JOHN

See also:

• JOHN MCCLOSKEY (1810-1885)

MCCLOSKEY (1810-1885)  , American cardinal, was born in Brooklyn, New York, on the loth of March 18ro . He graduated at Mt St Mary's College, Emmitsburg, Maryland, in 1827, studied theology there, was ordained a priest in 1834, and in 1837, after two years in the college of the Propaganda at Rome, became rector of St Joseph's, New York City, a charge to which he returned in 1842 after one year's presidency of St John's College (afterwards Fordham University), Fordham, New York, then just opened . In 1844 he was consecrated bishop of Axieren in partibus, and was made coadjutor to Bishop Hughes of New York with the right of succession; in 1847 he became bishop of the newly created see of Albany; and in 1864 he succeeded to the archdiocese of New York, then including New York, New Jersey, and New England . In April 1875 he was invested as a cardinal, with the title of Sancta Maria supra Minervam, being the first American citizen to receive this dignity . He attended the conclave of 1878, but was too late to vote for the new pope . In May 1879 he dedicated St Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, whose corner-stone had been laid by Archbishop Hughes in 1858 . Archbishop Corrigan became his coadjutor in 188o because of the failure of McCloskey's always delicate health . The fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood was celebrated in 1884 . He died in New York City on the loth of October 1885 . He was a scholar, a preacher, and a man of affairs, temperamentally quiet and dignified; and his administration differed radically from that of Archbishop Hughes; he was conciliatory rather than polemic and controversial, and not only built up the Roman Catholic Church materially, but greatly changed the tone of public opinion in his diocese toward the Church . M'CLURE, SIR ROBERT JOHN LE MESURIER (1807-1873), English Arctic explorer, born at Wexford, in Ireland, on the 28th of January 1807, was the posthumous son of one of Abercrombie's captains and spent his childhood under the care of his godfather, General Le Mesurier, governor of Alderney, by whom he was educated for the army . He entered the navy, however, in 1824, and twelve years later gained his first experience of Arctic exploration as mate of the " Terror " in the expedition (1836-1837) commanded by Captain (afterwards Sir) George Back .

On his return he obtained his

commission as lieutenant, and from 1838 to 1839 served on the Canadian lakes, being subsequently attached to the North American and West Indian naval stations, where he remained till 1846 . Two years later he joined the Franklin search expedition (1848-1849) under Sir J . C . Ross as first lieutenant of the " Enterprise," and on the return of this expedition was given the command of the " Investigator " in the new search expedition (1850-1854) which was sent out by way of Bering Strait to co-operate with another from the north-west . In the course of this voyage he achieved the distinction of completing (1850) the work connected with the discovery of a North-West Passage (see POLAR REGIONS) . On his return to England, M'Clure was awarded gold medals by the English and French geographical societies, was knighted and promoted to post-rank, his commission being dated back four years in recognition of his special services . From 1856 to 1861 he served in Eastern waters, commanding the division of the naval brigade before Canton in 1858, for which he received a C.B. in the following year . His latter years were spent in a quiet country life; he attained the rank of rear-admiral in 1867, and of vice-admiral in 1873 . See Admiral Sherard Osborn, The Discovery of a North-West Passage (1856) .