Ambrose Eccles (c. 1736–1809), full name Isaac-Ambrose Eccles, was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

Shakespearean scholar.

Life

He was the son of Hugh Eccles, of Cronroe,

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606 in Ireland, 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces ...

, and his wife Elizabeth Ambrose. He was the grandson of

Sir John Eccles Sir John Carew Eccles (27 January 1903 – 2 May 1997) was an Australian neurophysiologist and philosopher who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the synapse. He shared the prize with Andrew Huxley and Alan Lloyd ...

. He was educated at

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

, and then travelled in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, but returned home through illness. Eccles was in London in 1763, and was a guest of

James Boswell James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 ( N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, '' Life of Samuel ...

at the Mitre tavern. He died in 1809, at his seat at Cronroe.

Works

Eccles was a dramatic critic, and published editions of several of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's plays, in which he transposed scenes that appeared to him to be wrongly placed. These plays were ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' (), also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in British Iron Age, Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concer ...

'', 1793; ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'', 1793; and ''

Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'', 1805. They contained notes and illustrations, with critical and historical essays.

Family

Eccles married Grace Ball, eldest daughter of Thomas Ball of Urker,

County Armagh County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...

. They had three sons and three daughters. Among the sons was Major Hugh Eccles, whose daughter Elizabeth Eccles married

Henry Ward, 5th Viscount Bangor Henry William Crosbie Ward, 5th Viscount Bangor Deputy Lieutenant, DL, Justice of the Peace, JP (26 July 1828 – 23 February 1911), styled The Honourable from birth until 1881, was an Irish peer, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician a ...

References

1730s births Year of birth uncertain 1809 deaths 18th-century Anglo-Irish people 18th-century scholars 19th-century scholars Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Shakespearean scholars {{UK-academic-bio-stub