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Abernethy, John, Rev., (page ).— It is more probable that he was born at Brigh, near Stewartstown, County of Tyrone. The controversy between the "subscribers" and "non-subscribers" originated in a difference of opinion as to whether a church had a right to exact from its clergy subscription to a creed. Abernethy was the leader of the freethinking school of Presbyterians.  Adair, Robert, (page ).—According to Dr. Reeves, he was not descended from Sir Robert Adair, Knight-banneret.  AdrianAdrain [sic], Robert, mathematician, was born at Carrickfergus, 30th September 1775. He commanded a company of insurgents in 1798, and was dangerously wounded, but managed to escape to the United States. He taught school successively at Princeton, New Jersey, and at York and Reading, Pennsylvania. He was Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Rutger's College, in 1810 and 1811; at Columbia College, from 1813 to 1825; and in the University of Pennsylvania, from 1827 to 1834. He was member of many scientific bodies in Europe and America. He edited the Mathematical Diary from 1825 to 1828, prepared an edition of Hutton's Mathematics, and contributed to magazines. Robert Adrian died at New Brunswick, New Jersey, 10th August 1843, aged 67.  Aedan, (page ).—Dr. Reeves places his birth in 555, and his death in 625.  Aengus Culdee, Saint, (page ).— The Martyrology of Aengus and the Martyrology of Tallaght are not the same compilation.  Alison, Francis, D.D., a distinguished Presbyterian divine, was born in the County of Donegal, in 1705, studied at Glasgow, and went to America in 1735. He taught in various parts of the colonies, assisting in the education of some of the leading men of the Revolution, and was for many years Vice-Provost of the College of Philadelphia, and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. He died in Philadelphia, 28th November 1779, aged 74, leaving directions in his will for the emancipation of all his slaves.   Babington, William, M.D., F.R.S., a chemist and mineralogist, was born near Coleraine in 1756. He began to practise medicine in London about 1797, and lectured on chemistry at Guy's Hospital. He wrote several works on mineralogy, one of the principal of which was New System of Mineralogy (1799). He was one of the founders of the Geographical Society, of which he was chosen President in 1822. He died in 1833.  Barre, Isaac, Colonel, (page ), a distinguished politician, was born in Dublin in 1726. His parents, who kept a small shop, were Huguenot refugees. Isaac graduated at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1745. He was intended for the Bar; Garrick urged him to try the stage; he chose the army, and in 1746 received a commission as ensign, and joined his regiment in Flanders. He served in Scotland and at Gibraltar, and in 1759, as major of brigade, was attached to the expedition under Wolfe for the reduction of Canada, and soon won the friendship and respect of his general. In the fighting before Quebec, Barré received a severe wound in the cheek, and an injury to one eye which ultimately resulted in total blindness. The death of Wolfe was a great blow to his prospects. Upon his return to England he became intimate with Lord FitzMaurice, who on succeeding his father. Lord Shelburne, in 1761, and vacating the family borough of Wycombe, thenceforth nominated him to the seat. Barré took a prominent part in the politics of Great Britain as an unflinching Liberal. In his place in the House he is described as a "black, robust, middle-aged man, of a military figure; a bullet, lodged loosely in his cheek, had distorted his face, and had imparted a savage glare to one eye." A writer in Macmillan's Magazine for December 1876, who has given us an excellent sketch of his career, says: "The pre-eminence of Barré as a speaker was due principally to his extraordinary power of invective; but it would be a great injustice to suppose that there was nothing but invective in his speeches. On the contrary, some of them abound with wise maxims, and good, sound, common sense. He was generally on what we would call the constitutional side; and as the great constitutional questions of that day have all<section end="Barre, Isaac" /> 578