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Ulster Biographies, 
 
 Relating 1 Chiefly 
 
 TO THE 
 
 Rebellion of 1798. 
 
ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES, 
 
 Relating Chiefly 
 
 TO THE 
 
 £e6ellion of 1798.'^ 
 
 BY 
 
 W. T. LATIMER, B.A., 
 
 FELLOW AND HON. LOC. SEC. R. S. A. ; 
 
 HON. MEMBER SCOTCH-IRISH SOCIETY OF AMERICA; 
 
 AUTHOR OF "A HISTORY OF THE IRISH PRESBYTERIANS," &c. 
 
 BELFAST— JAMES CLEELAND. 
 
 WILLIAM MULLAN & SON. 
 
 PRINTED AT "THE WITNESS" OFFICE, ROYAL AVENUE. 
 1897. 
 
999 
 Lb 
 
 -SSSSK. 
 
 APR 2 3 '90 
 
TO THE READER 
 
 THE following biographies have already appeared in the 
 columns of various Ulster newspapers. They are now 
 revised, enlarged, and offered to the public in a more 
 permanent form. 
 
 It is certain that great civil and religious oppression 
 existed in Ireland during the last century ; but we must 
 remember that measures of reform have now been granted 
 more radical than Porter was hanged for demanding. From 
 this fact a strong argument may be drawn for maintaining 
 the supremacy of the Imperial Parliament by which these 
 grievances have been removed. 
 
 The Irish people have no longer to support a Church to 
 which they do not belong ; rents are no longer fixed by the 
 landlords themselves, and justice is no longer administered 
 by the "Agent" and the Rector, but by impartial tribunals. 
 
 While I condemn the system of landlordism that- 
 prevailed in the past, I have no intention of making any 
 attack on the present landlords. Almost all the conditions of 
 their ownership have been so much modified that very little of 
 what applied to their political position in 1798, has any 
 reference to it now. 
 
 My own experience of modern landlordism has been 
 derived chiefly from the management of the estates of the 
 
TO THE READER. 
 
 Earl of Erne, the Earl of Belmore, and of Mr. James Bruce, 
 D.L. ; and inasmuch as I have denounced the abuses of the 
 past, I think it only right to say, with regard to these 
 gentlemen, that their justice and kindness to their tenants 
 is an example for other Irish landowners. 
 
 The Land Acts, which have not gone far enough to 
 enable the tenants to live and thrive in the altered con- 
 ditions of agriculture, have pressed very heavily on many 
 landowners. I have often wondered why a Government which 
 spends such vast sums on useless armaments, will not devise 
 and carry out a scheme of land purchase that would still 
 further reduce the yearly payments of farmers, and give 
 landlords a reasonable compensation for their losses. 
 
 It may be thought strange that I so often refer to the 
 religion of those whose actions I narrate ; but in Ireland — 
 especially in Ulster — a man's religion determines so many of 
 his social and political relations that it must be taken into 
 account in order to estimate the motives by which he has 
 been guided. 
 
 In the districts of Antrim and Down that "turned out," 
 in the year 1798, the great majority of the people were Pres- 
 byterians. It was with them the movement began before it 
 was taken up by the Roman Catholics ; and, therefore, in 
 giving an account of the causes from which it sprang, it is 
 absolutely necessary to deal with the misgovernment and 
 persecution which drove so many of these loyal Presbyterians 
 into rebellion. 
 
 EGLISH, DUNGANNON, 1st June, 1897. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Henry Joy M'Cracken, .... 1 
 
 Henry Munro, .... 21 
 
 Samuel Neilson, ..... 36 
 
 James Hope, ..... 50 
 
 Rev. James Porter, .... 62 
 
 Eev. William S. Dickson, D.D., . - - - 75 
 
 James M'Knight, LL.D., ... - 93 
 Appendix, 107. 
 
By the Same Author, 
 
 A HISTORY OF THE IRISH PRESBYTERIANS. 
 
 "A book which evidently contains much information, and in which 
 I find some things that are quite new to me relating to periods I have 
 studied."— W. E. H. LECKY, M.P. 
 
 "Although it cuts sharply at times across some of my own settled 
 convictions, I have read it with pleasure as well as profit." — 
 
 Rev. George Hill. 
 246 pp., price 1/3 net. 
 
 THE ACTIONS OF THE INNISKILLING MEN. 
 
 Written by Captain William M'Carmick, one of the first that 
 took up arms in Inniskilling in defence of that place. 
 
 Edited by W. T. LATIMER, B.A. 
 Price 1- net. 
 
/V^s^y 
 
 Ulster Biographies of 1798. 
 
 HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 
 
 ENRY JOY M'CRACKEN was born in High 
 Street, Belfast, on the 31st of August, 1767. 
 His father, John M'Cracken, was captain and 
 part owner of a vessel that traded between 
 Belfast and the West Indies. He was descended from a 
 Presbyterian family that had settled at Hillhall, near Lisburn, 
 when driven from Scotland by Prelatic persecution. The 
 mother of Captain M'Cracken was so strict a Presbyterian 
 that, on Christmas Day, she would sit conspicuously at her 
 spinning wheel to show that she attached no idea of sanctity 
 to holidays of human appointment. Her son, the captain, 
 was, like his mother, a firm Presbyterian ; and so far did he 
 carry his principles of morality, that he never engaged in 
 smuggling operations, although almost every other captain 
 in the same trade made at least £200 a year by carrying 
 contraband commodities. His wife was Ann Joy, daughter 
 of Francis Joy, who, on the 1st of September, 1737, estab- 
 
2 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 lished the Belfast News-Letter, the third newspaper published 
 in Ireland. The family of Joy, or Joyeuse, were of Huguenot 
 descent, having fled from France rather than sacrifice their 
 Presbyterian faith. 
 
 Mrs. M'Cracken had principles as high and courage as 
 great as any of her ancestors. In 1763 she accompanied her 
 husband to Liverpool, where he went to superintend the 
 building of a new vessel. Returning before him, the ship 
 in which she sailed was wrecked on the South Rock, near 
 Ballywalter. All on board were saved ; but Mrs. M'Cracken 
 had to wade a long distance through the shallow water before 
 reaching the shore. However, she not only made good her 
 escape, but carried safely in her pocket 200 guineas that she 
 was bringing from England. 
 
 This worthy couple had a large family. There lived to 
 grow up four sons — Francis, "William, Henry Joy, and John, 
 and two daughters — Margaret and Mary Anne. A very inte- 
 resting sketch of the latter is contained in Mr. R. M. Young's 
 " Old Belfast." Henry's childhood was spent in a house 
 nearly opposite Bridge Street ; afterwards the family removed 
 to Rosemary Street. He grew rapidly to manhood, was five 
 feet eleven inches high, was well formed, active, and cour- 
 ageous. His qualities of activity and courage were often 
 exhibited at the fires which were then common among the 
 thatch-covered houses of Belfast. But, above all, he had 
 the high moral qualities of his race, was a firm Presbyterian, 
 assisted in establishing the first Sunday-school formed in 
 Belfast, and promoted a circulating library, from which the 
 middle and lower classes could borrow books on reasonable 
 terms. As it was intended by his parents that Henry should 
 learn the linen business, he was taught to weave. When 
 about eighteen years of age, he joined a cotton manufactory 
 
HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 3 
 
 which his uncle Robert had previously established, and in 
 which Captain M'Cracken, his father, was a partner. After 
 some time, he went to reside at the Falls, to be near his 
 business ; but in 1795, he returned home, as a result of his 
 father withdrawing from the partnership. 
 
 Even before this period, Henry Joy M'Cracken had begun 
 that political career which brought him to an early grave. 
 Kind-hearted and unselfish, he strongly sympathized with 
 his fellow-countrymen in the local oppression they endured 
 from landlords and rectors, and the general oppression they 
 suffered from the Government. Doubtless there was a legal 
 limit to the rapacity of the rector ; but there was none to 
 the tyranny of the landlord. He owned the property created 
 by the labour of his tenant. He could do with it as he 
 wished ; and he often used his power to compel Presbyterians 
 to leave the Church of their fathers and join the Church of 
 their alien oppressors. 
 
 Henry M'Cracken belonged to a class then very small, 
 who were not so much affected by the prevailing tyranny as 
 most other classes of the community. Engaged in mercan- 
 tile pursuits, he was free from landlord oppression ; and 
 living in a town, he was able to enjoy more religious free- 
 dom. But M'Cracken was unselfish and courageous. His 
 unselfishness caused him to feel for others, and his courage 
 drove him into action. By father and by mother, he belonged 
 to a race who had fought for freedom, and he, too, determined 
 to try to stem the tide of tyranny. In 1790, M'Cracken 
 became acquainted with Thomas Russell, and Russell won 
 the heart and became the affianced lover of Mary Anne 
 M'Cracken. But this union was never to be consummated, as 
 Miss M'Cracken's lover was claimed by the scaffold. 
 
 With M'Cracken and Russell were associated Theobald 
 
4 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Wolfe Tone and several other patriots. Among these the 
 most prominent was Samuel ISTeilson, son of the Presbyterian 
 clergyman of Ballyroney. It was then plain to be seen that 
 the Episcopal aristocracy were trying to prevent Parliamentary 
 reform by raising the animosity of Protestant farmers against 
 their Roman Catholic fellow-sufferers, in order to ward it off 
 from themselves ; while at the same time they excited the 
 Catholics against their Protestant neighbours. We have a 
 trustworthy witness to the truth of this in the Rev. Dr. 
 Campbell, who states that the authorities went so far as to 
 even encourage the Defenders, in order to strengthen the 
 animosity of religious rivals in the North. 
 
 Neils on now formed the idea of joining his countrymen, 
 both Protestant and Catholic, into one grand confederacy of 
 United Irishmen, who, instead of injuring one another, might 
 combine to overthrow the enemies of their country. 
 
 The first object of the association was to obtain Parlia- 
 mentary reform, and thus prevent a few hundred Episcopal 
 landlords from ruling an entire nation. It should never be 
 forgotten that, at first, the United Irish Society was a lawful 
 association, established for accomplishing a most desirable 
 object. Its founder was Neilson, but Henry Joy M'Cracken 
 laboured late and early with all the energy of his enthusiastic 
 nature to promote its interests, although he did not come 
 forward as a leader, or seek to obtain any position of honour 
 in the Society he was so instrumental in establishing. 
 
 But the power of the aristocracy was too strong for even 
 a united nation. The landlords would not bestow away the 
 privileges and power they possessed. Before long, the leaders 
 of the United Irishmen became discouraged at their want of 
 speedy success in procuring Parliamentary reform by legiti- 
 mate agitation, and, most unfortunately, began to aim at 
 
HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 5 
 
 setting up a Republic, after the example of the French. 
 Accordingly, the Society was remodelled, and in March, 
 1795, M'Cracken took the test of the new organization. 
 Henceforth he devoted much of his time and energy to advo- 
 cate its principles and forward its interests. 
 
 At the same period there existed another Society, to 
 which we have already alluded, whose members were termed 
 Defenders. They were all Roman Catholics, and their object 
 was to " defend " the rights of their class and their creed 
 when attacked. Among the more prominent leaders of this 
 Society in the North were Charles Teeling, his brother-in- 
 law, Magennis, and A. Lowry. Each of these had two dele- 
 gates ; from one of them M'Cracken received a command, and 
 before long he had a guiding influence over about 7,000 
 members of this Roman Catholic organization. In the County 
 of Armagh, M'Cracken often gave assistance to the people 
 whose houses had been wrecked by the Peep-o'-Day Boys, 
 and procured them legal advice. It seems that in some 
 instances his uncle, Counsellor Joy, guaranteed the payment 
 of law expenses. 
 
 Meanwhile the tyranny of the Government grew greater. 
 Presbyterians who were suspected of dissatisfaction had often 
 to bear most merciless punishments. An Insurrection Act 
 was passed, which empowered the magistrates in any county 
 to proclaim it out of the King's peace, and to subject the 
 unoffending inhabitants to all the horrors of military law, 
 which meant punishment without trial and without redress. 
 The province was filled with troops from England. Military 
 officers were put into the Commission of the Peace, and soon 
 proved themselves the servile tools of tyranny. In the words 
 of Dr. Campbell, then leader of the Synod of Ulster, and a 
 gentleman of high culture and of undoubted' loyalty, these 
 
6 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 officers, " Debased the name of soldiers ; the}- became assassins 
 and executioners, bnt then they were legal assassins, expert 
 in inflicting torture, as if they had been ' hackneyed ' in the 
 
 office of the inquisition Nothing was heard of 
 
 but imprisonment, exile, torture, and death." The only 
 soldiers who showed any sympathy with the people were a 
 few Presbyterian companies from Scotland. To crown all, a 
 Bill of indemnity was passed by the Parliament, which 
 protected magistrates in their guilt, by securing them from 
 punishment for the illegal tortures that they inflicted. The 
 unfortunate Defenders, who had been at first encouraged by 
 the authorities in order to strengthen the religious animo- 
 sities of the people, were now given up to destruction. Their 
 houses were burned, their property destroyed, and thousands 
 of them driven from the County Armagh to Connaught, or 
 wherever they could find a refuge. 
 
 Innocent Presbyterian farmers, whose only crime was 
 that they had complained of their inability to pay impossible 
 rents and oppressive tithes, had to endure the agonies of the 
 burning pitch cap, or were hanged until almost suffocated, 
 or flogged with such unrelenting severity that many of them 
 died in consequence of the punishment they received. 
 
 Thus, by a system of unrelenting cruelty, the loyal 
 Presbyterian farmers of Ulster were driven to the madness 
 that arose from despair. The Government desired a rebellion, 
 in order that they might have an excuse for inflicting even 
 more severe punishment ; and to rebellion the people were 
 accordingly driven, although these loyal Presbyterians 
 had hitherto considered themselves the guardians of the 
 Constitution. 
 
 The enthusiastic, unselfish, and sympathetic nature of 
 Henry J. M'Cracken caused him to feel for the people in 
 
HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 7 
 
 their sufferings, and to sacrifice his life in a vain attempt 
 to bring the serfs of Ulster into a position of freedom. He 
 knew that the only chance of success lay in the union of all 
 Irishmen. For this union he laboured with all his power ; 
 and, before long, a large body of the Roman Catholic 
 Defenders had cast their lot with the United Irishmen, who 
 were generally Presbyterians, and had become part of the 
 organization. In 1795, Theobald Wolfe Tone paid another 
 visit to Belfast, and with M'Cracken, Simms, Russell, and 
 Neilson, went to M'Art's Fort, on the top of Cave Hill, and 
 there took a solemn obligation never to desist in their efforts 
 until they had secured the independence of Ireland. Mean- 
 while Samuel Neilson, with his newspaper, the Northern 
 Star, had lashed the oppressors of the people into perfect 
 madness. But at last the Star was suppressed, and the 
 proprietor was, for a long period, kept in prison without 
 trial. This was the course generally adopted when evidence 
 could not be secured, and sometimes there was great difficulty 
 in finding such evidence as would satisfy even a packed jury. 
 For example, a poor weaver named James Hope was offered 
 £500, in case he would bear witness against Neilson, Russell, 
 and M'Cracken ; but he refused the offer with indignation. 
 Hence it came to pass that so much use was made of military 
 tribunals during this unfortunate rebellion — before them 
 there was no trouble in securing a conviction. 
 
 On the 10th October, 1796, M'Cracken was arrested. 
 He was sent to Dublin by a military escort. On the way he 
 gained such favour with the soldiers that he was offered a 
 chance of escaping, but he took no advantage of the oppor- 
 tunity. On his arrival in Dublin he was committed to 
 Newgate Prison. Afterwards he was removed to Kilmainham, 
 where for a time he had as his fellow-prisoner his own 
 
8 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 brother William, lately arrested on a similar charge. Here 
 he was denied the nse of writing materials ; but, in spite of 
 every precaution, he succeeded in corresponding regularly 
 with his friends. The following extracts from a few of his 
 letters vividly describe his life in prison : — " We contrive to 
 live very comfortably, cooking day about. Some of us are 
 very good at it, and others very middling. The day before 
 yesterday we saw from our windows two militiamen con- 
 ducted to the park by the military in this neighbourhood, 
 and there shot for being United Irishmen. . . . Since I 
 came to this part of the house, William got permission to 
 come to see me for a very few minutes. . . . At present 
 [July, 1797], there is very little prospect of our getting out, 
 unless some underhand work that is going on may alter the 
 appearance. . . . Yesterday [18th November] two men 
 were executed in front of the jail for robbing the mail in June 
 last. They died with the greatest fortitude. It gives me a 
 sort of carelessness about death to see such sights." 
 
 Among the letters which he succeeded in receiving was 
 one from his brother John, which related to the barbarities 
 committed by the yeomen, or other Government officials, on 
 people suspected of connection with the United Irishmen. 
 " The practice among them is to hang a man up by the heels 
 with a rope full of twist, by which means the sufferer whirls 
 round like a bird roasting at the fire, during which he is 
 lashed with belts, &c, to make him tell where he has con- 
 cealed arms. Last week at a place near Dungannon, a young 
 man being used in this manner, called to his father for 
 assistance, who, being inflamed at the sight, struck one of the 
 party a desperate blow with his turf spade ; but, alas ! his 
 life paid the forfeit of his rashness, his entrails were torn out 
 and exposed on a thorn bush." 
 
HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 9 
 
 Meanwhile, Henry J. M'Cracken's health began to fail. 
 Many friends interested themselves in his behalf, and at last, 
 in September, 1797, he and his brother William were admitted 
 to bail — Bernard Coil becoming security for Henry, and 
 Counsellor Joy for William. 
 
 Henry's health was now so much broken down that for 
 a time he was unable to attend to business. But the change 
 from confinement to liberty soon brought renewed strength. 
 In February, 1798, he visited Dublin to see some of the 
 revolutionary leaders and to arrange for an insurrection. 
 M'Cracken considered this policy the best, although desper- 
 ate, for he and his friends thought " they would much rather 
 be in the field like men than be hunted like wild beasts, and 
 see their friends carried off to jail, their houses ransacked, 
 and the . . . yeomen riding roughshod over them day 
 by day. 
 
 He now got a friendly hint from his cousin, Counsellor 
 Joy's sister, that it would be better for him to leave Belfast. 
 Acting on the hint, he set out immediately. As he passed 
 through Hercules Street on his way, he was attacked by a 
 number of armed yeomen ; but, with the assistance of a 
 butcher's wife who drew her knife in his defence, he succeeded 
 in making good his escape from the town, but he still kept in 
 the neighbourhood. Having ascertained that, on the 21st of 
 May, nearly all the military officers stationed in Belfast 
 would be present at a musical promenade, he proposed to the 
 executive of the United Irishmen to carry them off as prison- 
 ers that they might be retained as hostages. But cowardly 
 counsels prevailed, and the proposal was rejected. 
 
 • There is no doubt whatever that the Protestant United 
 Irishmen of Ulster were by far the most formidable body 
 with which the Government had to deal. They were numer- 
 
10 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES.' 
 
 ous, more intelligent, and better organized than their 
 brethren in any other province. Yet, after all, their arma- 
 ments were miserable when we consider the enemy with 
 whom they had to contend. County Antrim had over 26,000 
 men enrolled, of whom less than 4,000 j)ossessed muskets. 
 Now, Antrim was one of the best armed counties in Ireland ; 
 still, if even a similar proportion of the 500,000 United 
 Irishmen enrolled throughout the kingdom, had possessed 
 firearms, it must be admitted that they had but slender means 
 of overthrowing the army of Great Britain. 
 
 An adjutant-general was appointed in each county, and 
 under him were a number of colonels. In Antrim, the 
 colonels held a meeting about the beginning of June, and 
 pressed the General, Robert Simms, to take the field ; but he 
 opposed the resolution, and resigned his command. M'Cracken 
 was soon afterwards appointed in his stead, and he became, 
 not only adjutant-general for Antrim, but commander-in- 
 chief of the United Irish Army of the North. Only a few 
 days remained in which he could plan his movements and 
 arrange his troops. But, with skill and activity that would 
 have done honour to one who had been trained in actual 
 warfare, he planned for attacks to be made simultaneously on 
 Randalstown, Ballynahinch, Saintfield, Newtownards, and 
 Portaferry. If Down and Antrim were gained, he could com- 
 municate with the Southern insurgents. But no sooner was 
 the plan formed and the orders issued, than General Nugent 
 received full particulars from a traitor, and arranged his 
 defence accordingly. 
 
 M'Cracken determined to make his chief attack on the 
 town of Antrim, and there he commanded in person. He 
 expected 21,000 men to take the field, of whom 7,000 were 
 Defenders, and, therefore, Roman Catholic in religion. The 
 
HENRY JOT M'CRACKEN. 11 
 
 vast majority of the others were Presbyterians. On the day 
 preceding the attack he issued the following- proclamation : — 
 " To-morrow we march on Antrim — drive the garrison of 
 Randalstown before yon, and haste to form a junction with 
 the commander-in-chief. — Henry Joy M'Cracken. 1st year 
 of liberty, 6th June, 1798." Next day M'Cracken advanced 
 to attack Antrim with a force which Musgrave estimated at 
 4,000 men, but which others believe did not exceed 500 or 
 600 at the first onset. He formed his men into three divi- 
 sions : First came the musketeers, then the pikemen, and last 
 of all a small party with two brass field-pieces, that had long- 
 been concealed in Templepatrick Meeting-house, and had 
 formerly belonged to the Belfast Volunteers. 
 
 When the United Irishmen arrived within sight of the 
 town, they beheld in flames several of the houses that had 
 been set on fire by the British troops. M'Cracken then halted 
 his forces, and addressed them with great power and elo- 
 quence. To this appeal they responded with exulting shouts, 
 desiring to be led to death or liberty. Then they marched on 
 in perfect order. A man named Harvey struck up the 
 Marseillaise Hymn, but Jemmie Hope began a lively Irish 
 air, which was soon taken up by the whole army. Thus they 
 moved onward in high spirits, while green banners waved 
 from every division. M'Cracken himself, tall and fair, 
 dressed in a uniform of green and white, led the way with 
 sword in hand. Meanwhile, the Royal troops within had 
 begun to receive reinforcements from Blaris camp. They 
 were even then nearly as numerous as M'Cracken's raw 
 recruits, were better armed, and had the advantage of acting 
 on the defensive. 
 
 Antrim consisted chiefly of one long street, which 
 widened a little into a square at the west end, and then 
 
12 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 stopped short at a wall, behind which was Lord Massereene's 
 demesne and castle. Jnst there, Bow Lane branched off to 
 the right, while to the left, was a path down to the river. 
 If one entered the town by the Belfast road at the other end, 
 as M'Cracken did, he wonld pass the meeting-house on his 
 right, and then Patie's Lane, which branched off in the 
 direction of Ballymena. On the left, was the Episcopal 
 Church, and then, somewhat further on, the road that led 
 to the Massereene Bridge, which spans the Sixmilewater, a 
 small river that runs nearly parallel with the houses on the 
 south side of the street. 
 
 M'Cracken had planned to attack the town from four 
 different directions by four different columns, three of which 
 were to arrive at half -past two o'clock, and the fourth, from 
 Randalstown, to enter by Bow Lane, a few minutes after- 
 wards. 
 
 The Royal infantry and yeomen occupied a strong posi- 
 tion in front of the castle wall, facing the long street which 
 I have described. The cavalry were stationed behind the 
 walls that surrounded the Episcopal place of worship. The 
 cannon, just then coming in over the Massereene Bridge, 
 protected by Colonel Lumley and a party of dragoons, 
 arrived as M'Cracken entered the town by the Belfast Road. 
 On the rebel general's arrival he was joined by the second 
 column, which came by the way leading from Carrickfergus. 
 Thus reinforced, he marched boldly into the town, and 
 repulsed a charge of the cavalry, by whom he was, at first, 
 opposed. But now, the Royal Artillery opened fire, and many 
 of the attacking rebels were killed. Still M'Cracken pressed 
 onwards in the face of the storm of grape. His musketeers 
 fired rapidly at the defending soldiers, and, being good 
 marksmen, killed a great number. Meanwhile, concealed 
 
HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 13 
 
 behind the musketeers, one of his six-pounders was got 
 ready on an extemporized carriage. Then the musketeers 
 turned aside, and fire was opened from the gun, under direc- 
 tion of a man named James Burns, who had served in the 
 artillery, and whose life is described in Mr. R. M. Young's 
 interesting volume on this rebellion. Two discharges of 
 grape shot laid many of the Royal troops in the dust ; but, 
 at the third discharge, the gun recoiled from its carriage, 
 and it was useless afterwards. 
 
