Thomas Whaley (politician)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Whaley commonly known as Buck Whaley or Jerusalem Whaley, was an Irish gambler and member of the Irish House of Commons
.
and £60,000. The estate generated an income of £7,000 per annum which became available to the young Whaley when he reached the age of eighteen.
At the age of sixteen, Whaley was sent to Europe on the Grand tour
, accompanied by a tutor and with an allowance of £900, a sum that proved to be inadequate. He settled in Paris for some time, maintaining both a country residence and town house, but was forced to leave Paris when his cheque for the amount of £14,000, to settle gambling debts accrued in one night of gambling, was refused by his bankers, the La Touche bank.
Following his return to Dublin, Whaley, at the age of eighteen, was elected to the Irish House of Commons in 1785 representing the constituency of Newcastle
in County Dublin
.
at Leinster House
, in response to a question regarding his future travel plans, Whaley flippantly mentioned Jerusalem. This reply led to wagers totalling £15,000 (i.e. about £1.8 million in 2001) being offered that Whaley could not travel to Jerusalem and back within two years and provide proof of his success. The reasoning of those offering the bets was based on the belief that, as the region was part of the Ottoman Empire
and had a reputation for widespread banditry, it would be too dangerous for travellers and it would be unlikely that Whaley could complete the journey.
Whaley embarked from Dublin on 8 October 1788, with a retinue of servants and a "large stock of Madeira wine" to cheers from the large crowd assembled at the Dublin quays
. Whaley sailed first to Deal
, where he was joined by a companion, a Captain Wilson, for the journey, and then on to Gibraltar
where a ball was held for his arrival. In Gibraltar, his party was joined by another military officer, Captain Hugh Moore. The party set sail for the port of Smyrna
, although Wilson was prevented from travelling any further by rheumatic fever. The remaining pair made an overland journey from there to Constantinople
, arriving in December.
The British ambassador in Constantinople introduced Whaley to the Vizier
Hasan Pasha
. Taking a liking to Whaley, Hasan Pasha provided him with permits to visit Jerusalem. Whaley's party left Constantinople on January 21, 1789 by ship, and sailed to Acre
.
In a meeting reported in Whaley's memoirs later, he encountered the Wāli
(governor) (and de facto ruler) of Acre and Galillee, Ahmed al-Jazzar
. It was Whaley's twenty-second birthday. Al-Jazzar, notoriously known as "The Butcher" in the region he ruled, look a liking to Mr Whaley; and though he dismissed the documents issued in Constantinople as worthless, he permitted Whaley to continue his journey. During this audience, Whaley said in his memoirs that he interceded with al-Jazzar to stop him breaking the back of a servant with a hammer. He also tells how al-Jazzar then paraded his concubines for the visitors.
Whaley and his companions made their way overland to Jerusalem, arriving on the 28th January. During his visit, he stayed at a Franciscan monastery, the Convent of Terra Sancta. It was a signed certificate from the superior of this institution, along with detailed observations of the buildings of Jerusalem, that would provide the proof needed to prove the success of his journey. They stayed for little over a month, before returning to Ireland overland.
Whaley arrived back in Dublin in the summer of 1789 to great celebrations and collected the winnings of the wager. The trip cost him a total of £8,000, leaving him a profit of £7,000.
Due to mounting debts, he was forced to sell much of his estate in the early 1790s and these financial problems also led to his departure from Dublin. Whaley, accompanied by his companion, a Miss Courtney, and their children, left Dublin to take up residence in the Isle of Man
, where he had a house built near Douglas
. Nicknamed "Whaley's Folly", this house later became the Fort Anne hotel. The house became another part of another story, as it was reported that the house was built on soil imported from Ireland, so Whaley could win a bet that he could "live upon Irish ground without residing in Ireland". A recovery in the state of his finances enabled Whaley to be re-elected to the Irish House of Commons, this time representing the constituency of Enniscorthy
from 1798 until his death in 1800. Whaley is said to have accepted bribes for his vote from both sides to support and later oppose the Act of Union
.
Miss Courtney died in the late 1790s. A year before his death, Whaley married Mary Lawless, the sister of his friend Valentine Lawless, 2nd Baron Cloncurry
.
Whaley died on 2 November 1800 in the Cheshire
town of Knutsford
, while travelling from Liverpool to London. The cause of death was attributed to rheumatic fever, although a popular story circulated in Ireland that he was stabbed in a jealous rage by one of two sisters, both of whom were objects of his attentions.
Whaley wrote his memoirs in 1797, but these were suppressed by the executors of his estate and remained unpublished until 1906.
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...
.
Early life
Whaley was born in Dublin in December 1766, the eldest surviving son of the landowner, magistrate and former Member of Parliament Richard Chapell Whaley, referred to as Burn-Chapel Whaley due to his strong anti-Catholic sentiments and actions. Richard Whaley died in 1769, leaving an estate that included a town-house on St Stephen's Green, land in County WicklowCounty Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
and £60,000. The estate generated an income of £7,000 per annum which became available to the young Whaley when he reached the age of eighteen.
At the age of sixteen, Whaley was sent to Europe on the Grand tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
, accompanied by a tutor and with an allowance of £900, a sum that proved to be inadequate. He settled in Paris for some time, maintaining both a country residence and town house, but was forced to leave Paris when his cheque for the amount of £14,000, to settle gambling debts accrued in one night of gambling, was refused by his bankers, the La Touche bank.
