Richard Sullivan

From Dittopedia

Memorial to Richard Sullivan in St Nicholas Church

Sir Richard Joseph Sullivan, first baronet (1752-1806), miscellaneous writer; FSA and FRS, 1785; MP, New Romney, 1787-96, Seaford from 1802; created baronet, 1804; author of:

An Analysis of the Political History of India (1779),
A Tour through part of England, Scotland and Wales, in 1778, in a series of letters (1785)
Thoughts on the Early Ages of the Irish Nation ... and on ... the Ancient Establishment of the Milesian Families in that Kingdom (1789),
A View of Nature, in Letters to a Traveller Among the Alps with Reflections on Atheistical Philosophy, Now Exemplified in France (London: T. Becket, 1794).
and other works. ^[4]

Sullivan's election result in Seaford from the London Gazette Issue 15497 published on the 13 July 1802

Sullivan lived at Ditton House, and was a Surveyor of Highways till his death in 1806. ^[1]

Sullivan becomes a Baronet, as recorded in the London Gazette issue 15700, published on the 8 May 1804

His wife, Dame Mary, died on 24th December 1832 in the 72nd Year of her Age, and is also buried at St Nicholas. ^[5]

1 On Nature
2 Documentary Evidence
3 Family
4 References
5 Calendar 14/15-Oct (Richard)

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On Nature

Although naturalist was one of Sir Richard Joseph Sullivan’s many occupations, and although he wrote numerous long and detailed descriptions concerning his observations and theories of geology and natural phenomena, he has not been heralded as a giant in the scientific community. Sullivan’s traditional claims to fame is, in fact, his tenure as the Member of Parliament representing New Romney (1790-96) and, subsequent baronetcy of the United Kingdom (1804). ^[10]

How the Scottish physician James Hutton envisioned the rock cycle in the mid-1700s

Yet, despite not being widely received as a scientist, Sullivan’s writings on nature and science illuminate the manner in which the intellectual community of the Romantic era often chose apocalyptic language when describing the natural world. For example, in A View of Nature, in Letters to a Traveller Among the Alps with Reflections on Atheistical Philosophy, Now Exemplified in France (1794), a narrative of his treks through France, Germany, and Italy during the first years of the French Revolution, Sullivan portrays nature and the earth as actors in a Huttonian cycle of generation, decay, death, and regeneration. The essential movement of the cycle, the movement from life to death to new life, parallels the essential movement of an apocalypse, the death of the present followed by the birth of a new future. ^[10]

A View of Nature is even more remarkable for the discussion of apocalypse because Sullivan asks his audience to consider his work through an explicitly religious perspective. Prefacing his work, he writes that he intends to expose the fallacy of the atheistical philosophy, and to shew how little support its advocates could derive, either from physics, where well understood, or from metaphysics, when cleared to extravagancy (I. 3). In other words, he intends to combat recent trends towards Natural Philosophy and atheism--exemplified by Thomas Paine, for example -- and to return the practice of observing nature according to a firm religious perspective. ^[10]

This religious perspective appears in several passages of A View of Nature in which Sullivan describes the earth as apocalyptic terrain. Sullivan envisions an earth on which natural disasters are a part of the natural order than clears the way for new life. In Volume II he says that^[10]

These [natural] disasters, so indelible in their marks, are the result of pre-established laws of nature, and shew how irrevocably it is fixed, that some parts shall be deranged for the prosperity of the whole. It is this, that comets have presented themselves to surprized sights of philosophers; that their eccentric course has been dreaded as eventually tending to trouble the tranquility of our solar system; that terrors have been excited by them, even in the breasts of the enlightened; and that naturalists have fancied, all the destructive revolutions of the earth have had their origin in their energy and influence. But, the Great Ruler of the universe has so ordained it, that sometimes the seasons shall be displaced, sometimes the elements shall be in discord, the sea shall pass its limits, the solid earth shall shake, mountains, shall run and embrace each other, contagion shall destroy man and beast, and sterility shall desolate countries. But, these afflicting disorders are effects of causes purely natural, acting conformably to fixed laws, and determined by the established nature of things. (180)^[10]