 Now the Irish pikemen rushed forward to capture the 
 enemies' guns, but they were met by a murderous volley of 
 grape shot. Colonel Lumley several times charged the Irish 
 pikemen, but every charge was repulsed. M'Cracken pressed 
 onwards, and in spite of all opposition, gained the church- 
 yard, where he unfurled his banner. Then he sent a large 
 body of pikemen across the fields to the right, behind the 
 houses, to get into Bow Lane and attack the infantry at the 
 Castle wall. Lumley now charged down the street, but a 
 terrible volley from the Irish musketeers in the churchyard 
 emptied many a saddle, and the Colonel was wounded him- 
 self. Meanwhile M'Cracken's pikemen pressed onwards. 
 The soldiers and yeomen were overpowered, and retreated 
 inside the Massereene demesne. The horse of Lumley 
 were driven down to the river, which they crossed in flight, 
 leaving the guns in possession of the rebels. One hour after 
 M'Cracken attacked Antrim he was master of the town, and 
 the victory seemed to be won. 
 
 The attack on Antrim was purposely made upon a day 
 when M'Cracken expected a large number of magistrates to 
 be assembled in the town, in order to arrange for quartering 
 the troops, and to declare that part of the country out of the 
 King's peace. But, in consequence of information received, 
 
14 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 almost all these gentlemen kej^t away. Lord O'Neill, however, 
 chanced to enter the place shortly before the attack was 
 made; and, together with Mr. Macartney, the Episcopal 
 pastor of the parish, remained with the dragoons during the 
 action. As the cavalry retreated, his Lordship received a 
 mortal wound from a pikeman at whom he fired one of his 
 pistols ; but Mr. Macartney succeeded in escaping. 
 
 Meanwhile the infantry, driven from before the castle 
 wall, had taken up their position on the terrace behind. 
 From this place of advantage they kept up a murderous fire, 
 and the insurgents were forced to leave the cannon which 
 they had captured. M'Cracken saw that the infantry must 
 be dislodged at all hazards. Leaving James Hoj>e in the 
 churchyard with his " Spartan Band," he led a party to scale 
 the castle wall and take. the soldiers and the yeomen in the 
 rear. Just then he saw a division of United Irishmen, 500 
 strong, marching in from Randalstown, which they had 
 captured in obedience to M'Cracken's orders. This detach- 
 ment was led by Samuel Orr, a brother of the martyred 
 William Orr, whose name was long a watchword with the 
 Ulster patriots. As this division approached Bow Lane, they 
 eaw the Royal cavalry retreat, and ignorantly concluded 
 that they were making a charge. Hesitating for a moment, 
 their hesitancy was turned into a panic when they saw a 
 number of insurgents from the town coming towards them 
 as if in flight. Concluding that their friends were defeated, 
 they turned and fled themselves. M'Cracken shouted after 
 the fugitives at the top of his voice, but he was unable to 
 make them understand. Finding that he could not prevent 
 their flight, he ordered the party he was leading to scale the 
 wall and dislodge the infantry. But the fire from behind 
 the enemies' place of vantage had slain many, and his men 
 
HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 15 
 
 were too much frightened by the death of their companions, 
 and by the flight of Orr's detachment, to follow their daunt- 
 less leader. In despair, M'Cracken rushed forward himself, 
 as if he were going to charge the enemy alone ; but two of 
 his pikemen, crossing their weapons before him, tripped him 
 in the dust. Finding now that none had courage to follow 
 him, he most reluctantly joined his friends in their retreat. 
 
 Meanwhile reinforcements, superior in numbers to the 
 entire rebel army, had arrived under Clavering and Durham, 
 from Blaris camp and from Belfast. When Jemmie Hope 
 saw a large detachment of these troops marching in by the 
 Belfast road, he led his men boldly forward, as if he were 
 going to attack them in front ; and they, not knowing how 
 matters stood in the town, paused in their course. Then 
 Hope marched backward through Antrim, under fire from 
 the yeomen secure behind the fatal wall, and made good his 
 escape to Donegore. 
 
 The battle was now won by the Royal troops, but at the 
 expense of many killed and wounded. Doubtless, it is 
 difficult to arrive at the exact truth in this respect, as 
 different accounts give very different estimates. Mr. 
 Macartney, for example, stated that the Royal troops lost 
 but fifty, killed and wounded, while the rebels lost 300 ; but 
 M'Cracken himself asserted that only a few of the people 
 fell — not one for every ten of their enemies. Undaunted by 
 this defeat, M'Cracken collected the remains of his army at 
 Donegore, and determined to attack the Royal troops at 
 Ballymena. But the insurgents, baffled by defeat, dispersed 
 so rapidly that very soon he could count only about a 
 hundred followers. With these he took up a position on 
 Slemish mountain, on the south side of which he opened a 
 spring well with the point of his sword. There he was very 
 
16 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 quickly surrounded by Colonel C layering with a force greatly 
 superior. But the Colonel feared to attack the brave men 
 whom he had driven to stand at bay, and he contented 
 himself with offering a reward of £100 for each of four 
 leaders, three of whom were named Orr, and the fourth 
 Robert Johnston. Strange to say, M'Cracken was not 
 included. Should these be given up, a full pardon was 
 promised to their followers. But the insurgents spurned the 
 offer, proclaimed Clavering a rebel, and offered £400 for his 
 capture. Then this gallant officer of his Majesty threatened 
 to burn all the dwellings in the neighbourhood, and M'Cracken, 
 to prevent the suffering of innocent peasants, retired with a 
 few faithful followers to Little Collon. There, by marching 
 backwards and forwards from point to point, and exhibiting 
 part of their clothing on poles, they conveyed the impression 
 that they were still a considerable number, and they were 
 not attacked by the pursuing soldiers. 
 
 When they, as has been stated, heard the guns firing at 
 Ballynahinch, M'Cracken and seven of his most determined 
 supporters marched in that direction. Disarming a guard at 
 Ballyclare, they crossed the country to Divis. Learning 
 there that Monro had been defeated, they resolved to escape 
 to Wexford. But, before they had an opportunity of leaving, 
 Miss M'Cracken and her sister-in-law, notwithstanding the 
 great toil and danger, walked from Belfast to their hiding 
 place, and gave them information to the effect that General 
 Nugent had learned their intention of joining the Wexford 
 rebels. M'Cracken now took refuge in the house of David 
 Bodel a labourer or game keeper, who resided on the Belfast 
 side of Cave Hill, and whose daughter he would have married 
 had he lived. All day he lay concealed in the thick brush- 
 wood, but at night lodged in Bodel's cottage near the 
 
HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 17 
 
 Volunteer Well. His friends succeeded in obtaining for him 
 a pass made out in another name, and arranged with the 
 captain of a foreign vessel to receive him as a passenger. 
 When all was ready, he proceeded towards Larne, accom- 
 panied by John Query and Grawin Watt. As they crossed 
 the commons of Carrickfergus, they met four yeomen, one of 
 whom named Niblock had been a pedlar, and knew M'Cracken. 
 On his information the fugitives were arrested. Soon after- 
 wards, they all stopped for a short time on the road, and 
 Watt, without being seen, took the priming out of one of the 
 yeomen's guns, and told M'Cracken to fly for his life. But 
 he refused, as he thought it might expose his friends to 
 additional danger. He had, however, an acknowledgment 
 for £30 in his pocket, which was as good as money, and he 
 offered this to the yeomen for permission to escape. Niblock 
 refused the offer, but another, named M' Gilpin, was for accept- 
 ing it, and an arrangement was almost effected when they 
 stopped at a public-house. This opportunity was taken 
 advantage of, by one of the yeomen, who slipped out and 
 brought in an officer to secure the prisoners. 
 
 Miss M'Cracken and her father, on hearing of Henry's 
 arrest, set out for Carrickfergus, and with difficulty obtained 
 permission to see him. On the 16th of July he was brought 
 to Belfast, and his two sisters went immediately to Colonel 
 Durham to ask permission to visit their brother, but this 
 polite officer closed his hall door against them with great 
 violence. Colonel Barber was, however, more humane, for 
 he at once granted these ladies the permission desired, and 
 sent an officer to escort them to the prisoner. 
 
 Next morning, the 17th of July, the trial took place in 
 the Exchange, under the presidency of Colonel Montgomery. 
 Miss M'Cracken, ever faithful to her beloved brother, sat 
 
18 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 near the table. Two witnesses, whose names were John 
 Minnis and James Beck, appeared to give testimony against 
 him. James Hope states that neither had any previous 
 knowledge of the prisoner's appearance, but that an officer 
 pointed him out to them while they stood at a window look- 
 ing into the yard where he was walking, and told them of a 
 mark on his throat. 
 
 Just before the trial began, M'Cracken's father was called 
 aside by Pollock, the Crown prosecutor, and told that there 
 w r as evidence enough to convict his son, but that his life would 
 be saved if he would divulge the name of the person who had 
 been first appointed to command the rebels in Antrim, and 
 for whom he had acted. The old man replied that he would 
 rather see his son die than do such a dishonourable action. 
 Then Pollock called Henry to the conference; but when he heard 
 the terms, he said, " Farewell, father," and turned away. He 
 received a similar offer from Major Fox, but he refused it 
 with indignation, stating that he wondered how the major 
 could suppose him to be such a villain. Thus M'Cracken 
 preferred to die a patriot rather than live an informer. When 
 the evidence was heard, Miss M'Cracken went to the table 
 herself, pointed out all that had been sworn which seemed 
 unlike the truth, and expressed the hope that the Court 
 would not consider the testimony sufficient to take away life, 
 as the character of one witness had been proven unworthy of 
 belief. But all was in vain. M'Cracken said to his sister 
 that she must be prepared for his conviction ; and so it was. 
 He was declared guilty, and sentenced to be hanged. 
 
 Before the verdict was given, Miss M'Cracken, antici- 
 pating the result, hastened home with the sad tidings. Her 
 mother went immediately to General Nugent, thinking that 
 his influence might be secured to get her son's sentence 
 
HENRY JOY M'CRACKEN. 19 
 
 commuted to banishment, but the General refused an inter- 
 view. Miss M'Cracken then followed her brother to prison, 
 and was horrified to find that he was ordered to prepare for 
 immediate execution. He desired to see the Rev. S. Kelburn; 
 but Mr. Kelburn was confined to bed by illness, and it 
 was a considerable time before he appeared. Meanwhile the 
 Rev. William S. Dickson, D.D., then a prisoner under the 
 same roof, was brought in and received some communications 
 from M'Cracken about personal matters, which he entered 
 in his note book. At last Mr. Kelburn arrived ; all knelt 
 down, and he led in prayer. When about to retire, he 
 wished to take Miss M'Cracken away from the harrowing 
 scene, but she refused to leave her beloved brother. Having 
 borrowed a pair of scissors, she cut off a lock of his hair ; 
 but an officer named Fox then coming into the room, said that 
 too much use had been made of such things, and made her 
 give up the precious souvenir. 
 
 At five o'clock M'Cracken was ordered to the place of 
 execution — the old market-house which stood at the corner 
 of Corn Market and High Street, and which had been given 
 to the town by his own great-grandfather. His sister took 
 him by the arm, and thus they walked to the fatal spot. 
 There Miss M'Cracken was told that the general had ordered 
 her to leave ; but she refused to go, and clasped her brother 
 in her arms. Three times he kissed her ; then, seeing a friend 
 of his, named Boyd, in the crowd, he beckoned him forward, 
 and said in a low tone, " Take poor Mary home." She now 
 left with her friend, who comforted her with the thought 
 that they would all meet in heaven. Yet, even then there 
 was a last lingering hope to which she clung — the hangman 
 had accepted a bribe to discharge his duty so as to save her 
 brother's life, and medical friends were ready to apply every 
 
20 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 remedy as soon as they received his body. After his sister 
 left, M'Cracken ascended the scaffold and attempted to speak 
 to the people, but his words were drowned by the trampling 
 of the cavalry, and he quietly resigned himself to his fate. 
 Years before this fatal day he had told his friend, James 
 Hope, that he did not desire to ever die of sickness. In a 
 few minutes all was over. His body was given to his friends, 
 but all efforts to restore animation were unsuccessful. 
 
 His remains were buried in the graveyard beside the 
 Episcopal church in High Street. Some years afterwards 
 the Rev. Edward May, parson of the parish, got many of the 
 graves levelled, and the ground sold for building purposes. 
 The dust of the patriot lies under one of the houses erected 
 on this site. His coat and sword may still be seen in the 
 Belfast museum. 
 
 Henry Joy M'Cracken exceeded almost every other leader 
 of the United Irishmen in forgetf ulness of self and in attach- 
 ment to his country. He was the great bond of union that 
 held together the North and the South. He freely gave his 
 life in a vain effort to save his country from oppression, and 
 if we as Unionists condemn the fatal mistake he made, we 
 must respect his motives, admire his courage, and venerate 
 his memory. 
 
 
HENRY IYIUNRO 
 
 ENRY MUNRO came from a respectable family 
 of Scottish descent. For a lengthened period his 
 father pursued a successful mercantile career in 
 Lisburn, where he died in 1795, leaving a widow 
 with one son and two daughters. He was a Presbyterian by 
 birth and conviction ; but his wife being a strong Episco- 
 palian, brought up his children in connection with her own 
 sect. His son Henry, born in July, 1758, was educated in 
 Lisburn. He served an apprenticeship to the business of a 
 woollen draper, and, besides, received instruction in the 
 manufacture of linen. Afterwards, as a trader on his own 
 account, he carried on a draper's shop in Market Square, 
 Lisburn, and also attended the linen halls of Lurgan, Ban- 
 bridge, and Tandragee, where he bought webs for M'Cance 
 of Suffolk and Handcock of Lisburn, the leading bleachers 
 in the neighbourhood. 
 
 Having a good knowledge of his business, and being 
 exceedingly popular, he succeeded well, both as a shopkeeper 
 and as a linen merchant. Devoid of literary tastes, he took 
 great delight in hunting, shooting, and other out-door 
 exercises. He was celebrated for his speed in running, and, 
 it is said, that he often jumped across one of the locks that 
 had been constructed in the Lagan canal, near Lisburn. One 
 day when he was in Lurgan market, a cry was raised that 
 the wooden cupola of the Episcopal Chut eh had taken fire. 
 Ladders were procured and buckets of water were brought to 
 the scene of the conflagration ; but not a man would venture to 
 go up. Munro then volunteered his services, mounted the 
 ladder, and successfully extinguished the fire. 
 
22 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Having a taste for military exercises, he became a 
 volunteer in 1778, just after the Lisburn Corps had been 
 enrolled. Before long, he acquired such a good knowledge of 
 the use of arms that he acted for a time as drill-sergeant to 
 some of the companies. Besides, he was a Freemason, and 
 he became head of the lodge in Lisburn. In this capacity, 
 he often presided at their social entertainments, and was 
 distinguished as an after-dinner orator. He married a 
 celebrated country belle, Margaret, fourth daughter of Mr 
 Robert Johnston, who resided at Seymour Hill, Dunmarry. 
 As time wore on, Munro's interest in politics gained the 
 mastery over his other desires and pursuits. Being an 
 Episcopalian, he was free from the religious persecution that 
 bore so heavily on Presbyterians and Roman Catholics, and 
 being a shopkeeper he was free from the serfdom in which 
 farmers dragged out a miserable existence ; yet he felt for 
 the sufferings of others. He desired to make the Irish 
 Parliament representative of the Irish people, in order that 
 the rights of the farmers should be maintained, and that an 
 Act might be passed for the emancipation of Roman 
 Catholics, as a matter of justice to his countrymen of another 
 race and religion. 
 
 Notwithstanding his advanced Liberalism, he did not 
 join the Society of United Irishmen when it was first 
 formed; however, in 1795, he cast his lot with this organiza- 
 tion, and soon became active in furthering its interests, on 
 the lines of a constitutional agitation. When the leaders 
 of the United Irishmen began to prepare for an insur- 
 rection, he determined to take no part in such a 
 dangerous movement. This resolution he maintained until 
 just before the " Turn-out " in County Down, when he hap- 
 pened one day to see a man scourged by the authorities, in 
 
HENRY MUNRO. 23 
 
 order to make him confess political crimes.* Munro's wrath 
 was aroused at this exhibition of arbitrary power and wanton 
 cruelty. Indignant at the tyranny of the Government, and 
 fearing lest informations might be lodged against himself, he 
 sent his wife for safety to her father's, and three days after- 
 wards, on Monday, the 11th of June, left home in order to 
 shun the coming catastrophe. On his way, he chanced to 
 meet a body of insurgents marching towards Ballynahinch. 
 His military tastes were so well known to this party, that 
 they solicited him to become their leader. At the same time, 
 a messenger, it is stated, arrived with the information that 
 he had been selected by a general committee, met at Temple- 
 patrick, to act as Adjutant- General for Down, under Henry 
 Joy M'Cracken, who had been appointed Commander-in-Chief 
 of the rebel forces in the North-East. But this meeting had 
 been, held several days previously, and it is hard to believe 
 that Munro had not already heard of his nomination. Besides, 
 two other gentlemen were named as well as himself, and the 
 appointment was to be offered to whichever one of the three 
 to whom the information could be first communicated. Be 
 this as it may, Munro accepted of the difficult and dangerous 
 position, and at once began to discharge the duties of his 
 office. 
 
 Hitherto, the rebels in County Down had met with no 
 crushing defeat. On the previous Saturday, the 9th of 
 June, a large party, under Dr. Jackson, of Newtownards, had 
 " turned out " near Saintfield. Hearing that a detachment 
 of Royal forces was marching to attack them, they deter- 
 mined to take their assailants by surprise. Accordingly, a 
 
 *This man's name was Hood. He was by trade a tailor, and was a 
 member of the Mason Lodge of which Munro was master. Another account 
 is to the effect that Munro left the town lest he might see the punish- 
 ment inflicted. 
 
24 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 large body of the insurgents took up their position in a wood 
 near the town, while a short way off, another part}' concealed 
 themselves behind a thick hedge, then in full bloom, that 
 skirted the narrow highway which led to Saintfield. Along 
 this road Colonel Stapleton was marching to the attack, with 
 both cavalry and infantry. He was accompanied by three 
 Episcopal ministers. One of these was named. Mortimer, and 
 another was the notorious Cleland, Lord Londonderry's agent 
 and general manager. Before one-half of the army had come 
 up to where the hedge began, the insurgents happened to spy 
 Mr. Mortimer. Now, the Episcopal clergymen generally 
 were more tyrannical in collecting their tithes than landlords 
 in exacting their rents. Hence no class was more hated in 
 the community. At the sight of Mortimer, the rebels, unable 
 to control themselves longer, opened fire. Many of the 
 cavalry fell, and the unfortunate parson was shot dead. The 
 military, taken by surprise, wavered ; but Captain Unit, of 
 the York Fencibles, forced the hedge, and came into close 
 conflict with the rebels. For a time, the struggle was 
 desperate. At last, the cavalry were driven back 
 on the infantry; but the infantry, although they 
 succeeded in repulsing the insurgents who pursued the 
 horsemen, did not venture to attack the other party 
 stationed in the wood. After some time, they retreated to 
 Comber with a loss of sixty men, leaving the rebels in 
 possession of the position which they had at first occupied. 
 In this engagement, Richard Frazier was the leading spirit 
 among the insurgent forces, although not the nominal 
 commander. 
 
 The United Irishmen of the Southern Ards " turned 
 out " on the 11th June and attacked Portaferry, which was 
 defended by Captain Matthews with a party of yeomanry. 
 
HENRY MUNRO. 25 
 
 Matthews occupied the Markethouse, and he walled up the 
 arches of the lower story to prevent the rebels setting fire 
 to the loft. The yeomanry, secure in their fortification, kept 
 up a vigorous fire on the pikemen as they advanced. Not- 
 Avithstanding this, the insurgents marched up to the attack 
 courageously. Not only were they exposed to the musket 
 balls of the yeomanry, but they had also to face the fire of a 
 revenue cruiser, under Capt. Hopkins, which assisted 
 Matthews in his defence. Thus assailed, the rebels were 
 unable to carry the Markethouse, and they withdrew their 
 attacking party. Then Matthews, fearing a second attack, 
 retreated to Strangford with the yeomanry. 
 
 On the 10th of June, a large party of insurgents attacked 
 Newtownards. Repulsed at first, they soon returned with 
 strong reinforcements in order to renew the assault. Mean- 
 while, the Royal troops had retreated, and the rebels occupied 
 the town without opposition. Prom thence they marched to 
 join their brethren at Saintfield, and these forces, when 
 united, were nearly 7,000 strong. 
 
 About a mile from Saintfield, and not far from the road 
 to Lisburn, stood the house of a loyalist named Hugh M'Kee. 
 This buikL'ng was a comfortable slated farm-house, standing 
 on a level terrace that had been formed on the side of a hill. 
 The back side-wall was close to Jthe rising ground behind, 
 and it was without windows. 
 
 M'Kee's family consisted of his wife, five sons and three 
 daughters — all grown up. Besides these, there was a blind 
 girl, aged thirteen — a relative, and also a servant named John 
 Boles. M'Kee and his family were described by their 
 neighbours as "A lot of big coarse folk," and they were 
 exceedingly unpopular on account of taking part with the 
 landlords and rectors against the Presbyterian people in their 
 
26 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 fight for freedom. Some of M'Kee's sons were yeomen, and 
 the j were all regarded as informers. Every night they went 
 about, challenging whoever the} r met, and firing shots to 
 frighten their political opponents. M'Kee's daughter Nelly, 
 on one occasion, attempted to cut the head off a United 
 Irishman who had been wounded, and would have certainly 
 carried out her intention, but for the intervention of two 
 Scotch soldiers who happened to be then in her father's 
 house. 
 
 On Saturday, the 9th of June, as the rebel army marched 
 to Ballynahinch, it was determined to put an end to the 
 M'Kees' insults, and a large party, under John Breeze of 
 Killinchy, were selected for carrying out this determination. 
 
 Although M'Kee had received timely notice of the 
 intended attack, neither he nor any of his family thought of 
 flight. They loaded their guns, barricaded the door, and 
 prepared for battle. The insurgents advanced to the house, 
 and ordered M'Kee and his sons to join' the patriot army 
 or abide the consequences. To this request they gave an 
 indignant refusal. Then arose from the rebel ranks the cry 
 of, " Hang the informers." On hearing this, the M'Kees 
 fired, wounding Breeze in the leg, and killing several of the 
 insurgents. The women loaded, while M'Kee and his sons 
 fired. So true was their aim, and so many of the assailants 
 were killed or wounded, that it was determined to adopt a 
 more safe and deadly method of attack. Some of the rebels 
 procured a ladder at the house of a neighbour named 
 William Dodd. On their way back, they compelled two 
 young men whom they met — William Shaw and William 
 M'Caw — to carry the ladder; but when these lads found 
 out the purpose for which it was intended, they absolutely 
 refused to bring it any further. Yet on account of this 
 
HENRY MUNRO. 27 
 
 forced service, both were afterwards hanged by the 
 Government. The ladder was then brought by some of 
 the insurgents and placed against the back of M'Kee's house, 
 where there were no windows. A man named Charles 
 Young went up and removed a few slates from the roof, 
 disclosing a large pile of flax on the loft within. Laughing 
 with fiendish joy at the discovery, he called for a light. He 
 was supplied with a blazing wisp of straw, which he pushed 
 in through the opening, and immediately the flax was in 
 flames. The heat soon became intense. Blazing bits of 
 wood, and sparks from the ignited flax, began to fall on the 
 inmates of the doomed dwelling. But the M'Kees fought 
 on. The women brought crocks filled with milk from the 
 pantry, and threw handfuls of the thick cream on them- 
 selves and on their friends to keep their clothing from 
 igniting. At last, Boles, the servant, wanted to open the 
 door that they might all make a race for life ; but the women 
 held them back. Then Boles himself jumped out of a 
 window and tried to escape, but he was immediately run 
 through with a pike, and mortally wounded. Soon after- 
 wards, the fire caught a store of gunpowder in the house, 
 and caused a fearful explosion. The roof fell in, and all the 
 inmates miserably perished. Boles, who had been left for 
 dead on the street, was afterwards carried into a neighbour's 
 house, where he lived for a few days, and told how the 
 M'Kees had acted within the burning building. 
 
