The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-09-29
IRISH GRAVES IN ENGLAND.
BY MICHAEL MAcDONAGH.
BARTHOLOMEW SIMMONS.

BARTHOLOMEW SIMMONS.
The grave of the poet OF the luncheon
is undiscoverable, and not even the To-
cality of his interment is known. He
died in London in July, 1850, but where
his remains were said to rest I could not
discover. Highgate Cemetery, London,
ia mentioned as the place in the br1ef
sketch which precedes one OF his poems
in Hayes's collection Of Irish songs and
ballads. This appears to be erroneous.
I had the register Of buria|s OF That
cemetery for the months Of July, August
and September of 1856 searched, aid no
mention OF the name Of Simmons YVES
found. d., r. r. Madden in his tLife
OF Lady Blessington" gives rather ex.
tended Biographical sketch of the poet
stntes that he died in London III July,
1850, but throws no light whatever on
the place of his burial. Madden and
Hayes agree as to the date of the death
OF Simmons; and Hayes even mentions
acton street, Gray's Inn-road, as the To-
cality in which the poet died: which
makes more strange end unaccountab'e
hia error as to the place of the poets in
torment. The Athen@um Of the slime
does not even mention the death OF SIM
mons, for interest in has works was not
aroused until long after he was no more;
and as hs never married, as he had NO
relatives, and, according to DR.. Madden,
was in rather poor circumstances when
he i1ed NO effort was probably made TO
perpetuate his memory by even an obAt~
uary notice or tom batone.
Bartholomew Simmons was born IN
1905, at Kilworth, a poor little village
about three miles from Fernloy, county
Cork His grandfather had been the
butler OF the Earl Of Mountcashel at the
seat OF the family, Moore Park, which is
quite near the village OF Kilworth. On
retiring from the service OF the Mount
cashels, the grandfather Of the poet be-
came the proprietor of the only inn OF
the village. It was at this hosiery that
one of the EarIs CT Kingston, Of Mitch.
elstown Castle, shot Colonel Fitzgerald,
Top of the period, Who had wronged
the Hon. Mary King, sister OF the Earl.
The .r ndfather OF Simmons had Two
sons, one of whom succeeded in tbs pos
session ct the inn; The other got an ap-
pointment as a gaugeI, married MISS
Cuddy, whose brother was d surgeon III
the Royal Artillery, and had two SONS
aud daughter. The der OF the sons
was the poet. The father died young,
and the children, who at the time we're
of tender years, were taken charge Of by
the Earl OF Mountcashel, and lodged in
81 house on his demesEe. bartholomew
received frst-elass education in al ex-
cellent school, kept in K1lworth by q;
Mr.. Birmingham. he was quiet,
stuiiious lad, and made rapid strides in
his studies. He was sent afterwards to
the Classical Seminary Of Mr.. Quigly, OF
Templemore. While Simmons Was yet
at soool in Kilworth, in 1926, he con-
sributed his first poetic effusion to
Bolster's Magazine, a Cork quarterly
whioa appeared IN 1926, and lived for six
years. Some years after he became a
contributor to Blackwood's Magazine,
and we can guess how highly his pieces
were rated when Christopher North, the
editor, introduced one Of them by saying
$500 'Here ase verses by one who writes
sitter our own heart"
The poets first appearance IN Black
woods Magazine, was in November
1883, with '<Lines suggested by David $
picture OF Napoleon asleep in his study,
taken shortly before the battle OF Water
,,c ,, Tn the next month number he was
REPRESENTED by Lines written in the
First Blank Leaf Of shelley's Poems,
and ST saw Her but once" These three
poems were signed Harold, Temple
nore, County Tipperary. The ode to
Napoleon is Justly considered one OF the
finest pieces in the English language.
Simmons az the time was in his twenty
ninth year.
In the .'Noctes Ambrosianoe' OF May,
1884, poem on the 'Delivery Of the
Sword Of Constantine Paiestogus to the
Tate Car Nicholas" YVES introduced,
with the announcement that it was writ
ton by "Harold, % who was Mr.. Simmons,
author of s'Napoleon's Dream In De-
oember. 1886. Simmons reappeard in
Blackwood with some touching stanzas
on Napoleon's mother; and Christopher
North, drawing special attention to them,
wrote
.'These lines are not unworthy of the
author Of the noble ode to Napolean,
which none who once read it in our
pages can ever forget
The lines were dated "London, No