Joseph Wall (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Captain Joseph Wall was a British army officer and convicted murderer.
Wall volunteered for service around 1760 and participated in the 1762 siege of Havana
during the Seven Year's War for which he was elevated to the rank of Captain
. He then served with the British East India Company
for a few years until leaving after fighting a duel. Following this he returned to Ireland
, where his attempts to find a wife ended when one woman prosecuted him for assault and defamation.
He then moved to England
where he obtained a military posting to Senegambia in Africa
as an officer of the African Corps (to which he transferred from the 32nd Foot). He was given the local rank of Lt. Colonel. In 1776 he was appointed lieutenant governor of the Gambia
. During this governorship he was accused of maladministration and cruelty to subordinates and local people. He was brought before the council of Senegal, but the charges proved to be embellished and were dismissed. The council awarded Wall £1527 damages for removal of goods and false imprisonment, and in further proceedings before the Court of Common Pleas
in London, he received a further £1000.
Wall returned to Africa following a French
invasion of Senegambia in 1779 with a British squadron under Sir Edward Hughes to occupy the island of Gorée
. In 1782, a deputation of soldiers petitioned Wall for unpaid allowances. He considered this an act of mutiny and ordered their leader, Sergeant Benjamin Armstrong, and two others to be flogged without court martial in contravention of military practice. After receiving 800 lashes, all three died days later. Wall left for England following the order and made no report of a mutiny to his superiors, however rumours of his actions soon circulated. Wall was court martialled but charges were dropped as a ship carrying witnesses was believed to be lost.
However, the witnesses eventually arrived in England in 1784 and Wall was charged with murder. As Wall was being brought from Bath to London
, he escaped custody and fled to the continent. A reward of £200 was offered for his apprehension. Wall was described as being 6'4 and of a "fair complexion with light-brown hair". Whilst abroad, he married Frances, the daughter of the Lord Fortrose
. He made several secret trips to Britain but returned in 1801 for financial reasons — he had to clear his name to secure a large property of his wife which was in the hands of trustees.
He was brought to trial at the Old Bailey
on 20 January 1802 for the murder of Armstrong before Sir Archibald Macdonald
, the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
. A guilty verdict was reached and although the Privy Council also considered the matter and there were pleas for pardon, it was not politically prudent so soon after the Spithead and Nore mutinies
to spare Wall.
Wall was hanged at Newgate
on 28 January 1802 and his remains were buried in the churchyard at St Pancras
.
Wall volunteered for service around 1760 and participated in the 1762 siege of Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
during the Seven Year's War for which he was elevated to the rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. He then served with the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
for a few years until leaving after fighting a duel. Following this he returned to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where his attempts to find a wife ended when one woman prosecuted him for assault and defamation.
He then moved 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...
where he obtained a military posting to Senegambia in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as an officer of the African Corps (to which he transferred from the 32nd Foot). He was given the local rank of Lt. Colonel. In 1776 he was appointed lieutenant governor of the Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
. During this governorship he was accused of maladministration and cruelty to subordinates and local people. He was brought before the council of Senegal, but the charges proved to be embellished and were dismissed. The council awarded Wall £1527 damages for removal of goods and false imprisonment, and in further proceedings before the Court of Common Pleas
Court of Common Pleas (England)
The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
in London, he received a further £1000.
Wall returned to Africa following a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
invasion of Senegambia in 1779 with a British squadron under Sir Edward Hughes to occupy the island of Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
. In 1782, a deputation of soldiers petitioned Wall for unpaid allowances. He considered this an act of mutiny and ordered their leader, Sergeant Benjamin Armstrong, and two others to be flogged without court martial in contravention of military practice. After receiving 800 lashes, all three died days later. Wall left for England following the order and made no report of a mutiny to his superiors, however rumours of his actions soon circulated. Wall was court martialled but charges were dropped as a ship carrying witnesses was believed to be lost.
However, the witnesses eventually arrived in England in 1784 and Wall was charged with murder. As Wall was being brought from Bath to 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...
, he escaped custody and fled to the continent. A reward of £200 was offered for his apprehension. Wall was described as being 6'4 and of a "fair complexion with light-brown hair". Whilst abroad, he married Frances, the daughter of the Lord Fortrose
Kenneth Mackenzie, Lord Fortrose
Kenneth Mackenzie, Lord Fortrose was a British politician and Chief of the Highland Clan Mackenzie.-Origins:...
. He made several secret trips to Britain but returned in 1801 for financial reasons — he had to clear his name to secure a large property of his wife which was in the hands of trustees.
He was brought to trial at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
on 20 January 1802 for the murder of Armstrong before Sir Archibald Macdonald
Archibald Macdonald
Sir Archibald Macdonald, 1st Baronet was a British lawyer and politician.-Family:Archibald Macdonald was the posthumous son of Sir Alexander Macdonald, 7th Baronet, and younger brother of the 8th baronet , but was bought to England in the aftermath of Culloden to complete his education at...
, the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" of the English Exchequer of pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who presided in the equity court and answered the bar i.e...
. A guilty verdict was reached and although the Privy Council also considered the matter and there were pleas for pardon, it was not politically prudent so soon after the Spithead and Nore mutinies
Spithead and Nore mutinies
The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. There were also discontent and minor incidents on ships in other locations in the same year. They were not violent insurrections, being more in the nature of strikes, demanding better pay and conditions...
to spare Wall.
Wall was hanged at Newgate
Newgate
Newgate at the west end of Newgate Street was one of the historic seven gates of London Wall round the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. From it a Roman road led west to Silchester...
on 28 January 1802 and his remains were buried in the churchyard at St Pancras
St Pancras Old Church
St Pancras Old Church is a Church of England parish church in central London. It is believed to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England, and is dedicated to the Roman martyr Saint Pancras, although the building itself is largely Victorian...
.