Dean Jonathan Swift
1667-1745
Born in Dublin.
After obtaining his degree from Trinity College Dublin only by “special
grace” he went to England where he became secretary to Sir William
Temple, at whose house he first met Esther Johnson. He returned to
Ireland, was ordained and served in a number of parishes, before going
back again to London. He supported the Tories but in return he received
only the deanery of St
Patrick’s Cathedral. After the death of Queen
Anne in 1714, he returned to Ireland to live out the rest of his life.
Swift was one of the great satirists and his commentary on political life
and human kind in general brought him a wide audience in his own lifetime.
His work is still in print and today has a worldwide audience. His best
known works include A Tale of a Tub, Gulliver’s Travels, Drapier’s
Letters, The Battle of the Books and Journal to Stella. He is
buried in St
Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. Swift wrote
his own epitaph which is on the wall close by his grave. It reads:
Hic Depositum Est Corpus/ Jonathan Swift S.T.D./ Hujus Ecclesiae
Cathedralis/ Decani/ Ubi Saeva Indignatio/ Ulterius/ Cor Lacerare Nequit/
Abi Viator/ Et Imitare, Si Poteris,/ Strenuum Pro Virili/ Libertatis
Vindicatorem/ Obiit 19 Die Mensis Octobris/ A.D. 1745 Anno Aetatis 78
Esther Johnson 1682-1728 was Swift’s
Stella. He was her tutor and she later became his friend and companion. Beneath the plaque to Swift is another one to Stella. It is not known who
wrote the inscription. It reads: Underneath Lie/ Interred The Mortal
Remains
Of Mrs Hester
Johnson Better/ Known To The World By The Name Of Stella/ Under Which She
Is Celebrated In The Writings Of/ Dr Jonathan Swift Dean Of This
Cathedral./ She Was A Person Of Extraordinary
Endow-/ Ments And
Accomplishments In Body, Mind And Be-/ Haviour, Justly Admired And
Respected, By All Who/ Knew Her, On Account Of Her Many Eminent Vir-/
Tues, As Well As For Her Great Natural And/ Acquired Perfections./She Dyed
January The 27th 1727-8/ In The 46th Year Of Her Age And/ By Her will
Bequeathed One/ Thousand Pounds Towards The/ Support Of A Chaplin To/ The
Hospital Founded In/ This City By / Doctor/ Steevens.
The graves of Swift and Stella are side by
side in the south aisle of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin and are marked
on the floor with separate inscriptions: Swift/ Dean 1713/ Obt 19oct 1745/
Aet 78
Stella’s grave
has the inscription:
Esther/ Johnson/
(Stella)/ Ob/ 28 Jan 1728
Further information, location and directions to the grave are
to be found in "The End - An Illustrated Guide to the Graves of Irish Writers".
Click here to order a copy of this book
