Dr Samuel Crumpe born in Rathkeale in 1766. He studied medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Returning to Limerick in 1788, he worked in St. John’s Hospital which had only been founded in 1780 by Lady Lucy Pery Harstonge.

He married Susanna Ingram in 1792, they had a son (who did not live past infancy) and a daughter.

He was a made freeman of Limerick in 25 June 1792. Dr. Crumpe’s work on opium provided an experimental basis for classifying the drug as a stimulant rather than a narcotic. He died on the 27 January 1796 aged 29 of typhus which he contracted from a patient.

He is buried in St. Mary’s Cathedral Graveyard. Part of the inscription on his tomb reads

“Were his contemporaries to live forever monuments of his talents, it would be unnecessary to eternize his name. But as they also must descend into the grave, it is a just due to the memory of departed worth to inform posterity that beneath this stone is interred a man who to eminent talents, profound judgements and extensive knowledge, added integrity of the heart, benevolence of the disposition and suavity of manners. As a son, a husband, a parent, a friend, his conduct was such as to merit the tenderest love of those with whom he was connected, the warm approbation and esteem of all to whom he was known”

The following is an extract from Dr Samuel Crumpe’s diary of 1795 in which he kept track of the weather each day of that year, monitoring the barometer reading, wind direction, thermostat reading (from March onwards) and general remarks. The temperatures given are in Fahrenheit. 50 degrees Fahrenheit equals 10 degrees Celsius.

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JanFeb – Mar – AprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec


The following are the entries from his weather diary of 1795 for March.

DateBarometerThermostatWindRemarks
01 Mar 179529.550SVariable
02 Mar 179529.755SWDry
03 Mar 17953056WDry
04 Mar 179529.955WSlight showers
05 Mar 179529.257SWWet
06 Mar 179529.550NWShowers, stormy
07 Mar 17953045NEDry
08 Mar 179530.147NWDry
09 Mar 179529.844WWet
10 Mar 179529.245WWet
11 Mar 17952945NWWet
12 Mar 17952945NWHeavy showers, hail
13 Mar 17952946SWet
14 Mar 179529.345SEDry, slight frost at night
15 Mar 179529.544SEDry, slight frost at night
16 Mar 179529.345SESlight showers
17 Mar 179529.450SEDry
18 Mar 179529.945EDry
19 Mar 179530.145NEDry
20 Mar 179530.245NWDry
21 Mar 179529.745NWHeavy rain before day, showers after
22 Mar 17953045NEDry
23 Mar 179531.145NWDry
24 Mar 179529.750NWDry
25 Mar 179529.750WDry
26 Mar 179529.153WDry
27 Mar 179529.653WWet
28 Mar 179529.753SWDry
29 Mar 179529.650SWDry, heavy rain at night
30 Mar 179529.648SWDry
31 Mar 179529.750SWMild showers

You can find the Weather Reports for other months in 1795 here.