Irish Rebellion of 1803
Encyclopedia
The Irish Rebellion of 1803 was an unsuccessful attempt by a group of Irish nationalists
to secure Ireland
's independence from the United Kingdom
.
(4 March 1778 - 20 September 1803) was the leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1803. Son of a doctor, he grew up in relatively comfortable circumstances. As a child, he was influenced by his revolutionary older brother Thomas Addis Emmet
and his brother's friend Theobald Wolfe Tone
.He started at Trinity College, Dublin
in October 1793 at the age of fifteen and there became involved in the College Historical Society as an Irish nationalist. He eventually joined and became secretary of the College's United Irish Society, an Irish republican organization that launched the Irish Rebellion of 1798
. In the aftermath of that rebellion, a warrant was issued for his arrest and he fled to the continent. He there attempted to secure military aid from Revolutionary France for a second rebellion. Unsuccessful, he returned to Ireland in October 1802.
Thomas Russell (21 November 1767 - 21 October 1803), born in Dromahane
, County Cork
to an Anglican family, he joined the British army in 1783 and served in India
. He returned to Ireland
in 1786 and commenced studies in science
, philosophy
and politics
. in July 1790 he met Theobald Wolfe Tone
in the visitor's gallery in the Irish House of Commons
and they became firm friends. In 1796, Russell published an ambitious and far-sighted document, Letter to the People of Ireland, which laid out his vision of social and economic reform for the Irish nation. In addition to his stance on religious freedom, he had made clear his anti-slavery views, in the Northern Star on 17 March 1792 whose editorial comment took a less generous view by agreeing with Russell but pointing out the immediate necessity to liberate three million slaves in Ireland.
James Hope
(25 August 1764 - 1847) was a United Irishmen
leader who fought in the 1798
and 1803 rebellions against British rule in Ireland. He was born in Templepatrick
, County Antrim
, to a Presbyterian family originally of Covenanter
stock. He was apprenticed as a linen weaver but attended night school in his spare time. Influenced by the American Revolution
, he joined the Irish Volunteers
, but upon the demise of that organisation and further influenced by the French Revolution
, he joined the Society of the United Irishmen
in 1795. Upon the outbreak of the 1798 rebellion
in Leinster
, Hope was sent on a failed mission to Belfast. When the general uprising had collapsed, James Hope was able to elude capture and refused to avail of the terms of an amnesty
offered by Lord Cornwallis on the grounds that to do so would be "not only a recantation of one’s principles, but a tacit acquiescence in the justice of the punishment which had been inflicted on thousands of my unfortunate associates". He is today regarded as the most egalitarian and socialist of all the United Irish leadership.
which could be concealed under a cloak
, being fitted with a hinge. Unlike in 1798
, the preparations for the uprising were successfully concealed, but a premature explosion at one of Emmet's arms depots killed a man and forced Emmet to bring forward the date of the rising before the authorities' suspicions were aroused.
Emmet was unable to secure the help of Michael Dwyer's
Wicklow
rebels, and many Kildare
rebels who had arrived turned back due to the scarcity of firearms they had been promised. Additionally, because of the various setbacks and weather conditions, there was purportedly confusion over what date the rebellion was taking place. Nevertheless, the rising went ahead in Dublin on the evening of July 23, 1803.
which was reported to be lightly guarded but was a highly symbolic target as the seat of British government in Ireland since the Lordship of King John
. The main combat of the rebellion took place on Thomas street where a major riot broke out. There, Robert Emmet witnessed a British dragoon
be pulled from his horse and executed. Upon seeing the brutality of those who had risen up, Emmet called off the rebellion, but he had command of only the original contingent of men who rebelled. At one point, the rebels on Thomas Street saw the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
, Lord Kilwarden, reviled as chief prosecutor of William Orr
in 1797, but also the judge who granted habeas corpus
to Wolfe Tone
in 1798. He was dragged from his carriage
and hacked to death. Sporadic clashes continued into the night until finally quelled by the military at the estimated cost of twenty military and fifty rebel dead.
. He was tried for treason on 19 September; the Crown repaired the weaknesses in its case by secretly buying the assistance of Emmet's defense attorney, Leonard Macnally
, for £200 and a pension. However his assistant Peter Burrowes could not be bought and pleaded the case as best he could.
After he had been sentenced Emmet delivered a speech, the Speech from the Dock, which is especially remembered for its closing sentences and secured his posthumous fame among executed Irish republicans. However no definitive version was written down by Emmet himself.
