Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/633

 620 REv. JAMES WHITELAW, AN individual eminently distinguished f o r h i s philan thropy and perseverance, was born i n the county o f Leitrim. He held the living o f St. James's, but was soon after promoted t o the vicarage o f St. Catherine's, i n Dublin, which included a distressed population o f twenty thousand individuals. The affairs o f the parish, by neglect and litigation, were i n the most ruinous condition; through Mr. Whitelaw's zeal and assiduity, the parish rights were ascertained. Though truly a man o f peace, yet his public spirit was such that h e sustained five suits i n Chancery, a t his own expense, which being brought t o a favourable issue, raised a n imperfect rental o f 50l. into a regular income o f 700l. per annum. On every occurrence o f epidemic distress, h e was always the first t o promote a subscription, and apply i t judiciously towards the relief o f the afflicted. On one occasion, a sudden stagnation o f business reduced two thousand six hundred and forty-three families, including nine thousand one hundred and ninety four individuals, literally t o starvation; through Mr. Whitelaw's perseverance and indefatigable humanity, they were effectually relieved, b y establishing committees i n the various districts. His little work, entitled “Parental Solicitude,” i s an affectionate appeal o n that important topic, and i s highly prized b y a l l those t o whom the author distributed i t a s likewise was his “System o f Geography,” o n a n entirely new plan, which displayed uncommon ingenuity, perse verance, and application. Not satisfied with the accuracy o f the maps which h e had given t o b e engraved, notwith standing the late period o f his life, h e acquired such expertness with the graving tool, that the elegance and precision o f the execution was quite astonishing, especially when taking into the account his other various and import ant pursuits; for h e did not, like many o f his profession, depute others t o the performance o f his sacred duties, but was t o b e found a t a l l hours moving from one miserable