Remember Orr
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Aengus O'Snodaigh concludes his series of articles marking the
200th anniversary of the judicial murder of United Irish leader
William Orr by describing his trial and execution.
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``I am no traitor!
I die a persecuted man, for a persecuted country.''
Last words of William Orr
On the morning of 18 September 12 male jurours were sworn in. Two
witnesses were announced to appear against the 31-year-old
defendant; they were John Lindsay and Hugh Wheatley.
Crowds of supporters, well-wishers, crown conspirators and
military packed the Carrickfergus Courthouse that morning. They
heard Wheatley swear on oath that while in fear of his life and
under threat Orr administered on him an oath:
``In the awful presence of God, I ..................., do
voluntarily declare that I will persevere in endeavouring to form
a brotherhood of affection among Irishmen of every religious
persuasion, and that I will also persevere in my endeavoures to
obtain an equal, full, and adequate representation of all the
people of Ireland.
``I do declare that neither hopes, fears, rewards, or punishments
shall ever induce me directly, or indirectly, to inform, or give
evidence against any member, or members, of this or similar
societies, for any act or expression of theirs done or made
individually or collectively, in or out of this society, in
persuance of the spirit of this obligation.''
John Philpot Curran cross-examined him on his character before
John Lindsay was called. He only went as far as staing that he
was in the room while the oath was administered.
Despite the Crown knowing the names of all those who were in
attendance on the night in question none had been `persuaded' to
turn King's evidence. Regretfully they couldn't appear for the
Defence, for to do so would implicate them and leave them open to
capital conviction.
When time came for the Defence case they began by saying that Orr
was wrongly charged under the Insurrection Act and not with High
Treason. This was done in order to afford him less opportunity to
defend himself than if the more serious charge had been put,
which was warranted if the Crown evidence were accepted.
Both judges understood this manouvre and thus over-ruled it, thus
preventing Orr from being called to the witness box to give an
account of himself. The Defence was left with one witness to
contradict Whealtey - Charles MacLaverty - only to be
contradicted in turn by a Sergeant Millar and Reverend Foot
Marshell.
The jury retired for the night. At six in the morning after
badgering from the judge and retiring twice more to a guilty or
not guilty verdict, Orr was pronounced guilty; but with a
recommendation of mercy.
The next day, before sentence was passed on Orr, his Defence team
made the startling announcement that two jurors had sworn
affidavits stating that on the night they retired to consider the
veredict ``a considerable quantity of spirituous liquour was
conveyed into the jury-room and drunk by the jury, many of whom
were greatly intoxicated, and threatened the two jurors who made
the affidvait, and who admitted themselves also to have been in a
state of intoxication, to prosecute them as United Irishmen if
they did not concur in a verdict of guilty; and that at length,
worn by fatigue and drink, and subdued by menaces, they did,
contrary to their judgement, concur in that verdict.''
other juror swore he was misled regarding the outcome in the
event of a guilty verdict. Curran called for a mistrial, saying
that a verdict so obtained might disgrace the administration of
the law. The court refused the application and subsequent moves
by many to quash the sentence came to nought and Lord Yelverton
made his pronouncement with crocodile tears flowing:
``You are to be taken to the place from when you came, from there
to the common place of execution, the gallows, there to be hung
by the neck until you are dead.''
Orr's speech from the dock was short and to the point, stating
the conviction was ``a falsehood'' and ``that the evidence against
me was grossly and wickedly perjured''.
While Orr awaited his execution, many made representations to the
authorities seeking a reprieve. While this was being done others
sought to blacken Orr's name by publishing `confessions'
purportedly made by him, while others again sought from him a
confession in return for clemency.
On the morning of 14 October William Orr was taken from his cell
in Carrickfergus Jail and placed in a carriage to be brought to
the Gallows Green under strong military guard. A letter from
Carrickfergus that day describes the scene:
``The inhabitants of this town, man, woman, and child, quit the
place this day, rather than be present at the execution of their
hapless countryman, William Orr... The military who attended the
execution consisted of several thousand men, horse and foot, with
cannon, and a company of artillery - the whole forming a hollow
square.
``To these William Orr read his dying declaration, with a clear,
strong, manly tone of voice - and his deportment was firm,
unshaken and impressive, to the last instant of his existence.''
In his declaration, copies of which were distributed nationwide
despite the threat of death for possession of them, Orr stated:
``If to have loved my country, to have known its wrongs, to have
felt the injuries of the persecuted Catholics, and to have united
with them and all other religious persuasions in the most orderly
and least sanquinary means of procuring redress; - if these be
felonies, then I am a felon, but not otherwise.''
As he stepped to the scaffold he uttered his final defiant words
at his executioners.
``I am no traitor. I die a persecuted man, for a persecuted
country.''
His body was cut down from the gallows, and despite attempts by
his friends to revive him the hangman had done his work
completely and as his masters desired. His body was then placed
on a cart bedded with straw and a start made for its long trip
home. It first went to Ballynure where Orr was waked overnight
before heading to Templepatrick. So great were the crowds paying
respects that several attempts by the military to disperse the
funeral procession failed.
William Orr's trial and execution became a public symbol of
repression and ``Remember Orr'' became the battlecry of United
Irishmen everywhere.
United Irish leader, farmer and family man William Orr was
judicially murdered 200 years ago, on 14 October 1797.
References
- F.J. Biggar, Remember Orr (Dublin 1906)
- M. Elliot, Partners in Revolution: The United Irishmen and France
(London 1982)
- B. O'Higgins, Orr and Emmet - Wolfe Tone Annual 1953 (Dublin)
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