George the first having come to Dubin in 1703, Soon after he purchased, for £553, the premises in Essex Street where he set up his printing establishment at “The Sign of the Two Bibles.” —This house was demolished when the new approach to Essex Bridge was being made. In a Memorial prepared by his son George Abraham Grierson, in 1754, we are told that “immediately on his arrival he set about printing large impressions of Bibles and Books of Common Prayer of most sorts and sizes, in order that the nation might be sufficiently supplied therewith at home, in which undertaking alone he expended above £5,000., besides above £700. which he laid out within these six years for printing types, in order to establish that art in this nation. In addition to Bibles and Prayer Books, he produced the volumes known as “Grierson's Classics,” being works of several of the Latin authors, many of them edited by his wife, Constantia [Crawley].
In 1709 he was admitted a Freeman of the City of Dublin by Special Grace. In 1720 he was one of the churchwardens of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, in the Registers of which the baptisms and burials of his children are entered. On 23rd October, 1727 a King's Letter was issued appointing him to the office of Printer General to His Majesty in Ireland, and this was confirmed by a Grant dated 1st December of the same year, but it was not until July, 1732 that Andrew Crooke, the then holder of the office, died, to be succeeded by Grierson. This Grant was apparently to himself and his heirs, remaining in the family for four generations.
While carrying on his business in Essex Street, he seems to have lived at Drumcondra, where he purchased a house and ground. He died there in 1753, aged 74, and was buried in the churchyard, where a large memorial stone, costing L 20. -- a large sum for those days--was erected to his memory. This stone was extant in 1832, but has since disappeared. He appears to have been thrice married, his first wife, of whom I can find no details, being buried in St. John's on 19th April, 1726. He married secondly, in the same year, Constantia, whose surname is said to have been Philips, “a most accomplished scholar and a friend of Dean Swift,” who helped him greatly in the editing and publishing of his 'Classics', and who died in 1732, aged 27, being buried in St. John's on 4th December of that year. The baptisms of two of their children and the burials of two are registered at St. John's:-
George Primrose, baptised 17th July, 1727, and
A child, unnamed, baptised 1st October, 1728
A daughter, buried 30th July, 1731, and
A daughter, buried 20th March, 1732-3.
Either the above-unnamed child was a son, George Abraham (in which case the age of his entry into Trinity College, Dublin is not correct), or else George Primrose and George Abraham are the same person. In any case, nothing more is heard of the former.
George Grierson married thirdly, 20th August, 1734, at Belfast, Jane, daughter of James Blow, printer, of that town, and widow of Francis Cromie. They had seven children:-
Daniel, baptised 8th November, 1735.
Hugh Boulter Primrose, baptised 12th June, 1737.
Allison (or Ellison), born 18th July, baptised 13th August, 1738.
Jane, baptised 28th February, 1740-1.
Sarah, baptised 28th July, 1742.
Euphant (Euphame?), baptised 25th August, 1743.
Augusta, baptised 31st October, 1745.
By his Will, dated 25th October and proved 8th November, 1753, George Grierson left the Patent of King's Printer to his eldest son, George Abraham Grierson, saving the right of his son Hugh Boulter Primrose Grierson to one quarter of the benefits of the said Patent on his attaining the age of 21 years. He appointed his brother-in-law, George Ewing and Mr. James Blow, of Belfast, executors and guardians of his minor children. His widow survived him for some years, removing in 1759 from Essex Street to Castle Street, where she carried on the bookselling business. Of the daughters, Augusta married, in January, 1762 Edward Caddy, apothecary; Jane married, at St. Andrew's, Dublin, 1st May, 1762, Edward Grogan, of Dublin, second son of Edward Grogan, of Ballytrain, Co. Wexford, and died 22nd November, 1814, being buried at Raheny, Co. Dublin, and Ellison married, in March, 1766, (Lieutenant) George Ewing.
George Abraham Grierson succeeded his father as King's Printer. Born about 1727/8, he entered T.C.D. 22nd January, 1742/3, “aged 16” and graduated B.A. in 1747. He did not long survive to enjoy the Patent; in 1754 he was in London, where he visited Dr. Johnson, and in 1755 he died s.p. at Dusseldorf, [Germany] aged 27. In Boswell's “Life of Johnson” he is described as “a man of uncommon learning and great wit and vivacity. Dr. Johnson highly respected his abilities and often observed that he possessed more extensive knowledge than any man of his years he had ever known. His modesty was equal to his talents, and he particularly excelled in every species of philological learning, and was perhaps the best critic of the age he lived in.” By his Will dated 14th October, 1754, he left his German books to T.C.D., and the remainder of his library to Christopher and Robert, sons of Archbishop Robinson.
At the time of his death his surviving half-brother, Hugh Boulter Primrose Grierson, was still a minor, but on attaining his majority he succeeded as King's Printer. Born in 1737, he married firstly, 24th July, 1759, at St. Andrew's, Dublin, Mary Worley, who died 18th February, 1760. He married secondly, in July, 1761, at Anneville, near Bray, Mary, daughter of Thomas Wilkinson, of Kilmainham, “a young lady possessed of every accomplishment requisite to make the marriage state truly happy, and a considerable fortune.” By her he had one son, George, born about 1763, and five daughters, Jane, Anne, Rebecca, Catherine and Mary Grierson. Boulter Grierson, as he was generally known, carried on his business as Printer and Bookseller in Parliament Street. He is described as “Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, and one of the Representatives in the Common Council for the Corporation of Stationers,” and died at Bray, [begin page 306] 22nd May, 1771, his Will, dated 17th March, being proved 6th June of the same year, leaving his children all minors. His widow married again, in 1772, David Hay, and died in February, 1807, aged 65.