Following his return to Dublin, Whaley, at the age of eighteen, was elected to the Irish House of Commons in 1785 representing the constituency of Newcastle
Newcastle (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Newcastle was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons to 1801.-1692–1801:...
in County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
.
The Jerusalem wager
While dining with William FitzGerald, the Duke of LeinsterWilliam FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster
William Robert FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster, etc. KP, PC was an Irish liberal politician and landowner. He was born in London.-Career:...
at Leinster House
Leinster House
Leinster House is the name of the building housing the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.Leinster House was originally the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its...
, in response to a question regarding his future travel plans, Whaley flippantly mentioned Jerusalem. This reply led to wagers totalling £15,000 (i.e. about £1.8 million in 2001) being offered that Whaley could not travel to Jerusalem and back within two years and provide proof of his success. The reasoning of those offering the bets was based on the belief that, as the region was part of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and had a reputation for widespread banditry, it would be too dangerous for travellers and it would be unlikely that Whaley could complete the journey.
Whaley embarked from Dublin on 8 October 1788, with a retinue of servants and a "large stock of Madeira wine" to cheers from the large crowd assembled at the Dublin quays
Dublin quays
The Dublin quays refers to the two roadways and quays that run along the north and south banks of the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. The stretches of the two continuous streets have several different names, however all but three of the names share the same "Quay" designation...
. Whaley sailed first to Deal
Deal, Kent
Deal is a town in Kent England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town...
, where he was joined by a companion, a Captain Wilson, for the journey, and then on to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
where a ball was held for his arrival. In Gibraltar, his party was joined by another military officer, Captain Hugh Moore. The party set sail for the port of Smyrna
Smyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...
, although Wilson was prevented from travelling any further by rheumatic fever. The remaining pair made an overland journey from there to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, arriving in December.
The British ambassador in Constantinople introduced Whaley to the Vizier
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
Hasan Pasha
Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha
Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha or Hasan Pasha of Algiers was an Ottoman captain, Grand Admiral , Grand Vizier and general of the late 18th century....
. Taking a liking to Whaley, Hasan Pasha provided him with permits to visit Jerusalem. Whaley's party left Constantinople on January 21, 1789 by ship, and sailed to Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
.
In a meeting reported in Whaley's memoirs later, he encountered the Wāli
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
(governor) (and de facto ruler) of Acre and Galillee, Ahmed al-Jazzar
Jezzar Pasha
Ahmed al-Jazzar was the Ottoman ruler of Acre and the Galilee from 1775 until his death.-Biography:...
. It was Whaley's twenty-second birthday. Al-Jazzar, notoriously known as "The Butcher" in the region he ruled, look a liking to Mr Whaley; and though he dismissed the documents issued in Constantinople as worthless, he permitted Whaley to continue his journey. During this audience, Whaley said in his memoirs that he interceded with al-Jazzar to stop him breaking the back of a servant with a hammer. He also tells how al-Jazzar then paraded his concubines for the visitors.
Whaley and his companions made their way overland to Jerusalem, arriving on the 28th January. During his visit, he stayed at a Franciscan monastery, the Convent of Terra Sancta. It was a signed certificate from the superior of this institution, along with detailed observations of the buildings of Jerusalem, that would provide the proof needed to prove the success of his journey. They stayed for little over a month, before returning to Ireland overland.
Whaley arrived back in Dublin in the summer of 1789 to great celebrations and collected the winnings of the wager. The trip cost him a total of £8,000, leaving him a profit of £7,000.
Later life
Following his Jerusalem exploit, Whaley remained in Dublin for around two years and later spent time in London and travelling in Europe, including Paris during the Revolutionary period.Due to mounting debts, he was forced to sell much of his estate in the early 1790s and these financial problems also led to his departure from Dublin. Whaley, accompanied by his companion, a Miss Courtney, and their children, left Dublin to take up residence in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, where he had a house built near Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
. Nicknamed "Whaley's Folly", this house later became the Fort Anne hotel. The house became another part of another story, as it was reported that the house was built on soil imported from Ireland, so Whaley could win a bet that he could "live upon Irish ground without residing in Ireland". A recovery in the state of his finances enabled Whaley to be re-elected to the Irish House of Commons, this time representing the constituency of Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Enniscorthy was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons to 1800.-History:In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, Enniscorthy was represented with two members.-1689–1801:...
from 1798 until his death in 1800. Whaley is said to have accepted bribes for his vote from both sides to support and later oppose the Act of Union
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
.
Miss Courtney died in the late 1790s. A year before his death, Whaley married Mary Lawless, the sister of his friend Valentine Lawless, 2nd Baron Cloncurry
Valentine Lawless, 2nd Baron Cloncurry
Valentine Brown Lawless, 2nd Baron Cloncurry , was an Irish politician and landowner. He lived in Lyons, under Lyons Hill Ardclough County Kildare.-Birth:...
.
Whaley died on 2 November 1800 in the Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
town of Knutsford
Knutsford
Knutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England...
, while travelling from Liverpool to London. The cause of death was attributed to rheumatic fever, although a popular story circulated in Ireland that he was stabbed in a jealous rage by one of two sisters, both of whom were objects of his attentions.
Whaley wrote his memoirs in 1797, but these were suppressed by the executors of his estate and remained unpublished until 1906.