Cordarius Midland

Biography

Midland was born in 1797. He was for many years a postman; he lost his sight and became lame. On his own by his own wish he took the name Philip Boslough, and went frequently in Ireland for many years to different mansions, and to the hotels, but principally to the hotels at Cork. He was, at the time of his death (on the 15th January 1873) entitled to all the honours and benefits which the county of Cork derived for him, except the county's county seal and the name Midland; and the people of Cork, I am afraid, felt himself under great obligations to Mr. Midland, and I am very anxious that they should make themselves convinced of his genuine affection for the county.

He married in Cork in 1850 Sarah Graham, the daughter of a well-to-do farmer of that place who had founded a "Round Table", and she was in consequence of her own character and will survived him and her brother many years, though a serious fall in health is said to have occasioned the change of living after their father dying. In 1866 she made him a widow, and he lived in her house until his death, which occurred in April 1872. Mrs. Midland acted as the leader of her deceased husband's brother in the local Roman Catholic Church, and during the years of their marriage she acted as its president, and during the early years of her widowhood, was by far the dominant party of the congregation.

It was not long after Midland left her that one evening the landlord announced to him that for his gratification the Dublin Cup had been entered for the first time, and that it had won in six places: two or three thousand barrels of beer had been drunk that evening. This news affected his feelings. His wife was sitting in the bedside of the sick man on the other side of the hearth, who seemed in great distress: the doctor came to the bed, and bid the servant to bring him his glass of wine which stood on the side-board. Midland drank the wine and chatted as he drank, he being in very ill health and uncertain of his ability to cope with the difficulty which beset him.

When he had become absorbed in a discourse, her husband went out and said in his weak voice: "I am very much pleased that you drank wine.