Thomas Colley Grattan, an Irish novelist, born in Dublin in 1796, died in London, July 4, 1864. He studied law, and procured a commission in the army, but renounced both professions on his marriage, and afterward resided in France. At the age of 25 he published "Philibert," a metrical romance, which was a complete failure. He next became a contributor to various magazines and reviews, and in 1823 published in two volumes the first series of "Highways and Byways." A second series appeared in 1824, and a third in 1827, each in three volumes. Establishing himself in Brussels, he wrote a number of works, of which "Traits of Travel" (3 vols., 1829), "The Heiress of Bruges" (4 vols., 1830; new ed., 3 vols., 1834-'49), " History of the Netherlands" (1830), "Jacqueline of Holland" (1842), and "Legends of the Rhine" (3 vols., 1849), are the best known. Having actively supported the candidacy of King Leopold in the Belgian revolution of 1830, he was at the request of that sovereign appointed in 1839 British consul to Boston, which office he resigned in 1852, to accept one in the queen's household.

His "Civilized America" (2 vols., London, 1859) is a spiteful record of his experiences in North America. His last work was "Beaten Paths" (2 vols., 1862).