Matthew Concanen (1701 – 22 January 1749) was an Irish writer, poet and lawyer.

Life

Concanen studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

but travelled to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

as a young man, and began writing political pamphlets in support of the Whig government. He also wrote for newspapers including the ''

London Journal James Boswell's ''London Journal'' is a published version of the daily journal he kept between the years 1762 and 1763 while in London. Along with many more of his private papers, it was found in the 1920s at Malahide Castle in Ireland, and w ...

'' and ''The Speculatist''. He published a volume of poems, some of which were original works and some translations. He wrote a dramatic comedy, '' Wexford Wells'', staged at Dublin's

Smock Alley Theatre Since the 17th century, there have been numerous theatres in Dublin with the name Smock Alley. The current Smock Alley Theatre () is a 21st-century theatre in Dublin, converted from a 19th-century church building, incorporating structural mat ...

. A collection of his essays from ''The Speculatist'' was published in 1732. His skills attracted the attention of the Whig statesman

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne (21 July 1693 – 17 November 1768) was an English Whigs (British political party), Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prim ...

. In June 1732 the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

appointed him

attorney-general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

.James Sambrook, 'Concanen, Matthew (1701–1749)',

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004 He held the post for over sixteen years. While in

, he married the daughter of a local planter. After his tenure in Jamaica was completed, he sailed back to London, intending to retire to Ireland, but died of a

fever Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...

in London shortly after his return. He criticized

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early ...

and was rewarded with a passage in Pope's '' Dunciad'' ridiculing him as "A cold, long-winded native of the deep" (Dunciad, ii. 299–304). There is also well-known letter about him written by

William Warburton William Warburton (24 December 16987 June 1779) was an English writer, literary critic and churchman, Bishop of Gloucester from 1759 until his death. He edited editions of the works of his friend Alexander Pope, and of William Shakespeare. Lif ...

, who comments on how Concanen helped him.

''An Essay Against Too Much Reading''

The 1728 humorous anonymous pamphlet, ''An Essay Against Too Much Reading'', has been attributed to Concanen, though it has also been identified (probably wrongly) as the work of a certain "Captain Goulding" (Thomas Goulding) of Bath. It included the first, though none too serious, direct statements of doubt about Shakespeare's authorship.Reginald Charles Churchill, ''Shakespeare and His Betters: A History and a Criticism of the Attempts which Have Been Made to Prove that Shakespeare's Works Were Written by Others''; Indiana University Press, 1959 The author proposed "a short account of Mr Shakespeare's proceeding, and that I had from one of his intimate acquaintance..."

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 ...

is described as merely a collaborator who "in all probability cou'd not write English." With regard the Bard's grasp of history, the ''Essay'' related that Shakespeare "not being a scholar" employed a "chuckle-pated historian" who gave him a set of notes to save the trouble of research.Ivor John Carnegie Brown; ''William Shakespeare''; Morgan-Grampian Books Ltd., 1968 The historian also corrected his grammar.

Writings

In 1731 Concanen, Edward Roome, & Sir William Yonge produced ''The Jovial Crew'', an opera, adapted from

Richard Brome Richard Brome ; (c. 1590? – 24 September 1652) was an English dramatist of the Caroline era. Life Virtually nothing is known about Brome's private life. Repeated allusions in contemporary works, like Ben Jonson's '' Bartholomew Fair'', in ...

's '' A Jovial Crew''. His publications included *'' Wexford Wells'' (1719) *Meliora's Tears for Thyrsis (1720) *A Match at Football (1720) *Poems on Several Occasions (1722) *Miscellaneous Poems (1724) *Miscellaneous Poems and Translations (1726) *A Supplement to the Profound (1728) *The Speculatist (1730) *A Miscellany on Taste (1732) *Review of the Excise Scheme (1733). He was co-author of ''The history and antiquities of the parish of St. Saviour's, Southwark''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Concanen, Matthew English dramatists and playwrights Shakespeare authorship question 1701 births 1749 deaths English male dramatists and playwrights English male poets Attorneys general of the Colony of Jamaica