Thomas Henry Burke (civil servant)
Thomas H. Burke | |
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Robert George Crookshank Hamilton | |
Personal details | |
Born | Thomas Henry Burke 29 May 1829 |
Died | 6 May 1882 Phoenix Park, Dublin | (aged 52)
Resting place | Prospect Cemetery, Glasnevin |
Nationality | Irish |
Parents |
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Relatives |
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Occupation | Civil Servant |
Known for | Phoenix Park Murders |
Thomas Henry Burke (29 May 1829 – 6 May 1882) was an Irish civil servant who served as
The newly appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, Lord Frederick Cavendish, although not the intended victim, was assassinated alongside him while they walked through Phoenix Park in Dublin. The victims were stabbed in the neck and chest with surgical blades.
Burke was the Invincibles' intended target because he had been working for the
Irish nationalists referred to Burke as the "Castle rat".Life
Thomas Henry Burke was one of six sons of William Burke of Knocknagur,
Burke's family was descended from that of
Burke's outlook
Burke was in favour of both
...those who have had opportunity to be well informed have always held that Mr. Burke confined himself within the immediate duties of his post, and that he was rather averse then otherwise to coercion...in the opinion of a great many people he has for a long time been the real ruler of the country".[8]
Burke's attitude towards land issues was demonstrated by his intervention on the Kirwan estate in Carraroe, County Galway in 1880. Numerous eviction notices were about to be served on tenants and the chances of confrontation were high. Burke used his personal acquaintance with the Kirwans to attempt to defuse the situation. Burke's report to Forster lamented the
sad flood of light this throws on the Irish land question ... an absentee landlord, careless sub-agents, fraudulent bailiffs and a wretched tenantry.[9]
Funeral and interment
Burke was interred in a private ceremony at Prospect Cemetery, Glasnevin on Tuesday 9 May 1882. The grave is situated at Plot Zb 74 & 75. His remains were removed from the Chief Secretary's Lodge at 9 am, by hearse, followed by 43 carriages containing mourners. The coffin bearing the inscription, "Thomas Henry Burke, Born 29th May 1829, Died 6th May 1882, R.I.P." The Very Rev. Monsignor Lee, Dean of Dublin officiated, assisted by the Rev. E.J. Quinn and Rev. W.J. Hurley. Thomas Burke was laid to rest beside his father William, under a Celtic cross. The ornamental carved stone cover of the grave bears the inscription, "Sacred to the memory of Thomas Henry Burke Esq. Who was murdered in the Phoenix Park on May 6th, 1882. He pleased God and was beloved".
The second monument, composed mainly of black marble from Cong[10] erected adjacent to the grave, bears the inscription,
To the memory of Thomas Henry Burke, Under Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Assassinated in the Phoenix Park. This monument is erected by his many friends among the Irish Resident Magistrates as a mark of their appreciation of his high character and eminent public service. RIP.
Thomas' estate at death was £1901 11s. 4d. according to probate records of 7 June 1882.[11][12]
Gallery
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Thomas Burke's grave, Prospect cemetery, Glasnevin.
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Monument dedicated to Burke from the Resident Magistrates.
Memorial Prize
The Department of Education in Northern Ireland administers the Burke Memorial Fund which was established in 1883,[13] a trust fund from which the payment of an annual prize of £150 is awarded to the best entrant to GCSE examinations taken in Northern Ireland.
References
Citations
- ^ "pgil-eirdata.org | Round-Robin Load Balancing". pgil-eirdata.org. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ Tuam
- ^ Burke, Thomas Henry by James Quinn, Dictionary of Irish Biography
- ^ Gilbert 1886.
- ISBN 0-19-822405-2..
- ISBN 0-7171-1471-6..
- ^ Cooke, A.B.; Vincent, J.R. (1973). "Lord Spenser on the Phoenix Park Murders". Irish Historical Studies. 18 (72): 583–591.
- ISBN 0-340-02624-3.
- ^ Hawkins, R. (1975), "Liberals, land and coercion in the summer of 1880: the influence of the Carraroe ejectments", Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, 34: 40–57
- ^ Proposed Monumental Cross, in The Times. London. 18 August 1882
- ^ Gray 2004.
- ^ "Burke, Thomas Henry | Dictionary of Irish Biography". www.dib.ie. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ http://www.deni.gov.uk/microsoft_word_-_burke_circular_2007-9.pdf [bare URL PDF]
Bibliography
- Gilbert, John Thomas (1886). Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 7. London: Smith, Elder & Co. . In
- Gray, Peter (2004). "Burke, Thomas Henry (1829–1882)". In Gray, Peter (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4027. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- Corfe, T. (1968). The Phoenix Park Murders: Conflict, Compromise, and Tragedy in Ireland, 1879–1882. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-02624-3.
- Hawkins, R. (1975), "Liberals, land and coercion in the summer of 1880: the influence of the Carraroe ejectments", Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, 34: 40–57
- Loughlin, J. (1986). Gladstone, Home Rule and the Ulster Question, 1882–93. London: Gill & Macmillan. ISBN 0-7171-1471-6.
- Moody, T.W.; Hawkins, R.A.J. (1988). Florence Arnold-Forster's Irish Journal. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-822405-2.