The life and times of John Francis Small

His early education began at Patterson’s Academy on Corry Square. According to Edward A. Lamb, both he and Small later attended a private school on William Street around 1864. Not long after, he continued his studies under the guidance of the Very Rev. Father Finnigan, President of St. Colman’s College.

From a young age, John was regarded as a precocious and studious child, with a passion for Greek and Latin literature. His intellectual interests were further enriched through extensive travel across the continent. By his teenage years, he had already distinguished himself academically, winning the Silver Medal of the Incorporated Law Society for placing first in his preliminary solicitor’s examination.

He was then apprenticed to Joshua M. Magee, a leading solicitor in Newry who also held the roles of Crown Solicitor for County Armagh and Coroner for its Southern Division. Small was admitted to the High Court of Judicature in Ireland in 1874, at just 22 years old. As he was too young to begin formal legal practice immediately, he devoted this period to writing Historical Sketch of Newry, which he published under the pseudonym ‘Newriensis’ in 1875. Probably the first major historical study of the town, the book demonstrated both his literary skill and deep local knowledge. That same year, he attended the funerals of noted Protestant nationalists John Mitchel and John Martin. The following year, he was elected a member of the Newry Literary & Scientific Society, an organisation previously presided over by William Haslett Mitchel, brother of John Mitchel.

In the years that followed, Small’s political and civic engagement deepened. In 1876, he formally began practicing as a solicitor at 26 Hill Street. In 1877, he and his father were instrumental in founding an Irish Home Rule organisation for Newry at the Imperial Hotel. These activities reflect an early and earnest commitment to Irish nationalism, a stance likely influenced by his mother’s earlier connections to Dublin’s literary circles and the Young Ireland movement.

In 1882, possibly inspired by his mentor Joshua Magee, Small stood for election as Coroner for the Southern Division of County Armagh. He was elected by 581 votes to Dr. Anderson’s 532, and the role tasked him with investigating unexplained or sudden deaths throughout the area.

A year later, in 1883, Small was elected Parnellite MP for Wexford in the British Parliament. The news was met with great celebration in Newry: at nine o’clock that evening, around 5,000 people gathered. The Monaghan Row and Church Street Fife and Drum Bands assembled at Ballybot Courthouse to Margaret Street, where they stopped in front of Small’s family home. There, music played, and cheers were raised in his honour. He was later elected MP for the newly created constituency of South Down, a position he held until 1886.

In 1887 Small became a Town Commissioner for Newry, a role he held for many years. He was elected to the newly formed Newry Urban District Council in 1889. John Francis Small died at his Hill Street residence on 5 July 1923, aged 71, and was buried at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery.