England, John, Bishop of Carolina and Georgia, was born in Cork, 23rd September 1786. He entered Carlow College in 1803, and while there founded a female penitentiary, and poor schools for both sexes. Admitted to orders at Cork in 1808, he was soon appointed Lecturer at the North Chapel and Chaplain of the prisons. There he edited a religious magazine, and distinguished himself in the cause of Catholic Emancipation. The courage of his utterance more than once brought him before the courts; on one occasion he was fined £1500. After filling other appointments, he was in 1817 made parish priest of Brandon. In 1820 he was appointed Bishop of Carolina and Georgia, and settled at Charleston, South Carolina. There he established the Catholic Miscellany, the first Catholic paper in the United States, and otherwise exerted himself to extend Catholicism. His writings in favour of slavery attracted considerable attention. In 1832 he travelled in Europe, and spent some time in Rome, when the Pope appointed him Legate to Hayti. He died at Charleston, nth April 1842, aged 55. His works were published in 5 vols. 8vo. in 1849. 16 37* 39
England, Sir Richard, Lieutenant-General, one who advanced the early colonization of western portions of Upper Canada, was born at Lifford, County of Clare. As Captain in the 47th Regiment of British troops, he was wounded at Bunker's Hill. He served with distinction through the American Revolutionary war, and at one time was Commandant of Detroit. He died 7th November 1812. 37*
English, William, Rev., was born at Newcastle, County of Limerick. He began life as a schoolmaster at Castletownroche and Charleville, and afterwards entered the Augustinian order. He had already become celebrated as a Gaelic poet. His writings contain several allusions to the Pretender. Perhaps his best known piece is "Cashel of Munster," excellently translated by Samuel Ferguson. He died in Cork, 13th January 1778, where he was buried in St. John's churchyard. 289
Ensor, George, a voluminous writer, was born in Dublin in 1769. His first publication. The Principles of Morality, appeared in 1801; a Refutation of Malthus, in 1818. He died in 1843. His work On the Defects of English Laws and Tribunals is styled by a legal critic "A rambling, desultory, fault-finding, ill-digested volume, in which the author finds little to praise, and much to blame." 16 39
Erard, Saint, missionary of Ratisbon, was born, probably near Lough Neagh, in the 7th century. The particulars of his life are confused and somewhat contradictory. They are given at full by O'Hanlon. All that is at all certain is that he was one of the many Irishmen engaged in missionary labours upon the Continent. He died about 671. His festival is the 8th January. 192
Esmond, Sir Laurence, Lord Esmond, descended from an ancient Wexford family, was born probably in the second half of the 16th century. In 1601-'2 he commanded a troop of 150 foot and horse, was knighted by Sir Henry Sidney, and served the Queen in Connaught, with Murrough O'Flaherty and Sir Theobald Burke. In 1622, being Major-General of all the King's Irish forces, he was raised to the peerage as Lord Esmond. During one of his campaigns in Connaught he fell in love with and married a beautiful Catholic lady, the sister of O'Flaherty. After the birth of their son Thomas, she carried him away to her Connaught relatives, so that he might be reared in her own faith, whereupon Lord Esmond entered into a union with Elizabeth, grand-daughter of the 9th Earl of Ormond. Lord Esmond was for many years Governor of Duncannon Fort, on the Suir. In the 4th Book of Carte's Ormond will be found full particulars of his negotiations in 1644 with the Duke regarding the custody of the fort, and of his ultimately going over to the side of the Parliament. He died 26th March 1646. From his son, before mentioned, Sir Thomas Esmond, Bart., a General of Horse in the armies of Charles I., the present Esmonds of Ballynastra, County of Wexford, are descended. 52 53 54 271
Eustace, or FitzEustace, Sir Roland, Lord Portlester, was descended from a branch of the Geraldines to whom Henry II. had granted the country round Naas. In 1454 he was appointed Deputy to Richard, Duke of York; and again in 1462 he filled the same office for the Duke of Clarence. Subsequently he was tried for plotting with the Earl of Desmond, and acquitted. Created Lord Portlester, he married Margaret, daughter of Janico d' Artois, by whom he had two daughters; the elder married Gerald, 8th Earl of Kildare. He held the office of Treasurer of Ireland for many years, and was in 1474 appointed to the custody of the great seal, which six years afterwards he refused to surrender when the King granted the post to another. This was for a time a great hindrance to public business, until the King authorized the construction of a new great seal for Ireland by Thomas Archbold, Master of the King's Mint in Ire 172