On 20 September, Emmet was executed in Thomas Street. He was hanged and then beheaded once dead.
Russell managed to hide for a number of weeks but Dublin was a bad place to hide in the days following the failure of Emmett's rebellion as the shocked authorities had launched a massive campaign of raids and arrests in an effort to finally eradicate the United Irishmen. He was promptly arrested and sent to Downpatrick
Gaol where he was executed by hanging then beheaded on 21 October 1803.
Fifteen tradesmen and labourers, who were also hanged for their participation, are commemorated ona plaque at St. Catherines church off Thomas Street.
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
to secure Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
's independence from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
.
Leaders
Robert EmmetRobert Emmet
Robert Emmet was an Irish nationalist and Republican, orator and rebel leader born in Dublin, Ireland...
(4 March 1778 - 20 September 1803) was the leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1803. Son of a doctor, he grew up in relatively comfortable circumstances. As a child, he was influenced by his revolutionary older brother Thomas Addis Emmet
Thomas Addis Emmet
Thomas Addis Emmet was an Irish and American lawyer and politician. He was a senior member of the revolutionary republican group United Irishmen in the 1790s and New York State Attorney General 1812–1813.-Background:...
and his brother's friend Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone or Wolfe Tone , was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members of the United Irishmen and is regarded as the father of Irish Republicanism. He was captured by British forces at Lough Swilly in Donegal and taken prisoner...
.He started at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in October 1793 at the age of fifteen and there became involved in the College Historical Society as an Irish nationalist. He eventually joined and became secretary of the College's United Irish Society, an Irish republican organization that launched the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
. In the aftermath of that rebellion, a warrant was issued for his arrest and he fled to the continent. He there attempted to secure military aid from Revolutionary France for a second rebellion. Unsuccessful, he returned to Ireland in October 1802.
Thomas Russell (21 November 1767 - 21 October 1803), born in Dromahane
Dromahane
Dromahane is a village located south west of the town of Mallow, County Cork, Ireland on the R619 regional road.Centered around a main crossroads, the village overlooks the Blackwater Valley. The village is part of the parish of Kilshannig....
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
to an Anglican family, he joined the British army in 1783 and served in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He returned to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1786 and commenced studies in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. in July 1790 he met Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone or Wolfe Tone , was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members of the United Irishmen and is regarded as the father of Irish Republicanism. He was captured by British forces at Lough Swilly in Donegal and taken prisoner...
in the visitor's gallery in the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
and they became firm friends. In 1796, Russell published an ambitious and far-sighted document, Letter to the People of Ireland, which laid out his vision of social and economic reform for the Irish nation. In addition to his stance on religious freedom, he had made clear his anti-slavery views, in the Northern Star on 17 March 1792 whose editorial comment took a less generous view by agreeing with Russell but pointing out the immediate necessity to liberate three million slaves in Ireland.
James Hope
James Hope (Ireland)
James Hope was an United Irishmen leader who fought in the 1798 and 1803 rebellions against British rule in Ireland.-Background:...
(25 August 1764 - 1847) was a United Irishmen
Society of the United Irishmen
The Society of United Irishmen was founded as a liberal political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought Parliamentary reform. However, it evolved into a revolutionary republican organisation, inspired by the American Revolution and allied with Revolutionary France...
leader who fought in the 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
and 1803 rebellions against British rule in Ireland. He was born in Templepatrick
Templepatrick
Templepatrick is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast, and halfway between the towns of Ballyclare and Antrim. It had a population of 1,556 in the 2001 Census. It is also close to Belfast International Airport and the village has several hotels...
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, to a Presbyterian family originally of Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
stock. He was apprenticed as a linen weaver but attended night school in his spare time. Influenced by the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, he joined the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
, but upon the demise of that organisation and further influenced by the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, he joined the Society of the United Irishmen
Society of the United Irishmen
The Society of United Irishmen was founded as a liberal political organisation in eighteenth century Ireland that sought Parliamentary reform. However, it evolved into a revolutionary republican organisation, inspired by the American Revolution and allied with Revolutionary France...
in 1795. Upon the outbreak of the 1798 rebellion
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
in Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
, Hope was sent on a failed mission to Belfast. When the general uprising had collapsed, James Hope was able to elude capture and refused to avail of the terms of an amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
offered by Lord Cornwallis on the grounds that to do so would be "not only a recantation of one’s principles, but a tacit acquiescence in the justice of the punishment which had been inflicted on thousands of my unfortunate associates". He is today regarded as the most egalitarian and socialist of all the United Irish leadership.
