Corry - Obelisk, Newry, County Down
Love this? Please support us and...
More from this collection
Related by When
Related by Where
Research Help!
Where: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Try to find the spot where the photographer was standing.
When: Unknown
Try to find the date or year when this image was made.
Triangular green, railed, with square tapered column inscribed Corry on 6-step base, 2-storey public buildings 3-storey terraced streets, in background wooded hills in far background.
It fascinates me that an old photo like this one can raise so many interesting stories. Such as, a duel in the Irish parliament involving Henry Grattan, water fountains in Newry, Dun Laoghaire and Australia and a Baron to the Throne of Poland in the reign of King Stanislaw August Poniatowski.
It is worth reading all the comments and the associated link.
Our thanks to all of today's contributors:
derangedlemur
sharon.corbet
beachcomberaustralia
OwenMacC
pellethepoet and
John Spooner
Photographers: Frederick Holland Mares, James Simonton
Contributor: John Fortune Lawrence
Collection: The Stereo Pairs Photograph Collection
Date: 1872-1883
NLI Ref: STP_2143
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 28503
It fascinates me that an old photo like this one can raise so many interesting stories. Such as, a duel in the Irish parliament involving Henry Grattan, water fountains in Newry, Dun Laoghaire and Australia and a Baron to the Throne of Poland in the reign of King Stanislaw August Poniatowski.
It is worth reading all the comments and the associated link.
Our thanks to all of today's contributors:
derangedlemur
sharon.corbet
beachcomberaustralia
OwenMacC
pellethepoet and
John Spooner
Photographers: Frederick Holland Mares, James Simonton
Contributor: John Fortune Lawrence
Collection: The Stereo Pairs Photograph Collection
Date: 1872-1883
NLI Ref: STP_2143
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Info:
Owner: National Library of Ireland on The CommonsSource: Flickr Commons
Views: 28503
lawrencecollection
stereographicnegatives
jamessimonton
frederickhollandmares
johnfortunelawrence
williammervynlawrence
nationallibraryofireland
corry
obelisk
monument
ireland
newry
codown
ulster
northernireland
trevorcorry
henrygrattansirisaaccorry
drinkingfountain
waltermcfarlaneco
corryarms
barontothethroneofpoland
1839
thomasjduff
july22nd1838
stmarysnewry
actofunion
strumpetcity
waltermacfarlanecos
no8castironcanopydrinkingfountain
kingstanislawaugustponiatowski
chancelloroftheirishexchequer
oxforddictionaryofnationalbiography
derrymore
sirtrevorcorry
edwardcorry
stereopairsphotographcollection
stereopairs
Add Tags
Add Tags
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
To help with our ongoing photo selection for this stream we would welcome any views you have on the subject. Which types do you like or dislike? All comments welcome. Mary
derangedlemur
Unknown locations for me, thanks.
sharon.corbet
It's in Newry. Streetview
derangedlemur
This one reminds me of Warrenpoint or somewhere round that neck of the woods.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129555378@N07 I think you have it. I see from your streetview that the obelisk is in Corry park.
sharon.corbet
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] It turned up earlier apparently: www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/7226524512/ (Just visible in the background.)
sharon.corbet
The Newry Heritage Trail claims that "obelisk was erected in 1877, in memory of Trevor Corry, a magistrate in the town for 35 years, and reflects a fashionable, mid-19th century interest in ancient Egypt".
derangedlemur
Wasting 5 minutes looking in Rostrevor for it slows you down.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8468254@N02 Very funny.
sharon.corbet
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8468254@N02 Whereas googling "corry monument ireland" gives it to you straight away. (Followed by the realisation that I actually saw it last month...)
derangedlemur
Googling! What sort of sportsperson are you?
derangedlemur
"The Corry family is represented including Sir Trevor, Baron of Poland, who died in 1781 leaving £3,000 to the poor of Newry. He also left £1,000 for the building of St. Marys." Which would explain why it's at the top of Trevor Hill.
