Robert Emmet

Emmet, Robert, brother of preceding [Thomas Addis Emmet], was born in Molesworth-street, Dublin, in 1778.[see note]

He was sent to Oswald’s school, in Dopping’s-court, off Golden-lane; subsequently he was removed to Samuel White’s seminary in Grafton-street; and was afterwards put under the care of Rev. Mr. Lewis, of Camden-street.

On 7th October 1793 he entered Trinity College. His college course, like his brother’s, was brilliant. He exhibited great aptitude for the exact sciences, especially mathematics and chemistry.

He took a prominent part in the Historical Society, and espoused the national side in the political debates.

In April 1798 the Lord-Chancellor held a formal visitation for the purpose of inquiring into the extent of the sympathy with the United Irishmen existing in the College.

Robert Emmet, on being summoned, wrote a letter to the Fellows requesting his name to be taken off the books, and indignantly denouncing the proposed proceedings. In this he is said to have had his father’s approval.

Some fervid writings by Moore and Counsellor Walsh (the author of Ireland Sixty Years Ago) were in truth the cause of this visitation.

Emmet’s professional prospects were now blighted; his brother, Thomas Addis, was in prison, and a warrant was out for his own arrest.

We know little of his life for some years. Probably he acted occasionally as confidential agent for his brother and others of the United Irish leaders then in confinement.

On his way back he rested at Amsterdam, and met his brother, then released from confinement, at Brussels.

The leading United Irishmen then on the Continent were resolved on renewing their efforts, in the event of a rupture between England and France—regarding the struggle in Ireland as only suspended.

Napoleon gave positive written assurance of his intention to secure the independence of Ireland.

In the autumn of 1802 Robert had interviews with Napoleon and Talleyrand, and was strongly impressed with the insincerity of the former, believing that if he did interfere in the affairs of Ireland, it would be merely to advance his own designs.

The impression left on his mind by these interviews was that Napoleon would probably invade England in August 1803.

He returned to Ireland in October 1802.

Lord Cloncurry afterwards related how Emmet spoke of his plans for a revolutionary movement in Ireland with a view to securing its independence “with extreme enthusiasm—his features glowed with excitement; the perspiration burst through the pores, and ran down his forehead.”

On arriving in Ireland, he at once took the lead in a plan for insurrection the following summer.

He had about £3,000 in cash, his own fortune, and some £1,400 advanced by a Mr. Long.

His father and mother were then residing at Casino, and he remained there in seclusion for some weeks.

In preparation for future possibilities, he formed hiding places between the floors at Casino, as he afterwards did at the house near Harold’s-cross bridge where he was arrested.

His father’s death, in December 1802, left him more at liberty to pursue his plans.

In the course of the spring he established depots of arms in Dublin, at Irish-town, Patrick-street, and at Marshalsea-lane, where about forty men were engaged in manufacturing pikes, gunpowder, rockets, and explosive materials.

Emmet’s arrangements included an attack on Dublin Castle and Pigeon-house Fort, and all the details of an elaborate system of street warfare were set down on paper.

The better to conceal his plans, he, under the name of Ellis, took a farm-house in Butterfield-lane, near Rathfarnham.

He was untiring in his exertions, corresponding with his friends in the surrounding districts, and superintending the depots, undismayed by failures or mischances—always firm, determined, and hopeful.

“There,” says Dr. Madden, “he lay at night on a mattress, surrounded by all the implements of death, devising plans, turning over in his mind all the fearful chances of the intended struggle, well knowing that his life was at the mercy of upwards of forty individuals, who had been or still were employed in the depots; yet confident of success, exaggerating its prospects, extenuating the difficulties which beset him, judging of others by himself, thinking associates honest who seemed to be so, confiding in their promises, and animated, or rather inflamed, by a burning sense of the wrongs of his country, and enthusiastic in his devotion to what he considered its rightful cause.”

Date of Rebellion

He now fixed upon Saturday 23rd July for carrying his schemes into execution.

The morning of that day found him and his companions divided in their plans.

Consultations were held at the depot in Thomas-street, at Long’s in Crow-street, and Allen’s in College-green.