 On Sunday morning, the 10th of June, 1798, a detach- 
 ment of the royal army took possession of Ballynahinch, and 
 seized everything they wanted. Breakfast was ordered for 
 both officers and men ; but, afterwards, when the bill was 
 presented, the Colonel tore it in pieces, and said that this 
 Avas his reply. 
 
28 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 When Monro accepted command of the Comity Down 
 rebels, they were marching towards Ballynahinch. As they 
 approached the town, he sent forward one of his officers, 
 named Townsend, to dislodge the Royal forces ; but the 
 soldiers, having first hanged the only baker in the place, lest 
 he shonld make bread for the rebels, withdrew before Towns- 
 end entered. Thns it came to pass that, on the 12th of June, 
 the insurgents obtained quiet possession of Ballynahinch. 
 
 Munro now took up his position on Ednavady Hill, a 
 little to the south-west of the town. But he sent a party of 
 his best musketeers, under M'Cance, to occupy the Windmill 
 Hill, which was about a mile distant from his position, and 
 almost exactly opposite, on the other side of Ballynahinch. 
 Meanwhile foraging parties went round the country to 
 demand " Men, provisions, arms, and ammunition." Some- 
 times, when they failed to exact their demands, they 
 " annexed " what they required without the consent of the 
 owners. They drove in and slaughtered cattle, and they 
 carried away some oaten meal. But after all, the greater 
 part of their provisions was obtained from the freewill 
 offerings of the people, as is related in Professor Thompson's 
 interesting narrative. 
 
 According to previous arrangement, two bodies of the 
 King's troops— one from Downpatrick under Colonel Stewart, 
 and another from Belfast under Colonel Nugent, amounting 
 in all to about 2,000 rank and file — were to meet at the 
 junction of two roads close to Ballynahinch. The Down- 
 patrick detachment arrived first, and about two hours after- 
 wards, General Nugent's division appeared, leaving its line 
 of march marked by the flaming homesteads of many 
 innocent farmers. Had these detachments been attacked 
 separately, they would, in all probability, have both been 
 
HENRY MUNRO. 29 
 
 defeated; but Munro, who seemed strangely infatuated by 
 over-confidence, missed bis opportunity. 
 
 The outposts of the rebels under M'Cance, on the Wind- 
 mill Hill, were driven in, and his chief position assaulted 
 with vigour. For more than an hour he held his own, and 
 at last retreated with reluctance in obedience to Munro 's 
 orders ; but not until he had inflicted considerable loss on the 
 advancing soldiers. Townsend, who held Ballynahincli, 
 withdrew his men, in obedience to similar orders, but he also 
 retreated most reluctantly, being conscious that Munro had 
 made a great mistake in retiring from positions that the 
 soldiers had failed to carry. 
 
 Meanwhile, the cannonade on both sides was continued ; 
 but, on the one hand, the guns of the rebels were small, 
 while on the other, the fusees did not properly fit the shells 
 used by the royal army. Accordingly there was no great 
 damage inflicted on either side. After Munro withdrew his 
 outposts, he offered battle to the royal army, but General 
 Nugent declined to attack him. 
 
 Daring the ensuing night the soldiers pillaged Bally na- 
 hinch, and burned 63 out of the 130 houses it contained. 
 Only seven of the inhabitants had remained in the town; 
 three of these were burned to death, two were shot by the 
 soldiers, and the remaining two succeeded in escaping. As 
 most of the military were drunk, there was a fearful scene of 
 disorder. Munro, being informed of the state of matters in 
 the town, called a council of war. His officers were unani- 
 mously of opinion that an attack should be made at once on 
 the drunk and disorganized soldiers. But strangely infatu- 
 ated, he declared that they would fight like men, and not 
 under " the cloud of night." This decision was so distasteful 
 and discouraging to the insurgents, that 700 ] of them 
 immediately marched off with their leader. 
 
30 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Next morning, Wednesday the 13th of June, at dawn, 
 Munro drew up his troops for action ; and it was admitted by 
 all, even by the General of the Royal army, that he handled 
 his men with great ability. He opened fire with eight 
 cannons, which, although small, were well served; and under 
 their fire the rebel army advanced in two divisions. One 
 party proceeded to attack the town on the right ; they 
 assailed the Royal forces, who were drawn up in a square, and 
 compelled them to retreat with the loss of their commanding 
 officer. The other column of rebels, led by Munro himself, 
 forced their way into Ballynahinch in spite of a terrific fire of 
 both cannons and muskets. Before long their supply of 
 ammunition was exhausted ; then they charged with bayonet 
 and pike. Nothing could r withstand their courage and 
 enthusiasm. They drove the Royal troops backwards through 
 the town, and General Nugent, thinking all was lost, ordered 
 a retreat. 
 
 The blast of the trumpet that conveyed the General's 
 orders to retreat, was worth a thousand men to the Govern- 
 ment, inasmuch as it changed the result of the battle. The 
 rebels, without discipline, enveloped in smoke, and unaccus- 
 tomed to the usages of warfare, thought that the signal in 
 question indicated the attack of some strong reinforcement. 
 Suddenly they became panic-stricken, and, turning round, 
 fled back towards Ednavady, while the British forces were 
 retreating in an opposite direction. 
 
 But the retreat of the rebels was soon observed. A 
 regiment of light dragoons that had been held as reserve, 
 charged Munro's troops as they fled, and the defeat of the 
 British was, in a very few minutes, changed into their complete 
 victory. It was with difficulty that the rebel general was 
 able to lead part of his followers back to his former position 
 
HENRY MUNKO. 31 
 
 on Ednavady Hill. Surrounded there on three sides, he 
 succeeded in retreating through an opening on the fourth 
 side with a small detachment of his defeated troops. 
 
 The Royal cavalry, divided into a number of small 
 parties, cut down many of the fugitives. Gordon estimates 
 that the King's troops lost about fifty, and the rebels at least 
 three times as many. 
 
 Among the slain was a young lady, Miss Elizabeth 
 Grey — often described in song and romance as "Betsy 
 Grey." She was daughter of Mr. Hans Grey, and was born 
 at Granshaw, close to " the six road ends ;" but in 1797, her 
 father had removed to another house in the same district. 
 Her mother was dead, and, being an only daughter, her 
 sorrowing parent had brought her up with great care, and 
 had her carefully educated at a ladies' school. She was now 
 twenty years of age, beautiful, and possessed of many accom- 
 plishments. When the " Turn-out " took place she went to 
 Ballynahinch with her brother and her lover, Willie Boal. 
 After all was lost, the three sought safety in flight, and 
 Elizabeth pushed her sword into the roof of a thatched house 
 which they passed in their flight. Overtaken and attacked by 
 the cavalry when about half a mile from Hillsborough, Boal 
 was wounded in the neck, and a yeoman was about to plunge 
 his sword into young Grey, when Betsy caught hold of the 
 weapon. Then the gallant soldiers made a murderous onslaught 
 on the defenceless girl. One of them, named Little, cut her 
 hand off with a blow of his sword, and another, named Thomas 
 Nelson, sent a bullet through her eye into her brain. In a 
 few minutes the brother, the lover, and the sweetheart all lay 
 dead. Afterwards Little's wife wore the girl's earrings and 
 green petticoat. 
 
 Munro succeeded in escaping from the field of battle, 
 
32 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 but a large reward was offered for his discovery, and he kept 
 in concealment ; for some days he got shelter from a well- 
 known loyalist ; but on Saturday, the 16th, leaving this 
 place of safety, he sought refuge between Lisburn and 
 Hillsborough, five or six miles from the scene of his defeat. 
 There he met a man named Holmes, who, in consideration of 
 five pounds and a parcel of linen shirts, promised to conceal 
 him for a few days, until an amnesty might be proclaimed. 
 In accordance with that promise, he placed Munro in the end 
 of his pig's stye, and covered him with a few " waps " of 
 straw. Having thus reaped his reward for concealing the 
 fugitive, he determined to reap the reward of betraying him. 
 Accordingly, he walked oft' three miles to Hillsborough, and 
 gave the necessary information to the authorities. That very 
 evening, Munro was apprehended by four members of what 
 was called the " Black Troop." A bribe that he offered to 
 his captors was refused, and he was handcuffed, and marched 
 first to Hillsborough, and then to Lisburn. His appearance 
 was forlorn, and his clothes were so tattered that his friend, 
 Mr. G. Whitla, supplied him with a new suit. 
 
 Next day his mother, having obtained admission to his 
 cell, told him that she hoped he would continue true to the 
 cause of Irish liberty, and that she would be less grieved at 
 his death than if he betrayed any of his associates. But the 
 conference was then cut short by the dragoon on guard, who 
 compelled Mrs. Munro to leave the apartment. Afterwards 
 his father-in-law was the only friend permitted to visit him. 
 
 On Monday, the 18th, Munro was tried by court-martial 
 before General Goldie and other officers. He was found 
 guilty, and sentenced to death with the usual mutilation, at 
 four o'clock the same afternoon. 
 
 This sentence was carried out in the Market Square, 
 
HENRY MUNRO. 33 
 
 almost opposite to his own residence, where, according to 
 some authorities, his wife and mother were spectators of the 
 terrible tragedy. But this is incorrect, as I have been 
 informed by Mr. M'Call, who has more knowledge of these 
 matters than any person now alive,* that Mrs. Henry Munro 
 was removed to her father's the Friday before the battle of 
 Ballynahinch. The old woman, widow Munro, never opened 
 her shop on that sad Monday. 
 
 At four o'clock, Munro was brought out of prison under 
 a strong guard. He was dressed in a dark coat, nankeen 
 knee breeches, and white stockings. On his way to the 
 scaffold, he was permitted to call at the house of Dr. Cupples, 
 an Episcopalian minister, to receive the Sacrament of the 
 Lord's Supper. Afterwards the mournful procession pro- 
 ceeded to the place of execution. At the foot of the ladder, 
 Munro settled several accounts, particularly one with Captain 
 Stewart that had been disputed. These affairs being- 
 arranged, and the prisoner's hands tightly strapped 
 behind his back, he said a short prayer, and then 
 sprang from the ground to the second round of the 
 ladder ; but the step broke, and he fell to the street. " I'm 
 not cowed, gentlemen," he said, and then, making one vigorous 
 effort, he sprang up to the third step. It is stated by some 
 authorities that he adjusted the rope himself, exclaimed in a 
 loud voice, " I die for my country," and then threw himself 
 
 *Since these words were written, Mr. M'Call has entered upon his 
 rest and reward. He was born on the 21st of April, 1805, and died on 
 the 12th of March, 1897, having attained to a patriarchal age. He is 
 well known as author of " Our Staple Manufactures," " The House 
 of Downshire," and several other valuable works. He wrote many 
 articles for the Belfast newspapers, and was greatly respected by 
 a large circle of friends. His mind was vigorous, and his memory 
 unimpaired until the last. Only a few weeks before his death he, very 
 kindly, wrote me a long letter relating many interesting circumstances 
 connected with Harry Munro and his family. 
 
34 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 off the ladder. But, if his hands had been previously tied, 
 it is most improbable that he could adjust the rope himself. 
 Most accounts, however, agree in the statement that he 
 jumped off the ladder without any assistance from the 
 hangman. 
 
 Afterwards his head was cut off in accordance with his 
 barbarous sentence. It is stated in Mr. R. M. Young's 
 very interesting book entitled "Ulster in 1798," that the 
 shaft of the hatchet had been rendered slippery by the damp- 
 ness of the day, that a dragoon handed the executioner a bit 
 of chamois to wrap round it, and that, some time ago, when 
 the grave was opened, it was found to contain a hatchet with 
 chamois still attached to the shaft. 
 
 Thus perished by the hands of the hangman one of the 
 bravest spirits among the Northern rebels — a dauntless 
 patriot, who did not fear to die for what he believed to be 
 the good of his country. 
 
 Madden states that the widow of Henry Munro lived till 
 1840, when she died in the house of her nephew, Mr. Alex. 
 Arthur, of Belfast, and that his daughter was married to an 
 Independent clergyman named Hanson. 
 
 With reference to these statements, Mr. Hugh M'Call 
 wrote me : — " I don't think Harry Munro's wife had a child. 
 . . . 1 never heard of any children being born of that 
 marriage. It is not correct, I think, that the widow lived to 
 1840, or even to 1830." 
 
 After Munro's execution, his mother lived for several 
 years in Lisburn, and continued to keep her shop for the sale 
 of toys and haberdashery. Mr. M'Call thus alluded to her: 
 — " The old lady was a special friend of my mother, and on 
 Sunday afternoons she usually came to my father's house 
 and spent the evening. I often heard her refer to her son as 
 
HENRY MUNRO. 35 
 
 ' Our Harry,' and, juvenile as I was, I have never forgotten 
 Mrs. Munro's appearance." 
 
 Although Harry Munro was rash and headstrong, he was 
 popular with the people. He possessed a considerable amount 
 of military skill, but that skill was rendered useless by 
 strange ideas of honour, which prevented him from taking 
 advantage of opportunities more favourable than fell to the 
 lot of any other commander of the Northern insurgents. 
 
SAMUEL NEILSON. 
 
 N" the 20th of August, 1751, Mr. Alexander Neilson 
 was ordained to the pastoral charge of Ballyroney, 
 a Presbyterian congregation near Rathfriland. 
 Exactly two months afterwards, he married 
 Agnes, daughter of Samuel Carson.* This worthy couple 
 had eight sons and five daughters. Their third son Samuel, 
 born at Ballyroney on the 17th of September, 1761, is well 
 known to the world as the proprietor and editor of the 
 Northern Star, and as founder of the society of United Irish- 
 men. He was educated partly by his father, and partly at a 
 school in a neighbouring town. From his childhood, he had 
 an eager desire for knowledge, and he was distinguished for 
 his attainments in mathematics. Bold, manly, generous and 
 persevering, he was looked up to as a leader among his school 
 companions, and, by them, his memory was always revered. 
 When Neilson was about sixteen years of age, he became 
 an apprentice to his elder brother, John, a woollen draper in 
 Belfast. In September, 1785, after the time of his apprentice- 
 ship had expired, he married a daughter of Mr. Wm. Bryson, 
 and, before long, commenced business for himself. His shop 
 was situated on the ground now occupied by the "Commercial 
 
 *Mrs. Carson was twice married. By her first husband, John Finlay, 
 she had one daughter, who, on the 29th of July, 1746, married Mr. 
 William Bigger, of Hightown. She became mother of eight sons and 
 one daughter. The sons have numerous descendants occupying respect- 
 able positions, among whom is Mr. Francis Joseph Bigger, one of the 
 editors of the Ulster Journal of Archeology. The daughter of William 
 Bigger was grandmother of Mr. William Fee M'Kinney, of Carnmoney, 
 well known as an antiquarian. 
 
SAMUEL NEILSON. 37 
 
 Buildings," and was called the " Irish Woollen Warehouse." 
 As his father-in-law was wealthy, it is probable that Neilson 
 used his wife's fortune in setting up this business. At any 
 rate his mercantile career was at first successful, and, in 1792, 
 he was reputed to be worth about eight thousand pounds. 
 But I rather think this estimate of his wealth is exaggerated, 
 and that he did not grow rich so rapidly as is stated by 
 Madden; for I find that, in 1789, he was under the necessity 
 of borrowing a sum of money from George Smith, the husband 
 of Jane his eldest sister. There is no doubt, however, but he 
 was a successful merchant, and that he was in very comfortable 
 circumstances when he began to devote himself seriously to 
 politics. 
 
 Neilson, like many other Irish patriots, commenced his 
 political career as a Volunteer. At first the Ulster Volunteers 
 were composed almost entirely of Presbyterians. Dr. Camp- 
 bell states, in his valuable manuscript history that, in these 
 associations, there were commonly some Episcopalians mixed 
 with the numerous bodies of Presbyterians, and that it was 
 customary in many places for them all to march to Church 
 and to Meeting on alternate Sundays. Nay more, it is certain 
 that sometimes a company of Protestant Volunteers, who 
 duly celebrated the victory of the Boyne, would march to 
 Mass to show their sympathy with their Roman Catholic 
 countrymen, who endured even greater political and religious 
 oppression than the Irish Nonconformists. But the power 
 of the Volunteers diminished greatly after the conclusion 
 of the American War. The Government became opposed to 
 the organisation, and in 1793 prohibited their meetings. 
 
 Lord Charlemont, in a letter written on the 14th of 
 June, 1789, suggested the institution of a Whig club on 
 constitutional principles. In accordance with this suggestion, 
 
38 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 a political association named " The Northern Whig Club " 
 was established in Belfast to promote Parliamentary reform 
 and legislative independence. Its members were distinguished 
 for their loyalty, and they duly toasted the " glorious, pious, 
 and immortal memory." 
 
 The first meeting of this new organization was held on 
 the 20th of March, 1790, and on the 8th of April Parliament 
 was dissolved. A General Election followed, and a member 
 of the Club, the Hon. Robert Stewart — afterwards Viscount 
 Castlereagh — became a candidate for one of the seats in 
 County Down. The contest lasted for sixty-nine days, and 
 Keilson was actively engaged in assisting Mr. Stewart, who, 
 in spite of the Episcopal aristocracy, succeeded in gaining 
 the second seat. But Mr. Stewart was a very lukewarm 
 reformer. Before long he bade farewell to his Presbyterian 
 faith and his Liberal politics. Indeed, all was hollow in the 
 Northern Whig Club. Many of its aristocratic leaders hated 
 in their hearts the reform which they professed to demand, 
 lest it would transfer the power of electing the Parliament 
 from landholders like themselves to the Irish farmers. Under 
 such half-hearted leaders, the club neither accomplished its 
 aims nor evoked popular enthusiasm. 
 
 Convinced that this association would fail to accomplish 
 the reform expected by the people, Samuel Neilson was 
 gradually brought to believe that the only way of overthrow- 
 ing the power of the Episcopal aristocracy was by uniting 
 all creeds and classes of the people in a great confederacy, 
 and thus, by joining together all who hated oppression, be 
 more powerful to fight for freedom. 
 
 This idea was communicated by Neilson to Thomas 
 Russell, Henry Joy M'Craeken, and a few other friends at a 
 meeting held in Belfast. Some, at first, objected to the idea 
 
SAMUEL NEIL SON. 39 
 
 of relying upon Roman Catholics to take part in the proposed 
 struggle, as it was thought that they were not sufficiently 
 enlightened to co : operate with Protestants, and not sufficiently 
 independent of the power of the priesthood to be trusted in a 
 fight for freedom. But M'Cracken took part with Neilson, 
 and the principles of religious liberty and religious equality 
 bacame a prominent feature of the new Society of United 
 Irishmen. That association was founded on the 14th of 
 October, 1791, at a house in Crown Entry, Belfast. Theobald 
 Wolfe Tone came to assist at its formation. He wrote the 
 declaration, and took such a leading part in its organization 
 that some have made the mistake of regarding him as its 
 founder. 
 
 Samuel Neilson was not only the first who conceived 
 and carried out the plan of joining all Irishmen together in 
 one grand confederacy to demand Parliamentary reform, but 
 on the 4th of January, 1792, he started a newspaper entitled 
 the Northern Star to bring the principles of that association 
 before the people of Ulster. On the 3rd of next July, a 
 company of twelve gentlemen — all Presbyterians — was 
 formed to carry on its publication. The capital amounted to 
 £2,000, divided into 40 shares, of which 13 were held by 
 Neilson, who eventually became sole proprietor. The printer 
 and publisher was John Rabb, the editor was Neilson, and 
 the chief contributors were Counsellor Sampson, Thomas 
 Russell, Rev. James Porter, Rev. Sinclaire Kelburne, and 
 Rev. Dr. Dickson. It appeared twice a week, and its 
 price was twopence, of which one-half was for the Govern- 
 ment stamp. Its circulation amounted to between four and 
 five thousand. A great part of the space was devoted to 
 recording the triumphs of the French revolutionists. But, 
 at the same time, the general tyranny of the Government, 
 
40 ULSTEE BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 and the still more oppressive local tyranny of the landlords 
 and rectors received dne attention. In this paper, first 
 appeared the celebrated letters signed " Billy Bluff," in 
 which the Rev. James Porter lashed the landlords with such 
 severity, that they demanded his blood to atone for his 
 audacity in attacking the class privileged not only to rule? 
 but to live on the labours of others. After all, the articles in 
 the Star were mild and loyal when compared with much that 
 has appeared in the Dublin press within the memory of many 
 still alive. To a modern reader, the writers in the Star seem 
 to discuss intolerable abuses with wonderful moderation. 
 During the first year of this paper's existence, the printers 
 and proprietors were prosecuted by the crown, but the 
 prosecution was unsuccessful. Then, in 1796, the office 
 was most illegally attacked and plundered by the military 
 authorities. Neilson and others connected with the paper 
 were imprisoned in Dublin. On the 19th of May, 1797, the 
 Star was finally suppressed by the military, the presses were 
 broken, and the type thrown into Wilson's Court — an act 
 utterly illegal and arbitrary, but for which there was then 
 no redress. 
 
 Meanwhile Neilson had exerted himself in many other 
 ways to promote the liberty of the taxed, tithed, and enslaved 
 farmers of Ireland. He knew well that the great object of 
 the class who ruled w as to maintain their own power and to 
 augment their rents by kindling the fires of animosity 
 between those who professed different religious systems- 
 But Neilson's grand object was to get Irishmen of all 
 religious persuasions to forget their rivalries, and to unite 
 against the ruling class. In many Northern districts, con- 
 tinual feuds between the Peep-o'-DayBoys and the Defenders 
 had led to bloodshed. Religious differences resulted in 
 
SAMUEL NEILSON. 41 
 
 personal hatred. In July, 1792, Neilson, accompanied by 
 Tone and Lowry, went to Rathfriland, his native place, 
 where disgraceful riots had broken out between the Presby- 
 terians and Roman Catholics. With the assistance of some 
 neighbouring gentry, these disturbances were quelled ; but 
 they broke out once more, and again Neilson visited the 
 district; but was unable to get the two parties to live 
 together in harmony. Afterwards he was engaged in settling 
 similar disputes that took place in County Armagh. He was 
 present at a great convention held in Dungannon Presby- 
 terian Church, on the 15th of February, 1793, in which all 
 Ulster was represented. This assembly passed resolutions 
 expressive of attachment to the British Constitution, con- 
 demned Republican forms of Government, and demanded 
 Parliamentary reform and Catholic emancipation. 
 
 Towards the end of 1794, Neilson became sole proprietor 
 of the Northern Star; but the expense of various prosecutions 
 that he endured, and the time he devoted to his paper and 
 to politics, compelled him to relinquish his original business, 
 and to part with his property. 
 
 In 1795, the United Irishmen, despairing of obtaining 
 Parliamentary reform by constitutional means, became 
 Republican in their principles and revolutionary in their 
 aims. Neilson declares that this change of sentiment grew 
 out of the severities practised by the Government ; but I 
 imagine the principles and success of the French revolutionists 
 were an important factor in the new movement. 
 
 The same year, Theobald "Wolfe Tone paid another visit 
 to Belfast, and Neilson was one of a party who went with 
 him to Cave Hill, and there entered into a solemn obligation 
 never to desist from their efforts until Ireland Avould have 
 gained her freedom. 
 
42 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 At last, in September, 1796, a warrant was issued for 
 the arrest of Neilson, and search was made for him by the 
 Earl of Westmeath, Captain Conlson, and a large body of 
 soldiers. In their search, they ransacked Counsellor Sampson's 
 house from top to bottom, and did not even respect the 
 privacy of Mrs. Sampson's room. But they failed to find Mr. 
 Neilson. Sampson tauntingly told them that his wife was 
 not in the habit of entertaining gentlemen privately, and 
 that they ought to look inside some bandboxes which they had 
 neglected to open. Meanwhile, Neilson, having heard of the 
 search that was made for him, went and surrendered himself 
 voluntarily. 
 
