ampla munificentiâ ditatum —
Monumenta exstant Perennia.
Tu, lector,
adstrue tibi vivo monumentum.
Cippum apponant aut etiara non apponant
posteri.
On the east panel of the sarcophagus is engraved:—
“Doctor Peter Urelincourt was born in Paris, July 22d 1644.
Died March 7th 1720. Aged 76 years.”
In front panel of sarcophagus is engraved the following:—
Such was the second Drelincourt, a name
Victorious over death and dear to fame;
The Christian’s praise, by different measures won,
Successive graced the father and the son;
To sacred service, one his wealth consign’d,
And one, the living treasure of his mind,
’Twere rash to say whose talent did excel,
Each was so rich, and each improved so well.
Nor was his charity delayed till death,
He chose to give what others but bequeath.
Much though he gave and oft, yet more he meant
Had life proportion’d to his will been lent.
But to compleat a scheme, so well design’d,
Belongs to her who shar’d his bed and mind,
Whose pious sorrows thus to future days
Transmit his image and extend his praise.
The edge of the cushion has the inscription, M. Rysbrack Fecit.
“This monument was erected by his widow, Mrs. Mary Drelincourt, before 1731. This elegant piece of sculpture was executed by the famous M. Ruysbrack, and is a noble specimen of his talents. The Dean is represented as recumbent. His attitude is graceful and dignified; and the several parts of the figure harmoniously combine in producing a pleasing unity of effect. The drapery is simply disposed, and so arranged as to excite in the mind of the spectator the idea of a perfect symmetry of form, slightly veiled beneath its flowing folds. The features are strongly expressive of intelligence, mildness, and benevolence, and were peculiarly admired by Dr. Drelincourt’s contemporaries for the strong resemblance which they bore to the original.” (Stuart’s Historical Memoirs of the City of Armagh; Newry, 1819; p. 518.)
In 1732 Mrs. Mary Drelincourt founded and endowed a school, called the Drelincourt Charity, in Armagh, which still subsists under this name.
Dean Drelincourt was not an author. He employed the Rev. Marius D’Assigny to translate his father’s consolatory book regarding death. His wife, Mary, was probably a Welsh heiress, at all events he had a good estate in Wales. He spent most of his latter years in London, where he died on the 7th March 1722 (the “1720” on his monument is a mistake), (a quarterly periodical named The Historical Register says March 15th), his age was seventy-six. He was very generous with his money during his lifetime, beautifying the cathedral, building a church at St. Dulough’s, and founding an educational hospital for boys in Dublin. In his will he left £500 to the French Church in Dublin, £700 for a charity school in Wales, £800 to the blue boys’ hospital of Dublin, and £1000 for charitable and pious uses either in Armagh or in Clonfeickle, and £2000 for his own or his wife’s relations, at her discretion, but this £5000 was to be disposed of as above, only if his daughter married without her mother’s consent. This daughter, their only child Anne, was married on 21st June 1739, to Lieut-Colonel Hugh, third and last Viscount Primrose. Both charity and wedlock seem to have been pleasingly arranged; the school in Armagh, called the Drelincourt Charity, was founded in 1732 by the dean’s widow, Mrs. Mary Drelincourt; she also founded a chapel and school, named Berse-Drelincourt, in the parish of Wrexham in Wales, which subsists upon the income of a landed estate now yielding about £500 per annum, dedicated to the double object. As a widow she resided in London; she styled herself “of the parish of St. George, Hanover Square,” in her Will, which was entirely in favour of her daughter; the Will was proved on 14th June 1755.
