Sir Thomas Henry Cleeve (5 June 1844 – 19 December 1908) was a Canadian-born businessman, domiciled in Ireland, who was elected

High Sheriff of Limerick City The High Sheriff of Limerick City was the Sovereign's judicial representative in the city of the Limerick, City of Limerick. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provis ...

on three occasions.

Background

Thomas Cleeve was born in

Cleveland, Quebec Cleveland is a township of about 1,600 people in Le Val-Saint-François Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada. It was named after George Nelson Cleveland, the first mayor. Demographics In the 2021 Canadian censu ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, and was the eldest son of Edward Elmes Cleeve, an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

immigrant, and Sophia Journeaux, whose family came from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

.Burke, Sir Bernard, ''Burke's Irish family records'', Burke's Peerage, 1976

Business career

In 1860 Thomas Cleeve travelled to Ireland to stay with his mother's relatives who ran an agricultural machinery business in

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

known as J.P. Evans & Company. Young Thomas decided to remain in Ireland and eventually assumed control of the business.Lee, David and Jacobs, Debbie, ''Made in Limerick Vol.1, History of industries, trade and commerce'', Limerick Civic Trust, 2003 In 1883, Cleeve started a new enterprise, the

Condensed Milk Company of Ireland The Condensed Milk Company of Ireland Limited was an Irish manufacturer of dairy products and, in its heyday, the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom. Its most famous product was Cleeve's Toffee, a popular confectionery which continued to ...

, in conjunction with two local businessmen. The company manufactured dairy products, such as

condensed milk Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed (roughly 60% of it). It is most often found with sugar added, in the form of ''sweetened condensed milk'' (SCM), to the extent that the terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condens ...

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

and

confectionery Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...

. Its headquarters were located in Limerick city, on the northern bank of the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

. The business expanded over the next 20 years to become the largest of its type in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Cleeve was also senior partner in the Cleeve Canning and Cold Storage Company based in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

.''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...

'', 21 December 1908 (p.5) He was the President of

Limerick Chamber Limerick Chamber of Commerce also known as Limerick Chamber, was founded in 1805 Ireland. It is a business representative and lobbying organization that is in business for its 450+ members. The current President is Donnacha Hurley manager of the Ab ...

in 1908-09.

Public office

In 1899, Cleeve was voted on to Limerick City Council. That same year, his fellow councillors elected him as

, the Queen's representative in the city. He held the position again in 1907 and 1908. In 1900, following a visit to Ireland by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

, Cleeve received a

knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

from the

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

Final illness

In December 1908, Cleeve was taken ill at a public function. Despite undergoing surgery, he died of peritonitis a few days later at the age of 64. According to contemporary newspaper reports his funeral was one of the largest seen in Limerick city, with crowds lining the streets up to an hour before the cortège passed. He is buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's Cathedral in the city.

Family

Cleeve married Phoebe Agnes Dann in 1874 and they had five children. The author and broadcaster

Brian Cleeve Brian Brendon Talbot Cleeve (22 November 1921 – 11 March 2003) was a writer, whose published works include twenty-one novels and over a hundred short stories. He was also an award-winning broadcaster on RTÉ television. Son of an Irish fathe ...

was a grand-nephew of Sir Thomas Cleeve.

Background

Business career

Public office

Final illness

Family

References

Further reading