Researching Thomas Fitzpatrick

On his return to England, Thomas Fitzpatrick took up a position with St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London and in 1868 he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians. He took up a private practice near Hyde Park, London and was married to Agnes Letitia (née Robinson) in May 1865. Thomas Fitzpatrick died 31 May 1900 aged 68, after which his wife took to publish some of his writings, Tours and Excursions on the Continent and established the Fitzpatrick Lecture, 'a study in the history of medicine' to his memory at the Royal College of Physicians. Agnes died in 1912, aged 90.

Fitzpatrick was a government guide and also led a wagon train of pioneers to Oregon. He helped negotiate the Fort Laramie treaty of 1851. In the winter of 1853–54, Fitzpatrick went to Washington, D.C., to see after treaties that needed to be approved, but while there he contracted pneumonia and died on February 7, 1854.

He was known as "Broken Hand" after his left hand had been crippled in a firearms accident.

Fitzpatrick was born in Cork. He contributed to the satirical magazine Pat (published from 1881-1883), the Weekly Freeman, the Irish Figaro, the Irish Emerald, the Weekly Nation, Punch and the New York Gaelic American, and was for a time chief cartoonist of the National Press. In 1905 he launched his own satirical magazine, The Lepracaun, which he edited and drew most of the cartoons and illustrations for until his health began to fail in 1911. James Joyce contributed short pieces and cartoon ideas. He died in Dublin.

A collection of Fitzpatrick's cartoons from The Lepracaun was published in book form in 1913. He was also a master illuminator and with his daughter, artist Mary Fitzpatrick O'Brien, he produced many illuminated and richly decorated scrolls and paintings, many reflecting the influence of the early Celtic Revival. He was the grandfather of the Irish fantasy artist Jim Fitzpatrick.

Born in 1837 in Canada, Fitzpatrick, joined the US Navy from Taunton, Massachusetts in December 1861. He served during the Civil War as a coxswain on Admiral David Farragut's flagship, the . Acting as a gun captain at the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864, Fitzpatrick was wounded in the face by splinters and his artillery piece was disabled by hostile fire. Within minutes, he returned the gun to operation by making necessary repairs and clearing away the dead and wounded. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later on December 31, 1864. Fitzpatrick had been discharged earlier that same month.

Fitzpatrick's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Coxswain Thomas Fitzpatrick, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action, serving as Captain of the No. 1 gun on board the flagship U.S.S. Hartford, during action against rebel gunboats, the ram Tennessee and Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay, Alabama, 5 August 1864. Although struck several times in the face by splinters, and with his gun disabled when a shell burst between the two forward 9-inch guns, killing and wounding 15 men, Coxswain Fitzpatrick, within a few minutes, had the gun in working order again with new track, breeching and side tackle, had sent the wounded below, cleared the area of other casualties, and was fighting his gun as before. He served as an inspiration to the members of his crew and contributed to the success of the action in which the Tennessee was captured.

Fitzpatrick was the youngest son of the Rev. R. W. Fitzpatrick, Vicar of Holy Trinity, Bedford. He was educated at Bedford School and Christ's College, Cambridge. He went to Christ's on a scholarship and came top of the Natural Sciences Tripos examinations in 1883 and 1885. Having been elected as a Fellow of Christ's, he became Dean of the college in 1890. He served as one of Sir J.J. Thomson's demonstrators at the Cavendish Laboratory for many years. He also served as the Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Salisbury, John Wordsworth between 1895 and 1911.

Fitpatrick was invited by the fellows to become President of Queens' College, Cambridge when the previous incumbent, Frederic Chase, was consecrated as Bishop of Ely in June 1906. During his time as President, he undertook many structural improvements to the college and was a large benefactor. He died in the President's Lodge on 28 October 1931.

He is buried at the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge.

He was born at Montrath in Queen's County, the son of Jeremiah Fitzpatrick and Mary Delany. He grew up on his parents' farm and in 1857 at the age of twenty-one migrated to Melbourne, soon moving on to the Riverina. In 1868 he became manager of a station at Temora. He married Ellen Sproule in 1869; they had four children. Around 1870 Fitzpatrick bought his own land near Junee, building up an extensive property known as Erinvale Estate. In 1894 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the Protectionist member for Murrumbidgee. He served until his defeat in 1904. He travelled twice to the United Kingdom, in 1906 and 1910. Fitzpatrick died at Junee in 1920.