Sullivan later elaborates that

Creation, and destruction, thus regularly succeed to one another. Nothing is at a stand. All is in motion, and every revolution serves but to some wise purpose. Thus, while some regions are undermining, others are forming; while this mountain crumbles, its resemblance consolidates in the ocean; while flints, jaspers, petro-silex, felt spar, granites, lavas, and ferruginous stones, from long exposure to the air, fall into a state of decomposition, similar bodies and crystalllizations assume their distinct shapes, and wait to be called into being. Thus succession is most admirable. Every particle of matter this comes into action. But the times required for such regeneration is infinitely, perhaps, too unbounded for the circumscribed imagination and faculties of man. (185-6) ^[10]

According to Sullivan, the earth is a realm beyond the limited ken of the human mind. Humanity must have faith in the knowledge that the destructions that seem to devastate all possibilities for human life are actually a clearing of the way for new life. ^[10]

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Documentary Evidence

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Appointment in India

Proceedings relative to the appointment of Richard Joseph Sullivan to be Ambassador from and to the Nabob of Arcot (No. 6) (Date presented: Order 20 February 1786) ^[7]

Abstract: These papers were referred to Committee of the whole House on 3 and 4 April and subsequently to Committee of the whole considering the articles of charge against Warren Hastings; the minutes of this Committee were printed from day to day, without any order to print in the Journal; for the purposes of this list these have been assigned the number 3832 [vol. 58] and they are items A.187-A.198 in the Abbot Collection ^[7]

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Property

A vellum indenture regarding the lease of property in Long Ditton between Richard Joseph Sullivan of Thames Ditton, Surrey and James Potter of Thames Ditton - yeoman. Dated 21 September 1801 in the 41st year of the reign of George III Property:

All that cottage with out-buildings, orchard and garden of one acre, lying in the parish of Long Ditton in the occupation of James Potter. Abutting west upon the Turnpike Road leading to Portsmouth and east, north and south upon lands in the occupation of David Willis. ^[2]

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Irish Roots

'Some years after Darby O'Sullivan's death, in 1802, the Ardea family had an unusual visitor. This was a herald of the London College of Arms named George Frederick Beltz, who had been engaged at enormous expense by a wealthy Sullivan family resident in London to furnish proofs of their descent from the noble house of O'Sullivan Mor. The family in question wished to qualify for an English baronetcy. ^[6]

'Beltz first called on Silvester O'Sullivan, the last Mac Finin Dubh. Silvester was a first cousin of the then head of the Ardea family, Philip O'Sullivan, and the latter's younger brother Kerry. Silvester, however, was much better off that his cousins. The lands which he held were much more extensive and, in addition to his prestigious hereditary title, he was a magistrate for County Kerry and assistant agent of the Shelburne estate. ^[6]

'On August 12, 1802 Beltz writes the following interesting letter to his London employer, Richard (later Sir Richard) Joseph Sullivan. ^[6]

We sailed yesterday down the beautiful River of Kenmare in quest of information from the Chiefs of some of the Septs of O'Sullivan whose pretensions to that distinction are, even in their impoverished state, recognized and held sacred. We passed, on the right, the remains of the Castle of Dunkerron (about a mile from this place) anciently the seat of O'Sullivan More. About 8 miles from hence are the ruins of the Castle of Ardea, upon a cliff hanging over the Southern bank of the River; and we climbed to the summit of the remaining walls. At length we arrived at Dirreen House, in the harbor of Kilmichalloge; and were kindly received, and hospitably entertained by Silvester O'Sullivan, alias Mc Fynin Duff, by which latter title (the son of Black Florence) the Heir of this particular branch has been distinguished for upwards of a thousand years. The proofs of this fact are incontestable and need not any written documents. We slept at Dirreen; but McFynin Duff is no Genealogist. He dispatched, however, a messenger to the Chief of the Ardea Branch; and, in our return, we again landed near the Castle; and were met by Mr. Kerry O'Sullivan, the youngest brother of the present Head of Ardea; who brought down from the mountains such papers relating to his Family as were in his possession. From these, and from his oral information, I have completed his descent from Philip O'Sullivan of Ardea, the youngest brother of Sir Owen O'Sullivan Beare. Among the papers produced by him was one in the handwriting of his late Father, Dermond alias Derby O'Sullivan (who died in 1795 at the age of 105). ^[6]