Preparations
In 1802 they began to manufacture weapons and explosives at a number of premises in Dublin and even innovated a folding pikePike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
which could be concealed under a cloak
Cloak
A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been...
, being fitted with a hinge. Unlike in 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
, the preparations for the uprising were successfully concealed, but a premature explosion at one of Emmet's arms depots killed a man and forced Emmet to bring forward the date of the rising before the authorities' suspicions were aroused.
Emmet was unable to secure the help of Michael Dwyer's
Michael Dwyer
Michael Dwyer was a Society of the United Irishmen leader in the 1798 rebellion. He later fought a guerilla campaign against the British Army in the Wicklow Mountains from 1798-1803.-Early life:...
Wicklow
Wicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
rebels, and many Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
rebels who had arrived turned back due to the scarcity of firearms they had been promised. Additionally, because of the various setbacks and weather conditions, there was purportedly confusion over what date the rebellion was taking place. Nevertheless, the rising went ahead in Dublin on the evening of July 23, 1803.
23 July 1803
The plan was to seize a few strategic positions within the city of Dublin and then wait for others to rebel. Their main target was Dublin CastleDublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
which was reported to be lightly guarded but was a highly symbolic target as the seat of British government in Ireland since the Lordship of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
. The main combat of the rebellion took place on Thomas street where a major riot broke out. There, Robert Emmet witnessed a British dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
be pulled from his horse and executed. Upon seeing the brutality of those who had risen up, Emmet called off the rebellion, but he had command of only the original contingent of men who rebelled. At one point, the rebels on Thomas Street saw the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
thumb|200px|The Four CourtsThe headquarters of the Irish judicial system since 1804. The Court of King's Bench was one of the original four courts that sat there....
, Lord Kilwarden, reviled as chief prosecutor of William Orr
William Orr
William Orr was a member of the United Irishmen who was executed in 1797 in what was widely believed at the time to be "judicial murder" and whose memory led to the rallying cry “Remember Orr” during the 1798 rebellion.-Background:...
in 1797, but also the judge who granted habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
to Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone or Wolfe Tone , was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members of the United Irishmen and is regarded as the father of Irish Republicanism. He was captured by British forces at Lough Swilly in Donegal and taken prisoner...
in 1798. He was dragged from his carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
and hacked to death. Sporadic clashes continued into the night until finally quelled by the military at the estimated cost of twenty military and fifty rebel dead.
Aftermath
Emmet fled into hiding but was captured on 25 August, near Harold's Cross. He endangered his life by moving his hiding place from Rathfarnam to Harold's Cross so that he could be near his sweetheart, Sarah CurranSarah Curran
Sarah Curran was the youngest daughter of John Philpot Curran, an eminent Irish lawyer. She lived in the priory in Rathfarnham and was the great love of Irish nationalist Robert Emmet.-Biography:...
. He was tried for treason on 19 September; the Crown repaired the weaknesses in its case by secretly buying the assistance of Emmet's defense attorney, Leonard Macnally
Leonard MacNally
Leonard MacNally buried in Donnybrook Cemetery, Ireland was one of the most infamous government informants against members of the Society of United Irishmen....
, for £200 and a pension. However his assistant Peter Burrowes could not be bought and pleaded the case as best he could.
After he had been sentenced Emmet delivered a speech, the Speech from the Dock, which is especially remembered for its closing sentences and secured his posthumous fame among executed Irish republicans. However no definitive version was written down by Emmet himself.
Let no man write my epitaph; for as no man who knows my motives dare now vindicate them, let not prejudice or ignorance, asperse them. Let them and me rest in obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain uninscribed, and my memory in oblivion, until other times and other men can do justice to my character. When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then and not till then, let my epitaph be written. I have done.
On 20 September, Emmet was executed in Thomas Street. He was hanged and then beheaded once dead.
Russell managed to hide for a number of weeks but Dublin was a bad place to hide in the days following the failure of Emmett's rebellion as the shocked authorities had launched a massive campaign of raids and arrests in an effort to finally eradicate the United Irishmen. He was promptly arrested and sent to Downpatrick
Downpatrick
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...
Gaol where he was executed by hanging then beheaded on 21 October 1803.
Fifteen tradesmen and labourers, who were also hanged for their participation, are commemorated ona plaque at St. Catherines church off Thomas Street.
External links
- Peter Linebaugh, 21 October 2003; Is This the Place? -On the Bicentennial of the Hanging of Thomas Russell
- Full text of Emmett's Speech from the Dock