Cornelius Magrath (Corney) - (1737 - 1760)

Corney was a giant of a man literally. He was born into an ordinary family in and around the Silvermines on 01/01/1737. We have no indication as to where exactly only Silvermines in general. The only thing exceptional about Corney is that from normal height for his age at 11 he grew and grew so that by the age of 16 was he was already 7 foot tall. Neither his parents nor siblings were of a similar stature.

 

Corney suffered from what was later known and described in 1888 in Revue de Medicine as Acromegaly. Professor of Anatomy at TCD, Dr Daniel J. Cunningham would later cite Hypertrophy of the Pituitary as the root cause of the condition. He described the elongation of the maxillary (Jaw) bones which are noticeable in the Longhi portrait. Certainly the German advertising leaflet engraved by Maag with the picture of Cornelius bears no resemblance to his actual features. …and suffer he did as he was afflicted with violent pains in his limbs. To remedy this Corney bathed in saltwater. 

 

In July 1752 at the age of 16, Corney found himself in Cork where he was pursued by crowds fascinated by his extraordinary height and strange appearance. It was during this period he shot to just under 7 foot. He wound up employed by Bishop Berkeley, Bishop of Cloyne, a known dabbler in alternative medicines. The Bishop is credited with Magrath's prodigious size but we know this was not the case. It is probable though that the Bishop suggested the salt baths in order to relieve the growing pains in Corney’s joints. The Bishop however was kind to Corney and kept him at his Palace for a number of months while Corney recovered the use of his limbs. 

 

Whilst in Cork, and following some persuasion, Corney found an impresario and was encouraged to exhibit himself as a source of income. Further travels took him to Bristol, London and the Continent. In Prussia, an engraving by Johann Nepomuk Maag was made of him but one wonders if the artist ever actually met Corney.

 

In Venice in 1757 a more realistic portrait by Pietro Longhi captured his features, his bulbous eyes and protruding jawline and even displays elements of Knock-Knee (Genu Valgum) which was part of his affliction. Longhi, already famous for his true to life painting of a Rhinoceros, captured a more realistic image of Corney and recording his height and weight in an inscription on the painting.

 

From German, Italian and English measurements it has been calculated that Corney weighed 31 stone 12 lbs. It was postulated that if he continued growing he would have to spend the remainder of his life either lying or sitting down as the bones in his body would be unable to withstand the stresses of standing or walking. However, when the Corney’s skeleton was examined by Dr Cunningham most of the epiphyses were united indicating he had reached full growing height.

 

Some reports state that Corney took ill in Flanders whereas another in 1833 states he died as a result of an injury sustained whilst performing as a giant in The Giant Queller at the Theatre Royal. This led to consumption to which he finally succumbed whilst lodging at The Sceptre & Cushion in College Green, Dublin on 16/05/1760. While Corney’s body was being waked, news filtered through to nearby Trinity College Dublin,  Anatomy school who were anxious to lay their hands on the giants body. Four students in disguise supplied the wake party of mourners with whiskey laced with Laudanum…. 

 

When everyone was asleep, Corney’s body was placed on a large door and borne away to Trinity. This was the time of the Resurrectionists when no dead body was safe. Nightwatchmen patrolled graveyards and some tombs were encased in iron cages. The Head of the school of Anatomy, Dr Robert Robinson, although not himself implicit in the theft of Magrath's body, had earlier warned his students-

 

“Gentlemen, I have been told that some of you in your zeal have contemplated carrying off the body. I most earnestly beg you not to think of such a thing: but if you should be so carried away with your desire for knowledge that thus against my expressed wish you persist in doing so: I would have you remember that if you take only the body, there is no law whereby you can be touched, but if you take so much as a rag or a stocking with it, it is a hanging matter.”

 

The following day the Mourners were banging on the gates of the Provost at TCD demanding the return of their friend. They were informed that the dissection had already taken place, offered compensation and sent away…. Dr Robinson was heard to chuckle to himself….”Divil a knife in him yet….”

Soon after Dr Robinson gave a public lecture on Corney’s body.

 

But the indignities didn’t end there.....

A fellow giant from Derry, Charles Byrne, expressed a wish to be buried at sea in a lead coffin, out of the clutches of Resurrectionists but he was instead taken to the Royal College of Surgeons, London, his flesh boiled away and his skeleton put on display as a centrepiece in the Hunterian collection. Similarly Cornelius Magrath was put in a display cabinet. There is no documentary evidence that Magrath ever agreed to be so displayed or used.

 At one time he was suspended from the ceiling and by the manipulation of strings and wires was made to dance. Parts of his skeleton went missing and were replaced with smaller specimen substitutes. The bones were covered in numerous coats of paint or varnish.

 

Finally Magrath's body has been taken from public display but is still retained by TCD. The Human Tissue Bill of 2013 addresses the question of the old Anatomy Collections of TCD. However the Head of Anatomy TCD has oversight when it comes to addressing the issue of the burial of Corney's body. The question must be asked........ Surely in these days of laser scanning and 3D printing a facsimile of the bones could be made and Corney’s body returned to the Silvermines area for burial.