Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Third Supplement.djvu/463

 Catholic, was distinguished in historical research and natural science. Hereditary qualities—Christian zeal, sense of scholarship, unconventional geniality, love of music, and especially the brilliancy, controlled emotionalism, and intuition of his maternal grandmother, a Scotswoman—were startlingly visible in Charles Plater. At Stonyhurst, where he was educated from 1887 to 1894, he was precociously clever and an audacious leader; he might have become a journalist, actor, or diplomat. But, sincerely pious, he entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1894 and after four years' classical and philosophical study at Roehampton and Stonyhurst (1896–1900) he went to the Jesuit house of studies, Pope's Hall (afterwards Campion Hall) at Oxford. A second class in classical moderations (1902), and in literae humaniores (1904), rewarded him accurately; but scientific archaeology chastened his imagination, and vacations in Holland, Belgium, and France enriched his sympathies and revealed his vocation—namely to foster and apply Catholic social principles in England and to create a system of spiritual ‘retreats’ for the laity, especially for working-men.

While finishing his philosophy and teaching classics at St. Mary's Hall, Stonyhurst (1904–1907), Plater displayed much journalistic ardour and became connected with every kind of Catholic social work. During his four years in Wales, at St. Beuno's, St. Asaph, 1907–1911, retreat-houses were opened and the Catholic Social Guild founded. He was ordained in 1910. Between 1912 and 1916 he was teaching psychology at Stonyhurst and classics at Wimbledon College. In the latter year he was appointed rector of the Jesuit hall at Oxford. In 1918 he obtained a university statute making his hall (which was given the name of Campion) into a ‘permanent private hall’ of the university. He also took an energetic share in the social work of the city; visited his own Catholic Social Guild study-circles, especially on Tyneside and in the north, and did creative work in many military centres, labouring not least for colonial and American soldiers. At the same time Plater was conducting a very large number of retreats, and writing constantly on social subjects, his Primer of Peace and War (1915) being his best thought-out book. His personal influence, especially among the working-classes, seemed unlimited, and his remarkable output of work was matched by the affection which he inspired. His health broke down in 1920; after a useless sojourn afloat off the west coast of Ireland, he went to Malta in November of that year and died there suddenly 21 January 1921.

 PORTER, ANDREW MARSHALL,  first baronet (1837–1919), judge, was born in Belfast 27 June 1837, the eldest son of the Rev. John Scott Porter, Unitarian minister [q.v.], by his wife, Margaret, daughter of Andrew Marshall, M.D., a surgeon in the royal navy, who had served with Nelson. Educated at the Belfast Academic Institution, Andrew Porter graduated with distinction at Queen's College, Belfast, in 1856. He was called to the Irish bar (King's Inns, Dublin), in 1860, and joined the North-East circuit. His sound legal knowledge and exceptional aptitude for commercial cases gained early recognition, and secured him a fine practice as a junior. He became Q.C. in 1872, and a bencher in 1878, and soon established his position as a leader, proving himself a great advocate among the many great advocates, his contemporaries, at the bar of Ireland. Natural gifts enhanced his legal attainments: his fine presence, good voice, and lucid, attractive style made him a most effective orator.

Porter's political affinities were with the liberal party, which possessed a great and growing influence in Ulster until its disruption as the result of Gladstone's adoption of the policy of Home Rule. He represented county Londonderry in parliament from 1881 to 1883, and was appointed solicitor-general for Ireland in 1881, and attorney-general and privy councillor in 1883. When he entered parliament the ferocious and elusive audacity of the Land League agitation was paralysing Ireland, while at Westminster Charles Stewart Parnell [q.v.] was directing the nationalists in a policy of turbulence and obstruction. Porter's sagacity and firmness in administration and his imperturbability in debate greatly impressed his colleagues, and Gladstone more than once urged him to adopt a political career, offering him in 1882 the Irish chief secretaryship with the prospect of further advancement.

Porter's ambitions, however, were essentially forensic, and he declined to deviate from the path of his profession. As attorney-general he prosecuted, under circumstances of no little personal peril, the Phoenix Park murderers, as well as the 437