 On the evening of the 16th of September, 1796, a few 
 hours after Neilson's arrest, he was removed to Dublin with 
 Thomas Russell, Henry Haslett, and several other prisoners. 
 They travelled in post-chaises, escorted by dragoons, and, on 
 their arrival, were lodged in Newgate. At first, they were 
 denied the use of writing materials, and were kept in solitary 
 confinement. But, very soon, the number of prisoners was 
 so greatly increased by numerous arrests, that it was impos- 
 sible to keep them separate, and, besides, their friends 
 outside were always able to communicate with them surrep- 
 titiously. On one occasion, Mrs. Bond* obtained leave to 
 send a pie to her husband. Beneath the crust, it was filled 
 up with letters, newspapers, and writing materials, which 
 were thus safely introduced. 
 
 Afterwards, the Government relaxed their rules, and 
 permitted the wives of the married prisoners to visit their 
 husbands. But the accused had sometimes other visitors 
 whose presence brought the reverse of pleasure. Govern- 
 
 * Mrs. Oliver Bond was a daughter of Henry Jackson, of Dublin, 
 brother of John Jackson, of Grieve, County Monaghan. 
 
SAMUEL NEILSOX. 43 
 
 ment officials in high authority went, at times, from cell 
 to cell in disguise to interrogate, and even to insult, the 
 unfortunate inmates. One night Lord Carhampton. 
 the commander-in-chief, visited Neilson, and, on being 
 recognised, inquired where the prisoner had known him. "I 
 had the honour," replied Xeilson, "to be reviewed by your 
 lordship in the first battalion of Irish Volunteers when the 
 
 light cavalry on the plains of Broughshane " "Stop, 
 
 sir," interrupted the commander, "these are not fit subjects 
 for prison reflections ; go to bed, sir, and dream of something 
 else than Irish Volunteers." Then his lordship left Neilson 
 and proceeded to the next cell, where he found Dr. Crawford, 
 a celebrated physician, and the Rev. Sinclaire Kelburn, 
 minister of the Third Presbyterian Church, Belfast. Being 
 invited by Mr. Kelburn to take a seat, he replied that he 
 never sat in company with traitors. Then he proceeded to 
 the common hall, and finding one of the prisoners with a 
 knot of green ribbon in his cap, ordered him to be placed in 
 irons. On another occasion, his Lordship, when visiting a 
 prisoner in his dungeon, wounded him in the face with his 
 cane. 
 
 Among the high officials who sometimes visited those 
 accused of political crimes, was Lord Castlereagh. In 1797, 
 he chanced to meet Neilson in Kilmainham. Doubtless 
 remembering how much he was himself indebted to the 
 prisoner for political services during the County Down 
 election of 1790, he expressed regret at finding him 
 there, and asked if he could in any way render 
 him a service. Neilson thanked his Lordship, and stated 
 that he did not wish to ask a favour for himself, but that 
 there were two men, Pat Whelan and Martin Short, under 
 sentence of death for a crime of which they were innocent, 
 
44 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 that the informer, on whose false evidence they had been 
 convicted, felt such remorse that, every night, he disturbed 
 the prisoners with his wailings ; and that it would be an act 
 of justice were his Lordship to intercede for these men, 
 unjustly condemned. This he promised to do, with the 
 result that the men were reprieved, and, soon afterwards, 
 liberated. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Government were using every means in 
 their power to obtain evidence necessary to convict Neilson 
 and his companions. In my life of M'Cracken, I have alluded 
 to the fact, that, before their arrest, a poor weaver named 
 James Hope, who knew all their political secrets, had been 
 offered £500 through Mr. Ferris Martin, of Ballynahinch, for 
 such evidence as would secure their capital conviction. But 
 Hope, preferring the poverty of a patriot to the wealth of an 
 informer, remained faithful to his friends and his principles. 
 
 At last, an Englishman named Bird promised to furnish 
 the necessary evidence; and the authorities, depending upon 
 this informer, served Neilson with notice of trial. But, 
 although Bird had been brought by poverty to accept the 
 wages of infamy, he was not altogether devoid of conscience. 
 This he proved by absconding, when he was urged by Major 
 Sirr* to commit perjury for the Government, by swearing 
 that a certain Orangeman was a United Irishman, in order 
 to prevent him coming forward as a witness in favour of 
 some political prisoners. There being now no evidence 
 against Neilson, he was released on the 22nd of February, 
 1798, after a confinement of one year and five months. For 
 a time he took no part in the United Irish organization, and 
 it is stated that he was consulted by Mr. Pelham as to the 
 
 * Charles Henry Sirr was at first a wine merchant, but, in 1796, he 
 received the appointment of deputy-town-major in Dublin. 
 
SAMUEL NEILSON. 45 
 
 probability of conciliating the North of Ireland by granting 
 Parliamentary reform. It is certain, however, that Neilson 
 did not long adhere to the conditions of his release ; but he 
 asserts that the recommencement of his revolutionary career 
 was a result of the Government breaking their engagements 
 with him. At any rate, he resumed his political activity. 
 Day and night he rode about to organise the United Irishmen, 
 and he frequently visited their commander-in-chief, Lord 
 Edward Fitzgerald, who, in the midst of depression, was 
 always re-animated and encouraged by these conferences. 
 On the 19th of May, 1798, they dined together at Murphy's ; 
 but Neilson had not been gone more than an hour, when 
 Major Sirr and a party of soldiers entered through the open 
 door, and, after a desperate struggle, captured his Lordship. 
 As the insurrection had been fixed for the 23rd of May, the 
 liberation of Lord Edward and the other imprisoned leaders 
 became most desirable. Neilson, with his usual boldness, 
 having determined to accomplish this by attacking the prison, 
 went to view the building himself. While he was engaged 
 in calculating its height by counting the courses of masonry, 
 he was seen by Gregg, the gaoler, and was arrested after a 
 desperate struggle, in which he received fifty wounds. He 
 was now indicted for high treason, and brought before the 
 judges in irons, but the authorities did not then proceed with 
 his trial. 
 
 After the insurrection had failed, he learned the result 
 from Mr. Crawford, his solicitor. The speedy execution of 
 several friends horrified him greatly, and a desire to save 
 many others whose death seemed certain, caused him to listen 
 to an offer that was now made by the Government, to the 
 effect, that if the political prisoners would give information 
 of what passed between the United Irishmen and foreign 
 
46 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 states, and engage to emigrate to some country approved by 
 the authorities, they would be freed from prosecution. 
 It was expressly stated that they would not be required 
 to implicate any of their friends, and it was under- 
 stood that the benefit of the compact would be extended 
 to "Such persons in custody or not in custody" as 
 might choose to be included. This proposal being accepted 
 by the prisoners, and signed by almost all whose signa- 
 tures were required, it was thought that there would 
 now be an end to the executions. But on the morning 
 of the 28th of July, as William Michael Byrne, then under 
 sentence of death, sat at breakfast with Bond, Neilson, and 
 Mrs. Neilson, the jailer appeared, beckoned Byrne to the 
 door, and led him off to execution, although he himself and 
 all the other prisoners were certain that his life would be 
 spared as a result of the compact almost concluded. 
 
 At last, the agreement was duly signed, and the prisoners 
 were examined. In violation of the compact, an attempt was 
 made to get such information from Neilson as would have 
 implicated some of his friends ; but he declared that he 
 would never divulge what he was asked to reveal, even he 
 were sent back to his cell or to the scaffold. After this 
 protest, his examination was continued ; and, when his 
 testimony was accepted, he naturally expected a speedy 
 release. 
 
 Notwithstanding the compact, several of the prisoners 
 were retained in custody. Neilson and some others were 
 sent to Fort George, in the North of Scotland. He left on 
 the I9th of March, 1799, and did not arrive until the 9th of 
 April. Although in poor health when removed, he gradually 
 recovered, as a result of the change and of better treatment. 
 During his imprisonment at Fort George, he wrote regularly 
 
SAMUEL NEILSOX. 47 
 
 to his wife. In his letters, he urged her to make their 
 children familiar with the precepts of Scripture, and with 
 those practical dnties so well pointed ont in the Shorter 
 Catechism. He enjoined her to teach them to hate falsehood 
 and hypocrisy, and to train them up in the habits of industry. 
 He warned the children to remember that, wherever they 
 went or whatever they did, they were in the presence of God, 
 who rewarded the virtuous and punished the guilty, and 
 before whose judgment they must one day appear. 
 
 (jn the 8th of January, 1800, Neilson wrote the governor 
 of the prison to the effect that he had determined to submit 
 to privation rather than add to the misery of his family, 
 now reduced from affluence to poverty ; and that, therefore, 
 he had resolved to " forego his supper," in order to confine 
 his expenditure within his allowance. In 1801, his son 
 William was permitted to come to live with him, and 
 Keilson, to provide for the additional expenditure, still further 
 reduced his own allowance by giving up his wine. William 
 Neilson, a boy of very great talents, was now but eight 
 years of age, yet he wrote his mother interesting and well- 
 composed letters, giving an account of his studies and 
 amusements. He Avas taught arithmetic by Dowling, history 
 by Emmet, Latin by Dr. Dickson, music by Cormick, mathe- 
 matics by Russell, and English by his father. 
 
 After a confinement of more than four years without 
 trial, Neilson was at last released, on condition of emigrating 
 to America. On the 30th of June, 1802, he sailed from Fort 
 George. His first destination was Hamburg, but from thence 
 he went to Altona. Unable to secure a direct passage to 
 America, he ventured to return home in order to visit his 
 family. Having arrived in Dublin, he disguised himself with 
 a wig and spectacles, and accompanied by his faithful friend, 
 
48 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 James Hope, set out for Belfast. Remaining there only 
 three days, he returned to Dublin by way of Ballibay, in 
 order to see one of his daughters who was staying with Mr. 
 John Jackson at Creeve.* When about to embark, he pufc a 
 guinea into the hand of Hope, who did not wish to pain his 
 friend by refusing it ; but, knowing his poverty, purchased 
 some things that might be necessary for him on his voyage, 
 and sent them on board as a present. 
 
 When Neilson arrived in America, he formed a plan of 
 starting a newspaper devoted to the interests of the Irish 
 race, in order to enable him to bring out and support his 
 wife and family. But his health began to fail rapidly. A 
 rheumatic complaint that he had contracted as a conse- 
 quence of his long imprisonment, returned with increased 
 violence,- and, on the 29th of August, 1803, he died at 
 Poughkeepsie, a small town on the Hudson River. 
 
 Although Neilson was rash, he was exceedingly resolute 
 in carrying out his plans. Animated by strong sympathy 
 for the oppressed, he sacrificed his health, his property, and 
 the worldly prospects of his wife and family, whom he loved 
 dearly, for what he was convinced were the interests of his 
 country. He was one of the many Ulster patriots who may 
 have adopted a wrong course, but whose honour, honesty ^ 
 and unselfish fidelity to principle, should make their memory 
 revered by Irishmen throughout all generations. 
 
 Samuel Neilson left behind him a wife and five children. 
 Mrs. Neilson carried on a small business with such success 
 that she was enabled to bring up her children respectably. 
 
 * Mr. Jackson's daughter, Fanny, became wife of the Eev. John 
 Johnston, D.D., Tullylish, and mother of the Rev. William Johnston, 
 D.D., Belfast. Another of Mr. Jackson's daughters was married to 
 Captain Sidney H. Rowan, second of the celebrated patriot's five sons. 
 Dr. Madden is astray instating that Captain Gawen Hamilton was, at 
 the time of his death, the only surviving son of A. Hamilton-Rowan. 
 
SAMUEL NEILSON. 
 
 49 
 
 Miss M'Cracken states that she never saw a family regulated 
 with so much order and neatness on such a limited income; 
 that the children were so well trained, so affectionate, and so 
 happy that it was a treat to spend an evening in the family 
 circle. 
 
 William Bryson JSTeilson, the eldest son, was a young 
 man of great talent, a brilliant orator, and a successful 
 merchant. Having become partner in an extensive firm which 
 traded in Jamaica, he went to reside in that island ; but he 
 died there of yellow fever on the 7th of February, 1817, in 
 the twenty- third year of his age. His youngest sister was 
 married to Mr. William Handcock, and was mother of Dr. 
 William Neilson Handcock, well-known for his writings on 
 statistical and economic subjects. 
 
JAMES HOPE. 
 
 AMES HOPE was born on the 25th of August, 
 1764, in the Parish of Templepatrick, in the 
 County of Antrim. His grandfather, a Scotch 
 Covenanter, had been driven by Episcopal perse- 
 cution from his native country, and had settled in Ireland. 
 His parents were simple, honest Presbyterians. They 
 attended the ministry of the Rev. Isaac Patton, who, on the 
 9th of July, 1746, had been ordained at Lylehill — the first 
 clergyman of the Irish Secession Church. Youug Hope did 
 not receive the advantage of an early education, as he got 
 only fifteen weeks at school before he began to earn his bread 
 by manual labour with the neighbouring farmers. His first 
 master, William Bell, of Templepatrick, used in the long 
 Winter nights to sit at the kitchen fire and read aloud 
 extracts from the histories of Greece, Rome, Ireland, Scotland, 
 and England, and sometimes from newspapers, which then 
 had begun to circulate among the upper class of Ulster 
 farmers. Hope was greatly impressed by the information 
 he received, and, when he went to another farmer, who was 
 named John Gribson, he became a willing pupil of his 
 master's father, who helped him in his endeavours to learn ; 
 but, ere long, death removed his venerable instructor. After- 
 wards, he lived with a man named John Richey, who gave 
 him lessons in writing. Then, on returning to Gibson, his 
 studies were continued until he had read the Bible through. 
 Young Hope was at length apprenticed to a linen 
 weaver, and he served his full time without receiving a 
 
JAMES HOPE. 51 
 
 single reproof from his master. For the next eight and a 
 half years, he worked at his trade for a small farmer who 
 possessed a loom, and during this time, he attended a night 
 school every Winter. Afterwards, he worked as a journey- 
 man with a weaver named Mullin, whose daughter Rose — a 
 good-looking and clever girl — became his wife, and until her 
 death, in 1^31, was a worthy and loving helpmate to her 
 husband. 
 
 Hope began his political career by joining the Roughfort 
 Corps of Volunteers. In 1795, he became a United Irishman, 
 his reason being that he desired to help forward every 
 movement that tended to restore to the people their natural 
 right of deriving a living from the soil they tilled. Soon 
 after he joined the Society, he was chosen delegate to a 
 general committee in Belfast, where he met Samuel Neilson, 
 Henry Joy M'Cracken, Thomas Russell, and other leaders of 
 the organization. Having very soon discovered his worth, 
 they, ever afterwards, implicitly trusted him with their 
 secrets. Hope never became a fluent speaker, but he was 
 able to think clparly and to act wisely, firmly, and rapidly. 
 To his friends he was known as the " Spartan," and he was 
 often employed by leaders of the party in difficult and 
 dangerous missions. From 1796 till 1798, he undertook 
 many hazardous journeys to carry messages from leader 
 to leader, and to organize societies. 
 
 The members of these societies were, at first, almost 
 altogether Protestants, but Charles Teeling used all his 
 influence to persuade the Roman Catholic " Defenders " to 
 cast their lot with the United Irishmen. In this he was 
 successful ; and, when the rebellion took place in the North, 
 the Defenders were joined with Presbyterian and Episcopal 
 United Irishmen. But, in the South, the Roman Catholics 
 
52 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 regarded the insurrection as a revolt against Protestantism, 
 and their action in those disastrous days re-kindled a spirit of 
 religious enmity that is not yet extinct. 
 
 In 1796, Hope, accompanied by one Metcalfe — an Epis- 
 copalian — was sent by the Belfast United Irishmen to 
 introduce the society to the working-men of Dublin. He 
 took up his residence at Balbriggan, passed as a silk-weaver 
 from Scotland, and formed several societies in the Irish 
 capital. Afterwards he went to reside in the City itself, 
 where he continued to carry on his work of organization. 
 One of the Dublin societies had entrusted a secret of some 
 importance to Hope's companion, which he betrayed. HojDe 
 was unjustly blamed for the imprudent act of his friend, and 
 it was determined that both should be murdered. For this 
 purpose, an appointment was made with them to attend a 
 rendezvous on the banks of the canal, where six men were to 
 drown them. Hope and his companion kept the appointment, 
 but the leader of the gang had got drunk on his way, and 
 the doomed men were gone from the place of meeting before 
 he had got sufficiently refreshed in the public-house. Next 
 day, when Hope appeared at his work, he saw his employer, 
 who was in the secrets of the organization, change colour. 
 On enquiring what was the matter, the truth came out. 
 Hope easily established his innocence, and preserved his 
 influence with the leaders of his party ; but acts such as had 
 been contemplated in his case, were very injurious to the 
 cause with which the United Irishmen were identified. 
 
 On another occasion, a man named Connell persuaded 
 Hope to accompany himself, his son, and some others for a 
 walk. Being joined by a number of men who appeared in 
 answer to a signal, Hope was informed that they were going 
 to " lift some arms," and that they wanted his " Northern 
 
JAMES HOPE. 
 
 53 
 
 tongue " to give the word of command. But Hope saw at 
 once that they were on a mere robbing expedition, and he 
 resolved to frustrate their plans. Pretending to consent, he 
 got a blunderbuss from one of the party, drew the charge, 
 and re-loaded it himself. Then he put the muzzle to Connell's 
 breast, and shouted out to his comrades that they could not 
 save him, for if one of the party moved he would be a dead man. 
 Compelling Connell to walk on in front, be warned the others 
 not to come near. When they arrived within a short distance 
 of the watch, he made Connell stand. Then walking back- 
 wards till out of reach of the gang, he threw the blunderbuss into 
 a field and took to his heels. Thus Hope dealt with members 
 of his own party who wished to play at robbery or murder. 
 He declares solemnly that the United Irishmen never 
 advocated assassination, and that, whenever it did take place, 
 it was the work of individuals — not of the organization. 
 Some time afterwards, when Hope paid a visit to Kilmainham 
 in order to deliver a message to certain prisoners, he saw 
 Connell, who had meanwhile been sentenced to death for 
 highway robbery. 
 
 As circumstances demanded, Hope passed backward 
 and forwards from Dublin to Belfast. He formed a count} 
 committee in Castleblayney and societies in Maguire's Bridge 
 Clones, Enniskillen, and many other places. Once, when in 
 Roscommon, he took the disguise of a Sergeant, and enlisted 
 a United Irishman in the dock ; then he successfully claimed 
 him as a recruit. On this particular organizing expedition, 
 he travelled more than 700 miles. 
 
 Notwithstanding his poverty, James Hope was faithful 
 to his friends, and above corruption. The authorities being 
 well aware that he knew the secrets of his leaders, offered 
 him, through Mr. Ferris Martin, of Ballynahinch a sum of 
 
54 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES, 
 
 £500 if lie would give such evidence against Neilson, 
 M'Cracken, and Russell as would lead to their capital 
 conviction. Hope asked time to consider the proposal, but 
 he immediately communicated its import to the parties 
 against whom he was asked to inform. In order that they 
 might hear his negotiations, he concealed them in a closet, 
 while he gave Mr. Martin an interview in an adjoining room. 
 On that occasion, he learned that the money would be paid 
 by Lord Hillsborough. Hope then said he would take further 
 time to consider the matter, and thus got rid of Martin. 
 
 At last, the leaders of the United Irishmen, despairing of 
 getting their grievances redressed by the Irish Parliament, 
 most foolishly and most unfortunately determined to rise in 
 rebellion. Thomas Russell was apjDointecl General for the 
 County Down ; but, when the time drew near, he was a 
 prisoner in Dublin. It is said that the Rev. William S. 
 Dickson, D.D., was appointed to act in his stead. Robert 
 Simms was chosen general for Antrim, and it was arranged 
 between him and another leader that James Hope should 
 attend either one or other as aide-de-camp. At the time 
 appointed for the insurrection, Simms refused to take the 
 field, and, although the South had risen on the 23rd of May, 
 he kept the society in suspense. The people grew impatient, 
 and Hope told him plainly that an irregular movement could 
 not be long prevented. Then Simms called a meeting of the 
 Colonels and resigned his position. 
 
 As it was now imperatively necessary to communicate 
 with the County Down leaders, M'Cracken entrusted Hope 
 with a letter to Dr. Dickson. Hope went to John Hughes, 
 of Belfast (afterwards discovered to be an informer) who 
 was the medium of communication between Down and 
 Antrim, and who knew where all the local leaders of the 
 
JAMES HOPE. 55 
 
 United Irishmen conld be found. It was early in the morn- 
 ing when he called, and Hughes came into the room half- 
 dressed, wringing his hands in great apparent agitation. 
 " Our leaders," said he, " have deserted us, and there is only 
 one way to stop their career of treachery, and that is to have 
 them arrested. You have done much for the cause, but no 
 service equal to that of lodging information against them." 
 Hope drew a pistol from his pocket, and told Hughes that if 
 he were not so near his wife and children, he would never 
 speak those words again. Then Hughes turned the matter 
 into a jest, said he was only trying the firmness of his 
 visitor, and stated that Dr. Dickson was in a house in 
 Church Lane. But Hope, having failed to find him there 
 and in another place to which Hughes directed him, went 
 home. That very day Dr. Dickson had been arrested, and 
 Hughes knew quite well that he was not in the neighbour- 
 hood. 
 
 'Next day, Hope returned to Belfast and found it strongly 
 guarded by the military. In High Street they were prepar- 
 ing to flog some unfortunate patriots, and he saw Colonel 
 Barber, with a number of officers, walking in front of the 
 Exchange. He found Hughes in great apparent agitation. 
 One of his clerks came in and told them that the soldiers 
 were flogging Kelso. Then a servant girl ran into the room 
 and said Kelso had been taken down, and was telling all he 
 knew. A moment afterwards Colonel Barber and the officers 
 moved towards Bridge Street. Hughes {n^tended to be 
 terribly alarmed lest the soldiers should search his house. 
 " What ails you ?" said Hope ; " you need not be frightened." 
 Hughes then showed him a strong linen bag full of musket 
 balls and some packages of gunpowder. " I'll ease you of 
 that," said Hope, and, taking the bag on his back, he carried 
 
56 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 it down stairs. The clerk warned him of the risk he ran, 
 and said that, if he were discovered, Barber wonld hang him 
 from a lamp post. Bnt Hope went on courageously with his 
 packages, carried them along the street, and put them into 
 a bag that he had previously left at a shop in Bridge Street. 
 Then he boldly carried his bundle up North Street to a 
 carman's yard, when he left it in charge of a man named 
 Scott, while he went away himself for some other things — 
 two swords, a green jacket, and the colours under which they 
 afterwards fought at Antrim. Returning with these things, 
 he and Scott packed them up in as small bulk as possible, 
 and then marched along with a body of town yeomen that 
 happened to be passing — just as if under their protection. 
 After a time Hope and his companion quickened their pace, 
 struck off the high road by Shankhill, and succeeded in 
 safely reaching the mountains. 
 
 As Hope knew well the folly of an insurrection, he had 
 not hitherto accepted of any command in the rebel army, but 
 when his companions were called to arms, he was not the 
 man to desert them, and he joined the forces of Henry Joy 
 M'Cracken, who had been appointed to the position resigned 
 by Robert Simms. On the 7th of June, M'Cracken marched 
 to attack Antrim, and Hope went in the very front with a 
 small baud of Roughfort Volunteers, most of them his 
 personal friends, who were commanded by John M'Gladdery.* 
 They marched in three files six deep. Then followed the 
 men of Temple23atrick ) and Carnmoney, and Killead. As 
 they entered the town, they met another division coming in 
 by the Carrickfergus Road. Thus reinforced, M'Cracken 
 
 # The attack on Antrim has been already described in M'Cracken's 
 life; bnt as these biographies appeared at first in different newspapers, 
 I wished to have each complete in itself. 
 
JAMES HOPE. 57 
 
 pressed onwards in face of a storm of bullets. Repulsing the 
 royal cavalry, he gained a secure position in the Churchyard. 
 Just then in the midst of a terrific fusilade, a young girl ran 
 along the street and through the rebel ranks, to point out to 
 M'Cracken a loop-hole in the wall which it might be import- 
 ant for him to utilize. 
 
