Author: St. John, Mary
Biography:
ST JOHN, Mary (fl 1815)
Her book was published in Dublin but she lived in Stradbally, County Laois (formerly Queen’s County), Ireland. She likely lived on the estate owned by the Moore family—the “House of Leix” of her book’s dedication. The subscription list shows her connections to the Protestant Anglo-Irish: the most prominent subscriber (5 copies) is Charles Whitworth, Earl Whitworth, who was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1813-17), and Robert Peel, Chief Secretary for Ireland (1812-17), is also listed. O’Hanlon, who knew her, says that she had lived abroad as a missionary but by the 1830s she was living with a companion in Stradbally where she was much admired locally for her quick wit and charity. O’Donoghue suggests she may have been the “Mary” who contributed verse to the Dublin Examiner in 1816. No records have been located. (O’Donoghue; John Canon O’Hanlon, Irish Local Legends [1896]) SR
Other Names:
- Mary