Sheares brothers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sheares Brothers
John Sheares, Henry Sheares
Born	1766, 1753 Cork
Died	1798
Nationality	Irish
Alma mater	Trinity College, Dublin
Occupation	Lawyers
Movement	Society of United Irishmen
Criminal charge(s)	Treason
Criminal penalty	Execution

The Sheares Brothers, Henry (born 1753) and John (born 1766), were Irish lawyers. They were also known as republicans, meaning they wanted Ireland to be a republic, free from British rule. After seeing big changes in Paris, they joined the Society of United Irishmen in 1793. They helped organize this group in Cork and Dublin. They were arrested just before the rebellion of 1798 began. Sadly, they were put to death at Newgate Prison.

Early Lives of the Brothers

Henry and John Sheares were the sons of Henry Sheares, a banker from Cork. Their father was also a member of the Irish Parliament. Henry Sheares Jr. went to Trinity College Dublin. He then became a lawyer in 1790. John Sheares also became a lawyer in 1789. Their father passed away in 1776. He left them a good amount of money, which helped them in their lives.

Inspired by the French Revolution

In 1792, the brothers traveled to Paris, France. They were very excited by the French revolution happening there. They met important leaders like Brissot and Roland. These leaders were later put to death in 1793. The brothers saw the guillotine being used, a machine that was used to execute many people.

On their way back to England, they met a young man named Daniel O'Connell. The brothers showed him a handkerchief that they said had the blood of Louis XVI, the French king who had been executed. This event made O'Connell dislike mob rule and violence for the rest of his life.

Joining the United Irishmen

When they returned to Dublin in January 1793, the brothers joined the Society of United Irishmen. This group wanted Catholic Emancipation, which meant giving Catholics more rights. They also wanted democratic reform, meaning more people should have a say in how the country was run.

The Society supported the Catholic Committee. This committee met with King George III in England. Because of this, the government passed the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793 in April 1793. This law removed many unfair rules against Catholics. It also allowed them to vote, but they still could not be part of the Parliament.

In May 1793, Henry Sheares became the president of the United Society in Dublin. He believed that Catholics, Protestants, and Dissenters should work together. He thought they should all be seen as one group fighting for fair representation and independence.

Working for Change

From 1794, Britain was at war with France. This made it harder to achieve reforms in Ireland. Even though two of their other brothers joined the British army, Henry and John Sheares worked hard for the United Irishmen. This group was changing from a political club into a movement planning a rebellion.

The brothers mainly organized the movement in Cork. However, they also helped lead the group in Dublin. Sadly, spies informed the government about their activities. One spy in Cork was Mr. Conway. Another spy in Dublin, Thomas Collins, also gave their names to the authorities.

As the government arrested more leaders, the Sheares brothers felt pressure to start the rebellion. They thought the United Irishmen should try to get the government's soldiers to join them. They also thought they should support a military takeover. Other leaders, like Samuel Neilson, disagreed. They believed in the power of the large organization. After Neilson and Edward Fitzgerald were arrested in May 1798, John Sheares briefly took over leadership. He decided that the rebellion would start on May 23rd.

Arrest and Trial

The brothers had already been secretly betrayed by Conway and Collins. John also became friends with Captain Warnesford Armstrong. Armstrong pretended to be a member of the group. John did not check if this was true. Armstrong then told the authorities where the brothers were. He also spoke against them in court.

On Monday, May 21st, Henry and John were arrested. Henry was arrested at his home. John was arrested at a friend's house. They were officially accused on June 26th.

The brothers were tried on July 12th, while the rebellion was still happening. They were put to death on July 14th. The judge was Hugh Carleton, 1st Viscount Carleton. Some people criticized him for taking the case. This was because the brothers' father, who was a close friend, had made Carleton their guardian. Their lawyer was John Philpot Curran. He tried to get them more time, but the brothers had already passed away. They were buried nearby at St Michan's. Visitors can see their coffins on tours of the church vaults.

John's speech from the dock (the place where the accused stands in court) was often quoted later. He spoke about the accusations against him:

"The accusation of which I speak, while I linger here yet a minute, is that of holding out to the people of Ireland a direction to give no quarter to the troops fighting for its defence. My lords, let me say thus, that if there be any acquaintances in this crowded court--I do not say my intimate friends, but acquaintances--who do not know what I say is truth, I shall be reputed the wretch which I am not; I say, if any acquaintance of mine can believe that I could utter a recommendation of giving no quarter to a yielding and unoffending foe, it is not the death which I am about to suffer that I deserve--no punishment could be adequate to such a crime. My lords, I can not only acquit my soul of such an intention, but I declare, in the presence of that God before whom I must shortly appear, that the favorite doctrine of my heart was that no human being should suffer death, but when absolute necessity required it."

Family Life

All four Sheares brothers passed away in the 1790s. Henry had six children. His wife lived until 1850 in Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire). John never married, but he had a daughter. Friends in Cork took care of her.

In Fiction

Christine Pakenham, also known as Countess of Longford, wrote a play in 1942 called 'The United Brothers'. The play takes place in Dublin. It tells the story of Lady Steele, who tried to stop John Sheares from marrying her daughter. Lady Steele later tried to save the brothers.

Images for kids

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  John Sheares, Henry Sheares