 The rebel pikemen now pressed forward. They over- 
 powered the yeomen, and drove them behind the wall of 
 the Masareene demesne. The cavalry of Colonel Lumley 
 charged in vain and being repulsed, fled across the river. 
 The Colonel himself was wounded, and Captain Watson, in 
 order to save his life, made his horse jump over the parapet 
 of the bridge. One hour after M'Cracken attacked Antrim, 
 he had captured the guns, driven the royal troops from the 
 street, and to all appearance had gained a decisive victory. 
 
 Meanwhile the yeomen, from the place of refuge behind 
 the Castle wall, kept up a desultory fire, and M'Cracken, to 
 make his victory complete, determined to dislodge them. 
 Leaving Hope with his " Spartan Hand," in the churchyard, 
 he led a party to attack the yeomen in their rear. Just then 
 a reinforcement of United Irishmen, 500 strong, arrived from 
 Randalstown, which, after a sharp conflict, they had captured. 
 As they entered Antrim, they saw the royal cavalry retreat- 
 ing, and ignorantly concluded that they were about to charge 
 some division of the United Irishmen. Hesitating at first, 
 their hesitancy soon became a panic. 
 
 Samuel Orr, their leader, ordered a retreat, and the 
 retreat became a flight. M'Cracken, being unable to prevent 
 the panic spreading to the division he commanded, was him- 
 self compelled to follow the fugitives. 
 
 Meanwhile, Hope and his " Spartans " still held their 
 ground in the churchyard ; but, just then, the royal army 
 
58 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 received from Belfast and Blaris camp, very strong reinforce- 
 ments of botli infantry and cavalry. Seeing these approaching, 
 Hope knew that all was lost ; bnt he determined to secure a 
 safe retreat by a bold movement. He marched his detach- 
 ment, with colours flying, right towards the advancing troops, 
 as if about to charge them, and they drew up to receive the 
 expected onslaught. Then he suddenly turned, and marching 
 backwards through Antrim, made good his retreat to 
 Donegore. 
 
 After the rebellion failed, Hope returned to his work. 
 No positive information seems to have been sworn against 
 him, and he escaped the fate suffered by many of his biave 
 companions. But still he was a marked man, and for years 
 had to move about from place to place in order to avoid his 
 enemies. 
 
 He remained in the North till November. Then he 
 proceeded to Dublin, where he was joined by his wife and 
 child. For some time, he worked as a cotton-weaver. After- 
 wards, he found employment with Mr. Charles Teeling, who 
 had established a bleach green at Nawl, County Heath. 
 Finding that information had been lodged against him, 
 he returned to Dublin, and for a short time possessed a small 
 haberdasher's shop. After Neilson's liberation in 1802, Hope 
 accompanied that joatriot to the North, when he secretly 
 visited his wife before emigrating to America. On their 
 journey back they went through Ballybay to see one of 
 Neilson's daughters, who was on a visit with Mr. John 
 Jackson, of Crieve, grandfather of Rev. William Johnston, 
 D.D., Townsend Street, Belfast. 
 
 Once more " shadowed " by the authorities, Hope 
 removed to Rathfarnham. While residing there, he assisted 
 Robert Emmet in his abortive attempt to raise another 
 
JAMES HOPE. 59 
 
 rebellion ; but lie took no part in the actual rising, as lie was 
 then trying to organize the malcontents of County Down. 
 One of the witnesses against Emmet, named Fleming, bad 
 often been sent with arms to the depot by Hope, but he 
 never mentioned the matter in his informations. Mrs. Hope 
 seemed to be animated by a spirit similar to her hnsband, 
 and was possessed of similar courage. Happening to find 
 out that a certain family in Dublin were suspected by the 
 authorities, she went to their house and carried away a large 
 quantity of ball-cartridges, which she threw into the "Basin." 
 
 After this, Hope sometimes worked in Dublin, and 
 sometimes in its neighbourhood. Once he paid a debt of 
 £13 for a poor family to save them from ruin. When the 
 accession to office of Fox and Greville, in 1806, changed the 
 policy of the Government, Mrs. Hope sent a memorial to the 
 Duke of Bedford in her own name, admitting that her 
 husband had fought on the side of the people, driven 
 unwillingly to rebellion like thousands of others. She was 
 given to understand that he would be permitted to take his 
 chance with the civil laws. Acting on that assurance, he 
 returned to the North. For some time he was employed by 
 the M'Crackens ; afterwards for nine years he worked with an 
 Englishman named Tucker — generally near Larne. Leaving 
 him, he went to reside in Belfast. Having learned to keep 
 accounts, he acted for many years as a clerk with Mr. Joseph 
 Smyth, the well-known publisher of the Belfast Almanac. 
 
 In 1831, Mrs. Hope died, and her husband often stated 
 that with her his happiness was buried in the grave. The 
 following is an extract from a poem in which he bewailed 
 his loss : — 
 
 " The sweetest musric on the ear 
 
 That ever mortal heard, 
 Or the sublimest thought expressed 
 By any earthly bard, 
 
60 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Is but a prelude to the praise 
 Where blessed spirits sing — 
 
 ' Oh grave, where is thy victory ? 
 Oh death, where is thy sting ? ' 
 
 Tho' we have parted oft in grief, 
 
 Our meeting still was dear ; 
 But then we'll meet beyond the reach 
 
 Of either hope or fear. 
 As fellow angels we shall meet, 
 
 And not as man and wife, 
 United by a purer tie 
 
 For an eternal life." 
 
 Hope wrote many poems, some of which are included in 
 Dr. Madden's collection. Besides, in 1843, he furnished 
 Madden with an autobiography and with copious notes for 
 his " Lives of United Irishmen." This historian says that 
 Hope was one of nature's noblemen, and one of the finest 
 specimens of his class whom he had met. " I had," says he, 
 " an opportunity of seeing the qualities of this man strikingly 
 displayed on a dreary journey in his company between 
 Belfast and Antrim, on a most tempestuous night in the 
 depth of winter, when we arrived at our journey's end, 
 (after visiting the scene of that struggle at Antrim in which 
 he had taken so prominent a part five and forty years 
 before), so benumbed with cold and wet, as scarcely to have 
 the power of motion." 
 
 James Hope died in 1847, having attained to the ripe 
 age of eighty-three. Although occupying but an humble 
 position, he was trusted implicitly by the leaders of a great 
 movement, and he exhibited all the determination and 
 uprightness of a true Presbyterian. He was of medium 
 height, slightly but firmly built. One of his sons, Henry 
 
JAMES HOPE. 61 
 
 Joy M'Cracken Hope [1809 — 1872] wrote poetry. Some of 
 his hymns are included in Dr. W. F. Stevenson's collection. 
 Another son, Luke Mullan Hope [1794 — 1827] was editor of 
 the Rushlight. 
 
 James Hope was buried in Malusk graveyard, where 
 his tombstone is still standing. My friend, Mr. William F. 
 M' Kinney, has very kindly copied the inscription, which is 
 as follows : — 
 
 (Erected 
 
 TO THE MEMORY OP 
 
 JAME S HOPE, 
 
 WHO WAS BORN IN 1764, AND DIED IN 1847, 
 
 ONE OP NATURE'S NOBLEST WORKS 
 
 AN HONEST MAN, 
 
 STEADFAST IN FAITH, AND ALWAYS HOPEFUL 
 
 IN DIVINE PROTECTION. 
 
 IN THE BEST ERA OF HIS COUNTRY'S HISTORY 
 
 A SOLDIER IN HER CAUSE, 
 
 AND IN THE WORST OF TIMES, STILL FAITHFUL TO IT ; 
 
 EVER TRUE TO HIMSELF AND TO THOSE 
 
 WHO TRUSTED IN HIM, HE REMAINED TO THE LAST 
 
 UNCHANGED AND UNCHANGEABLE 
 
 IN HIS FIDELITY. 
 
REV. JAMES PORTER. 
 
 AMES PORTER was born in 1753, about half-a-mile 
 from Ballindrait, a village situated between Lifford 
 and Raphoe, in a beautiful valley through which 
 the Deele slowly meanders around the base of heath-clad 
 Cr ogham 
 
 The Porter family had, for several generations, resided 
 near Ballindrait, and they have been distinguished in the 
 persons of Miss Jane Porter, the novelist, and Sir Robert K. 
 Porter, the artist and diplomatist. The last representatives 
 of the name, who resided in this locality, lived in the house 
 now occupied by Mr. Alex. Weir. But the residence of the 
 patriot's father was at Tamna Wood, which is near Ballin- 
 drait School-house. 
 
 James Porter was son of a Presbyterian farmer and mill- 
 owner*, and was the eldest of a family that consisted of four 
 sons and four daughters. When a boy he was distinguished 
 for the rapidity with which he acquired knowledge, and the 
 extent of his attainments. Having left school, he began to 
 work on his father's farm, and, cultivating a taste for 
 
 *In 1768-9. a map and survey were made of the Lifford Estate of 
 Abraham Creighton, Baron Erne. From these it appears that James 
 Porter was then tenant of a small farm at Tamna Wood, and had a 
 " tnck " mill at Ballindrait, on the north bank of the Deele, a few yards 
 west of the bridge. The water power of this mill must have been the 
 same as is now used by Mr. Kobert MacBeth, although his mills are on 
 the south bank, inasmuch as there could not be two weirs on this part 
 of a stream so sluggish as the Deele, up which the tide ascends to the 
 very bridge at Ballindrait. 
 
REV. JAMES PORTER. 63 
 
 mechanics, was soon able to make most of the repairs neces- 
 sary in the machinery of the mill. During the winter 
 evenings he read books and added to his rapidly increasing 
 knowledge. There still exists at Ballindrait a beautifully 
 engraved sun-dial, with the following inscription (kindly 
 copied for me by Rev. A. G. Lecky, B.A.): — "By James 
 Porter, anno 1771, for latitude 54° 58", for Andrew Stilley." 
 
 In this way the time passed until he was twenty years 
 of age, when his father died, and soon afterwards James left 
 home to push his fortune. There is a tradition in Ballindrait 
 that, having dressed himself in his " Go- to-Meeting " suit, 
 he walked oif one day without telling any person of his 
 intention, taking with him two or three of his own shirts, 
 which happened to be drying on a thorn hedge that he 
 passed. After some vicissitudes, he became a tutor in the 
 house of a gentleman in County Down. Being a remarkably 
 fine looking young man, with good conversational powers, he 
 won the heart of one of the young ladies of the family — 
 Miss Anne Knox — to whom he was married in 1780, by the 
 Rev. Robert Black, of Dromore. Afterwards, when minister 
 of Derry, Dr. Black told the Rev. William Porter, of Lima- 
 vady, that Mr. James Porter was, at the time of his marriage, 
 the handsomest man he had ever seen. The bride's grand- 
 mother was present at the wedding, and on wishing the 
 newly-married pair "great happiness," as is usual on such 
 occasions, added that she saw but " small signs of it." 
 
 Soon after his marriage, Mr. Porter opened a school in 
 Drogheda. There he continued his own studies with such 
 assiduity and success, that, about 1784, he was enabled to 
 enter the Divinity classes of Glasgow University — his 
 previously - acquired attainments being accepted by the 
 Presbytery as equivalent to a degree in Arts. After 
 
64 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 studying there for three sessions, he was licensed by the 
 Presbytery of Bangor. The Rev. Classon Porter states, that, 
 soon afterwards, he was an nnsnccessfnl candidate for the 
 Congregation of Ballmdrait. But certainly he could not 
 have been then a candidate for that congregation, as its 
 minister, the Rev. John Marshall, did not die till 1795, and 
 never had an assistant. Soon after Mr. Porter was licensed, 
 he received a call to Greyabbey, then vacant by the resigna- 
 tion of Dr. Stevenson, in which charge he was ordained on 
 the 31st of July, 1787, being thirty-four years of age. 
 
 His yearly income may have then been about £50 of 
 stipend and £12 of Royal Bounty, but in 1792 the Govern- 
 ment grant was raised to a sum sufficient to pay every 
 minister about £32 annually. Like many clergymen of our 
 Church, Mr. Porter cultivated a farm. In this avocation his 
 mechanical tastes came into operation, and he constructed 
 many models of improved agricultural implements. At 
 the same time, he prosecuted his literary, scientific, and 
 theological studies with enthusiasm. He gathered an 
 extensive library. He bought or constructed instruments 
 necessary for performing physical experiments. And, above 
 all, he attended most diligently to the duties of his congre- 
 gation. He carefully prepared his sermons, preached with 
 great power and eloquence, visited regularly, and so endeared 
 himself to the affections of his people that, even yet, his 
 memory is held in the highest esteem throughout the whole 
 district. 
 
 It does not seem that at first he took any prominent 
 part in politics. He joined the Volunteers, but never aspired 
 to the position of a leader among them. His tastes at this 
 period seemed to be more literary and scientific. He often 
 delivered lectures on Natural Philosophy, and performed 
 
REV. JAMES PORTER. 65 
 
 experiments by way of illustration.* These lectures were 
 exceedingly popular, and were sometimes attended by 
 members of Lord Londonderry's family. Happy for James 
 Porter had he kept to literature, science, and theology, and 
 left politics to others ! But he was a kind-hearted, unselfish 
 man, and he was pained by the oppression of the people 
 among whom he lived. For, at that time, tenant-farmers 
 were little better than serfs, and the legalized robberies 
 committed by landlords and rectors had driven them to the 
 verge of rebellion. Indeed it appears that the general 
 oppression inflicted by the State was not nearly so galling 
 as the particular oppression of those who claimed the fruits 
 of their labours and administered " justice " among them. 
 
 But there is no evidence to show that Mr. Porter ever 
 became a United Irishman, or did anything more unlawful 
 than to sympathize with those who suffered political and 
 religious oppression, and to exhibit his sympathy by 
 attacking abuses in the press, on the platform, and some- 
 times even in the pulpit. In the years 1794 and 1795, he 
 published several songs in the Northern Star, which, with 
 others, were afterwards republished under the title of 
 " Paddy's Resource." One of the most popular of Mr. 
 
 * His great grand-daughter, Mrs. Harris, in a very interesting- 
 sketch of Mr. Porter, states that her family possess portions of an 
 electric machine which he used in these experiments. It is now 
 converted into a looking-glass, and has a brass plate with a suitable 
 inscription. 
 
 Charles H. Teeling writes of Porter : — " His school was resorted to 
 by the most ardent votaries of science, and the first in rank were proud 
 to be numbered amongst his pupils. His discourses were plain — ■ 
 unostentatious— but adorned with a native simplicity of eloquence 
 which riveted the attention of his auditors. If I have ever derived any 
 pleasure in the pursuit of these delightful theories, I owe it to the early 
 lessons of the eloquent and scientific Porter." — Sequel to Personal 
 Narrative, p. 204. 
 
66 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Porter's effusions was " The Exiled Irishman's Lamenta- 
 tion "— 
 
 Green were the fields where my forefathers dwelt. 
 Tho' our farm it was small, yet comforts we felt. 
 
 At length came the day when our lease did expire, 
 And fain would I live where before lived my sire ; 
 But, ah ! well-a-day ! I was forced to retire. 
 
 At this period there were neither police nor stipendiary 
 magistrates, and accordingly the maintenance of order and 
 the local administration of justice was in the hands of land- 
 lords, agents, and rectors, who were often guided by the 
 information of spies and base informers, that accused the 
 innocent as well as the guilty. 
 
 Mr. Porter's sympathy was touched, and his anger 
 aroused by the treatment experienced by his friends the 
 farmers, and he applied the lash of satire to some of their 
 oppressors in a series of letters, signed " Billy Bluff," which, 
 in 1796, appeared in the Northern Star. These letters were 
 then circulated far and wide ; they have been several times 
 reprinted, and they present the very best picture that we 
 have of the relations that prevailed between landlord and 
 tenant during the latter part of the last century. In 
 attacking a system, Mr. Porter held up to ridicule the persons 
 by whom that system was represented. " Lord Mount- 
 mumble," represented the Earl of Londonderry; "Squire 
 Firebrand," Mr. Montgomery, of Greyabbey (not the Rev. J. 
 Cleland, as stated by some historians), and " Billy Bluff," 
 one Billy Lowry, bailiff and spy on Mr. Montgomery's estate. 
 Lord Londonderry recognised his own likeness, and, it is 
 generally believed, awaited patiently the time when he would 
 be revenged. 
 
REV. JAMES PORTER. 67 
 
 In the same year Mr. Porter travelled through Ulster 
 delivering lectures on Astronomy and Natural Philosophy. 
 Doubtless these lectures were often tinged with politics ; and, 
 as Mr. Porter was a most persuasive orator, and had great 
 influence with young men, his public addresses were an 
 important factor in arousing the people to a due sense of the 
 oppression under which they laboured. 
 
 I am indebted to Mr. William F. M'Kinney for a copy 
 of the following letter, which was written at this time by 
 Mr. Porter to Samuel Thompson, a County Antrim poet : — 
 
 " Dear Sir, — The reason why I did not answer your 
 obliging letter that I received at Doagh, was, that I had 
 some expectations then of seeing you at Carngranny on my 
 way to Antrim; other matters turned up; new arrangements 
 and engagements took place, which put that out of my power, 
 and almost put it out of my power to write to you or to any 
 one else. You have no idea of the time aud fatigue neces- 
 sarily attending an excursion through the solar system, 
 especially as we poor philosophers move slowly and heavily 
 along, while the sons of Parnassus can wing their way 
 through all the regions of space in as little time as will 
 expend a tent of ink, and, smiling, view worlds of their own 
 creation. 
 
 " Be so good as to send 21 copies of your poems to the 
 Star office, directed to me. I will get them disposed of, and 
 pay you for them. 
 
 " The first day I come into Belfast again, 1 will have the 
 pamphlet for you. I hope you have not forgot the song which 
 you promised me. 
 
 " I remain, dear sir, your very humble servant, 
 
 "Jas. Porter. 
 11 Belfast, Feb. 15th, 1796." 
 
68 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Early in 1797, Mr. Porter published another series of 
 letters in the Northern Star, bearing the signature of 
 " Sydney," and addressed to the Marquis of Downshire. 
 Although they contain some strong language, charging Mr. 
 Pitt with bringing the country to the verge of destruction, 
 yet invective quite as fierce could be found in Coleridge's 
 Fire, Famine, and Slaughter, written a short time previously. 
 The following extract may serve as a specimen : — 
 
 " Y^)u will talk of Ireland — of Ireland, my "Lord, not of 
 the blood-thirsty, supercilious, unprincipled ascendancy, who 
 watch over the public that they may destroy every thing 
 great and good in the mind of man ; who herd together for 
 the purpose of forging heavier chains for their country ; who 
 distrust the people ; belie their spirit ; scoff at their com- 
 plaints, and imprudently call themselves Ireland. Your duty 
 and inclination will concur in leaving off this deceitful veil ; 
 your sovereign will know the truth from your own lips ; he 
 will hear that a few proud aristocrats hold the representation 
 of the country in their own hands ; that three-fourths of the 
 people are excluded from participating in the benefits of the 
 constitution ; that 800,000 Northerns are insulted and reviled 
 because they talk of Emancipation, Union, and Reform ; and 
 that forced oaths, overflowing bastiles, and foreign troops, 
 are the only means taken for extorting loyalty from his Irish 
 subjects." 
 
 Towards the end of 1796, a French fleet that was carry- 
 ing an army to invade Ireland was dispersed by a storm, and 
 soon afterwards the Government appointed a thanksgiving 
 for this deliverance. On the appointed day, which was 
 Thursday, the 16th of February, 1797, Mr. Porter preached a 
 sermon, in which he tried to prove that the Government were 
 saved from disaster bv the intervention of Providence, 
 
EEV. JAMES POKTEK. 69 
 
 working through the elements, and not by their own fore- 
 sight or the valour of their army. The inference to be drawn 
 was that inasmuch as the Government might not be provided 
 with a storm to scatter the next fleet of invaders, the people 
 ought to " unite " to protect themselves. This sermon he 
 afterwards published under the title Wind and Weather. 
 
 Although Mr. Porter had kept clear of treason, he knew 
 well that he was exceedingly obnoxious to the local authorities. 
 Accordingly, when the insurrection broke out in 1 798, he 
 retired to a place of concealment in the neighbourhood, which 
 he sometimes ventured to leave by night to visit his family. 
 Being soon discovered, he was arrested. First, he was 
 brought to Belfast and then to Newtownards, where he was 
 tried by court-martial on the charge of assisting to take a 
 military despatch from a post boy. Mr. Porter solemnly 
 denied the truth of this accusation, and the boy refused to 
 swear to his identity. A paid informer was then produced, 
 Avho testified all that was necessary. On the unsupported 
 evidence of this wretch, Mr. Porter was condemned. After 
 his condemnation, according to an oft-quoted MS., he 
 addressed the Court as follows : — " Gentlemen, during the 
 course of this mock trial I was repeatedly interrupted when 
 putting questions to that self-convicted witness, who stands 
 before you to swear away my life and the lives of other men 
 to save his own ; and I do most solemnly appeal to you as to 
 the dreadful injustice of passing sentence of death on such 
 evidence. You were much disappointed when the post boy 
 could not identify me, and he was the only person who could 
 recognise the individual who committed the offence. But 
 because there was a large reward offered for my apprehension, 
 you were determined you would find a person Avho should 
 accomplish your purpose, although at the expense of violating 
 
70 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 everything sacred in a court of justice ; else why put me on 
 my trial and give a verdict against me on the sole testimony 
 of a renegade and a notorious paid informer ? I pray God 
 He may open your eyes to the iniquitous evidence now before 
 you, or you will be guilty of the blood of an innocent man, 
 and base gold will prove to be the cause of my destruction, 
 and the unjust judgment will be registered in the records of 
 heaven, with tenfold vengeance on your own heads when you 
 shall appear before the Great Judge of the quick and the 
 dead. Therefore pause, gentlemen, before you pass the 
 awful sentence of death upon the individual now before you, 
 who, in the course of a laborious and active life, never 
 concealed his sentiments, but expressed the honest convictions 
 of his mind, verbally and in writing, upon all occasions when 
 he thought the interest of his country was concerned." 
 
 But this appeal was of no avail, and sentence was passed 
 of death by hanging, and afterwards the usual brutal 
 mutilation of the body. Again Mr. Porter addressed the 
 Court to this effect : — " The verdict just pronounced by the 
 Court has had the effect of rousing my indignation and giving 
 energy to my spirit ; and if mercy — which I do not expect 
 from this Court — does not avert the awful calamity that 
 awaits me, what will become of my beloved wife and children, 
 who are endeared to me by the tenderest ties of love, duty, 
 and affection ? They will be desolate wanderers, and 
 experience all the horrors of anguish and despair. May the 
 God of all worlds, who is the Searcher of hearts, pardon my 
 many weaknesses and errors ; and, as I freely forgive all my 
 enemies, may God, in His infinite mercy, forgive them also." 
 Thus was James Porter condemned for a crime he had 
 never committed ; but even then his wife did not relinquish 
 hope. Accompanied by her seven children, she went to beg 
 
REV. JAMES PORTER. 71 
 
 her husband's life from Lord Londonderry, who possessed 
 power of suspending executions, and who was then at his 
 family seat in the neighbourhood. She was not admitted to 
 his lordship's presence, but obtained an interview with his 
 daughters, who sometimes in happier days had attended her 
 husband's lectures. One of these ladies,* who was then 
 labouring under a fatal disease, and soon to be numbered 
 with the dead, tried with tears to persuade her father to 
 grant Mr. Porter a reprieve. But all was in vain. The 
 wound inflicted by " Billy Bluff " was too deep to be healed 
 by the tears of a dying daughter, and Lord Londonderry 
 permitted a clergyman of the Church, into whose member- 
 ship he had been baptized himself, to be punished for a 
 crime of which he was innocent. In one point only was the 
 sentence to be reversed — the body was not to be mutilated 
 after death. Miss Stewart, in deep emotion, conveyed the 
 news to Mrs. Porter, and Mrs. Porter to her husband, who 
 learned his fate with resignation. Before she left, the order 
 arrived for his execution. When informed that his remains 
 would be given to his friends, he said to his wife, " Then, my 
 dear, I shall lie at home to-night." 
 
