Life
1728-92; son of Abraham Shackleton, ed. at his father’s school with
Burke, life-long friend; ed. TCD; headmaster of the school at Ballytore;
Letters to him from Burke printed in Leadbeater Papers [see Mary
Leadbeater]. DNB
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Notes
Stanley Ayling, Edmund Burke (1988), Abraham Shackleton,
Yorkshire born Quaker and youngest of six [2] Ballitore prospectus at
its opening in 1726 had informed the public that ‘being placed guardian
over the morals of the youth under his care,’ Mr Shackleton declined
to teach anything that was ‘subversive of sound principles, particularly
those authors who recommend in seducing language the illusions of love
and the abominable trade of war’; he proposed for £6 ‘to fit
youth for business and to instruct them in polite literature.’ ALSO
A letter from Burke to Richard Shackleton, ‘We take different roads
’tis true ... Far be it from me to exclude from salvation such as
believe not as I do; but indeed it is a melancholy thing to consider the
diversity of sects and opinions amongst us. Men should not for a small
matter commit so great a crime as breaking the unity of the Church; and
I am sure if the spirit of humility, the greatest of Christian virtues,
was our guide, our sects and religions would be much fewer ...’ (Corr.,
no ref. given; but see Cruise O’Brien, The Great Melody, 1992,
p.25]. Further, a description of Jane Burke, by Mary Shackleton, daughter
of Richard, at Ballitore (from Ballitore papers) [17-18]. Richard Shackleton
on mission to Bristol stressing that rumours of Burke’s popery were
rubbish. [76]; in April 1770 there appeared in the London Evening Post
an article based on information written down by Richard Shackleton describing
Burke’s mother as being ‘of a Popish family’; and ‘practising
the duties of the Romish religion with a decent privacy’ and his
wife as ‘a genteel, well-bred woman of the Roman faith’; Burke’s
angered reply to the tenor of the whole article, in a letter to Shackleton,
Corr. i. 136. [49] Shackleton’s reply: ‘Thou art grown a rough
publick man, sure enough ... I do in the sincerest and most earnest manner
beg forgiveness’. [50] Shackleton gives an account of the 600 acres
grand estate at Gregories to his wife, 25 May 1780; Mary Shackleton (Mrs
Leadbeater) adds information about Burke’s manner of living there,
that Burke had a little ‘tea-house’ which he called his ‘root-house’
about a mile from the house, and built of roots, moss, etc, with ‘a
retird view bounded principally by woods; and ‘a little kitchen behind
and an ice-house under it.’ (This is noted as Corr. III, 181).
Conor Cruise O’Brien, The Great Melody (1992); [O’Brien finds] ‘clear traces’ of a ‘deposit’ of Catholic instruction in Burke’s early letters, especially way of reproaching his Quaker friend Shackleton for his appeal to the intuitions of ‘inner light’. [25] He finds Burke more moved by the fate of those such as branches of the Nagles in Ireland who, through inadvisable decisions, had lost not their lives but their family fortunes. [ibid., 28]
W. J. McCormack, ed., The Blackwell Companion to Irish Literature (1999,
2001), Anthony Farrell, ‘Shackleton family’: gives account:
yoeman stock in W. Riding, Yorkshire; Abraham (1696-1770) came to Ireland
as tutor to Ducketts, Carlow, and Coopers, King’s County 1720; estab.
Ballintore School, Co. Kildare (1726-1836), on his return; Richard (1728-92),
his son, friend of Burke; Mary Leadbeater (1758-1826), Richard’s
dg.; George (1785-1871), expanded milling business to Lyons Mill, Straffan,
(destroyed by fire, 1903), Anna Liffey Mill, Lucan; and Grange Mill, Lucan,
between 1853 and 1865 [ultimate sale of premisses recorded also]; Lydia
(1828-1914), botanical artist; Ebenezer (1784-1856), f. of Richard, maker
of first steel roller mill in Ireland; Ernest (1874-1922), son of Henry,
Antartic explorer. knighted 1909; Frank (1876-1941) Dubln Herald, implicated
in theft of Insignia of Order of St. Patrick; Edward, s. of Ernest, life
peer, 1958, and Labour leader in House of Lords, 1968-1970; David (1923-1988),
plant collection with garden at Beech Park,Clonsilla, Co. Dublin.
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Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco)