Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh
Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh (25 March 1831 – 25 December 1889) was an Irish politician. His middle name is spelled MacMorrough in some contemporaneous sources.[1][2]
Biography
Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh was born on 25 March 1831 at
His mother insisted that he be brought up and have opportunities like any other child[4] and placed him in the care of the doctor Francis Boxwell, who believed that an armless and legless child could live a productive life.[5] Kavanagh learnt to ride horses at the age of three by being strapped to a special saddle and managing the horse with the stumps of his arms. With the help of the surgeon Sir Philip Crampton, Lady Harriet had a mechanical wheelchair constructed for her son, and encouraged him to ride horses and engage in other outdoor activities.[6] He also went fishing, hunted animals, drew pictures, and wrote stories, with mechanical devices supplementing his physical capacities.[3] His mother taught him how to write and paint holding pens and brushes in his mouth.[4]
In 1846, Lady Harriet took three of her children, Thomas, Harriet and Arthur, travelling to the Middle East for two years. Arthur Kavanagh nearly drowned in the Nile when he fell in whilst fishing and was rescued by a local antiquities salesman who dived in to pull him out.[4]
In 1849, Kavanagh's mother discovered that he had been having affairs with girls on the family estate, so she sent him into exile to Uppsala, and then to Moscow with his brother and a clergyman, whom he came to hate.[5] He travelled extensively in Egypt, Anatolia, Persia, and India between 1846 and 1853;[3] in India, his letter of credit from his mother was cancelled when she discovered that he had spent two weeks in a harem, so he persuaded the East India Company to hire him as a despatch rider.[5] Other sources say that this was due to the death of his eldest brother Charles of consumption in December 1851, which left him with only 30 shillings.[7]
In 1851 Kavanagh succeeded to the family estates and to the title of The MacMurrough following the death of his older brother Thomas. He served as
Kavanagh died of
Family
Kavanagh married his cousin, Mary Frances Forde-Leathley, in 1855. Assisted by his wife, he was a philanthropic landlord, active county magistrate, and chairman of the board of guardians.[3] Together, they had seven children:
- Eva (died 1896)
- May (died 1949)
- Agnes (died 1932)
- Walter (died 1922)
- Arthur (died 1882)
- Charles (died 1950)
- Osborne (died 1897)
References
- ^ Chisholm 1911.
- ^ "Review of the Year". Freeman's Journal. 30 December 1889.
- ^ a b c d e f One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kavanagh, Arthur MacMorrough". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 701.
- ^ a b c Finn, Clodagh (17 December 2022). "Clodagh Finn: The Irish mummy who went to Egypt in 1846 – with three children in tow". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d David Cohen (9 February 2011). "The truly remarkable Kavanagh MP". The Times. p. 6.(subscription required)
- ^ "The Incredible Mr Kavanagh". Turtle Bunbury Irish Histories. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
- ISBN 0-8317-9678-2.
- ^ Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh: 1831–1889 Clan Caomhánach
- ^ Ballicopagan Cemetery, Ancestry.com
External links
- Works by or about Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh at Internet Archive
- Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh : 1831–1889
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh
- Kavanagh on 'The Long Riders' Guild'
- 'Disability history month: Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh' on BBC News
- Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh at BBC Arts
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