Nathaniel Sneyd

Monument for Nathaniel Sneyd, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

Nathaniel Sneyd (c. 1767 – 31 July 1833) was an Irish politician, landowner and businessman. He was a Member of the Parliament of Ireland representing the Carrick constituency from 1794 to 1800 and was High Sheriff of Cavan in 1795.

He briefly represented the County Cavan Parliament of Ireland constituency which was succeeded after the Union with Great Britain in 1801 by the Westminster constituency of County Cavan, which he represented from 1801 until 1826. In general election of 1806 he contested two constituencies for Parliament, winning both and choosing to represent Cavan over Enniskillen.

In Cavan, Sneyd lived in Ballyconnell and owned plantation lands around Bawnboy. From 1800, he was president of the Bawnboy Farming Society, the first founded in County Cavan. In 1801 he was appointed Custos Rotulorum of Cavan.

On 29 July 1833, in Westmoreland Street, Dublin, Nathaniel Sneyd was shot in the head by a madman, John Mason, who had a grudge against the firm of wine merchants Sneyd, French and Barton, where Sneyd was senior partner. Sneyd died of his wounds two days later.[1] He had two memorials, one in Cavan and a life-size neo-classical recumbent effigy in the crypt of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.[2] The sculptor Thomas Kirk[3] represented Sneyd lying dead with a female figure weeping over him.[4]

Family

Sneyd was married to Alice Montgomery, the daughter of George Leslie Montgomery MP, of Ballyconnell, County Cavan.

References

  1. ^ The Manchester Guardian, "Domestic", 3 August 1833.
  2. ^ Robert O'Byrne, Tales from the crypt Irish Times 12 October 2000
  3. ^ L. H. Cust, ‘Kirk, Thomas (1781–1845)’, rev. John Turpin, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
  4. ^ Potterton, Homan (1975). Irish Church Monuments. Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society.
Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Carrick
1794–1800
With: Hon. Nathaniel Clements 1794–1798
William Gore 1798–1800 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for County Cavan
1800–1801
With: Francis Saunderson 		Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Parliament of Ireland
 Member of Parliament for Cavan
1801–1826
With: Francis Saunderson 1801–1806
John Maxwell-Barry 1806–1824
Henry Maxwell 1824–1826 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Thomas Fleming
 High Sheriff of Cavan
1795 		Succeeded by
John Enery