KERNEY, Martin Joseph, author, born in Lewiston, Frederick county Maryland, in August, 1819; died in Baltimore, Maryland. 16 March, 1861. He was left an orphan in infancy, and obtained an education by his own exertions, graduating at Mr. Saint Mary college, Emmittsburg, Maryland, in 1838. He established and conducted a successful academy in Baltimore, and, perceiving the lack of school-books adapted to Catholic methods of education, applied himself during spare hours to the composition of textbooks, which came into general use in Roman Catholic schools throughout the United States. After teaching for several years, he studied and practised law, and was elected to the legislature of Maryland in 1852. As chairman of the committee on education, he brought forward a bill that was designed to place Roman Catholic schools on an equality with the other schools of the state. In connection with his legal and political Occupations he continued his literary work. He edited the "Metropolitan Magazine" for four years, and compiled the " Catholic Almanac" for 1860-'1. Among the numerous text books that he published are a "Compendium of History" (Baltimore, 1851); a "Class-Book of History" (1851); an adaptation of "Murray's Grammar" (1851); a "Catechism of Scripture History" (1854); " Columbian Arithmetic" (1856); and also catechisms of the history of the United States and of England, and a " Catechism of Biography."