Admiral Philip Cosby

By Patrick F. Meehan
Extracted from "Laois Yearbook" 1983

Philip Cosby was born in Stradbally about 1730. He joined the Royal Army at an early age and saw service all over the world. He joined General Wolfe in Canada with a brigade of Laois men. Wolfe appointed him his aide and in that capacity he and his Laois men served the General with distinction. They helped t o take Quebec from the French in 1759 and in fact, General Wolfe died in the arms of Philip Cosby. In 1754 he returned to Ireland when he succeeded to the estates of his cousin Lord Sydney of Leix who had been British Ambassador to Denmark. Admiral Cosby concluded the treaty with the Sultan of Morocco in 1788 and in 1794 he was present at the capture of Corcia and Toulon.

In 1798 he punished a member of the Yoemans for burning the Catholic Church in Stradbally and he had a new church erected with a bell and a cross and this church served the people of Stradbally 'till the present day church was built in 1898. He died at Bath on 10th January, 1808, and was buried in the Abbey Church.

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