derangedlemur
"This obelisk was erected in 1877, in memory of Trevor Corry, a magistrate in the town for 35 years, and reflects a fashionable, mid 19th century interest in ancient Egypt. The Corry family had considerable commercial and political influence in Newry over several generations. Trevor’s cousin, Isaac Corry (1755 - 1815) was elected to the Irish Parliament in 1776 and was the last Chancellor of that body. In his house at Derrymore (one mile west of Newry) the Act of Union was prepared and he led the parliamentary debate in favour of union. When the Act was passed, he sat at Westminster as the MP for Newry and Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer. Reputedly he became so unpopular that he built a new road directly from his home to the Dublin Road to avoid the town and the wrath of Newry’s citizens. It is still called the Chancellor’s Road. Despite his support for Catholic emancipation, he lost his seat in 1806."
derangedlemur
Not pictured: The Corry monument - maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,708749,826850,7,7
sharon.corbet
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/8468254@N02] He has a pretty big wikipedia page - "Corry was given the title "Baron to the Throne of Poland" on 20 October 1773 by the King of Poland, Stanislaw August Poniatowski"
sharon.corbet
Though I'm a bit confused as to how he was a "magistrate in the town for 35 years" though he seemed to spend most of his time in Gdańsk.
sharon.corbet
The DIA claims 1839, designed by Thomas J. Duff.
derangedlemur
Probably a tax exile.
sharon.corbet
Whereas the 1983 Conservation Plan claims "Corry Monument (1839) Pedimented die and obelisk on six granite steps surrounded by formal garden Commemorates Trevor Corry who was a serving magistrate in Newry for thirty-five years." It seems there were two Trevor Corrys - one who went off to Poland and had various adventures, and another who was a magistrate and Deputy-lieutenant of Down in Newry. The magistrate died on July 22 1838 (according to the Annual Register), and it's him that is commemorated by the monument.
derangedlemur
So which is the correct date? 1839 or 1877? The 6" was surveyed in 1834, so that tells us nothing.
sharon.corbet
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/8468254@N02] I'm inclined to go for 1839 - directly after Trevor Corry the magistrate died. Actually, the Ulster Street Directory of 1861 mentions: " The Northern entrance of the town is adorned with a chaste and elegant obelisk of chiselled granite, erected in honour of the late highly respected and generally lamented Trevor Corry, Esq., a favourite magistrate for many years. The Corry Arms, beautifully executed on Portland stone, appear on the North and South recesses, and eulogistic inscriptions on black marble are executed on the West and East sides of the monument. " So it must be 1839.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8468254@N02 https://www.flickr.com/photos/129555378@N07 The Obelisk looks to be well aged in this photo, whereas the park surrounds and planting seem to be relatively new, does that help? Any idea what that thing at the apex of the park is?
sharon.corbet
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] I think it may be a drinking fountain. (Looks like a mini-version of the one in Dun Laoghaire to me.) It's gone in this Eason shot though.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Drinking fountain is very like this one in Bathurst, NSW, which pellethepoet [https://www.flickr.com/photos/pellethepoet/] worked out is from Walter Macfarlane & Co, a prominent Scottish iron foundry that exported widely to the colonies in the late nineteenth century. See also history.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/waterexhibition/DrinkingP... and particularly history.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/waterexhibition/images/zo... [https://www.flickr.com/photos/pellethepoet/14160526464]
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
I know Isaac is an earlier Corry, but you just do not hear much about duels these days especially duels including Henry Grattan! Defeat of the `98 rebellion was swiftly followed by the Act of Union, when the Irish parliament was dissolved. Stormy debates, especially between Henry Grattan and Sir Isaac Corry, had taken place in the parliament on College Green, - now the Bank of Ireland. They resulted in a duel between the two former comrades, in which Corry was wounded. From Newry Memoirs
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
Sydney imported 8 fountains in 1870 - if that helps with the dating of this photo ...
