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 next to the West Door of 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep – Oct – NovDec


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

DateBarometerThermostatWindRemarks
01 Oct 179529.860WWet
02 Oct 179529.862WDry
03 Oct 179529.862WDry,fog
04 Oct 179529.860WDry,fog
05 Oct 179529.457NEWet
06 Oct 179529.856SEDry,heavy rain at night
07 Oct 179529.555SDry,heavy rain at night
08 Oct 179529.255SWDry,heavy rain at night
09 Oct 179528.952NWShowers
10 Oct 179528.551NWWet
11 Oct 17952952NWHeavy showers, wet
12 Oct 179529.355SWWet
13 Oct 179529.356SWet
14 Oct 179529.356SWet
15 Oct 179529.355SWWet
16 Oct 179529.256SWWet
17 Oct 179529.557SEShowery, heavy rain at night
18 Oct 179529.356SWWet
19 Oct 179529.255SWWet
20 Oct 17952954SWWet
21 Oct 17952952SDry, Showery
22 Oct 17952950SWDry
23 Oct 179528.955SWWet, high storm at night
24 Oct 179528.856WDry
25 Oct 179529.456WHeavy showers, wet
26 Oct 179529.356WDry
27 Oct 17952952WWet
28 Oct 179529.250WWet, high storm at night
29 Oct 179529.250SWWet, remarkable high tide
30 Oct 179529.249SWWet
31 Oct 179529.250SWWet

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