Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 35.djvu/90

M'Gauley namely, that the bishops and their tenants were dragged into the court contrary to the ancient liberties of the churches, and that they were oppressed by the sheriffs and the barons. Henry ordered such remedy as tended to the welfare of the church to be applied (ib. ii. 460). The 'Annals of the Four Masters 'says that MacFlynn then returned home. In 1 256 he seems to have made a fresh journey to England about May, to present a further petition on the same matter (ib. ii. 503), but died on the way at Bristol. Leave to elect a successor was issued on 29 June (ib. ii. 507). MacFlynn is described as a man of wisdom and learning, with a knowledge of law.

 M'GAULEY, JAMES WILLIAM (d. 1867), was professor of natural philosophy to the board of national education in Ireland from 1836 to 1856. He appears to have then gone to Canada till about 1865, when he settled in England. He became a member of the council of the Inventors' Institute (of London), and took an active part in the executive committee of that body, and was one of the editors as well as a contributor to their organ, the 'Scientific Review.' At the time of his death, on 25 Oct. 1867, he was also managing director to the Inventors' Patentright Association.

M'Gauley's principal works were: 1. 'Lectures on Natural Philosophy,' 8vo, Dublin, 1840; 3rd edit. 1851. 2. 'The Elements of Architecture,' 16mo, Dublin, 1846. 3. 'A Key to the Treatise on Arithmetic. . . used in the Irish National Schools,' 16mo, Dublin, 1852. 4. 'A Treatise on Algebra,' 16mo, Dublin, 1854. He also wrote papers on 'Natural Philosophy and Chemistry,' which appeared in the ' Reports of the British Association,' the 'Philosophical Magazine,' the 'Chemical News,' and the 'Scientific Review,' between 1835 and 1867.

 M'GAVIN, WILLIAM (1773–1832), controversialist, born on 25 Aug. 1773 at Darnlaw, in the parish of Auchinleck, Ayrshire, was third son of James M'Gavin, farmer, by Mary M'Millan, a farmer's daughter of Muir-Kirk, in the same shire. The farm of Darnlaw was the property of James Boswell, Johnson's biographer. Beyond receiving a few weeks' instruction at the village school, he was entirely self-educated. In 1783 his father removed to Paisley, and in 1785 William was bound apprentice to a weaver, but in 1790 he entered the service of John Neilson [q. v.], a well-known Paisley printer and bookseller. During the three years that he remained there he carefully studied English grammar and composition, and obtained some knowledge of science. In 1793 he went to assist his elder brother in the management of a school, of which he soon obtained the sole charge. About 1796 he commenced a small thread business at Paisley, but was unsuccessful. In January 1799 he was engaged as bookkeeper to David Lamb, an American cotton merchant in Glasgow; to whose two sons he at the same time acted as tutor. In 1803, on Lamb's removal to America, the whole management of the business devolved upon him, and on the death of the father he entered in 1813 into partnership with the son.

M'Gavin belonged to the antiburgher communion, and was a member of the congregation of the Rev. James Ramsay, whom he joined about 1800, and subsequently assisted to form an independent or congregational church, occasionally preaching for him. In April 1804 he was regularly ordained Ramsay's co-pastor. He withdrew from the pastorate in 1807, and afterwards became an itinerant preacher and an active director of the various benevolent and religious societies at Glasgow. His business proving unprofitable, M'Gavin was induced to undertake in 1822 the Glasgow agency of the British Linen Company's bank. 1 He died on 23 Aug. 1832. A monument to his memory was erected in the necropolis of Glasgow and at Auchinleck. On 7 Oct. 1805 he married Isabella Campbell of Paisley. M'Gavin was a genuine philanthropist, quick-tempered, but warm-hearted and open-handed. From 1818 to 1822 he contributed to the 'Glasgow Chronicle' a series of letters on the principal points of controversy between the Roman and reformed churches under the general title of 'The Protestant.' William Eusebius Andrews [q. v.] forthwith started a weekly paper, called 'The Catholic Vindicator,' in reply to 'The Protestant,' but abandoned it after a year. When issued in book form 'The Protestant' formed four large 8vo volumes, and passed through six editions. Some statements contained in it relative to the building of a Roman catholic chapel in Glasgow led to an action for libel at the instance of the officiating priest in April 1821, which resulted in a verdict of 100l. damages 