James Coigly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Father
James Coigly
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| Born | 1761 |
| Died | 6 June 1798 |
| Cause of death | Executed for High Treason |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Dundalk Grammar School, Collège des Lombards,Paris |
| Occupation | Roman Catholic Priest |
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Notable work
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The Life of the Rev. James Coigly, and Address to the People of Ireland (1798), |
| Movement |  Society of United Irishmen |
Father James Coigly (also known as James O'Coigley or Jeremiah Quigley) was an Irish Roman Catholic priest. He lived from 1761 to 1798. He was involved in a group called the Society of United Irishmen. This group wanted Ireland to be more independent from British rule.
Father Coigly worked to bring people together during a time of conflict in County Armagh. He also traveled to France and England. He tried to get support for an uprising in Ireland. In June 1798, he was arrested in England. He was about to go back to Paris. He was then executed for treason, which means betraying his country.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James Coigly was born in 1761 in Kilmore, County Armagh. His family were farmers and weavers. At this time, laws called the Penal Laws were slowly being changed. These laws had made it hard for most Irish Catholics to own land or work in certain jobs.
Because the laws were changing, Catholic families with some money could send their sons to school. James Coigly went to Dundalk Grammar School. This was a Protestant school, but he decided he wanted to become a priest.
After Dundalk, James Coigly joined the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh. In 1785, he became a priest. Since there was no seminary (a school for priests) in Ireland, he went to Paris. He studied at the Collège des Lombards. This college taught Irish students who wanted to become priests, lawyers, doctors, or soldiers.
James Coigly was in Paris during the early days of the French Revolution. He stayed until October 1789. He later said he almost got into trouble with a mob. They thought his priest's clothes meant he supported the king. However, some people believed he actually supported the revolution. They even said he fought at the Storming of the Bastille.
While at the college in Paris, Coigly showed he was not afraid to challenge authority. He took legal action against the college to get a scholarship. He also tried to give students the right to choose their leaders.
Working for Peace in Armagh
When Coigly returned to Ireland, he found a difficult situation. The French Revolution had inspired groups like the Volunteer movement in Belfast. It also encouraged the Catholic Committee in Dublin.
More radical groups in these cities formed the United Irishmen. They wanted to unite Irish people of all religions. They grew quickly, especially among farmers and traders.
In 1791, Coigly returned to Armagh. He found a "civil war" happening there. People were fighting, and religion was used as an excuse. This was known as the Armagh disturbances. Armagh had a mix of Protestants and Catholics. There was a lot of competition for land and jobs.
Protestant groups like the Peep o' Day Boys attacked Catholic homes. Coigly's own family home was ransacked. In 1795, the Orange Order was formed after a battle.
The United Irishmen wanted to bring together Irish people of all faiths. They reached out to Catholic groups like the Defenders. They offered help, like legal advice and safe places to stay. Catholic families who lost their homes were sheltered by Presbyterian farmers.
Coigly worked hard to protect his parishioners. His efforts helped the United Irishmen connect with the Defenders. He is believed to have introduced the Defenders of County Louth to a United Irish leader named Napper Tandy.
By 1797, Coigly was a member of the United Irishmen's Ulster Council. He became more important in the group after some leaders were arrested. He worked with Lord Edward Fitzgerald and others. He was very active in the 1797 elections, trying to get United Irish leaders elected.
Traveling for Irish Freedom
In June 1797, Coigly decided to leave Ireland. He said it was because his enemies were persecuting him. But it was also a time of disagreement among the United Irishmen. Some leaders wanted to wait for French help. Coigly believed they should act independently.
Coigly used his time away to build alliances. He had been to Paris in 1796. He carried a message from a "Secret Committee of England" to the French government. Coigly's ideas were more about equality for everyone. This appealed to textile workers in England, just as it did to workers in Belfast and Dublin.
In Manchester, Coigly presented himself as a representative of the United Irishmen. He met with James Dixon, who helped turn a local society into the United Englishmen. This group wanted to remove the king and help the poor. Together, they spread the "United system" to other English cities. They also connected with the United Scotsmen.
From Manchester, Coigly went to London. He met with Irishmen who were making the London Corresponding Society more radical. These groups wanted to overthrow the government and join the French if they invaded England. They helped Coigly pay for his trip to France.
Coigly traveled to Paris. He met with Talleyrand, a French leader. However, the official United Irish representative in Paris, Edward Lewins, was suspicious of him. Coigly wanted to replace Lewins. In November 1797, Coigly returned to London. He stayed with Samuel Turner, who was secretly a British informer. Because of this, Coigly was watched by the police.
In January 1798, Coigly met with delegates from England and Scotland. They called themselves the United Britons. They showed support for the United Irishmen. Coigly carried their message to Dublin. This message encouraged the United Irishmen to prepare for military action. Lord Edward Fitzgerald asked Coigly to replace Lewins in Paris with Arthur O’Connor. Coigly returned to London in February. He told his radical friends in England that this would be his last visit. He hoped to return to see a "Tree of Liberty" planted in Manchester, meaning freedom.
Arrest and Final Days
On February 28, 1798, Coigly was arrested in Margate. He was with O'Connor and others. They were about to cross the Channel to France. They had been betrayed by the informer Samuel Turner. Coigly had asked O'Connor to come with him to Paris.
Coigly was questioned by William Pitt, who was a powerful government official. Coigly denied being part of any political groups in England. His arrest caused a lot of excitement. It led to the arrest of many United Irishmen in Dublin and English radicals in other cities.
During the trial, the only real evidence against Coigly was a paper found in his coat. It was a message from "The Secret Committee of England" to the French government. This paper suggested a large movement ready to welcome Napoleon. This proved that Coigly intended to encourage a French invasion.
Coigly was offered his life if he would name his friends. He refused. He also refused an offer from John Binns to take the blame for the paper. His friends were found not guilty.
The judge, Justice Buller, sentenced Coigly to death. The sentence was very harsh. Father Coigly was executed at Penenden Heath, Maidstone, on June 7, 1798. Some accounts say he received his last religious rites. Others say a priest loyal to the government refused them unless Coigly gave up names. Coigly would not talk.
From the scaffold, Coigly declared his only "crime" was teaching people not to persecute others for their religious beliefs. He also said he worked to end a terrible war.
When Wolfe Tone, another United Irishman, heard about Coigly's execution, he wrote in his diary that he would propose a monument to Coigly's memory if he ever returned to Ireland. For the 100-year anniversary of the rebellion, people visited Maidstone to remember Coigly. They attended a special mass and installed stained glass windows and a brass cross in his memory at St Francis Church.
Letter from Prison
On June 7, 1998, a memorial was unveiled for Coigly at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Armagh. During the ceremony, a letter Coigly wrote from prison was read aloud.
