Harry Furniss is an Irish-born cartoonist who worked in England and wrote an autobiography published in 1901,
'The Confessions of a Caricaturist, Illustrated'. He
denied his Irishness:
"I was born in Ireland, in the town of Wexford, on March 26th, 1854. I do not, however, claim, to be an Irishman. My father was a typical Englishman, hailing from Yorkshire, and not in his appearance only, but in his tastes and sympathies, he was an unmistakable John Bull."
The irony of this can be found in the
letters of George Bernard Shaw: "I am a traditional Irishman, my family came from Yorkshire." Harry also
said:
"My family moved from Wexford to Dublin when I was ten. It is pleasant to know they left a good impression. In Miss Mary Banim’s account of Ireland I find the following reference to these aliens in Wexford, which I must allow my egotism to transcribe: “Many are the kindly memories that remain in Wexford of this warm-hearted, gifted family."
