Remembering the Past: Remember 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.''

Another 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)