George Grierson, the only son, entered T.C.D. 6th July, 1779, aged 15, and graduated B.A. in 1784. On attaining his majority in that year he became King's Printer, continuing at 28, Parliament Street. On 2nd April, 1791 he married, at St. Thomas Church, Dublin, Charlotte, daughter of Thomas and Dorothea (nee Forster) Thornton, of Greenville, Co. Cavan. They had five children:-
George Abraham, born 14th February, 1794.
John Foster, born 17th May, 1797.
Charlotte Dorothea Forster, Maria Hester and Constantia Grierson.
About 1810 he is described as 'printer of the Dublin Gazette,” and in 1814 he took into partnership John Rowe Power. In the same year he was adjudged bankrupt, but he seems to have carried on, as we find him in 1820 in partnership with Martin Keene at the old address. His wife had died in August, 1812. He was then living at Rathfarnham House, and seems to have been something of a sportsman, being connected for some years with the “Heathfield Club,” a body of gentlemen who had a lease of the shooting over the Archbishop of Dublin's moors on Heathfield Mountain; of this club he was at one time Secretary. He died at his house in North Frederick Street, Dublin, 31st August, 1821, and was buried with his wife at Rathfarnham; he was succeeded as King's Printer by his elder son, George Abraham Grierson.
His younger son, John Foster Grierson was educated at Portora Royal School, and at T.C.D., which he entered 4th October, 1813, aged 16. He graduated B.A. in 1818; was for a time in partnership with his brother and Martin Keene in the printing business, and later seems to have had some position in Syria. In 1832 he and his three sisters started on an extended tour of the Continent, which appears to have lasted for 10 years. During this time he married at Athens, on 17th May, 1841 Catherine (Katie), daughter of James Skene of Rubislaw and Jane, daughter of (Sir) James Hay, Baronet, of Haytoun. They had two sons: George Quintin Romeuf Olivier Forbes Grierson, born in Paris 19th February, 1842, and Thornton Grierson. John Foster Grierson died at Beyrout, Syria, 10th November, 1874, aged 77 years.
George Grierson's elder son, George Abraham Grierson, born 1794, was educated at Portora Royal School, and T.C.D., which he entered 4th July, 1810. He graduated B.A. in 1814, was called to the Irish Bar, 1818, and took his LL.D. in 1827. With his brother John he carried on the printing business (having Martin Keene as partner for a time), to which they added the ownership of the Dublin “Daily Express,” which they sold in June, 1856. George Abraham Grierson married on 15th December, 1846, at St. Anne's Church, Dublin, Isabella, eldest daughter of Henry Upton Ruxton, of Ardee, Co. Louth, by his wife Isabella, daughter of James Carlyle, of Cradoxtown, Co. Kildare, and by her had six children:-
George Abraham, born 7th January, 1851, at Glenageary, Co. Dublin,
Henry John Foster, born 1st September, 1855,
Charles Thornton Primrose, born 25th June, 1857.
Constantia,
Charlotte, [&]
Julia.
Of these, Constantia died young; Charlotte died unmarried in Bath about 1935, and Julia became a nurse and also died unmarried. The eldest son, (Sir) George Abraham Grierson, the celebrated Oriental scholar, described as “the greatest linguist Ireland ever produced,” was educated at St. Bee's School, Shrewsbury, and T.C.D., where he obtained the degrees of B.A., Ph.D. and D.Litt. He was honoured with the O.M. and the K.C.I.E., and the University of Cambridge conferred on him the degree of LL.D. (hon. caus.). He married 14th September, 1880, Lucy Elizabeth Jean, daughter of Maurice Henry Collis, M.D., F.R.C.S.I., by Sarah Marcella Lyster, daughter of William Jameson, M.D., but died s.p. 7th March, 1941.
The second son, Henry John Foster Grierson, took up farming in Natal, and later went to America where, in 1894, he joined the Vacuum Oil Company of Rochdale, U.S.A. In 1899 he came to London as assistant manager of the English branch of the firm and later became a Director. He married a widow, Mrs. Boyd, but died s.p., 20th June, 1923.
The third son, Charles Thornton Primrose Grierson, was educated at Rathmines School, and T.C.D., where he graduated B.A. in 1879, M.A. in 1882, B.D. in 1896 and D.D. in 1919. He was ordained in 1881, and after serving in various parishes and having been Dean of Belfast, 1911 to 1919, he was consecrated Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore on 28th October, 1919. He married at Monkstown Church, Co. Dublin, on 30th June, 1879, Blanche Caldwell, only daughter of John Caldwell Bloomfield, J.P., D.L., of Castle Caldwell, Co. Fermanagh, by Elizabeth, daughter of William D'Arcy Irvine, of Castle Irvine in the same county; she died 12th June, 1920, leaving one daughter, Ula Blanche, who married 10th September, 1914, Henry Kinahan, of Belfast. The Bishop died 9th July, 1935. |