also of the Cromwellian settlement. His researches culminated in ''The History of the Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland'' (1863, 2nd edit. 1875). In 1864 Prendergast was appointed by

Lord Romilly John Romilly, 1st Baron Romilly Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (20 January 1802 – 23 December 1874), known as Sir John Romilly between 1848 and 1866, was an English Whig (British political faction), Whig politician and judge ...

a commissioner, with

Charles William Russell Charles William Russell (14 May 1812 – 26 February 1880) was an Irish Roman Catholic clergyman and scholar. Early life He was born at Killough, County Down, Ireland, a descendant of the Russells who held the Barony of Killough of Quoniamstown ...

, for selecting official papers relating to Ireland for transcription from the Carte manuscripts in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

. The report of the commissioners was published in 1871. Russell and Prendergast continued to calendar the papers until 1877, when Russell died. Prendergast continued the work until 1880. Prendergast issued for private circulation ''The Tory War in Ulster'' (1868, Dublin, 2 pts.). In 1881 he prefixed a notice of the life of

Charles Haliday Charles Haliday (1789–1866) was an Irish public health reformer, historian and antiquary who made significant contributions to the study of the history of Dublin, being particularly interested in the Scandinavian antiquities of the city. Earl ...

to the latter's ''Scandinavian Kingdom of Dublin'', and in 1887 he published ''Ireland from the Restoration to the Revolution''. Prendergast was also an authority on Irish pedigrees and archæology, contributing, among other papers, to the old Kilkenny Archæological Society's ''Journal'', ''The Plantation of Idrone by Sir Peter Carew''. In articles published anonymously in the Dublin press (1884–90) he covered local knowledge of the old houses of Dublin. In politics he was a liberal, contributed to the old ''Nation'' newspaper, and replied there in 1872–4 to

James Anthony Froude James Anthony Froude ( ; 23 April 1818 – 20 October 1894) was an English historian, novelist, biographer, and editor of ''Fraser's Magazine''. From his upbringing amidst the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, Froude intended to become a clergy ...

's lectures in America on Irish history. He authored numerous pamphlets. He opposed Home Rule, and from 1878 he was an opponent of

Charles Stewart Parnell Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1875 to 1891, also acting as Leader of the Home Rule League from 1880 to 1882 and then Leader of the ...

Legacy

Prendergast's manuscript collections were bequeathed to the King's Inn, Dublin.

Family

Prendergast married, on 1 September 1838, Caroline, second daughter of

George Ensor George Ensor J.P. (17 December 1769 – 3 December 1843) was an eminent Irish author and lawyer. Ensor was born in Ardress, County Armagh and lived in Ardress House, Ireland and educated at the Royal School, Armagh followed by Trinity College ...

of Ardress House,

County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and ha ...

, and left one son, Francis, who settled in California and became a naturalised American.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prendergast, John Patrick 1808 births 1893 deaths 19th-century Irish historians Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Writers from Dublin (city) Lawyers from Dublin (city)