Captain Rock was a mythical Irish folk hero, and the name used for the agrarian rebel group he represented in the south-west of Ireland from 1821 to 1824.[1]
"The Installation of Captain Rock", Daniel Maclise, 1834
Arising following the harvest failures in 1816 and 1821, the drought in 1818 and the fever epidemic of 1816-19. Rockites, similar to the earlier Whiteboys, targeted landlords who were members of the Protestant Ascendancy. Captain Rock (or Rockites) were responsible for up to a thousand incidents of beatings, murder, arson and mutilation in the short time they were active.
With the return of "a bearable level of subsistence", the low-level insurrection for a period subsided,[2] but was to flare repeatedly through, and beyond, the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s. Over this period and in subsequent years, well into the nineteenth century, threatening letters signed by "Captain Rock" (as well as other symbolic nicknames, such as "Captain Steel" or "Major Ribbon") issued warnings of violent reprisals against landlords and their agents who tried to arbitrarily put up rents, collectors of tithes for the Anglican Church of Ireland, government magistrates who tried to evict tenants, and informers who fingered out Rockites to the authorities.[3]
That Captain Rock, in particular, became a symbol for retaliation by "an underclass which had nothing left to lose"[2] owes much to the publication in 1824 of Thomas Moore's The Memoirs of Captain Rock. Moore relates the history of Ireland as told by a contemporary, the scion of a Catholic family that lost land in successive English settlements. The character, Captain Rock, is fictional but the history is in earnest. When it catches up with the narrator in the late Penal Law era, his family has been reduced to the "class of wretched cottiers". Exposed to the voracious demands of spendthrift Anglo-Irish landlords (famously pilloried by Maria Edgeworth in Castle Rackrent), both father and son assume captaincies among the "White-boys, Oak-boys, and Hearts-of Steel", the tenant conspiracies that attack tax collectors, terrorise the landlords' agents and violently resist evictions.[4][5]
In 1829, Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna, published a riposte to Moore's Memoirs which she denounced as an incitement to rebellion inspired by the Vatican.[6]The Rockite: An Irish Story links to recurrence of "Rockite banditti" to the failure of a dissolute Protestant gentry to win by example their tenantry to the true faith.[7][8]
Notable representations in popular culture include a hand-colored lithograph of "Captain Rock's Banditti swearing in a new Member", caricatures of "Lady Rock" depicting Rockites cross-dressing as women when committing acts of violence, and the painting "The Installation of Captain Rock" by the celebrated romantic artist Daniel Maclise (exhibited in London in 1834, now in the National Gallery in Dublin).
ReferencesEdit
^Ellis, Peter Berresford. Irelands Forgotten Rockite Rebellion, The Irish Democrat, 27 July (2004)
^ abThe Irish Examiner. Review of 'Captain Rock: The Irish Agrarian Rebellion of 1821-1824', March 6 (2010)
^Gibbons, Stephen Randolph (2004). Captain Rock, Night Errant: The Threatening Letters of Pre-Famine Ireland, 1801-1845. Dublin: Four Courts.
^from Memoirs of Captain Rock, Book the Second, Chapter I, Moore, Thomas (1993). Political and Historical Writings on Irish and British Affairs by Thomas Moore, Introduced by Brendan Clifford. Belfast: Athol Books. pp. 53–55. ISBN0-85034-067-5.
^Moore, Thomas (1835). Memoirs of Captain Rock. Paris: Baudry's European Library. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
^"Tonna, Charlotte Elizabeth | Dictionary of Irish Biography". www.dib.ie. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
^Tonna, Charlotte Elizabeth (1846). The Rockite. By Charlotte Elizabeth.
^Beiner, Guy (2010). "Captain Rock". Béascna (6): 198–9.
