Plenty of Nothing: Irish Things

Ross House, Oughterard, Connemara. Source.

In a letter dated August 4th, 1888, Violet Martin describes a visit from a distant relative:

We have had a curious visitor for the last three days -- On Saturday evening up drove a car through the mist and off it lept an agile figure, and walked into the house -- followed by a portmanteau. With the breeding of the old noblesse Geraldine and I waited till he was in converse with Mama and then listened at the door. We heard an American accent and a fluent harangue of some sort, and finally Selina was sent out from the ark to tell us that the visitor was one Archer Martin a descendant of the Ballinahinch people, who had come all the way from America to write a book about the family, as it might be Howard Coghill -- I bundled out of my room and gave it to him, and here he has been ever since, rooting out all kinds of things. We had heard of his being in Galway, at the same game, and he already has a thick manuscript compiled -- deeply interesting to most people, I should say, except for a few wild tales of bloodshed -- and the like -- He is not a very near relative -- his great grandfather was Humanity Dick (the Martin's Act Man, whom I am in the future going to erect in opposition to the Chief) and Humanity Dick's great grandfather was younger brother of the Ross man of that date which makes the relationship a trifle distant. This youth is not the least like us -- but a little like both Hildegarde and Hugh -- only fairish neither tall nor small, right well made -- awfully well put on head and ears, beautiful feet, and hands more like mine than I thought possible, only a great deal better, and not much larger. His accent is detestable, his manner alert and American beyond telling, his ways those of a gentleman -- his intelligence immense. He is moreover a person who has read and travelled, and taken in all he saw and read and can repeat Longfellow and Edgar Allan Poe by heart, does not much care for Howells, thinks "Tennessee's partner" magnificent and is wholly in earnest on all subjects. I alternate between dislike and affection, hatred of his odious smart Americanisms, and respect for his candour and self reliance. He is a barrister in Manitoba, but his people have always lived in Hamilton, in Canada somewhere -- and from a photograph of their house they seem to be very rich. There is a pertinacity and an energy about him which are incredible and refreshing. On Sunday he just hiked up on to the roof top of the house and began to wage war with the jackdaws, standing on a place that makes me giddy to think of. Yesterday he was up there again, and also I, and he sent loads of soot and jackdaws nests thundering down the chimneys with a long pole -- a thing that many sweeps have failed to do. Today he has given Mama and Geraldine a lively time with examinations as to Martin marriages and the like and leaves this afternoon for Oughterard and finally Ballinahinch. He has fought with Burke, has extorted an apology from Froude for some misstatements in his "English in Ireland" as to some ancestor or other and I think the epitome of him is that he spent an hour at the top of a ladder in a crowded Galway Street, composedly taking a rubbing of the coat of arms over a door, with about 200 people gaping at him.

The Selected Letters of Somerville and Ross (ed. Gifford Lewis), pages 92 and 93.

In her return letter Somerville replies:

I cannot ever explain our amusement at the notion of Archer Martin dropping from the skies and staying on to clean the chimneys. You certainly ought to marry him -- I am sure he is very nice -- I like his description immensely. But why do you call him American when he comes from Canada?

Selected Letters, pages 119 and 120.

Archer was 23 and Violet 26 at the time of this visit. They did not get married, but they did meet again at least one time. In March 1912 he was back in Ireland. Violet writes Edith,

On Saturday we met Archer Martin at Athenry, and drove him straight on to the meet at Monivea -- a big one -- and also, it poured in bitter floods from the South East. Amy and Archer and I sat in the house and talked, and the hounds battered one fox at least round the coverts, and we left them at it (Robert Gregory on Jim's mare) and got home for a late luncheon, and all drove over here in the afternoon. Archer and Tilly Redington (one 'd' please remember) were instantly deep in antiquarian things -- each a great talker, and each finding it hard to get a word in. It was chiefly about a Martin and French marriage stone that is at Tyrone House, the St. Georges wonderful wreck of a place near here -- (the St. Georges were originally Frenches --)

Selected Letters, pages 293 and 294.

Archer Martin sends you many apologies and much gratitude about Drishane but it could not be. He is bundling out of the country as fast as possible, for fear he might get hung up, as he must be back for his work. Yesterday he and I drove to Tillyra, and there we left him with Edward Martyn, who was very civil, interesting, and amusing -- and very like George Moore's description and also like Bertie Windle -- Tillya beats all the houses I have seen here ... [Jim] and I did not get home till past eight -- and had a narrow shave or two with Quinine -- Jim is a peculiar driver and Amy is even more so. Archer Martin crossed himself privately, & to me about his drive home with her from Kilcornan -- "She does nothing till it is almost too late -- drove bang up against a wall at a crossroad from not turning in time, and banged into a cart as well -- " When I got back from Kilcornan on Monday I found an exquisitely empty house -- all having gone in a motor to Ballynahinch (Archer's picnic) and they were not back till nearly 11 p.m. Archer is really a very good fellow -- warm hearted and generous and I am rather horrified to find that he has sent for me -- to Drishane -- a dressing box -- a gift! with some letters inside expressing the opinion of the favour that I confer on my family by belonging to it. He does not think they realise the magnitude of our work -- they are very kind about it, but they do not understand -- is what he says. He is a most faithful creature and a valuable friend to us all. Now I must catch my train.

Selected Letters, pages 295 and 296.

Notes:

Edith Somerville (1858 to 1949) and Violet Martin (1862 to 1915) were cousins who gained fame as humourists, and are best known for their Irish R.M. books published in 1899, 1909 and 1915. Violet Martin used the pseudonym Martin Ross throughout her career.

I haven't completely caught the sense of "as it might be Howard Coghill -- I bundled out of my room and gave it to him" but here's what I think. James Henry Coghill had published The Family of Coghill 1377 to 1879 nine years earlier, and as there were strong Martin/Coghill connections it was the sort of book the Martins of Ross would have had in the house. I think Martin Ross handed the book to Archer and since she consequently did not have it in front of her while she was letter-writing she got the author's given name wrong. See here for the text of The Family of Coghill.

Humanity Dick was Richard Martin (1754 to 1834) who sponsored the Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act of 1822. The Chief was Charles Kendal Bushe (1767 to 1843), Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench in Ireland, and the ancestor of both Somerville and Ross.

The Martins had taken up residence in Ross House in June 1888 after an absence of fifteen years. In the interim it had been leased out and the tenant had left it in a state of disrepair. Archer picked up on the need to chip in and took it upon himself to clean the chimneys. Violet Martin was no shrinking violet and after the initial scandal of finding a house guest on the roof she was soon up there too.

Edith Somerville's home was Drishane.

Notice how Violet sizes up Archer by body part, as she would a horse. Notice also how she makes no distinction between America and Canada. It's only when she mentions Manitoba and Hamilton that you realize that the visitor is Canadian. The detail about his being a barrister in Manitoba nails down his identity as Archer Evans Stringer Martin (1865 to 1941) who was called to the Manitoba bar in 1887 and went on to serve as Chief Justice of British Columbia from 1937 to 1940.

He published his Irish research under the title "A Genealogy of Martin of Ballinahinch Castle."