 Even in his execution the spirit of revenge was distinctly 
 visible. A member of his own congregation was compelled 
 to erect the scaffold, and it was placed in such a position that 
 it could be distinctly seen from the meeting-house and from 
 
 *Lady Elizabeth Mary Stewart, who died in her 19th year, on the 
 18th of December, 1798. 
 
 T have been informed by a gentleman, whose wife was a grand- 
 daughter of Mr. Porter, that Lady Londonderry nobly used her influence 
 in favour of mercy, and even wrote out a reprieve, but his Lordship 
 cancelled the document. This humane lady was Lord Londonderry's 
 second wife, and was sister of Earl Camden. Another instance of her 
 intercession is mentioned by Dr. Halliday in a letter to Lord 
 Charlemont. See Charlemont Correspondence, II., 306. 
 
72 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Mr. Porter's own private residence. In addition to all, many 
 members of the congregation were compelled to be present 
 as unwilling spectators of the execution. 
 
 Mr. Porter was hanged on the 2nd of July, 1798. His 
 wife accompanied him to the scaffold, and was removed in a 
 state of distraction. Mr. Porter then ascended the steps with 
 courage and calmness. He sang the 35th Psalm, and after- 
 wards prayed fervently. In a few minutes all was over. 
 
 His body having been brought home, was laid on a sofa. 
 After a while one of the fatherless little ones, coining into 
 the room, exclaimed — " Father is sleeping long to-day." 
 
 The notice of the execution which appeared in the Nezvs- 
 Letter next day is exceedingly brief — " The Rev. James 
 Porter, dissenting minister of Greyabbey, found guilty ; also 
 sentenced to be executed on the 2nd, which was put into 
 execution yesterday at the rear of his own meeting-house at 
 Greyabbey ; head not severed." 
 
 His remains were left to rest in the churchyard of 
 Greyabbey, where their place of repose is marked by a flat 
 gravestone thus inscribed : — " Sacred to the memory of the 
 Reverend James Porter, dissenting minister of Greyabbey, 
 who departed this life July 2, 1798, aged 45 years." 
 
 It is only right to state that Mr. W. E. H. Lecky. M.P., 
 our greatest living historian, seems to think that, in my 
 " History of the Irish Presbyterians, " I was somewhat severe 
 upon Lord Londonderry in connection with the Porter case, 
 and adds — " A large amount of grossly slanderous gossip 
 about the public men of that day was circulated for party 
 purposes. The difficulty of getting at truth about Irish 
 history is enormously great, and it is only by the careful 
 sifting and verifying of conflicting evidence that the gravest 
 injustice to the dead can be avoided." 
 
REV. JAMES PORTER. 73 
 
 All this is perfectly true, and I admit the difficulty of 
 judging motives. But it seems to me that, when Lord 
 Londonderry or his son Lord Castlereagh saved many icho 
 were undoubtedly guilty, there must have been some very 
 strong motive for refusing to at least reprieve Mr. Porter, 
 who was certainly innocent. Rightly or wrongly, almost 
 everybody in that district believes the motive was a desire to 
 inflict punishment, not for robbing the postboy, but for 
 writing " Billy Bluff." 
 
 After Mr. Porter's death a motion was brought forward 
 in the Synod to deprive his widow of the annuity to which 
 she was entitled. When this failed to pass, the Rev. 
 Thomas Cuming gave notice that he would next year move, 
 " That if any contributor to the widows' fund shall die by 
 suicide, duelling, or the hand of public justice, his widow or 
 family shall not be considered as entitled to any advantage 
 from the said fund." But next year Mr. Cuming withdrew 
 his notice, Mrs. Porter's claims were admitted, the arrears 
 discharged, and the annuity regularly paid until her death, 
 which took place in Belfast, on the 3rd November, 1823.* 
 
 For some years after Mr. Porter's death his widow and 
 daughters resided in a small cottage near Greyabbey. The 
 children were accustomed to run about barefoot ; but so 
 distinguished were they in appearance, that on more than 
 one occasion they arrested the attention of Lord London- 
 derry's family when driving past. The carriage was stopped, 
 and the children questioned. But being previously warned 
 by their mother, they carefully refrained from revealing 
 their identity. 
 
 * Madden places her death in the previous year, but the date I have 
 given is correct, being taken from the report of the Presbytery of 
 Bangor presented to the Synod in 1824. 
 
74 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Mr. Porter's family consisted of two sons and six 
 daughters, five of whom lived to years of maturity. His 
 eldest son, Alexander, carried colours at Ballynahinch, and 
 held them up to the last, even when torn to shreds by a storm 
 of bullets. After the defeat of the insurgents, he fled to 
 Ballindrait, where he was recognised by a soldier, who nobly 
 kept his secret, and refused to earn the reward of an informer. 
 His brother James went to the same place of safety, and they 
 were both concealed by their father's cousin, Andrew Stilley, 
 in the house of Donald M'Ginley, a tailor, who resided in 
 Guystown, until they succeeded in escaping to America. 
 There the eldest rose to the rank of judge,* and the second 
 became Attorney- General for the State of Louisiana. One 
 of Mr. Porter's daughters went to her brother, the judge, in 
 America. Mr. W. D. Henderson, of Belfast ; Rev. John 
 Wight-man, of Holywood ; Rev. James TemjDleton, of Bally- 
 walter ; and Rev. Andrew Goudy, of Bally waiter, were each 
 married to one of the other four surviving daughters. Mr. 
 Goudy's son, the Rev. Alexander Porter Goudy, D.D., of 
 Strabane, was the first minister of the General Assembly who 
 was able to meet Dr. Cooke on equal terms, and curb his 
 dictatorial power. 
 
 Catherine, sister of the Rev. James Porter, born 1770, 
 and died 1850, was married to the Rev. Ephraim Stevenson, 
 of Enniskillen. Their grandson, the Rev. James S. Denham, 
 was minister of Second Holywood. Many of Mr. Porter's 
 descendants now occupy positions of great respectability and 
 influence ; and they seem to possess in a remarkable degree 
 the talents of their illustrious ancestor. 
 
 *The Hon. Alexander Porter died on the 13th of January, 1844. 
 He helped to frame the Constitution of Louisiana, and was a represen- 
 tative of that State in the Senate of the United States. 
 

 REV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, 
 D.D. 
 
 ..-?$=:-$-:=$«-«. 
 R. DICKSON (for I shall give him all along the 
 name by which he is known to the world) was 
 the eldest son of John Dickson, of Ballycraigy, 
 in the parish of C amnion ey, near Belfast. At 
 his baptism, on the 30th of December, 1744, he received the 
 name " William."* His second name seems to have been 
 added subsequently by either himself or his parents. Dr. 
 Dickson's first educational seminary was one of the ordinary 
 hedge schools which were then almost the only seats of 
 learning in country districts throughout Ireland. Afterwards 
 he was taught classics, metaphysics, and theology by the Rev. 
 Robert White, minister of the neighbouring parish of 
 Templepatrick, by whom he was also led to read and think 
 for himself. 
 
 *Mr. W. I. Addison, who very kindly examined the records of 
 Glasgow University on my behalf, informs me that Dr. Dickson 
 matriculated in 1763, as William, eldest son of John Dickson ; but that, 
 in 1784, the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him as 
 William Steel Dickson. 
 
 Evidently Dr. Dickson was not quite certain about his own age. 
 In his Narrative, p. 3, he says that he entered Glasgow College when in 
 his seventeenth year ; but further on, p. 53, note, he states that, on the 
 5th of June, 1798, he was in the fifth month of his fifty-third year. If 
 he matriculated the year he entered college, as is generally done, it is 
 impossible to reconcile these statements, and neither agrees with the 
 registry of his baptism, which I have examined in the Session Book 
 of Carnmoney. The date of his birth is not given in that record ; but 
 I have seen it stated that it was on the 25th of December, 1744. The 
 usual University course of Irish Presbyterian candidates for the ministry 
 was then four sessions ; and the fact that Dr. Dickson was licensed in 
 1767 would indicate that he matriculated the year he entered college. 
 
76 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 Dr. Dickson became a matriculated student of Glasgow 
 University in 1763 when about nineteen years of age. 
 Among his professors in this seminary were Dr. Adam Smith 
 and Mr. John Millar. With Mr. Millar he soon came to be 
 on terms of friendly intimacy, and from him he imbibed the 
 political principles which he afterwards advocated so power- 
 fully, and for which he suffered so severely. 
 
 By advice of his friend, Mr. White, he became a candidate 
 for the office of the ministry in the Church of his fathers, 
 and in March, 1767, he was licensed to preach the Gospel. 
 At first he does not seem to have been either particularly 
 powerful as a speaker or fortunate as a candidate, since he 
 did not receive a call to a stated charge until he had been 
 four years a licentiate. During the intervening period, he 
 had, of necessity, to make frequent excursions to vacant 
 congregations, and in one respect, these toilsome travels on 
 horseback were not unpleasant to a man of social instincts, 
 as he thereby acquired the acquaintance of many families of 
 rank and respectability in the Counties of Down and Antrim, 
 with whom his learning, wit, and conversational powers 
 made him a welcome guest. Among these w T ere the family 
 of Mr. Alexander Stewart — grandfather of the celebrated 
 Viscount Castlereagh. 
 
 After four years of licentiate labour, Dr. Dickson received 
 a call from Ballyhalbert, County Down, and on the 6th of 
 March, 1771, he was ordained its pastor. Soon afterwards, he 
 bought a farm, and, ere long, he married Miss Isabella Gamble, 
 a young lady who was born of a " genteel family, brought 
 up in affluence, and liberally educated." In this rural retreat, 
 he devoted himself with ardour to general study, and to the 
 particular duties of his office. He visited regularly the 
 people of his charge. He prepared his sermons carefully, 
 
REV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSOX, D.D. 77 
 
 and although he had been unpopular or unfortunate as a 
 probationer, he became afterwards a most powerful and 
 popular preacher. He often delivered special sermons against 
 special sins — one against the practice of cock-fighting is said 
 to have put an end to that brutal sport in the neighbourhood. 
 He w r as, however, more of a politician than the Rev. James 
 Porter, whom he resembled in his eloquence, his enthusiasm, 
 and his misfortunes. 
 
 When Great Britain, in 1775, w^ent to war with her 
 American colonies, Dr. Dickson thought the action of the 
 Government "unnatural, impolitic, and unprincipled." Had 
 he lived in later times, he would probably have concealed 
 his views ; but living in an age when Presbyterians detested 
 dissimulation, he openly expressed his opinions regarding 
 the action of the Government. On two days appointed as 
 public fasts he preached on subjects connected with the 
 principles and probable consequences of the war. These 
 sermons he printed and published, entitling one The Advan- 
 tages of National Repentance, and the other, The Ruinous 
 Effects of Civil War. They were read with avidity, and were 
 found by the Protestant public " less pestilential " than they 
 had been represented by the Tory party before publication. 
 
 France and Spain now espoused the American cause. 
 Their fleets sailed triumphantly over the British seas and 
 threatened the unprotected seaports. The Government 
 having declared their inability to protect Ireland, the Irish 
 people sprang to arms to defend themselves. Belfast took 
 the lead, and soon every village had its company of volunteers. 
 The lawyer, the physician, and the farmer — all were soldiers. 
 Even Presbyterian pastors were so powerfully inspired by 
 the patriotism of the day that in several places, " The rusty 
 black was exchanged for the glowing scarlet, and the title of 
 
78 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 'Reverend' for that of 'Captain.'" A minister would 
 sometimes enter the pnlpit in full uniform, and laying down 
 his sword, take up the Bible, and preach an eloquent sermon, 
 which the numerous volunteers in his audience would applaud 
 with the stocks of their guns. This wave of enthusiastic 
 loyalty reached even the Catholic Celts, who in great numbers 
 offered their services ; but their offers were insultingly 
 rejected, and the volunteers were kept a Protestant body, who 
 duly celebrated the victory of the Boyne and the relief of 
 Londonderry. As Dr. Dickson considered this exclusion 
 both unwise and unfair, he published his views in a sermon 
 that he had preached before the Echliville Volunteers in 
 March, 1787, on The Propriety and Advantages of Acquiring 
 the Knowledge and Use of Arms in Time of Public Banger. 
 Not many months afterwards an exceedingly powerful and 
 eloquent discourse, on appearing in glory with Christ, which 
 he preached in Portaferry, on the occasion of the death of 
 the Rev. James Armstrong, maternal grandfather of the 
 celebrated Dr. Stevenson, led to his receiving a call from that 
 congregation. He resigned Ballyhalbert on the 1st of Feb- 
 ruary, 1780, and, soon afterwards, was installed minister of 
 Portaferry. 
 
 Dr. Dickson now threw himself into the Volunteer move- 
 ment with all the ardour of his enthusiastic nature. The 
 great objects of the Volunteers were (1) to obtain the 
 independence of the Irish Parliament, and (2), when this 
 was accomplished in 1782, to secure its reform, a measure 
 that was absolutely necessary, as nearly three-fourths of the 
 members were merely the nominees of Episcopal landlords. 
 But, when the war was over, the ruling class, no longer fear- 
 ing the Volunteers, clung tenaciously to their power. 
 
 In 1782 Dr. Dickson was present at a sham fight, repre- 
 
REV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, D.D. 79 
 
 senting an attack on Belfast, where young Robert Stewart' 
 afterwards Viscount Castlereagh, at the head of a company 
 of boys, so greatly distinguished himself that high hopes 
 were raised of his future greatness. 
 
 A general election took place in 1783, and the persecuted 
 Presbyterians of Ulster, more loyal then to their creed and 
 their country than in these days of degeneracy, were able to 
 return a few members who at least professed to represent 
 their interests. Holey and O'Neill were successful in Antrim, 
 and Jones and Sharman in Lisburn, but Mr. Robert Stewart, 
 sen., was defeated in County Down. In this election Dr. 
 Dickson took an active part, and a few days before its 
 close, brought up forty freeholders to support Mr. Stewart. 
 They were all well mounted, and, after having proudly 
 paraded the town in Indian file, drew up two deep before 
 the candidate's lodgings. On seeing such a large body of 
 voters, young Robert Stewart rushed out in a transport of 
 delight, and throwing his arms round the neck of Dr. 
 Dickson's horse, asked him were all these for his father. 
 " Yes, my dear boy," was the reply, and then young Stewart 
 dashed into the house, and in an instant returned calling 
 to his father — " See what Mr. Dickson has brought ! I 
 would rather be at the head of such a yeomanry than be 
 the first lord ever a king created." But Dr. Dickson's 
 efforts were vain. The landlords triumphed, and there came 
 a time when both the candidate and his son, deserting the 
 cause of the Presbyterian farmers, by whom they were then 
 supported, became oppressive in their own tyranny.* 
 
 But this change in their principles did not take place 
 
 # In 1784 the distinguished talents of Dr. Dickson were recognised 
 by the University of Glasgow in conferring upon him the degree of 
 Doctor of Divinity. 
 
80 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 for a time. Robert Stewart, sen., became Lord Londonderry 
 and in 1790, the younger Robert succeeded after a poll of 69 
 days and the outlay of £60,000 in winning the second seat of 
 the county, in spite of the combined efforts of the Govern- 
 ment and the Episcopal aristocracy. Again, Dr. Dickson 
 took an active ]3art in the political strife. For nearly three 
 months he was on horseback every day, and seldom slept in 
 his own house at night. He rode one horse to death, reduced 
 another to half his value, and besides spent on electioneering 
 purposes £50 of his own money, part of which he was 
 compelled to borrow, but he had the consolation of being a 
 powerful factor in securing the victory. 
 
 At the suggestion of Lord Charlemont a Whig Club was 
 formed in Belfast early in the year 1790, and Mr. Robert 
 Stewart became a prominent member. But the more ardent 
 spirits of the neighbourhood thought that these Whig 
 aristocrats, who posed as reformers, did not sincerely desire 
 to overthrow the power of their class and creed by procuring 
 Parliamentary reform. Indeed, some time previously, Lord 
 Charlemont had declared in a letter to the Rev. Dr. Crawford 
 that the people were perfectly free, and since freedom was 
 all that they had desired, they ought to be content. Despair- 
 ing of victory under such leaders, Samuel Nelson, son of the 
 Presbyterian clergyman of Ballyroney, founded, in October, 
 1791, a society of " United Irishmen," with the object of 
 joining all his countrymen together in support of that 
 Parliamentary reform so absolutely necessary for the rights 
 of the people and the very existence of the Irish legislature. 
 Impressed by a sense of the importance of the new organization 
 as a means to an end, Dr. Dickson, in December, 1791, took 
 the test of a United Irishman, in presence of the first society 
 that had been ever formed in Belfast. But he states that he 
 
REV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, D.D. 81 
 
 is not certain whether he was ever enrolled as a member, and 
 that he never attended any other regular meeting of the 
 organization. 
 
 On the 14th of July, 1792, the subject of Catholic 
 Emancipation was discussed at a meeting of Volunteers held 
 in Belfast. One party, on account of the alleged ignorance 
 of Irish Roman Catholics, advocated a gradual emancipation, 
 but Dr. Dickson, by his arguments and eloquence, caused the 
 meeting to adopt a resolution in favour of emancipation total 
 and immediate. 
 
 The same year, he published a pamphlet on Psalmody, 
 in which he showed Scriptural authority for Church music, 
 deplored the fact that it was not cultivated as it ought among* 
 Irish Presbyterians, and answered objections to proposed 
 improvements. 
 
 Various meetings of parish and county delegates were 
 now promoted by the United Irishmen, and on the 15th of 
 February, 1793, a great Provincial Assembly was held in 
 Dungannon Presbyterian Church. The pews on the ground 
 floor were occupied by delegates, and the galleries were filled 
 by the general public, the front row being crowded by a 
 group of elegantly-dressed young ladies. Mr. William 
 Sharman was chosen president, and resolutions were passed 
 declaring against Republican government, but demanding 
 Roman Catholic Emancipati o ■■■ , and a "fair and rational" 
 representation of the people by elections frequently repeated. 
 Dr. Dickson was one of the ( hief speakers, and he had " no 
 inconsiderable share in pi paring and modifying the 
 resolutions." In the course of his speech, when making* 
 reference to a report to the effect that they desired to destroy 
 rather than to reform, he said they were a body of men as 
 firmly attached to the Const! uition and as loyal to their 
 
82 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 King as ever trod the earth. He abhorred such charges ; but 
 he desired to replace the government on a solid basis of 
 Constitutional principles. So great was the impression made 
 by his oratory, that a deputation, representing different 
 religious denominations, requested him to preach at five 
 o'clock the next Sunday evening. The Doctor complied, and, 
 before the hour appointed, the house was crowded with the 
 principal people of the place of all religious persuasions, 
 among whom were the local clergy of the Episcopal and 
 Roman Catholic Churches. To this crowded assembly Dr. 
 Dickson preached from Joseph's advice to his brethren — 
 " See that ye fall not out by the way "—and it is said that his 
 sermon did much to strengthen the union of all creeds and 
 classes in Dungannon.* 
 
 But this union was more apparent than real. Then as 
 well as now, the lower classes of both Protestants and 
 Roman Catholics inclined to hate one another; but that 
 hatred was not then fostered by organizations of the people. 
 Both parties were at that time led by their leaders to political 
 union rather than to religious animosity. It was only the 
 Government that then endeavoured to sow the seeds of 
 discord. 
 
 This year Dr. Dickson had the honour of being chosen 
 Moderator by the Synod of Ulster, and a year afterwards, as 
 
 *The following- extract from a poem of James Hope, printed in Mr. 
 R. W. Young's Old Belfast, shows the spirit which animated the leaders 
 of the party : — 
 
 " Some say that from England we want separation, 
 The very reverse we are ready to prove. 
 We want closer connection in mutual affection, 
 But what separates us we mean to remove. 
 The chain of oppression that fetters us both 
 To shiver in pieces we'll never be loath." 
 
EEV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, D.D. 83 
 
 outgoing Moderator, he again occupied the pulpit of the 
 Church of the Volunteers. 
 
 The agitation for Parliamentary reform continued for 
 a lengthened period, but that agitation was fruitless. The 
 members of a landlord-chosen assembly refused to hand over 
 to the people the elective power belonging to the territorial 
 aristocracy. 
 
 The United Irishmen saw plainly that there was no 
 immediate prospect of the Irish Parliament reforming itself ; 
 and, encouraged by the success of the French Republicans, 
 they, most unfortunately, determined to give up a safe 
 though not very hopeful constitutional agitation, and prepare 
 for a dangerous and perfectly hopeless rebellion. Much less 
 than what has been granted in our own time would have 
 satisfied Porter or Dickson, and yet, as Dr. Kinnear has ably 
 pointed out, the Presbyterians of 1798 were hanged for 
 asking what has been now obtained. 
 
 Although Dr. Dickson did not attend the society 
 meetings of United Irishmen, he advocated their principles, 
 was intimately associated with many of their leaders, and 
 was, it is asserted, elected to the office of "Adjutant-General 
 of the United Irish Forces for County Down." Doubtless 
 this statement was never legally proven, yet it is not dis- 
 tinctly and definitely denied in the Narrative. Be this as it 
 may, Dr. Dickson was a man of great political influence in 
 County Down, and that influence was exercised against the 
 landlord rulers of the country. H<mce it came to pass that 
 the pastor of Portaferry, whether he was an Irish general or 
 only a Presbyterian clergyman, must of necessity be ruined. 
 The ukase went forth. The informers got their cue, and 
 soon, on the evidence of one Carr, some of Dr. Dickson's 
 most influential hearers were arrested, as it was thought 
 
84 ULSTEE BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 likely that he might be implicated if they were condemned. 
 But, since nothing conld be proven against them, they were, 
 after some months' imprisonment, liberated by the Attorney- 
 Greneral. As C arc's information " fell short of his promises," 
 he was himself sent to prison in Dublin. When confined 
 there Dr. Dickson overheard him state that he had been offered 
 a thousand pounds in case such evidence were produced as 
 would lead to the Doctor's conviction. 
 
 But the Pastor of Portaferry had a brave heart, and he 
 returned to County Down when a less courageous man would 
 have fled to America. He attended a meeting of gentlemen 
 in Ballynahinch on the da}' appointed for a county con- 
 vention, which it had been thought unwise to assemble, and 
 there assisted in passing a resolution declaring that they 
 sought for Parliamentary reform, and for it alone. 
 
 In the spring of 1798, Dr. Dickson spent a considerable 
 time in Scotland with his wife's uncle, who then died. On 
 his return to Ireland, everything he brought with him was 
 closely examined by the authorities, even to a large tobacco- 
 box, which they imagined might contain despatches. For 
 some time previously, he had been troubled with biliousness 
 and rheumatism. Having consulted a medical friend, he 
 was advised to drink the Spa waters of Ballynahinch, and to 
 ride daily on horseback. The former part of the advice he 
 was unable to follow for some time ; the latter part he 
 adopted at once, as during the month of May he rode to 
 various places to assist his brethren at their communions. 
 But his horse was a slow traveller, and on Thursday, the 
 31st of May, he went to Saintfield fair with the idea of buying 
 another. Failing to obtain such an animal as he desired, he 
 rode to Belfast in hope of buying one off a Captain Sinclair, 
 but the Captain being from home, Dr. Dickson was unable to 
 
. REV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, D.D. 85 
 
 accomplish his intention. The Government authorities 
 believed that he desired to buy a horse to serve as a charger 
 when leading the United Irishmen to battle, and that his 
 object in visiting Belfast was to hold a conference with the 
 leaders of the proposed insurrection. Be this as it may, he 
 remained over Friday night with Mr. John Coulter, of 
 Collon, from whom he borrowed a horse that could travel 
 more quickly than his own. Setting out early on Saturday, 
 he rode twenty miles to Downpatrick, before eleven o'clock. 
 Thence he proceeded to Bailee, where he preached in the 
 afternoon, and also on Sunday and on Monday ; but on both 
 Saturday evening and Sunday evening he went home to 
 Portaf erry, returning to Bailee in the morning. On Monday, 
 when all his Sacramental duties were discharged, he directed 
 his course to Bally nahinch, where he purposed to drink the 
 waters. 
 
