The Jacobs of Maryborough

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

The Jacobs were a famous medical family in Portlaoise for four generations and they were all buried in a vault in old St. Peter's churchyard at Railway Street, Portlaoise.

The first of the family was Lieutenant William Jacob, a doctor in the army when he returned he settled in Knockfin House, Rathdowney. His son John Jacob I was the first of the Maryborough Jacobs.

John Jacob I

John Jacob I became a doctor and settled at Knocknagrove House, Portlaoise. With the help of Thomas Parnell, the brother of the first Lord Congleton, he set up the first county infirmary in the grounds of the Fort of Maryborough. The main building was in the original tower of the O'Moore's Castle (now part of the Presentation Convent).

Here also he opened a medical school which was considered one of the best in Ireland at that time.

Dr. Jacob persuaded General Sir Eyre Coote II, M.P. for Queen's County of Portrane House, Maryborough to give him, for a nominal sum, the site and also a large sum towards the building of a new hospital on the Dublin Road (now the planning office) and James Grattan, the son of Henry Grattan gave £2,000 towards its building.

Dr. Jacob later built Portleix House (later St. Joseph's former residence of the Parish priests of Portlaoise) as his private house. He died in 1827. A monument was erected to his memory in the hospital but this was destroyed by vandals in about 1939.

Dr. Jacob also started the Jacob Diaries, a record of all births, deaths, etc., of all families which they attended. He had two sons, John and Arthur who became one of the most distinguished occulists in the world and resided in Dublin. Arthur's son, Archibald Hamilton Jacob was the founder of the Medical Press.

John Jacob II

Dr. John Jacob II was born in Maryborough in 1809 the eldest son of Dr. John Jacob. He became surgeon to the county infirmary and like his father before him was in charge of the medical school attached to the hospital. He was partially in responsible for the erection of the Maryborough district Lunatic Asylum (now St. Fintan's hospital) and became its first physician. He became a member of the Mountmellick Board of Guardians, the Queen's County Grand Jury, forerunner of the County Council. He was also a local Justice of the peace.

At Woodville House, Portlaoise, he founded a private mental hospital for men and at Annebrook House a similar institution for women. In 1833 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in 1832. He died in February 1864.

Dr. David Baldwin Jacob

Dr. David Jacob was born in Portleix House, Maryborough, in 1837. He first trained as a doctor with his father John Jacob II taking his degree as M.D. from the Queen's University in 1856. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in 1872. In 1864 he succeeded his father as surgeon of the Queen's County infirmary and consulting physician to the Maryborough District Asylum. He was also, for many years, the surgeon and Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th battalion of the Leinster Regiment Queen's County Rifles. He was, for a time, president of the Irish Medical Association and was a Fellow of the Royal Irish Academy of Medicine. He was an ex-officio member of he Mountmellick Board of Guardians and a Justice of the Peace. It was he who was responsible for the getting of piped water to the majority of houses in Portlaoise with the late Patrick A. Meehan, M.P. and for the bridge being put across the mill race in the Main Street and Lower Square. He retired as county surgeon in 1898. He died 21st July 1912.

Dr. William Jacob

Dr. William Jacob was the second son of Dr. David Jacob and was born in Portleix House. He was the last of the famous family to reside in Portlaoise. He succeeded his father as county surgeon but was dismissed by Patrick A. Meehan, M.P., chairman of the Queen's County Council because he would not resign his position as dispensary doctor in Maryborough. He was also a surgeon to the Queen's County militia, 4th Battalion Leinster Regiment. He died while returning from a sick call in December, 1914. His death severed a one hundred and twenty years medical link with Queen's County and the town of Maryborough. He gave his own papers and the Jacob Diaries and papers to the old County hospital, where they were kept in the surgeons' rooms. It is alleged that the man who ordered them to be burnt just before the army moved into the old hospital on the outset of World War II in 1939, was the Fianna Fail appointed County Manager of Laois Mr. Bartley, who said they were useless old rubbish.

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