Earl Mayo monument in Cockermouth, Cumbria, UK
Mayo was born in Dublin, the eldest son of Robert Bourke, 5th Earl of Mayo, and his wife Anne Charlotte, daughter of the Hon. John Jocelyn. His younger brother the Hon. Robert Bourke was also a successful politician. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. While visiting the convict settlement at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, for the purpose of inspection, he was assassinated by Sher Ali Afridi, a Pathan convict who used a knife. His murderer appeared to be motivated only by a sense of injustice at his own imprisonment, and had resolved to kill a high ranking colonial official. Mayo's body was brought home to Ireland and buried at the medieval ruined church in Johnstown, County Kildare, near his home at Palmerstown House. In 1873, the newly-discovered swallowtail butterfly Papilio mayo from the Andaman Islands was named in honor of the late earl. The traditional Irish march "Lord Mayo" ("Tiagharna Mhaighe-eo") was also named after him. According to tradition, it was composed by his harper David Murphy to appease Mayo after Murphy angered him. On 19 August 1875 a statue of Lord Mayo was unveiled in the town of Cockermouth in the centre of the main street. The eight hundred guinea cost of the statue (made by Messrs. Willis of London) had been raised by public subscription. The unveiling was attended by Mayo's son, the 7th Earl; Lord Napier and Ettrick; the Bishop of Carlisle Harvey Goodwin: and the Earl of Lonsdale. The statue, carved in Sicilian marble, depicts Lord Mayo in his viceregal garb, and still stands today. [edit]
Size: 4288px × 2848px
Location: Cockermouth, Cumbria
Photo credit: © NDP / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: cockermouth, cumbria, district, earl, lake, lakes, mayo, national, park, scene, scenes, statue, street, town, village, white
