Adam's The History Sale Tuesday 24th April 2018

60 Tuesday 24th April 98 FATHER THEOBOLD MATHEW ‘THE FATHER OF TEMPERANCE’ (1790 - 1856) Three p.s holograph letter signed, from New Orleans 13 February 1851 to Richard Dowden Esq, 160 x 205mm (previously folded) In reply to Dowden’s which contained “ joyful tidings ”, comments on circulation of his letters through Miss Jennings, he waxes lyrical about Miss Lind, to whom he has been introduced. He can’t attend her evening concerts “ as it would disedify ” but she sang to him her most admired songs in the Morning Rehersals. “ She is more like a large melodious Bird, than a Human Creature” . He thanks Dowden, “ For your untiring advocacy of the Glorious Cause ofTemperance” Richard Dowden (1794 - 1861), a business man, philanthropist and Mayor of Cork and whilst being a member of the Unitarian congre- gation he supported O’Connell. He was drawn to Fr. Mathew through his work for the deprived which led to this active involvement in theTemperance movement. He cleared Fr. Mathews debts of £7,000 in 1884 and continued to raise money for the movement.The friendship the two men had for each other is apparent in this letter. Johanna Maria Lind (1820 - 1887) better known as Jenny Lind, orThe Swedish Nightingale. She performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and undertook an extraordinarly popular concert tour of America beginning in 1850. Fr. Mathews’sTrip to U.S.A (1849 - 51), having suffered a stroke, was somewhat belated effort to revive theTemperance movement which had already started to decline. € 500 - 800