Maurice Goldsmith

Date and place of birth from family bible quoted in 'The early haunts of Oliver Goldsmith' by J. J.Kelly. Date of birth also in 'The life of Oliver Goldsmith' by James Prior, who also says he was alive in 1774 and lived as a cabinet maker at Charlestown, Co. Roscommon.

Date of death and wife's name from Bewley MSS (National Library of Ireland GO MS 385).

Note by Bishop Percy: "Having been bred to no business, he upon some occasion complained to our bard, that he found it difficult to live like a gentleman, on which Oliver begged he would, without delay, quit so unprofitable a trade and betake himself to some handycraft employment. Maurice wisely took the hint, and bound himself apprentice to a cabinet maker. He had a shop in Dublin, when the Duke of Rutland was Lord Lieutenant : who at the instance of Mr. Orde, then principal secretary of state (now Lord Bolton) out of regard to his brother's memory, made him an inspector of the licences in that city. He was also appointed mace-bearer on the erection of the Royal Irish Academy : both of them places very compatible with his business. In the former he gave proof of great integrity by detecting a fraud committed on the revenue in his department, by which probably he might himself have profited, if he had not been a man of principle. He died without issue" - Sir Ernest Clarke, 'The family letters of Oliver Goldsmith; a paper read before the Bibliographical Society, October 15, 1917' (London: Blades, East & Blades, 1920).

But family trees on Myherirtage.com record a daughter called Esther.Goodwin. And there is a Sergeant John Goldsmith, a cabinet maker by trade, born in Kilkenny, co. Westmeath, age 56, who was discharged by reason of old age from the South Cork Regiment after 24 years' service on 30 March 1809.