character of his method of investigation. The first memoir of the survey appeared in 1839, but the government of the day soon after decided to stop this invaluable public work on the ground of expense. A commission was appointed in 1843, which recommended the continuance of the work, after examining Petrie and other witnesses, but, nevertheless, it was never resumed. The Royal Irish Academy awarded Petrie a gold medal for his essay on Tara; but Sir William Betham [q. v.], whose theories on Irish antiquities had been demolished by Petrie, was so much opposed to this well-deserved honour that he resigned his seat on the council. In 1833 Petrie was awarded a gold medal for an ‘Essay on the Origin and Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland,’ and this was published, with many additions, under the title of ‘The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland,’ in 1845, with a dedication to his two warmest supporters in his studies, Dr. William Stokes [q. v.] and Viscount Adare, afterwards third earl of Dunraven [see Quin, Edwin Richard Windham]. Many books had been written on the subject before this essay, and maintained one or other of the views that these towers, of which there are still remains of more than a hundred in Ireland, were Phœnician fire-temples, towers of sorcerers, astronomical observatories, centres for religious dances, temples of Vesta, minarets for proclaiming anniversaries, watch-towers of the Danes, tombs, gnomons, homes of Persian magi, and phallic emblems. Petrie demolished all these hypotheses, showed that the towers were Christian ecclesiastical buildings of various dates, and that in some cases the actual year of building was ascertainable from the chronicles. His evidence is abundant, admirably arranged, and conclusive; but the great advance in knowledge which it represents can only be appreciated by looking at the previous writings on the subject. An ‘Essay on the Military Architecture of Ireland’ was never printed.
Besides these, he wrote numerous papers on Irish art in description of various antiquities, and all of these contain careful and original investigations. He also made a collection of Irish inscriptions, which has since his death been edited, with additions, by Miss Margaret Stokes, with the title of ‘Christian Inscriptions in the Irish Language.’ In 1816 he had written an ‘Essay on Music’ in the ‘Dublin Examiner,’ and he was devoted throughout life to Irish music, collecting airs wherever he travelled, and playing them admirably on the violin. In 1855 he published ‘The Ancient Music of Ireland,’ a collection of songs and airs made in all parts of Ireland, on which many musicians and musical writers have since levied contributions. A second volume was projected, but never appeared. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the university of Dublin in 1847, and in 1849 a pension on the civil list. To his last years he travelled in Ireland, in 1857 again visited the isles of Aran, and in autumn 1864 made his last journey to the one region he had never seen, the Old Glen in the parish of Glencolumkille in Donegal, a region containing many curious antiquities and numerous primitive descendants of Conall Gulban. He died at his house in Charles Street, Dublin, on 17 Jan. 1866, and was buried in Mount Jerome cemetery, near Dublin. He was throughout life a disinterested student of Irish architecture, decorative art, music, and topography, and to all these subjects made permanent and important contributions. He seemed devoid of any ambition but that of making his subject clear, gave generous help to many other workers, and was beloved by a large circle of friends. His life has been admirably written by his friend Dr. William Stokes, and contains a list of his papers read before the Royal Irish Academy, of his contributions to the ‘Dublin Penny Journal’ and the ‘Irish Penny Journal,’ and of his illustrations to books.
[Stokes's Life and Labours in Art and Archæology of George Petrie, London, 1868; Graves's Eloge on the late George Petrie, Dublin, 1866; Works.]
PETRIE, HENRY (1768–1842), antiquary, born in 1768, was the son of a dancing-master who resided at Stockwell, Surrey. He was probably connected with John Petrie, M.P. for Surrey in 1796. The son was intended to follow in his father's profession, but soon showed an aversion to it, and devoted himself to antiquarian research. Through Thomas Frognall Dibdin [q. v.], whom Petrie is said to have instructed in the art of deportment and dancing, he was introduced to George John, second earl Spencer [q. v.], who warmly encouraged his researches. Petrie formed a close friendship with Dibdin, and rendered him valuable aid in the production of his bibliographical works. On the death of Samuel Lysons [q. v.] in 1819, Petrie was appointed keeper of the records in the Tower of London.
After prolonged study of the materials for early English history, Petrie about 1816 conceived the project of publishing a complete ‘corpus historicum’ for the period. A similar scheme had been suggested by John Pinkerton [q. v.] about 1790, and keenly advocated by Gibbon. It came to nothing