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia I think it is exactly the same, well done. I saw a quote from Jonathan Swift about Newry, he described it as “High church, low steeple; dirty streets and proud people,” My immediate thought was Limerick!!
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129555378@N07 Drinking fountain it is then.
O Mac
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia] Your common and garden furniture... catologue from 1885 Page 4 ........ archive.org/details/macfarlanescasti00walt
pellethepoet
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia Always a thrill to see Walter Macfarlane & Co.'s casting #8 cast iron canopy drinking fountain in old photographs.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03 I wonder is this a "Macfarlane" too? https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/11461868566/in/photolist-at6rW1-edY9Me-hUFou5-pT7UxX-eLHasv-isR5cy-a1D5op-2jEGUs-fcmnFt-9Hos8P-ovyYAT-ow13ZJ-aCSk8W-o1MeLx-fY2K77-dCjTSh-c88t8j-odBgmy-aegGnk https://www.flickr.com/photos/129555378@N07 The Queen Victoria one is probably built by Macfarlane's too?
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03] Great useful catalogue - park benches, urinals, and WCs further on ... [https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] re Duels - evidently Grattan called Corry "a dancing master" (!!) which led to the duel - from a wordy 1844 newspaper article about Irish barrister duels - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/31742423?searchTerm=%22i... look for the orange highlights.
sharon.corbet
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland] Archiseek seems to have renamed them McFarland, but yes. It looks like a variant on the fountain to the right of "no. 8" in [https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03] 's catalogue. The canopy is casting #20, and the font #18.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner John, do you remember this from a previous Newry Photo - the one Sharon references above. The duel is mentioned in Strumpet City . Yearling contemplates in Book Tree (1913-1914), Chapter Two, while waiting for Father O'Connor near Ball's Bridge: "Henry Grattan, he remembered, had fought a duel here when Ireland still had a parliament of her own."
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia Your reference says the duel happened during the debate on the 17th Feb (as per https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner in the prior photo) John may have to get the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography to make another change!
sharon.corbet
I meant to add, before getting distracted by drinking fountains, that the two Trevor Corrys were uncle and nephew. Sir Trevor, Baron of Poland (?-1781), had at least 2 brothers, Edward(1722-1792) and Isaac(1723-1809). Trevor the magistrate (?-1838) was Isaac's son, while Isaac, the Chancellor and duelist (1755-1813) was Edward's son. (Making them cousins). Source
John Spooner
The London Times of 27th Feb 1800 published a letter from the seconds to the 2 duellists, which stated that the debate took place in the early evening of the 17th, and the duel took place "at day-light", which must have been the morning of the 18th. Following the duel the two "exchanged mutual civilities". A news article on 26th Feb refers to Corry appearing in the Commons (Dublin Castle) on the 20th with his arm in a sling* due to "a wound received in the affair of honour with Mr Grattan on Tuesday morning." Tuesday was the 18th. * except it looks like "fling"
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner Thanks for the clarification. https://www.flickr.com/photos/129555378@N07 Thanks for the family tree information.
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03 That catalogue was a great find, a very enterprising firm.
O Mac
MacFarlane fountain #8 above stood 9'6" and cost £27-16-9 in 1885 From this history of the foundry one could surmise that the above photograph has to be post 1872. www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.php?sub=macfarlane_...
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03 I will change the date range.
nannyjean35
lovely street scene
DannyM8
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/beachcomberaustralia] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/91549360@N03] [https://www.flickr.com/photos/129555378@N07] Please see the following link it is of the big fountain in Dun Laoghaire. NLI Archive
pellethepoet
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/79549245@N06] Hey Danny, that's another one of Walter Macfarlane & Co.'s popular combos - casting #20 canopy, with #18 font. Launceston in Tasmania also chose that for their Queen Victoria memorial in 1897, although to mark a different occasion - www.flickr.com/photos/pellethepoet/13933933619/ Helen (Flickr user: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/99134238@N03/]), the Queen of memorial drinking fountains, has blogged about it here - memorialdrinkingfountains.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/victor...