Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 14.djvu/178

 Honourable John Philpot Curran, with a Memoir. By a Barrister,’ which was published by Duffy, the Dublin publisher, in 1844. In point of style Davis's prose writings are by no means equal to his poems, and are too often wanting in ease and simplicity of expression. In spite of his many occupations Davis worked laboriously on the committee of the Repeal Association, though he but rarely spoke at the meetings. His speech at the Conciliation Hall on 26 May 1845, where he was furiously attacked by O'Connell, was almost the last time that he spoke in public. He died of fever in his mother's house, No. 67 Baggot Street, Dublin, on 16 Sept. 1845, in the thirty-first year of his age, and was buried at Mount Jerome cemetery, where a marble statue by Hogan was erected over his grave. Though Davis was a protestant and brought up among tory surroundings, one of his chief objects was to break down the fierce antagonism between the Roman catholics and the protestants of his country. He joined the Repeal Association, though under O'Connell's influence it was practically a Roman catholic society. Within this association, under Davis's leadership, the party of Young Ireland, impatient of O'Connell's constitutional methods and limited aims, was gradually developed. Davis was an indefatigable worker, a man of much learning and intimately acquainted with the history and antiquities of Ireland. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and interested himself much in the work of the Art Union, the Dublin Library, and other artistic and antiquarian societies. He was absolutely honest and sincere in his convictions, and though his political opinions were of an extreme character he promised to be something more than a mere revolutionist. At the time of his death he was engaged in writing a ‘Life of Theobald Wolfe Tone’ for Duffy's Library of Ireland; but though the scheme of the volume had been methodically drawn up, only the dedication and the introductory chapter had been written. The completion of the work was entrusted to John Dillon, but it was never carried out. Davis's ‘Poems’ were collected and published after his death, and formed one of the volumes of Duffy's Library of Ireland for 1846. His ‘Literary and Historical Essays,’ which had been contributed by him to the ‘Nation,’ were also published in the same year, and formed one of the same series. In the preface to this volume other selections from his writings were promised, as well as his ‘Life and Correspondence.’ They have, however, never been published. Among his papers was found a plan for the republication of the notices of James II's Irish parliament. He proposed to undertake the editorship of the volumes and to name them ‘The Patriot Parliament of 1689, with the Statutes, Biographical Notices of King, Lords and Commons,’ &c. An ‘Essay on Irish Songs,’ which was written by him, forms the preface to M. J. Barry's ‘Songs of Ireland’ (1845). The only portrait of Davis painted in his lifetime was by Henry McManus, R.H.A., and is in the possession of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, formerly editor of the ‘Nation.’ With the aid of this Burton drew from memory a portrait, which has been several times both lithographed and engraved. Two portraits, slightly differing one from another, will be found in the volumes of the ‘Dublin University Magazine’ and the ‘Cabinet of Irish Literature’ referred to below. In the preface to ‘Parra Sastha’ (1845) William Carleton paid an affectionate tribute to Davis's memory, and Sir Samuel Ferguson, deputy-keeper of the records in Ireland, wrote a ‘Lament for Thomas Davis,’ commencing with the line ‘I walked through Ballinderry in the spring-time.’



DAVIS, WILLIAM (1627–1690), highwayman, known as the ‘Golden Farmer,’ from his habitually paying with gold coin to avoid identification of his plunder, was born at Wrexham in Denbighshire in 1627, but removed in early life to Sodbury, Gloucestershire, where he married the daughter of a wealthy innkeeper, and had by her eighteen children. He was a successful farmer until the last month of his life, but used this trade as a cloak, having early taken to the road in disguise, and robbed persons returning from cattle fairs or travelling to pay rent. He was dexterous in gaining information, and his character was above suspicion. He became the captain and leader of a large gang, among whom was Thomas Sympson, alias ‘Old Mobb,’ born at Romsey in Hampshire, who robbed for forty-five years with no other companion than the ‘Golden Farmer.’ Davis robbed the Duchess of Albemarle in her coach on Salisbury Plain, after a single-handed victory over her postilion, coachman, and two