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Family

Descendants: ^[3]

                                     BORN          DIED     AGED
Richard Joseph Sullivan           10 Dec 1752  17 Jul 1806   53 
Sir Henry Sullivan                13 Mar 1785  14 Apr 1814   29 
Admiral Sir Charles Sullivan      28 Feb 1789  21 Nov 1862   73 
Charles Sullivan                  13 Jan 1820   3 Dec 1865   45 
Edward Robert Sullivan            29 Oct 1826  22 Jul 1899   72 
Francis William Sullivan          31 May 1834  13 May 1906   71 
Frederick Sullivan                28 Apr 1865  24 Jul 1954   89 
Richard Benjamin Magniac Sullivan 26 Oct 1906  22 Aug 1977   70 
Richard Arthur Sullivan            9 Aug 1931

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Daughters:

Charlotte Sullivan was the daughter of Richard Joseph Sullivan Bart. Charlotte married William Hale, Esquire (his second marriage) on 28th December 1824 in Ireland. ^[9]

Elizabeth Sullivan was born c.1791. Elizabeth died 2nd July 1846 at 54 years of age. She married Reverend Frederick Pleydell Bouverie 1st February 1814. Frederick was born 16th November 1785. Frederick was the son of Jacob Pleydell Bouverie 2nd Earl of Radnor and Anne Duncombe. Frederick died 6th June 1857 at 71 years of age. In the 1841 and 1851 Censuses, he was listed as a resident and head of household at The Rectory, Pewsey, Wiltshire. (See Reverend Frederick Pleydell Bouverie for the continuation of this line.) She was listed as a resident in the census report in The Rectory, Pewsey, Wiltshire, 1841. ^[11]

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Henry Sullivan

Memorial to Henry Sullivan in St Nicholas Church (24-Jan)

Henry (later Sir Henry) became Lieutenant Colonel in the Coldstream Guards, serving under the Duke of Wellington during the war in Spain and Portugal. According to his memorial tablet in St Nicholas:

He fell at its close before Bayonne, on the 14th of April, 1814, at the moment the enemy were driven back to their entrenchments. ^[5]

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Charles Sullivan

Memorial to Admiral Sir Charles Sullivan in St Nicholas Church (23-Jan)

SULLIVAN, Admiral Sir Charles (1789-1862): Son of the Irish writer and traveller, Sir Richard Joseph Sullivan. (Boase 3, Marshall 11, O’Byrne; BBA, DNB for the father). ^[8]

Charles entered HM Navy in 1801, and eventually became an Admiral of the Blue. In 818 he married the only daughter of Robert Taylor of Imber Court, Sheriff of Surrey, and thus two well-known families and estates of the locality became inter-linked. ^[1]

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Sir Edward Robert Sullivan (1826-1899)

Sir Edward Robert Sullivan, 5th Bt by Carlo Pellegrini, Vanity Fair (13th June 1885) (22-Jan)

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Documents

1882 Post Office London Directory: Palace Gate, Kensington, (W.) WEST SIDE: 1 Mrs Robert Drummond - Charles Drummond - Mrs Forster (Palace Gate House) - 3 Mrs Dugald Dove - 5 Charles Scarisbrick - 7 Henry Moser - 9 Lady Bisshopp - 11 Unoccupied - 13 T. Gurney Little - 15 Herbert de Renter - 37 Sir Edward Robert Sullivan, bart (The Red House) - EAST SIDE 2 John E. Millais, RA artist - 4 Paul Hardy - 6 Hon. John Fiennes Twistlton W Fiennes, and Lady Augusta Fiennes - 8 Henry Francis Makins, FRGS ^[12]

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