 But meanwhile Dr. Dickson had been " shadowed " by the 
 authorities. In Saintheld fair he saw certain officials watch 
 his every movement. On his way to Bailee he had been 
 interrogated in Downpatrick by a Captain Marshall, and to 
 him he gave the following statement regarding his future 
 movements : — " I would be found at Bailee the two following 
 days, and in Portaf erry at night ; and that for some weeks 
 afterwards I would be found at Ballynahinch from noon on 
 Monday until the same hour on Saturday, and on the inter- 
 mediate time in Portaferry, or on the road between the two 
 places." 
 
 But, notwithstanding this information, the doom of Dr. 
 Dickson had been determined by the authorities, whether he 
 was guilty or innocent ; and, on the evening of the 5th of 
 Jane, he was arrested. Next day he was marched on foot, 
 eight miles, to Lisburn, " under a scorching sun and enveloped 
 
86 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 in clouds of dust." On his arrival General Goldie treated 
 him with politeness, and permitted him to hire a conveyance 
 to Belfast. There he was confined in a place filled with 
 stench, called the " Black Hole," in which he had to lie on 
 hard boards, and where he was " stunned with a continued 
 torrent of ribaldry." "From this he was removed to another 
 place of confinement, so filthy with vermin that he was 
 obliged, at the risk of his life, to take off the flannels that he 
 had been wearing as a protection against rheumatism. 
 
 Ruthless retribution followed the suppression of the 
 rash and ruinous rebellion. Even those who had never 
 been brought to trial felt the tyranny that prevailed. Dr. 
 Dickson and the other political prisoners were treated with 
 fearful barbarity by the soldiers, who often threatened to 
 take away their lives, and sometimes threw into their cells 
 fingers and toes that they had cut off dead bodies. Spies 
 were placed among the prisoners, who pretended to sympathise 
 with their principles, but whose business was to report their 
 conversation. 
 
 On several occasions Dr. Dickson was brought before 
 two notorious representatives of the Government. One was 
 Mr. John Pollock, Solicitor for the Crown and paymaster of 
 informers ; the other was the Rev. John CI eland, an Episcopal 
 minister* and a magistrate, who, besides, was agent, footman, 
 
 # In a letter to Dr. Campbell written in 1798, it is stated — " The clergy 
 of Armagh are the most loyal set of men — so active and so alert — 
 stuffing their noses everywhere, and running about like terriers with 
 every little tittle tattle to the commanding officers." Similar duties 
 were performed by the Episcopalian clergy almost everywhere through- 
 out Ulster. 
 
 The following extract from a letter written by the Rev. Edward 
 Hudson a County Antrim Rector — to Lord Charlemont, shows how far 
 some of these Episcopalian clergymen went in their officiousness and 
 cruelty: — "I saw a man upwards of threescore, whose hands, drawn 
 through the latches of his own car, were held by two soldiers whilst 
 forty lashes were inflicted on his naked body by a clergyman who was 
 not even a magistrate." — Charlemont Correspondence, p. 304. 
 
KEV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, D.D. 87 
 
 general informer, and " master of his croppy hounds " for 
 Lord Londonderry. Ushered into the presence of these 
 inquisitors, Dr. Dickson was first assailed by a torrent of 
 oaths, and then dexterously questioned with a view of 
 leading- him to criminate himself or his companions. But 
 the Doctor was mentally far superior to either inquisitor, 
 and although told he would be hanged the next day, did not 
 permit himself to give expression to a single unguarded 
 statement. On the occasion of another interview with 
 Mr. Pollock, this gentleman expressed his sorrow that 
 the Doctor, had not been left to himself for a few days 
 longer, as then the Government " would have been sure of 
 him." 
 
 It seemed as if Dr. Dickson's doom was decreed. The 
 " Whigs " for whom he formerly fought had now to prove 
 their loyalty by extra severity to all suspected of rebellion. 
 Even Viscount Castlereagh, once so grateful for the Doctor's 
 help as to embrace his very horse, was now so devoid of 
 gratitude as to say that the greatness of the influence he had 
 once exercised in favour of himself, was a proof that it would 
 be dangerous to leave at liberty a man possessed of so much 
 political power. 
 
 At this time, Dr. Dickson's eldest son was a surgeon in 
 the navy. His second son, only fifteen years of age, drove 
 his mother and sisters on two common wheel cars to a j)lace 
 of safety at Donaghadee. On his return journey, the 
 insurgents took possession of his cars and horses. Afterwards 
 he was arrested, and kept more than a fortnight in Down- 
 patrick jail yard, " Exposed to a burning sun by day and the 
 dews by night, with a wad of straw for his bed, and a great 
 coat his only covering." Refusing to answer questions 
 regarding the movements of his father and other suspected 
 
88 • ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 persons, lie was told that lie might not be afraid to state all 
 he knew, as his father had been hanged the day before. But 
 even this cruel falsehood failed to shake the lad's determina- 
 tion, and he was at last admitted to bail through the 
 humanity of Colonel Stapleton. Meanwhile the yeomanry 
 and marines had seized upon the cattle, horses, and sheep, 
 that were on Dr. Dickson's farm at Portaferry, and only a 
 few of them were afterwards recovered. 
 
 About this time, a paper had been signed by some of the 
 State prisoners in Dublin with a view to their discharge on 
 condition of emigration. A similar paper was signed by some 
 of the Belfast prisoners, but Dr. Dickson refused to affix his 
 name, stating he would never assent to any document which 
 implied that he was guilty of crimes he had never committed. 
 Besides, he repeatedly challenged the Government to bring 
 him to trial, but the challenge was not accepted, and the 
 rulers of Ireland continued to punish him for crimes they 
 were unable to prove. 
 
 In the month of July, Dr. Dickson was removed to the 
 artillery barracks, and on the 12th of August, he was sent to 
 a prison ship in Belfast Lough. There his place of confinement 
 was an apartment less than five feet high, in which so many 
 prisoners were placed, that the hot, fetid steam ascending 
 from the doorway was felt all over the deck. Before winter- 
 set in, he was again placed in the filthy prison of Belfast, but 
 on Christmas Day, he was sent back to the ship. Here the 
 cold was so great that he was compelled to sit with his 
 bedclothes round his feet; but, notwithstanding all his 
 precautions, he had several attacks of gout and biliousness. 
 One of his companions in misery was Mr. David B. Warden, 
 a licentiate, who afterwards emigrated to America, and who 
 became secretary to the American 'Legation in Paris. 
 
REV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, D.D. ' 89 
 
 On the 25th March, 1799, Dr. Dickson and nineteen 
 others were removed from the prison ship, and, the next day, 
 sent off to Fort St. George, in Scotland, where he did not 
 arrive till the 9th of April. Of these twenty prisoners, four 
 were Roman Catholics, six Presbyterians, and ten Episco- 
 palians. Here each had a cell to himself ; but they were 
 generally locked up, except when at meals or exercising. 
 However, as time wore on these rules were somewhat relaxed. 
 
 Meanwhile several officials of the Government were 
 active in trying to discover evidence sufficient to convict Dr- 
 Dickson ; and various persons who had been accused, were 
 offered advantages for themselves if only they would criminate 
 him. But these efforts were fruitless ; and, at last, after 
 being confined three years and seven months, he was brought 
 to Belfast, where, on the 13th of January, 1802, he was 
 liberated. 
 
 For seventeen months after Dr. Dickson's arrest the 
 Congregation of Portaferry had continued to pay his stipend : 
 but on the 28th of November, 1799, it was declared vacant 
 by authority of the Synod, and on the 16th of June, 1800, 
 Mr. William Moreland was ordained its pastor. On Dr. 
 Dickson's release Mr. Moreland at once proffered to resign, in 
 order that the former pastor might be re-elected, but this 
 offer the Doctor absolutely refused to accept, although now 
 possessed of but very slender means of support. He had 
 lost his share of Royal Bounty, about £100 a year he made 
 from a boarding school for boys, and his stipend, which he 
 calculates at another £100 a year. This in all probability 
 included payments in kind, as the committee book of Porta- 
 ferry shows that the congregational payments to Dr. 
 Dickson before 1788, amounted to £17 10s a quarter, and to 
 £20 a quarter from that period afterwards. All this was 
 
90 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 now gone. His son — a doctor in the royal navy — who had 
 formerly helped him, was dead, and nothing remained to him 
 but an irregularly paid income of about £25 a year from 
 leasehold property. 
 
 Under these cirumstances, Dr. Dickson's first idea was 
 to emigrate ; but his high and haughty spirit could not brook 
 leaving the country with charges against him, although 
 unproved. Accordingly he remained in Ireland, and became 
 a candidate for Donegore, from which he was kept out by the 
 influence of Dr. Black. Towards the end of 1802, he received 
 a call from the newly-organized Congregation of Second 
 Keady, and there on the 4th of March, 1803, he was duly 
 installed. But his stipend of £50 a year was his only 
 professional income, as the Lord Lieutenant refused to give 
 this congregation the usual grant of Royal Bounty, in order 
 that the Government might punish its pastor for crimes they 
 never had proven. 
 
 Even from his brethren in the ministry Dr. Dickson 
 received but little sympathy. In 1797, a regulation had been 
 made to meet cases of emigration, to the effect that a minister 
 on leaving this kingdom should be considered as no longer 
 connected with the Widows' Fund. His imprisonment in 
 Scotland was now interpreted to mean " leaving the 
 kingdom," and, by a small majority, he was cut off from all 
 claims on the fund, to which he had subscribed for twenty- 
 seven years.* 
 
 In 1805, Viscount Castlereagh was again a candidate for 
 the representation of Down. Dr. Dickson from the beginning 
 
 * After Dr. Dickson had returned to the " Kingdom," when 
 liberated from prison, the arrears of his yearly subscription to the 
 Widows' Fund was paid for him by a friend. Then, in accordance with 
 a resolution of Synod, his membership was restored. Afterwards his 
 subscription fell once more into arrears, and he was again excluded. 
 
REV. WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, D.D. 91 
 
 of the election actively opposed his candidature, and had the 
 pleasure of seeing him rejected as " The violator of his 
 solemn engagements, and the unblushing betrayer of his 
 country to a foreign sanhedrim" 
 
 For some years afterwards Dr. Dickson seems to have 
 devoted himself chiefly to the work of his congregation; 
 but he attended several meetings held in the neighbourhood 
 for promoting the cause of political reform. On returning 
 from one of these, convened at Armagh, in 1811, he was 
 assaulted and badly beaten. In 1812, he published his 
 Narrative, of which he issued a second edition towards the 
 end of the same year.f It was severely criticised by Dr. 
 Black in the Synod, but its author never retracted his 
 statements. 
 
 In January, 1814, the Commercial Chronicle contained an 
 advertisement of a sheriff's sale of Dr. Dickson's interest in 
 some property at Hingneal, County Down. But misfortunes 
 seldom come alone, and it seems that the Doctor's health had 
 now become so much impaired that he was unable to discharge 
 his professional duties. Accordingly, on the 27th of June, 
 1815, he wrote the Presbytery of Tyrone, stating that, 
 inasmuch as he was unable, " Through infirmity and incon- 
 venience of situation, to attend upon the duties of the pastoral 
 office," he resigned charge of his congregation. This 
 resignation was accepted, and he retired to Belfast, where he 
 lived in a cottage that was given him free of rent by Mr. 
 Joseph Wright, an Episcopalian lawyer. There he was 
 supported by the proceeds of a subscription, and by a 
 
 f Evidently the body of the work in this edition had not been 
 re-printed. It consists of a portion of the first edition, with a few 
 corrections made as the sheets passed through the press. A " Prelude " 
 in reply to his critics was inserted at the beginning. 
 
92 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES 
 
 weekly allowance contributed by his friends. In 1816, the 
 Rev. W. Neilson proposed his name as a candidate for the 
 Chair of Theology in Belfast College, but the motion was 
 unsuccessful. Mrs. Dickson died on the 15th of July, 1819, 
 and the Rev. Alex. Gordon is of opinion that some small 
 income ceased at her death. In 1822, Dr. Dickson was 
 present at the meeting of Synod in Newry, and on the 
 29th of April, 1824, he attended a meeting of a com- 
 mittee appointed to examine students. One Sabbath 
 the same year he was a worshipper in Donegall Street 
 Church, when Mr. Acheson, the minister, failed to be present. 
 In compliance with a request that was made to him, Dr. 
 Dickson read a portion of Scripture and engaged in prayer, 
 but felt himself so weak that he did not attempt to preach. 
 
 The end came on the 27th of December, 1824, when he 
 was eighty years of age. His remains were followed by the 
 Rev. W. D. H. M'Ewen, the Rev. Henry Montgomery, and 
 eight or nine other friends to a pauper's grave in Clifton 
 Street burying-ground, a few yards to the right of the 
 entrance gate, where not even a stone marks his final resting- 
 place. For eighteen years before the great rebellion, he 
 jDossessed the friendship and esteem of the highest in the 
 land ; but, as a result of taking that political course which 
 he honestly thought best for his creed and his country, he 
 was cast out of society, forgotten by his friends, and treated 
 with injustice by the leaders of the Church for which he had 
 suffered. 
 
JAMES IVPKNIGHT, LL.D.* 
 
 AMES M'KNIGHT is celebrated as founder of the 
 Ulster Tenant-right agitation, which was a 
 powerful means in producing important Acts of 
 Parliament to protect the rights of Irish tenant 
 farmers. A farmer's son himself, he was born in the County 
 of Down, near Rathfriland, early in the present century. 
 The date of that event, and the position of the house where 
 it took place, are fixed by the following extract from a letter 
 which he wrote on the 13th of April, 1871, to the late Mr. 
 Robert Swan, Grallagh House, Rathfriland : — " Since the 
 27th day of February last I have entered on the 71st year of 
 my age. ... I was born within a gunshot of your family 
 residence, in a little house on the roadside, at a spot from 
 which all traces of human habitation have now disappeared. 
 It was a house on the roadside, immediately beyond, but 
 adjoining old Bob Bell's house, which you may possibly 
 recollect." 
 
 Young M'Knight's father, although a Presbyterian, could 
 speak the Irish language, and was fond of singing Irish songs. 
 To this his son afterwards alluded in a letter to Sir Charles 
 G. Duffy : — " I am passionately fond of the old Irish melodies, 
 and have long been picking them up wherever I could find 
 them. Indeed I was familiar with most of the airs in Moore, 
 
 # My reason for including a sketch of Dr. M'Knight's career in this 
 series, is because the Tenant-right movement with which he was 
 identified, sprang from a desire to remedy the same grievances that had 
 produced rebellion fifty years previously. 
 
9-1 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 before hie melodies were heard of. My father had an 
 enormous store of scraps of this kind, and when a child he 
 used to sing them to me in Irish. You would hardly expect 
 this from an old black-mouthed Presbyterian." 
 
 At that time most of the small farmers in Ulster were 
 weavers as well as tillers of the soil, and these manufacturing 
 agriculturists were sometimes possessed of considerable 
 information. Very often a weaver kept a book before him on 
 the loom, and, reading a passage now and again, meditated 
 on its import as he went on with his labour. Thus he not 
 only acquired information, but was led to think, and thereby 
 developed his mind. By one of these literary working men, 
 young M { Knight was induced to study " Edwards on the 
 Will." After mastering this treatise, he had no difficulty 
 with other metaphysical or theological works, and very 
 soon he became renowned throughout the neighbourhood for 
 his learning. Thus led to a defined study, he determined to 
 enter college to prepare for the ministry of the Irish Presby- 
 terian Church. He read Latin and Greek with a Mr. 
 Henderson, of Newiy, and in November, 1825, entered the 
 collegiate department of the old Royal Academical Institution. 
 In that seminary he soon became distinguished as a linguist 
 and a metaphysician; but he lacked that fluent utterance 
 necessary to secure success as a public speaker. It is related 
 that once, when*called upon by Professor Hanna to lead in 
 prayer, he said, "Doctor, please pray for me." The learned 
 Professor, however, understood this request in a literal sense, 
 and offered up an earnest prayer, not instead of his student, 
 but for his spiritual and temporal welfare. In after life, Mr. 
 M k Knight acquired great fluency. I have heard him myself 
 speak powerfully and without hesitation, but he never got 
 rid of his strong provincial accent. 
 
JAMES m'knight, ll.d. 95 
 
 When Mr. M'Knight was a second year student, Mr. 
 Alexander Henderson, uncle of the late proprietor of the 
 N etc s -Letter, was librarian of the Society for Promoting 
 Knowledge, which, during many years was domiciled in the 
 Linen Hall. In November, 1826, Mr. Henderson received 
 permission to attend college lectures for six months, and 
 M'Knight was appointed to act as deputy during his absence. 
 Thus it seems that James M'Knight, like many other distin- 
 guished students, earned his living by honourable work while 
 pushing his way through college. In 1828 he passed an 
 examination of the Theological Committee appointed by the 
 Synod of Ulster to test the proficiency of students before 
 entering divinity classes ; but he never became a clergyman, 
 as he finally devoted himself to journalism. 
 
 During the last year of his collegiate course, a contribu- 
 tion which he sent to the News-Letter led to his acquaintance 
 with Mr. Mackey, the proprietor, and to his appointment on 
 the staff of that paper. Afterwards, he became editor. The 
 News-Letter was then issued only twice a-week, and conse- 
 quently, the duties of an editor were by no means burdensome. 
 Mr. M'Knight had, therefore, a good deal of spare time, and 
 that leisure he spent in adding to his already extensive and 
 varied learning. He read Latin, Greek, French, German, 
 and Irish. He studied Metaphysics, History, and Theology. 
 In all these subjects he made distinguished progress, and it 
 stands on record that, at least on one occasion in after life, 
 he gave private lessons to a newly-appointed professor in the 
 language that he had been chosen to teach. 
 
 The News-Letter occupied then a political position 
 midway between the Toryism of the Ulster Times and the 
 Liberalism of the Northern Whig; but the proprietor was 
 Conservative, and his editor, while decidedly Unionist, was 
 
96 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 no less decidedly Liberal. The result of this difference of 
 opinion was that Mr. M 4 Knight resigned his position, and, 
 about 1846, became editor of the Londonderry Standard. 
 In 1847 he was a candidate for the General Assembly's Chair 
 of Moral Philosophy, but the Rev. William Gibson was 
 elected. Very soon afterwards the defeated candidate 
 received the degree of LL.D. from the University of Aber- 
 deen, a just recognition of his literary talents. 
 
 In 1848 Dr. M' Knight returned to Belfast, and conducted 
 the Banner of Ulster till 1853, when he resumed the editor- 
 ship of the Londonderry Standard. About that time, he 
 married Miss Macpherson, sister of the proprietor, and he 
 remained in possession of the editorial chair until his death. 
 Under his management, the Standard at one time occupied 
 the proud position of being at the head of the Ulster Press. 
 
 It was soon after M'Knight first became editor of the 
 Standard that he commenced the great Tenant-right agitation, 
 which rendered him famous, and which was a most important 
 factor in producing results that the farmers are now enjoying. 
 
 At that time a band of Tory landlords held the 
 Parliamentary representation of Ulster. Not a single 
 representative of the agricultural population could hope to 
 obtain a seat. The farmer was a serf, whose rent was fixed 
 by the landlord. He entered the " office " with fear and 
 trembling; if he expected a visit from his agent, he had 
 carefully to conceal any copies of the Berry Standard that 
 might be in his parlour. 
 
 The Roman Catholics of the South were then occupied 
 in prosecuting a Repeal agitation, while the Presbyterian 
 farmers of the North stood so much in dread of eviction 
 without compensation that they feared to face their landlords 
 in a fight for freedom. Dr. M'Knight seemed to stand alone; 
 
JAMES m'knight, ll.d. 97 
 
 but, although opposed to the wealth and power of Ulster, 
 and although the great majority of those for whom he fought 
 feared to take the field, he determined to begin the battle. 
 Accordingly, in the summer of 1846, with the assistance 
 of a few tenant-farmers and Presbyterian clergymen, he 
 founded a Tenant-right Association. Through the Press, 
 and afterwards on the platform, he advocated the principles 
 of that association with brilliant scholarship and dauntless 
 courage. In this struggle he was ably assisted by Mr. S. M. 
 Greer, the Rev. John Rogers, the Rev. K". M. Brown, and 
 the Rev. John Kinnear. 
 
 Dr. Brown is still in our midst, and his eloquence is 
 even now as persuasive as in the days of the Tenant League. 
 Dr. Kinnear for a lengthened period led the Liberals of 
 Donegal. Afterwards he entered Parliament, where he 
 rendered valuable help in passing the Tenant Right Bill of 
 1881 ; and. although he has now retired from politics, he 
 still occupies a foremost position in the fields of theological 
 scholarship and pulpit oratory. 
 
 The agrarian movement in Ulster placed Presbyterians 
 once more in the ranks of agitators. Some of the Southern 
 leaders, such as Mr. Charles Gravan Duffy, hoped, through 
 Dr. M' Knight, to win over the hitherto immoveable North 
 to their own political principles. But Dr. M' Knight, while 
 he readily agreed to act with the Southern leaders on a 
 Tenant-right platform, no less steadfastly insisted that the 
 idea of Repeal should be excluded. In a letter to Duffy, he 
 stated that it was only by keeping to the one point of 
 Tenant-right, that he had a decided prospect of being 
 able to do some practical permanent good for his country. 
 Accordingly, the political leaders of the South determined to 
 let their Repeal movement remain in abeyance, and to join 
 
98 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 with Ulster in demanding justice for the oppressed farmers. 
 On this basis a union was formed, which, before long, began 
 to show important results. 
 
 The first practical outcome of this union was seen in a 
 Tenant-right Conference, representing the entire kingdom. 
 It was convened by a circular, signed, among others, by 
 Duffy, Greer, and M'Knight, and it met, on the 6th of 
 August, 1850, in the City of Dublin. The appearance of the 
 Ulstermen created great enthusiasm, and Dr. M'Knight was 
 placed in the chair. His character is well described by Sir 
 Charles G. Duffy :— 
 
 " The most indispensable element in the new organiza- 
 tion was the Northern contingent. Dr. M'Knight was their 
 undisputed leader. He had won the confidence of Ulster and 
 deserved it by a genuine devotion to the interests of the 
 tenant farmers. For their sake he transformed himself, in 
 middle age, from a dreamer loitering in the flowered fields of 
 literature and philosophy, into a practical man, armed with 
 Blue Books and Acts of Parliament. He had, indeed, always 
 a leaning to metaphysics, which gave a speculative character 
 to his thinking, but he corrected it by constant attention to 
 details. He was earnest, acute, well-informed, and on the 
 social side as free from bigotry or distrust as any man with 
 his discipline or experience could be expected to be. He was 
 the incarnation of cautious good sense, little disturbed by 
 passion or prejudice, and he entered into the League fixedly 
 determined that it should never fail from any fault of his." 
 
 One of the secretaries to this meeting was the Rev. 
 William Dobbin, the respected senior minister of Annaghlone, 
 so well known for his sound theological scholarship, which 
 he has exhibited in several powerful pamphlets and in other 
 publications. 
 
JAMES m'knight, ll.d. 99 
 
 The resolutions that were passed, formulated a demand 
 from the farmers for fair rents, free sale, and fixity of tenure. 
 But these claims were regarded by most of the English 
 newspapers as absurd and impracticable. The London 
 Standard asserted that the Presbyterian clergy who joined in 
 putting forward such demands, were freed from " the proper 
 restraints of morality and decency." 
 
 The first result of this conference was the formation of 
 a Tenant League, under whose auspices numerous popular 
 meetings were held throughout all Ireland. At many of 
 these demonstrations Dr. M'Knight was a speaker. Wherever 
 he went, he dwelt strongly on the necessity for union, and 
 pointed out the advantages that had sprung from it hitherto 
 in their struggle. He referred with pride to the fact that 
 this union had extinguished party animosities in Ulster, and 
 he often expressed a hope that the same spirit would prevail 
 till there would be neither Conservative nor Repealer, neither 
 Orangeman nor Ribbonman, but only one great united 
 brotherhood. 
 
