Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/McCormick, Charles
McCORMICK, CHARLES (1755?–1807), historian and biographer, born about 1755, was son of Charles McCormick of Rathkeal, near Limerick, gentleman. He kept his terms as a student of the Middle Temple, London. On 18 July 1783 he matriculated at Oxford as a member of St. Mary Hall, and on 18 June 1794 he graduated B.C.L. He abandoned law for literature, and died in London 20 July 1807, so poor that an appeal was made to the public on behalf of his widow.
His works are:
- 'The History of England, from the Death of George the Second to the Peace of 1783. Designed as by Continuation to Hume and Smollett,' 3 vols. Lond. n.d. 12mo.
- 'The Secret History of the Court and Reign of Charles the Second, by a Member of his Privy Council … with Notes and a Supplement by the Editor,' 2 vols. Lond. 1792, 8vo.
- 'Memoirs of …, Edmund Burke; or an impartial Review of his Private Life, his Public conduct, &c., interspersed with … Extracts from his Secret Correspondence with some of the most distinguished characters in Europe,' Lond. 1797, 2nd edit. 1798, 4to, 'a disgraceful piece of party virulence' (Lowndes).
- 'Light Reading at Leisure Hours' [anon.]. Lond. 1805, 12mo.
- A continuation of Rapin's History of England.
He is said to have left collections in manuscript for a history of Ireland.
His portrait, has been engraved by Ridley from a painting by Corbould,
[Gent. Mag, 1807. pp. 889, 973; Evans's Cat. of Engraved Portraits. n. 18634; Watts Bibl. Brit.; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. (Bohn), p. 1434; Cm. of Oxford Graduates, 1851, p. 428; Foster's Alumni Oxon. iii. 890.]