Joseph Holt (rebel) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Holt
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Holt in military uniform
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| Born |
Ballydaniel, Redcross, County Wicklow, Ireland
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| Died |
Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), County Dublin
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Known for | Prominent leader of 1798 Rebellion |
Joseph Holt (born 1756, died 16 May 1826) was an important leader in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was a general for the Society of United Irishmen. He led a large group of fighters against British soldiers in County Wicklow, Ireland, from June to October 1798.
In 1799, he was sent away to the colony of New South Wales (which is now part of Australia). There, he worked as a farm manager. Joseph Holt returned to Ireland in 1814.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Joseph Holt was one of six sons born to John Holt, a farmer in County Wicklow. His family were Protestants who had lived in Ireland for a long time. They were considered loyal to the British Crown.
In 1782, Joseph Holt married Hester Long. He then started his own farm near Roundwood. He joined a group called the Irish Volunteers in the 1780s. He also held some small public jobs, like inspecting wool. He even worked in law enforcement for a while.
Joining the Rebellion
Even though Joseph Holt seemed loyal to the government, he secretly joined the Society of United Irishmen in 1797. This group wanted Ireland to be independent from Britain. People started to suspect him. In May 1798, his house was burned down by soldiers. This happened because a local landlord, who owed Holt money, caused trouble for him.
After his house was destroyed, Holt went to hide in the Wicklow Mountains. He became a very important leader among the United Irish rebels. Most of these rebels were Catholic. Holt avoided big, open battles. Instead, he led surprise attacks and ambushes against British military targets in County Wicklow. He was very successful, and the government's power in the county became much weaker.
After the rebels in County Wexford were defeated at the Battle of Vinegar Hill on 21 June, many surviving fighters went to the Wicklow Mountains. They wanted to join Holt's forces.
Holt met them and helped plan an ambush. On 30 June 1798, they defeated about 200 British cavalry soldiers at Ballyellis. This was a big victory. However, a later plan to restart the rebellion in the Midlands failed badly. Holt was lucky to escape back to the safety of the Wicklow Mountains.
Holt gathered the remaining rebels. He continued his fighting campaign. He even made his own special gunpowder mixture to keep fighting. The army tried many times to find him in the mountains, but Holt and another rebel captain, Michael Dwyer, managed to avoid them. They kept thousands of soldiers busy. Many new fighters joined Holt's group, including soldiers who left the British army.
Holt's Surrender
Joseph Holt had been waiting for help to arrive from France. But he heard that the French were defeated at the Battle of Ballinamuck. He was also getting sick from living as a fugitive. He was getting older, and he worried about his family.
Because of all these reasons, Holt decided to surrender. He contacted the authorities in Dublin Castle through his wife's sister. She worked for Lord Richard Wingfield at Powerscourt. Dublin Castle wanted to end the rebellion in Wicklow. They agreed to send Holt away to New South Wales instead of putting him on trial. He was held in the Bermingham Tower for a short time. A rich man named Peter La Touche paid for Holt's pregnant wife, Hester, and his first son, Joshua Holt, to travel with him. Their daughter, Maryanne, stayed in Ireland to be educated.
Life in Australia
Joseph Holt sailed to Australia on a ship called the Minerva. He arrived in Sydney on 11 January 1800. Soon after, he agreed to manage a farm for Captain William Cox. Holt always said in Australia that he was a political exile, not a criminal.
In September 1800, he was arrested because people thought he was planning something against the government. But he was released because there was no proof. He did well managing Cox's farm. Later, he bought his own land and became quite successful.
In 1804, a rebellion happened at Castle Hill. Holt was not involved, but he was warned about it. That night, he helped defend Captain Cox's house. Even so, the governor, Governor King, was very hard on him. Many people gave false statements against Holt. Even though there was no real proof, Governor King sent Holt to Norfolk Island in April 1804. There, Holt was forced to do hard labor.
In his memories, Holt wrote a lot about the terrible things he saw on Norfolk Island. He described the commandant, Joseph Foveaux, as a very cruel leader. Holt said that Foveaux was the worst tyrant he had ever known. He wrote about how happy the people of Norfolk Island were when Foveaux finally left.
After Holt had been on Norfolk Island for 14 weeks, Governor King sent orders for him to return to New South Wales. But there were delays. He finally arrived back in Sydney in February 1806.
Pardon and Return Home
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In June 1809, Joseph Holt received a full pardon. This meant he was officially forgiven for his past actions. However, this pardon had to be re-issued when a new governor, Governor Macquarie, arrived. Holt was officially pardoned again on 1 January 1811.
In December 1812, he sold some of his land and animals. He, his wife, and his younger son sailed back to Europe on a ship called the Isabella. The ship was wrecked near the Falkland Islands. Holt showed great courage and cleverness in helping everyone survive on the island. He was rescued on 4 April 1813. He traveled through the United States and finally reached England on 22 February 1814.
Holt then retired to Ireland, where he lived for the rest of his life. He sometimes wished he had stayed in Australia. He died in Kingstown (now Dún Laoghaire), near Dublin, on 16 May 1826. He is buried in Carrickbrennan Churchyard in Monkstown. His older son, Joshua Holt, stayed in New South Wales. His younger son, Joseph Harrison Holt, also went to Australia after his father's death in 1826.
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