 This union of Saxon and Kelt filled the minds of the 
 Tory landlords with terror and consternation. If the North 
 would give up its bigotry and the South its desire for repeal, 
 then the rights of an absentee aristocracy were in danger. 
 Accordingly, some of them tried to stir tip the old animosities 
 of race and religion. To this Dr. M'Knight alluded at a 
 meeting in rTewtownards — 
 
 " I freely confess," said he, " that in matters of a purely 
 religious character I would not give much for that man's 
 moral integrity who would compromise the smallest religious 
 obligation for any merely secular object ; but, on the other 
 hand, I have no language sufficiently strong to convey my 
 reprobation and contempt for that policy which, under the 
 
±00 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 hypocrisy of theological profession, degrades Christianity 
 
 into an engine of State intrigue Parties have 
 
 tried to break us up by arraying Protestants against Roman 
 Catholics, and Orangemen against the industrial rights of 
 both classes of their countrymen, in order that rack-renting 
 and oppression and the extermination of the universal people 
 may be still carried on through the agency of the people's 
 own criminal divisions. In the North this base policy has 
 been utterly unsuccessful, and the present glorious meeting 
 in one of the most Presbyterian districts of Ulster is a 
 triumphant demonstration of its failure." 
 
 The agitation soon assumed such proportions, that the 
 Liberal Government of Lord John Russell promised a measure 
 of reform. A Bill was introduced, but its provisions would 
 have confiscated a great part of the farmers' property, and 
 Dr. M'Knight went to London, as head of a deputation, to 
 protest against the proposed enactment. He found Lord 
 John Russell very apathetic regarding their claims, but, as 
 the obnoxious Bill pleased nobody, it was withdrawn. Dr. 
 M'Knight had more than one opportunity of explaining his 
 opinions to Sir Robert Peel, the leader of the Conservative 
 Opposition. That statesman had not until then been aware 
 of the peculiar relations which existed between landlord and 
 tenant in Ulster ; but he gave the deputation a patient 
 hearing, and even admitted that the agrarian agitation was 
 founded on principles of justice. In fact, he expressed such 
 broad views on the question as to lead Dr. M'Knight to 
 believe that the Ulster farmers might rely upon his future 
 assistance. But only a few days after the last of these 
 interviews, Sir Robert's untimely death destroyed the 
 expectations that had been raised. 
 
 Very soon internal difficulties arose in the work of the 
 
JAMES M'KNIGHT, LL.D. 101 
 
 League, which marred the harmony between North and 
 South. One of the Southern leaders, Mr. Frederick Lucas, 
 although by birth an Englishman and a Quaker, had become 
 more Hibernian than the Irish, more " Roman " than the 
 Catholics. This gentleman, with all the animosity. of an 
 apostate, began to make furious attacks on Protestantism in 
 his newspaper, the Tablet. To crown all, several candidates 
 came forward to support legislative independence rather than 
 tenant-right. An address issued by Mr. Ryan to the electors 
 of Limerick was termed by Dr. H' Knight in a letter to Duffy 
 "A Furious Repeal Manifesto," yet Ryan had been adopted 
 by the League as their candidate. This, the Doctor said, 
 would destroy thsm in the North, and he hoped Duffy would 
 get them out of the predicament. But notwithstanding this 
 internal friction, the League for a time maintained an outward 
 appearance of united action. 
 
 Parliament was dissolved in 1852, and as the franchise 
 had been reduced so as to give it to those whose valuation 
 was =£12 in the counties and £8 in the boroughs, the tenant- 
 right party determined to make a great effort to return 
 representatives of their own. The Southern Leaguers off ered 
 to run Dr. M' Knight for Wexford ; but, although his success 
 would have been certain, he declined the honour, inasmuch as 
 his editorial duties rendered it necessary for him to reside in 
 Ireland. 
 
 In the South, the tenant-right party were generally 
 successful ; but in the North, although several gallant battles 
 were fought, the '' office" was too powerful, and not a single 
 tenant-right candidate was returned, except Mr. William 
 Kirk for Newry. 
 
 Before long internal divisions ruined the influence of the 
 league and afterwards destroyed its existence. There was 
 
102 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 the party of the North, and the party of the South ; but even 
 the South was not unanimous, for some, like Keogh and 
 Sadlier, were willing to take office and work as ordinary 
 Liberals, while others, like Duffy and Lucas, desired Repeal 
 of the Union more than Tenant-right. The Northern 
 Presbyterians could bear the attacks of Lucas on their 
 religion, but they would not, even indirectly, give any help 
 in the struggle for legislative independence. Thus the 
 Southern desire for Repeal sundered the union of North and 
 South and retarded the progress of reform. At a conference 
 of the League, Dr. M'Knight accused Lucas of treachery to 
 the cause, but a vote of confidence in what was called the 
 independent party was carried. The Northern members then 
 withdrew from the association, and carried on their own 
 agitation as Liberals and Unionists. Although Dr. M'Knight 
 now went on lines of his own, Sir Charles G. Duffy admits 
 that nobody did so much to organize the tenant-right party 
 in Ulster, or to maintain the unity between North and South. 
 Just then the cause of the farmers seemed hopeless in 
 the North. The " Office" put on its tightest screw at every 
 election. The tenant at will who voted for a Liberal candi- 
 date was almost certain of eviction without compensation. 
 Accordingly the majority of electors, no matter how much 
 they desired reform, feared to expose themselves to the loss 
 of their farms and their homes. Besides, the " Office " 
 officials, chiefly through the instrumentality of various 
 political and religious organizations, persisted in accusing the 
 Presbyterian tenant-righters of uniting with " Papists and 
 Repealers." The result was that in many instances the more 
 ignorant " Loyalists " were brought to believe that the very 
 men who had left the League rather than encourage Repeal, 
 were now in some mysterious way going to betray Protes- 
 
JAMES M'KNIGHT, LL.D. 103 
 
 tantism. Thus Dr. M'Knight had to contend with the apathy 
 or ignorance of many in the North, with the influence of the 
 Episcopal Church, and with the secret calumnies or open 
 hostility of the " Office " and its satellites.* 
 
 Still Dr. M'Knight fought on with dauntless courage. 
 Being as supreme in the field of argument as his opponents 
 were at the polling booth, he formed a public opinion by 
 educating the Presbyterian people. Gradually, more and 
 more of the Ulster farmers began to look to him as their 
 leader, and year by year the admiration of his followers for 
 him grew stronger and stronger, till at length they regarded 
 him as a second Moses, to lead them from bondage to liberty. 
 Every week the Standard was anxiously expected, eagerly 
 read, and passed round from farmer to farmer. When the 
 editor had spoken on any subject that settled the matter 
 conclusively. " It was true, Dr. M'Knight had said it." One 
 man, in his enthusiasm, was heard to declare that he believed 
 in nothing implicitly save the Bible and the Derry Standard. 
 
 Dr. M'Knight lived to see his own principles grow 
 strong and become, at last, triumphant. The first indication 
 of coming victory was in 1857, when Mr. S. M. Greer 
 succeeded in carrying County Derry against all the power of 
 landlordism. In 1868, after a hard struggle, Ulster sent in 
 several tenant-right members ; and next year was marked by 
 the Disestablishment of the Episcopal Church. 
 
 The general feeling of admiration for Dr. M'Knight's 
 
 * The Berry Journal, in a very able critique on this sketch, has 
 certainly made a point by contrasting the electoral independence of the 
 Southern Kelt with that of the Northern Scot ; but we must remember 
 that the Scot had a much more valuable interest in the soil, and to him 
 eviction without compensation would have been far more disastrous. 
 Besides, the Northern Protestants, on account of their fears of Roman 
 Catholicism, were not nearly so unanimous in desiring to support 
 tenant-right candidates as were their Southern countrymen. 
 
104 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 splendid talents, sterling honesty, unimpeachable integrity, 
 kindness and gentleness in private life, and, above all, for 
 his long services to the tenant farmers, caused his friends at 
 length to present him with a testimonial. Professor Smyth 
 acted as secretary for the committee, and more than £600 
 were raised as a mark of the respect in which the editor of 
 the Standard was held all over Ulster. The Rev. Thomas 
 Croskery stated at a meeting held to make the presentation, 
 that he looked upon Dr. M'Knight as the greatest lay scholar 
 in Ireland, whether he was regarded as a Biblical critic, a 
 linguist, or a theologian. Professor Smyth added his testi- 
 mony to the effect that he believed no other living man in 
 Ulster had done more to leaven the community with right 
 and liberal views on social and political questions. Indeed 
 the Professor himself was a living example of the truth of 
 this statement, for we have it on the authority of his nephew, 
 Mr. M'Clure, that it was from the editor of the Standard he 
 derived a great part of his knowledge of the different phases 
 of the agrarian problem. Dr. M'Knight, in his reply, aftei 
 thanking his friends for their kindness, stated that thf 
 origin of the agrarian and many of the political difficulties 
 in Ireland arose from the extinction of the primitive Irish 
 land system — a system which continued in force to a com- 
 paratively late period — and vested the ownership of the soil 
 in the people and not in the territorial barons. The final 
 remedy, he thought, would be peasant proprietorship. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Gladstone's first Tenant-right Bill was 
 brought before Parliament. Dr. M'Knight was consulted by 
 the Government in a familiar and non-official way concerning 
 the provisions of the proposed enactment. When it became 
 law, he admitted that it was, with all its defects, more than 
 he had previously expected. 
 
JAMES M'KNIGHT, LL.D. 105 
 
 The same Parliament passed a Ballot Act, which was 
 an additional protection for the farmers, and which brought 
 forth fruit in 1874, when Professor Smyth and so many 
 other friends of the farmers were returned for Ulster 
 constituencies. 
 
 But Dr. M' Knight's career was drawing to an end. In 
 1876 his strength began to decline rapidly, and in April he 
 became very weak. As he lay on his death-bed, he asked an 
 old Roman Catholic servant to repeat the Lord's Prayer in 
 Irish. This she did as requested, and he corrected her 
 mis-pronounciation of a word. Gradually he became weaker, 
 and at last, on the 8th of June, 1876, trusting steadfastly in 
 the merits of his Saviour, James M' Knight passed from time 
 to eternity. His widow survived him for many years ; but 
 they had no issue. 
 
 Besides his leading articles and reviews he left but few 
 literary remains except two or three pamphlets. The most 
 important of these is " The Ulster Tenants Claim of Right," 
 issued in 1848, which for sound argument and historic 
 research has no equal on the subject in question. 
 
 Dr. M'Knight held both his religious and political 
 opinions with great tenacity, and none dared attack him with 
 impunity. Having a mind naturally logical, wielding a 
 fluent pen, and possessed of a boundless store of learning, he 
 was able to crush to pieces almost any opponent who ventured 
 to meet him in the arena of controversy. But in these 
 discussions he always dealt with principles and never attacked 
 persons. In his whole career, I think he never had to defend 
 a single action for libel. 
 
 Above all, his power was exhibited in the marvellous 
 reviews that he published in the Berry Standard. He was 
 master of everything he discussed. He seemed to be equally 
 
106 ULSTER BIOGRAPHIES. 
 
 at home in either Greek particles, Hebrew roots, German 
 metaphysics, or modern theology. He was a splendid Keltic 
 scholar, and had read everything dealing with the early 
 history of his conntry. Hence it came to pass that he was 
 able to analyse every new work that appeared on the lines of 
 his stndies, in a manner that is very seldom done by any 
 newspaper editor. 
 
 He left no snccessor among Northern journalists. 
 Among them he alone was " The Grand Old Man of Ulster," 
 whom Presbyterian farmers regarded as their leader and 
 prophet, and whom they followed till they saw the snn of 
 freedom arise over the rugged hills of their native land. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 E. DICKSON'S father and mother — John Dickson and Jane 
 Steel — were married on the 6th of December, 1743, but any 
 person examining the register in a careless manner would 
 consider that the date was a year later, as " 1744 " is 
 evidently written out of its proper place. 
 The house in which the Society of United Irishmen was formed is 
 now known as the Bamb ridge Hotel. 
 
 EEV. WILLIAM CAMPBELL, D.D. 
 
 In preparing these biographies I have got several very important 
 facts from Dr. Campbell's MS. History of the Irish Presbyterians. Dr. 
 Campbell was born in JSTewry. He was licensed to preach in 1750, and 
 afterwards went abroad with Mr. Bagwell's family, of Clonmel. In 1759 
 he was ordained to the pastoral charge of the Non-subscribing Con- 
 gregttion of Antrim, and, in 1764, he was installed minister of the 
 Synod of Ulster Congregation in Armagh. In 1789 he removed to 
 Clonmel, where he remained till his death in 1805. He wrote several 
 works that were published during his life-time, and he left in 
 manuscript, " Sketches of the History of Presbyterians in Ireland." 
 This valuable document is now in the possession of John Gordon, Esq., 
 Belfast, whom I have to thank for his kindness in permitting me to 
 examine it 
 
 Dr. Campbell was a gentleman of the most undoubted loyalty, and 
 so strongly attached to Protestant principles that he suffered imprison- 
 ment in France for refusing to kneel in the street when he " accidentally 
 met the host borne in solemn procession." But notwithstanding his 
 firm attachment to Protestantism, he strongly denounces the cruelty 
 and injustice with which Ireland was governed during the latter part 
 of the last century. The following are a few extracts : — 
 
 " In the beginning of the new administration under Lord Camden, 
 the friends of Parliamentary reform and Catholic Emancipation held 
 
108 APPENDIX. 
 
 public meetings, according to ancient custom, for the purpose of 
 instructing their representatives in Parliament. Such meetings had 
 been held constitutional, now they were a crime. Being prevented from 
 meeting publicly, they held private meetings to form a bond of union 
 and a harmony of affection, in support of Parliamentary reform and 
 Catholic Emancipation. But union was a crime. An oath of secrecy 
 was added. This was made a felony of death, though the object of the 
 oath was virtuous and laudable, and highly conducive to the welfare 
 and happiness of the kingdom. 
 
 UNITED IRISHMEN was thus perverted into a term of the highest 
 malignity, importing every wickedness — rebellion, treason, and a 
 conspiracy with the enemy to overturn the constitution .... 
 The popular newspapers must be destroyed. But that was not enough, 
 the peace of the kingdom must be destroyed. Belfast was then 
 assaulted by the army, without any previous notice or pretence, or any 
 appearance of reason : the dragoons rushing along the streets with 
 swords drawn, so that it looked like a place taken by storm rather than 
 a commercial town, which the minute before was full of business and 
 in the most profound tranquillity .... It was the principal town 
 in the North. The inhabitants in general were Presbyterians, and it 
 was considered the head of that great body .... Their Whig 
 principles were hateful — they must feel the vengeance of the Ministry. 
 The riots must be kept up ; and, to play a sure game, Government took 
 the lead, and became the principal rioters. The military were the 
 actors in those scenes of horror and devastation, unknown in Ireland 
 since the dreadful desolations in the reign of James the Second. 
 
 Defenders were now no longer necessary. They had acted their 
 part, and the horrid purpose of those that patronised them was 
 assured : they were given up to destruction : and their former patrons 
 exulted in being their executioners. Such was the fate of these 
 wretched, deluded men, entrapped by the base artifices of a ruthless 
 tyranny : engendered, as is not doubted, in another kingdom, and 
 greedily pursued by Tories and high Churchmen in our own. Things 
 were now ripe ; and in that same County of Armagh, the Tories, who 
 had encouraged and protected the Defenders, as soon as Government 
 changed their conduct, they changed also, and became the bitter 
 
APPENDIX. 109 
 
 persecutors of their former friends, destroying their property, burning 
 their houses, and driving into banishment several hundred of their 
 families. 
 
 1797. — Mr. Thomas Birch, minister of Saintfield, in County 
 Down, was arrested on a charge of treason, and brought to trial, at the 
 Summer Assizes of that year, in Downpatrick. Mr. Justice Chamberlain, 
 who presided in court, expressed, in the strongest terms, his indignation 
 at the base, malicious conduct of the prosecutor. The worthy rector of 
 the parish, however, gave his testimony in favour of this profligate 
 man, whom the judge represented in the light of an insidious, willing 
 assassin. But this infamous man had the merit not only of being an 
 informer, but a Conformist also, which must have exalted him highly in 
 the opinion of good Churchmen. Mr. Birch was honourably acquitted. 
 
 Presbyterians went in thousands to America, and if ships had been 
 found, thousands more would have sought a peaceful asylum in that 
 land of liberty — a happy refuge from the despotism of England — far 
 removed from the violence of her satellites and legal assassins. . . . 
 
 As to the rebellion that was raised in Ulster in 1798, it was the act 
 not of the body of Presbyterians, but only of a part, made mad by 
 unexampled oppression, which appeared to have been contrived by the 
 prevalent faction, on purpose to raise a rebellion and take occasion from 
 thence to ruin the nation and make way for the Union 
 
 Mr. Porter, minister of Greyabbey, was put to death. The place 
 destined for his execution was at his meeting-house. By choosing that 
 place, where he had been so often attended by crowds who admired 
 his eloquence and his worth, it was intended to add insult to the 
 bitterness of death, and to display the triumph of persecution and 
 bigotry. Different stories were circulated to justify this murder ; but 
 the most probable cause, besides his being a Presbyterian minister, was 
 the wit and humour with which, in several publications, he exposed the 
 infamous conduct of magistrates and informers." 
 
 THE CHARLEMONT CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 The following extracts from letters written to Lord Charlemont by 
 some of his correspondents, throw a very strong light on the state of 
 
110 APPENDIX. 
 
 affairs in Ulster, and especially on the tyranny of the Government 
 during this disastrous period : — 
 
 " 1792, June 26, Belfast. — Seals were once protection to letters ; 
 not so now, any more than candles are to our windows, when illumina- 
 tions have been imperiously commanded, and that to an extent never 
 before practised. . . . Mr. C. Greg's hospitable house is a 
 complete ruin. . . . Our good General Lake kindly had ordered the 
 retreat or tattoo to be beat at the early hour of eleven ; but I heard 
 many of the said mob swear they did not regard the drums, and would 
 retire when they thought fit. Indeed, most of them were so drunk as 
 probably not to know either what the drums said or themselves. To their 
 immortal honour, our yeomen infantry (so styled by a curious figure of 
 speech, for there is not a yeoman among them) were distinguished by 
 their zeal. Their commanders, very good men and true, have, like 
 Fortinbras in the play, ' Shark'd up a list of landless resolutes.'" 
 
 DR. Haliday. 
 
 " 7th August, 1792. — No United Irishman, save one, will now visit 
 our Whig Club. Thank God, we have but five of that fraternity, and 
 all of this town, but a general coolness seems to have pervaded our 
 country members." 
 
 Dr Haliday. 
 
 " You have heard of the 'muck' which was run in this town on 
 Saturday [9th March, 1793], by these more than savages, his Majesty's 
 light dragoons. The wretched Indian, rendered mad by arrack and the 
 loss of his all at play, draws his brie and kills and wounds all he meets 
 in his race, till he is knocked on the head. Our doughty assailants, 
 without having either of these excuses, at an early hour, and a very 
 short time after they had marched in, sober from everything but unpro- 
 voked rage, sally forth with their drawn sabres, and cut and slash indi- 
 scriminately all they meet, wounding several, among them some of our 
 respectable and quiet townsmen (I must not call them citizens) ; and a 
 spirited magistrate striving to protect defenceless people by restoring 
 order while the streets were filled with cries of terror ; and this from 
 no sudden impulse of fury, for they had determined on the exploit many 
 days before they left Lisburn, where, it is said, it had been whispered 
 to them to spare neither carcase nor limb." 
 
 13th March, 1793. DR. HALIDAY. 
 
 " In fact the lower class on each side hates the other cordially, in 
 spite of the endeavours of their leaders." 
 
 3rd August, 1794. REV. EDWARD HUDSON. 
 
 " Our amiable friend Robert [Robert Stewart, afterwards Viscount 
 Castlereagh], set out ten days ago, in compliance with the minister's 
 circular letter. I took the liberty, at our last conference, of suggesting 
 to him the delicacy and difficulty of his situation. This, with his usual 
 candour, he took in very good part ; but it will have no effect. He is 
 Pitt-ized with a vengeance, which he candidly owns." 
 
 August, 1794. DR. HALIDAY. 
 
APPENDIX. Ill 
 
 " It seems to be fated that this beautiful and inestimable 
 constitution should be again destroyed by Presbyterians and Scotchmen." 
 
 7th Nov., 1794. Edmund Malone. 
 
 " I think it my duty to acquaint your Lordship that Mr. Allen 
 M'Donnell, a respectable Roman Catholic tenant on your Lordship's 
 estate, in the townland of Drumnaferin [near Castlecaulfield], has 
 offered to bring forward, when required, at a few days' notice, two 
 hundred of the Roman Catholic inhabitants of this neighbourhood, able 
 and willing to carry arms and march against the common enemy in 
 defence and support of his Majesty's person and Government." 
 
 11th Jan., 1797. COL. LINDSAY. 
 
 " Reform and intimidation were the chief recruiting sergeants for 
 the societies. But, my Lord, Government itself is lending them another 
 by establishing a system of mere coercion, without any mixture of 
 conciliation." 
 
 9th May, 1797. REV. EDWARD HUDSON. 
 
 " We have at length seen the close of a tedious and sanguinary 
 north-west circuit. I saw a letter from Dundalk mentioning that the 
 judges, my very good and worthy friends Chamberlain and Lord 
 Yelverton — (you see what a Democrat I am by the order in which I 
 place them) were much delighted with the result. They had capitally 
 sentenced twenty-seven. Sportsmen usually boast of the number of 
 pieces they have killed. But what, I suppose, gave them most satis- 
 faction was their finding, throughout, the juries very trustworthy and 
 disposed to do their duty. . . . 
 
 It is true three yeomen have been sentenced for two horrid 
 murders, but they have not yet suffered, and are recommended to 
 mercy, while every exertion has been made by most respectable people, 
 and on strong grounds, to save one [William] Orr, or to obtain a 
 mitigation of his punishment, notwithstanding which he will, I believe, 
 be hanged to-morrow at Carrickfergus, leaving behind him a character 
 without reproach (except for this one offence of tendering the ' United ' 
 oath, which, there is good reason to think, he did not do, though he 
 certainly was present, to two ' Fencibles'), a heartbroken wife, and six 
 helpless children. Our dear Countess [Lady Londonderry] has done all 
 it was possible for her to do, but, as it appears at present, with as little 
 success as the rest. f [William Orr was hanged on the 14th of October, 
 1797. ' Remember Orr ' was long a watchword with the Ulster patriots] ." 
 
 6th October, 1797. DR. HALIDAY. 
 
 " Yesterday they [the Yeomen] came within four miles of 
 Armagh, ransacked the houses in Tassagh, struck and abused the 
 people, and carried away the firelocks from the bleach-yards, which 
 were kept for the watchmen for protection of the bleach greens, and 
 generally assaulted the inhabitants." 
 
 8th November, 1797. ROBERT LIVINGSTON. 
 
112 APPENDIX. 
 
 " I have reason to think that the minister is determined to 
 continue the system of terror in Ireland, though it is very obvious that 
 he sees the growing difficulties here, and is uneasy about them. I fear 
 that he thinks a convulsion in Ireland might be useful in distracting 
 attention from his failures and his mismanagement of our resources." 
 
 25th March, 1798. EARL OF MOIRA. 
 
 " Your old Ballymascanlan [Co. Louth] Volunteers, who six 
 months ago were almost all United Irishmen, are now complete 
 Orangemen, which is more congenial with their feelings. 
 In speaking of the astonishing increase of Orangeism, I forgot to 
 mention the most wonderful part of it, that immense numbers of them 
 are in Belfast." 
 
 May 29, 1798. REV. EDWARD HUDSON. 
 
 " Even Newtownards, the head-quarters of severity (a priest sat 
 there as judge advocate), exhibits a sullen acquiescence with the new 
 absurd system of mercy and humanity. Passing through on Saturday 
 I took notice that the gallows was struck, after suspending no more 
 than a beggerly dozen." 
 
 8th August, 1798. DR. HALIDAY. 
 
 " That part of Deny which is next me was for two days vibrating 
 between rise and no rise, and was at last deterred by want of a leader 
 and by failure of a partial rising near Maghera." 
 
 20th Aug., 1798. REV. E. HUDSON. 
 
 Alexander Henry Haliday, M.D. — son of the Rev. Samuel Haliday — 
 was a celebrated Belfast physician. 
 
 The Rev. Edward Hudson— rector of Ahoghill — resided at Port- 
 glenone. Both he and Dr. Halliday were regular correspondents of 
 Lord Charlemont. 
 
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