Joseph Gerrald
Encyclopedia
Joseph Gerrald was a political reformer, one of the "Scottish Martyrs".
, in the West Indies, the only son of an Irish planter. Gerrald was brought to England
whilst still a child and educated at Stanmore school, under Dr. Samuel Parr
, where he showed promise as a student. He inherited a somewhat involved estate from his father, married young, and was left a widower with two young children. Gerrald was in the United States
for some years and practised as an advocate
in Philadelphia, where he also published several essays on universal suffrage
.
and joined the movement for political reform. In 1793 he published a pamphlet A Convention the only means of saving us from ruin, in a letter addressed to the People of England . In this he stated that the influence of 162 men returned 306 of the 573 members of the house of commons. He advocated that a convention should be elected that would truly represent the people of Great Britain, and that there should be universal suffrage in the election of delegates. There was no machinery for carrying out his plans even if they met with general approval, but in November 1793 the "British Convention of the Delegates of the People associated to obtain Universal Suffrage and Annual Parliaments" met at Edinburgh. The delegates represented various political societies of the day in Scotland
and England
.
. The apparent courtesy and consideration with which the trial was conducted could not conceal the real prejudice which ruled the proceedings. Gerrald was imprisoned in London
until May 1795, when he was hurried on board the storeship Sovereign about to sail for Sydney
. He arrived there on 5 November 1795. He was then in a poor state of health suffering from tuberculosis
and was allowed to buy a small house and garden in which he lived. He died on 16 March 1796.
speaks of his "strong enlightened mind" and that he went to his death "glorying in being a martyr to the cause which he termed that of Freedom and considering as an honour that exile which brought him to an untimely grave". (An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, 1798, p. 469). He was buried in the plot of land he had bought at Farm Cove. His son Joseph was cared for by Dr. Parr. Gerrald's associates included Thomas Muir
, Thomas Fyshe Palmer
, William Skirving
and Maurice Margarot
.
His name appears on the Political Martyrs monument (1844) on Calton Hill at Edinburgh.
Early life
Gerrald was born on Saint KittsSaint Kitts
Saint Kitts Saint Kitts Saint Kitts (also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island (Saint-Christophe in French) is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean...
, in the West Indies, the only son of an Irish planter. Gerrald was brought to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
whilst still a child and educated at Stanmore school, under Dr. Samuel Parr
Samuel Parr
Samuel Parr , was an English schoolmaster, writer, minister and Doctor of Law. He was known in his time for political writing, and as "the Whig Johnson", though his reputation has lasted less well that Samuel Johnson's, and the resemblances were at a superficial level, Parr being no prose stylist,...
, where he showed promise as a student. He inherited a somewhat involved estate from his father, married young, and was left a widower with two young children. Gerrald was in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for some years and practised as an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
in Philadelphia, where he also published several essays on universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
.
Political reformer
Returning to England in 1788, Gerrald was encouraged by the hopes raised by the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and joined the movement for political reform. In 1793 he published a pamphlet A Convention the only means of saving us from ruin, in a letter addressed to the People of England . In this he stated that the influence of 162 men returned 306 of the 573 members of the house of commons. He advocated that a convention should be elected that would truly represent the people of Great Britain, and that there should be universal suffrage in the election of delegates. There was no machinery for carrying out his plans even if they met with general approval, but in November 1793 the "British Convention of the Delegates of the People associated to obtain Universal Suffrage and Annual Parliaments" met at Edinburgh. The delegates represented various political societies of the day in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Arrest and conviction
The aims of the Suffrage Convention were moderate, but Gerrald and others were arrested, and in March 1794 he was tried for sedition. It was felt that the case was prejudiced, and while out on bail Gerrald had been urged to escape, but he considered that his honour was pledged. At his trial at Edinburgh he made an admirable speech in defence of his actions, but was condemned to 14 years transportationPenal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
. The apparent courtesy and consideration with which the trial was conducted could not conceal the real prejudice which ruled the proceedings. Gerrald was imprisoned in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
until May 1795, when he was hurried on board the storeship Sovereign about to sail for Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. He arrived there on 5 November 1795. He was then in a poor state of health suffering from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and was allowed to buy a small house and garden in which he lived. He died on 16 March 1796.
Legacy
Gerrald was a man sustained by his belief in the rights of mankind. In the account of his death David CollinsDavid Collins
-People:* David Collins , 18th-century cricketer associated with Hampshire* David Collins , played for Wellington and Cambridge University...
speaks of his "strong enlightened mind" and that he went to his death "glorying in being a martyr to the cause which he termed that of Freedom and considering as an honour that exile which brought him to an untimely grave". (An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, 1798, p. 469). He was buried in the plot of land he had bought at Farm Cove. His son Joseph was cared for by Dr. Parr. Gerrald's associates included Thomas Muir
Thomas Muir (radical)
Thomas Muir was a Scottish political reformer.Muir was the son of James Muir, a hop merchant, and was educated at Glasgow Grammar School, before attending the University of Glasgow to study divinity...
, Thomas Fyshe Palmer
Thomas Fyshe Palmer
Thomas Fyshe Palmer was an English-born Unitarian minister, political reformer and political exile.-Early life:Palmer was born in Ickwell, Bedfordshire, England, the son of Henry Fyshe who assumed the added name of Palmer because of an inheritance, and Elizabeth, daughter of James Ingram of...
, William Skirving
William Skirving
William Skirving was one of the five Scottish Martyrs for Liberty. Active in the cause of universal franchise and other reforms inspired by the French Revolution, they were convicted of sedition in 1793-94, and sentenced to transportation to New South Wales.-Early life and farming:William Skirving...
and Maurice Margarot
Maurice Margarot
Maurice Margarot is most notable for being one of the founding members of the London Corresponding Society, a radical society demanding parliamentary reform in the late eighteenth century.-Early life:...
.
His name appears on the Political Martyrs monument (1844) on Calton Hill at Edinburgh.