Further readingEdit
Donnelly, James S. Captain Rock: The Irish Agrarian Rebellion of 1821–1824 (2009)
Christianson, Gale E. "Secret Societies and Agrarian Violence in Ireland, 1790-1840." Agricultural History (1972): 369-384. in JSTOR
captain, rock, mythical, irish, folk, hero, name, used, agrarian, rebel, group, represented, south, west, ireland, from, 1821, 1824, installation, daniel, maclise, 1834arising, following, harvest, failures, 1816, 1821, drought, 1818, fever, epidemic, 1816, roc. Captain Rock was a mythical Irish folk hero and the name used for the agrarian rebel group he represented in the south west of Ireland from 1821 to 1824 1 The Installation of Captain Rock Daniel Maclise 1834Arising following the harvest failures in 1816 and 1821 the drought in 1818 and the fever epidemic of 1816 19 Rockites similar to the earlier Whiteboys targeted landlords who were members of the Protestant Ascendancy Captain Rock or Rockites were responsible for up to a thousand incidents of beatings murder arson and mutilation in the short time they were active With the return of a bearable level of subsistence the low level insurrection for a period subsided 2 but was to flare repeatedly through and beyond the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s Over this period and in subsequent years well into the nineteenth century threatening letters signed by Captain Rock as well as other symbolic nicknames such as Captain Steel or Major Ribbon issued warnings of violent reprisals against landlords and their agents who tried to arbitrarily put up rents collectors of tithes for the Anglican Church of Ireland government magistrates who tried to evict tenants and informers who fingered out Rockites to the authorities 3 That Captain Rock in particular became a symbol for retaliation by an underclass which had nothing left to lose 2 owes much to the publication in 1824 of Thomas Moore s The Memoirs of Captain Rock Moore relates the history of Ireland as told by a contemporary the scion of a Catholic family that lost land in successive English settlements The character Captain Rock is fictional but the history is in earnest When it catches up with the narrator in the late Penal Law era his family has been reduced to the class of wretched cottiers Exposed to the voracious demands of spendthrift Anglo Irish landlords famously pilloried by Maria Edgeworth in Castle Rackrent both father and son assume captaincies among the White boys Oak boys and Hearts of Steel the tenant conspiracies that attack tax collectors terrorise the landlords agents and violently resist evictions 4 5 In 1829 Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna published a riposte to Moore s Memoirs which she denounced as an incitement to rebellion inspired by the Vatican 6 The Rockite An Irish Story links to recurrence of Rockite banditti to the failure of a dissolute Protestant gentry to win by example their tenantry to the true faith 7 8 Notable representations in popular culture include a hand colored lithograph of Captain Rock s Banditti swearing in a new Member caricatures of Lady Rock depicting Rockites cross dressing as women when committing acts of violence and the painting The Installation of Captain Rock by the celebrated romantic artist Daniel Maclise exhibited in London in 1834 now in the National Gallery in Dublin References Edit Ellis Peter Berresford Irelands Forgotten Rockite Rebellion The Irish Democrat 27 July 2004 a b The Irish Examiner Review of Captain Rock The Irish Agrarian Rebellion of 1821 1824 March 6 2010 Gibbons Stephen Randolph 2004 Captain Rock Night Errant The Threatening Letters of Pre Famine Ireland 1801 1845 Dublin Four Courts from Memoirs of Captain Rock Book the Second Chapter I Moore Thomas 1993 Political and Historical Writings on Irish and British Affairs by Thomas Moore Introduced by Brendan Clifford Belfast Athol Books pp 53 55 ISBN 0 85034 067 5 Moore Thomas 1835 Memoirs of Captain Rock Paris Baudry s European Library Retrieved 20 August 2020 Tonna Charlotte Elizabeth Dictionary of Irish Biography www dib ie Retrieved 11 April 2023 Tonna Charlotte Elizabeth 1846 The Rockite By Charlotte Elizabeth Beiner Guy 2010 Captain Rock Beascna 6 198 9 Further reading EditDonnelly James S Captain Rock The Irish Agrarian Rebellion of 1821 1824 2009 Christianson Gale E Secret Societies and Agrarian Violence in Ireland 1790 1840 Agricultural History 1972 369 384 in JSTOR Beiner Guy Captain Rock Beascna no 6 2010 193 201 This Irish history article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Captain Rock amp oldid 1168709272, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