The Wicklow men under Dwyer had not come in; the Kildare men came in, but dispersed at five in the afternoon through some misunderstanding; a contingent of 250 from Wexford were at hand, but without definite orders; so it was with a large body assembled at the Broadstone.

“There is one grand point,” remarked Emmet, “no leading Catholic is committed—we are all Protestants, and their cause will not be compromised.”

At length, about nine in the evening, when Emmet was confused, heart-sick, and desperate, a report was brought that the military were in motion against them.

“If that be the case, we may as well die in the street as cooped up here,” he remarked, and putting on a uniform, he distributed arms, sent up a rocket to call in the country contingents, and at the head of about one hundred men sallied out of Marshalsea-lane into Thomas-street, and directed his steps towards the Castle, crying, as he drew his sword, “Come on, my boys.”

Death of Lord Kilwarden

The stragglers in the rear soon perpetrated acts of pillage and assassination—Lord Kilwarden, a humane and popular judge (hastening to a Privy Council at the Castle), was dragged out of his coach and murdered.

News of these proceedings reached Emmet, and he hastened back in horror; but the mob were beyond control, and conscious at last that all was over, he hastened out to Rathfarnham.

There was some desultory fighting in Thomas-street and on the Coombe, where Colonel Browne and several soldiers were killed.

Suppression Emmet’s of rebellion

In less than an hour the rout of Emmet’s party was complete.

Troops were now poured into Dublin, within a few hours martial-law was proclaimed, and the executions and the reign of terror that followed 1798 recommenced.

Meanwhile his friend Russell had as completely failed in his efforts to rouse an insurrection in the north of Ireland.

The father of their servant Anne Devlin procured horses, and accompanied them.

A few days afterwards, Anne Devlin went up to the mountains with letters, and found Emmet and his friends sitting outside a cabin still in their uniforms, as they had been unable to procure other clothes.

In all probability he might have escaped to France, had he not insisted upon returning with Anne Devlin for the purpose of taking leave of Sarah Curran, daughter of John Philpot Curran, to whom he was engaged.

He concealed himself at the house of a Mrs. Palmer, at Harold’s-cross, and while there drew up a paper for transmission to Government, in the hope that it would stop the prosecutions and executions.

Capture

His hiding-place was not discovered until 25th August, when he was arrested by Major Sirr, about seven o’clock in the evening.

We are yet unacquainted with the name of his betrayer—to whom £1,000 was paid over on 1st November ensuing.

Emmet was at once taken to the Castle, and thence removed to Kilmainham. Vigorous but ineffectual efforts were made to procure his escape.

It is stated that he had previously offered to plead guilty if the Government would return to him an intercepted letter to Sarah Curran.

The proceedings occupied but one day.

The jury brought in a verdict of guilty.

The trial closed at half-past ten o’clock at night, by a sentence of death, to be carried into effect next day.

He was immediately heavily ironed, and placed in a cell in Newgate, hard by the court, and at mid-night was removed to Kilmainham.

He spent part of the night in writing a long letter to his brother, explaining and justifying his conduct. (This letter was never delivered. Many years afterwards its contents reached Thomas Addis Emmet through the press.)

His last hours were spent in religious exercises and conversation with his friends.

He rejoiced on hearing of the death of his mother a few days previously, as he hoped the sooner to meet her in the other world.

He declared his political principles to be unchanged.

About noon he wrote a letter to Richard Curran respecting his love for his sister Sarah.

He had already during the night written to the father, justifying his engagement with his daughter.

The halter was then placed round his neck, the plank on which he stood was tilted from beneath him, and after hanging a few minutes the head was severed from the body, and held up to the crowd. (This was 20th September 1803; he was aged 24.)

All with whom he came in contact were impressed with the sincerity of his convictions. The uniform in which he arrayed himself on the day of the rising (a green coat with white facings, white breeches, top-boots, and a cocked hat with feathers) has in Ireland become historical.

Before her return to the United Kingdom she gave birth to a child, whose early death hastened a decline that seized her.

She died at Hythe in Kent, 5th May 1808.

Her father is stated to have refused a last request that she might be buried with a favourite sister in the lawn of his residence, the Priory, Rathfarnham, and she was interred with her ancestors, at Newmarket, County of Cork.