Youghal | Tuesday 12 o’clock | June 30th, 1841.
My dear Father
I received yours of Friday night1 on the following evening. According to your account the County Carlow is in a blaze. This is strikingly contrasted with the state of party feeling here. Mr Cavendish2 the liberal candidate canvassed the electors here on yesterday accompanied by about 60 ragamuffins I could not mark 2 persons of any respectability among his train. No person has appeared as yet on the conservative side, it is generally thought that there will be no opposition, the gates of the town however are covered with placards stating that a conservative candidate will most assuredly come forward and at the same time telling the electors of Youghal to keep themselves unpledged. Mr Cavendish is a nephew to the Duke of Devonshire and the Duke possesses great influence here.3 All however is quiet, not the least excitement. I was speaking to a conservative elector last night and one who plainly told Cavendish in the former part of the day that he would vote in his teeth4 in the event of an election. He told him that a brother to the marquis of Waterford5 was expected on the conservative side.
It appears from your letter that my presence in Leighlin would be far from being pleasant to you. Indeed I think if I was there that no angry feeling would exist between me and any one whom I ever considered in the light of a friend. I would no doubt uphold and extend my principles by every means in my power, but I think I would do it in such a manner as not to offend any man therefore I think that my presence in Leighlin would not be so dangerous as you seem to think. I must however candidly confess that if there was any fear of my uncle Caleb being injured for acting in the way he did6 I would be the first person to stand at his side – aye and die in his defence. He acted I think as a firm consistent man should act. If the house were mine I would just do the same. This statement may seem to clash with another remark in this letter, that is where I say ‘that I would uphold my principles without offending any man;’ but I spoke there with reference to the means which I possess of upholding them, and that is with my tongue alone, my property in Leighlin being somewhat below the value of 0.7
You speak in no very commendatory terms of Ned Heydon8 I would not however let the sin of the father operate in my breast against the child. Francis9 I think is a very good little fellow, and one, I think, that were he capable of judging how things stand would condemn his father’s present proceedings. Ned’s present mode of acting I think may be accounted for if we take his circumstances into account. You know he has nothing to lose and in the destruction of property, the chaos of society, he may pick up something. This I think influences the man’s actions.
Were I to take the former part of your two last letters as a premise, and from them draw a conclusion, that conclusion certainly would not be favourable to Col. Bruen. But your last resounding sentence that Bruen would be the victor destroys the premises and therefore the conclusion falls along with it to the ground. I could not repress a hearty ‘amen’ on reading your ejaculation in favour of Bruen’s return. My heartfelt wish is that your predictions may be verified. It is most sickening to see a popish priest10 rampant in his power and riding roughshod over the sycophant slaves of Rome. And this would most assuredly be the case could they but wield their magic wands to the extent that their desires would prompt. The zephyr’s breath11 would again flaunt the purple of Babylon.12 The 7 heads and 10 horns13 would again make their appearance in all their former hideousness the heretical offspring of the reformation would again writhe upon the rack or become fuel at the stake, and not content with thus treating the living, the mansions of the dead14 would be profaned and the tragic farce of Bucer and Phagia15 would be again reacted. Oh! the tender mercies of our holy mother!!!
Ginty and I are the only two persons connected with the Survey at present in Youghal. We start for Kinsale at 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. The luggage started yesterday morning. It went as far as Middleton yesterday, it will be in Cork to day, and in Kinsale tomorrow evening. I will get into Kinsale in one day therefore will arrive there by starting tomorrow morning as soon as they will. I got a very kind invitation to make Cork my head quarters for a day and yesterday I was promised a delightful sail to Cove16 on to day. I declined the invitation, having made up my mind not to start till Wednesday morning.
This is the last letter you will receive from Youghal. Your future letters must also be directed to Kinsale. As soon as I arrive there I will write to you.
I remain your affectionate son | John Tyndall
RI MS JT/1/10/3227–8
LT Transcript Only
your letter of Friday night: letter 0067.
Mr Cavendish: The Liberal candidate Charles Compton Cavendish (1793–1863), who had previously represented four English consituencies, was elected.
the Duke possesses great influence here: William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790–1858); Lismore Castle, County Waterford, was one of several estates owned by the dukes of Devonshire.
vote in his teeth: vote against him (Cavendish).
brother to the marquis of Waterford: John de la Poer Beresford (1814–66), brother of Henry de la Poer Beresford, 3rd Marquess of Waterford (1811–59). John Keily, Jnr, of Strancally Castle, Youghal, was nominated as the Conservative candidate, but it is not clear whether he resigned before the poll (London Standard, 9 June 1841, p. 2).
acting in the way he did: Threatened and intimidated by a mob on 27 June 1841, Caleb Tyndall, a fervent Orange-man, fired a shot that wounded a Mary McAssey. He was subsequent brought before the court, but was not found guilty having pleaded his innocence and that he acted in self-defence (Freeman’s Journal, 24 July 1841, p. [4]).
below the value of 0: less than zero.
You speak … of Ned Heydon: For his father’s antagonistic comment on the Catholic Heydon family, see letter 0067. Ned (Edward) Heydon was the father of Francis and William.
Francis: Francis Heydon; see letter 0050, n. 6.
a popish priest: Father James Maher who aided the agitation in favour of O’Connell.
The zephyr’s breath: a light breeze.
the purple of Babylon: The evil whore of Babylon in the Book of Revelation (ch. 17) was often identified with the Roman Catholic Church. ‘And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour’ (Revelation 17:4).
The 7 heads and 10 horns: I ‘saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy’ (Revelation 13:1). As in this letter the beast has often been identified as the Roman Catholic church.
the mansions of the dead: catacombs.
the tragic farce of Bucer and Phagia: The Reformation theologians Martin Bucer (1491–1551) and Paul Fagius (1504–49) were both condemned for heresy during the Counter-Reformation and were dismissed from their teaching posts at Strasbourg. Both fled to England, where they were well-received by Thomas Cranmer, and gained teaching positions at Cambridge, where they died. During Queen Mary’s Restoration of Roman Catholicism their remains were exhumed and burned.
Cove: see letter 0068, n. 3.
Please cite as “Tyndall0071,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0071