John Esmonde (North Tipperary MP)

John Joseph Esmonde (27 January 1862 – 17 April 1915) was a physician and an Irish nationalist Member of Parliament for North Tipperary from 1910 to 1915.[1]

John Esmonde
Member of Parliament
for North Tipperary
In office
December 1910 – 17 April 1915
Preceded byMichael Hogan
Succeeded byJohn Lymbrick Esmonde
Personal details
Born(1862-01-27)27 January 1862
Drominagh, County Tipperary,
Ireland
Died17 April 1915(1915-04-17) (aged 53)
Spouse(s)Rose Magennis (d. 1901)
Eily O'Sullivan (d. 1957)
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Years of service1914–1915
RankCaptain
UnitRoyal Army Medical Corps
Battles/warsFirst World War

Family

Esmonde was born on 27 January 1862 in Drominagh, Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland. Esmonde's father, James Esmonde, was the younger brother of Sir John Esmonde, 10th Baronet, and his mother was Caroline Sugrue. He was the second child of four.[2]

Esmonde had three sons and three daughters from his first marriage to Rose Magennis whilst living in Ingleside, Pontesbury, Shropshire, England,[3] including:

Following the death of Rose in 1901, Esmonde married Eily O'Sullivan in 1904 and had seven more children.[3] The family returned to Ireland in 1910. A son from his second marriage, Eugene Esmonde, was awarded a Victoria Cross posthumously in 1942.[1] Esmonde's youngest son, Paddy, was awarded the Military Cross whilst serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps at the Rhine in 1944.

Death and legacy

On 17 April 1915, while serving as captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, Esmonde died from "pneumonia and heart failure consequent on the strain of overwork".[1] He was buried in his family vault in Terryglass, County Tipperary.[4] Esmonde is commemorated on Panel 1 of the Parliamentary War Memorial in Westminster Hall, one of 22 MPs that died during the First World War to be named on that memorial.[5][6] A further act of commemoration came with the unveiling in 1932 of a manuscript-style illuminated book of remembrance for the House of Commons, which includes a short biographical account of the life and death of Esmonde.[7][8]

References
House of Commons London panel commemoration Capt John J. Esmonde
  1. Unknown. "Civilians". Untold Stories. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  2. The Peerage. "Person Page – 26747". The Peerage. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  3. White, Lawrence William, "Esmonde, Sir John Lymbrick", Dictionary of Irish Biography, Cambridge University Press
  4. "Casualty Details: Esmonde, John Joseph". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  5. "Recording Angel memorial Panel 1". Recording Angel memorial, Westminster Hall. UK Parliament (www.parliament.uk). Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  6. "List of names on the Recording Angel memorial, Westminster Hall" (PDF). Recording Angel memorial, Westminster Hall. UK Parliament (www.parliament.uk). Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  7. "House of Commons War Memorial: Final Volumes Unveiled by The Speaker". The Times. No. 46050. London. 6 February 1932. p. 7.
  8. Moss-Blundell, Edward Whitaker, ed. (1931). The House of Commons Book of Remembrance 1914–1918. E. Mathews & Marrot.


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