MILITIA RIOTS 1793

MILITIA RIOTS 1793

• See Bartlett (in package), 250-255

WAR WITH FRANCE 1793

• Troops removed from Ireland

• Possibility of French invasion?

• Need for local forces

• Militia

• Could also deal with Armagh troubles

ARGUMENTS OVER MILITIAIN 1780s

• Would alienate Volunteers

ARGUMENTS OVER MILITIAIN 1780s

• Would alienate Volunteers• Would divert recruitment from

regular army

ARGUMENTS OVER MILITIAIN 1780s

• Would alienate Volunteers• Would divert recruitment from

regular army• Include Catholics?

ARGUMENTS OVER MILITIAIN 1780s

• Would alienate Volunteers• Would divert recruitment from

regular army• Include Catholics?• If Catholic soldiers, Catholic

officers?

London proposes militia including Catholics + relief acts

London proposes militia including Catholics + relief acts

Debate in Dublin Parliament

• Against: too much change too quickly

• For: Catholics in army; too few Protestants in some areas

FORMATION OF MILITIA

• By county - average 500

• Force 16,000 in all

FORMATION OF MILITIA

• By county - average 500

• Force 16,000 in all

• Officers wealthy - Colonel needed £2,000 p.a.

FORMATION OF MILITIA

• By county - average 500

• Force 16,000 in all

• Officers wealthy - Colonel needed £2,000 p.a.

• Rank and file chosen by lottery - all eligible men included

MILITIA RIOTS, SUMMER 1793DEPARTURE IN 2 WAYS

MILITIA RIOTS, SUMMER 1793DEPARTURE IN 2 WAYS

• Geographic spread - nationwide, in towns

MILITIA RIOTS, SUMMER 1793DEPARTURE IN 2 WAYS

• Geographic spread - nationwide, in towns

• Openness of violence, numbers killed

LEINSTER

LEINSTER

• Carlow 17 June

• Sheriff and soldiers attacked

• Shots fired, 7 rioters killed

LEINSTER

• Castlecomer, 3 June

• Threat to flood mines

• Men arrested, freed by crowd

• Crowd attacks house of Mrs. Wilson

• She shoots from house

• She and her son killed

LEINSTER

• Athboy, Co. Meath 30 May

• Crowd protests, soldiers open fire

• Crowd returns fire

• 2 soldiers killed, possibly 10 in crowd

TARGETS

Those who drew up lists of men• Sheriffs, magistrates, clergy• Including Catholic clergy - • Athlone: a priest ‘was strung up

by his own flock and hung nearly to death for preaching the necessity of submission to the Militia Act’

MUNSTER

MUNSTER

• Dingle - priests threatened

• Crowd broke into court house

• Demolished stairs, furniture

• Destroyed all lists

MUNSTER

• Bruff, Co. Limerick

• Very disturbed - army called in

• Fired on from windows in town

• Fighting for entire day, cannon used

• 20 or 30 killed, including soldiers

CONNAUGHT

• Surprising - little previous violence

CONNAUGHT

• Surprising - little previous violence

• Roscommon - in your reading pack - for tutorial

CONNAUGHT

• Erris Co. Mayo, 7 July

• Most serious incident of all

• Soldiers vs. about 1,000 people

• 46 rioters & 6 soldiers killed

RIOTS END AUGUST 1793

RIOTS END AUGUST 1793

• Compensation for family

RIOTS END AUGUST 1793

• Compensation for family

• Abandonment of balloting

RIOTS END AUGUST 1793

• Compensation for family

• Abandonment of balloting

• Use of paid substitutes

SIGNIFICANCE OF RIOTS

SIGNIFICANCE OF RIOTS

• Had happened previously in Britain

SIGNIFICANCE OF RIOTS

• Had happened previously in Britain

• New in Ireland

SIGNIFICANCE OF RIOTS

• Had happened previously in Britain

• New in Ireland

• Higher level of violence:

• 1760-1790, 50 people killed May to July 1793, 200 killed

SIGNIFICANCE OF RIOTS

• Had happened previously in Britain

• New in Ireland

• Higher level of violence: 1760-1790, 50 people killed - from May to July 1793, 200 killed

• National rather than local or regional - responding to state actions

MILITIA RIOTS AND CATHOLIC POLITICS

MILITIA RIOTS AND CATHOLIC POLITICS• Relief Act of 1793 - vote and gun had

high property qualification

MILITIA RIOTS AND CATHOLIC POLITICS• Relief Act of 1793 - vote and gun had

high property qualification

• Seemed as if better-off Catholics had used less well off

MILITIA RIOTS AND CATHOLIC POLITICS• Relief Act of 1793 - vote and gun had

high property qualification

• Seemed as if better-off Catholics had used less well off

• Deterioration of relations within Catholic society - including priests

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• Recruiting ground

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• Recruiting ground

• Militia dispersed - discipline lax, vulnerable to persuasion

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• ADVANTAGES

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• ADVANTAGES

• Undermine government forces

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• ADVANTAGES

• Undermine government forces

• Armed, trained recruits

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• ADVANTAGES

• Undermine government forces

• Armed, trained recruits

• Could train others

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• Regiments targeted 1795, 1796

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• Regiments targeted 1795, 1796

• Initially successful - hundreds took United Irish oath

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• Regiments targeted 1795, 1796

• Initially successful - hundreds took United Irish oath

• Retribution severe

• Monaghan Militia April 1797 - 4 executed

MILITIA AND UNITED IRISHMEN

• Regiments targeted 1795, 1796

• Initially successful - hundreds took United Irish oath

• Retribution severe

• Monaghan Militia April 1797 - 4 executed

• 1798 - militia remain loyal