Wolfe Tone
Revolutionary exponent of Irish independence and iconic figure for Irish republicanism.
Theobald Wolfe Tone, born 20 June 1763 and known after his death as Wolfe Tone, is a central figure in Irish republicanism. He believed that if Irish Protestants refused to ally with the Catholic majority, the British government would keep control of Ireland for its own benefit. This conviction led him to help create the Society of United Irishmen in 1791.
The society grew into a revolutionary movement, fueled by anger over rents, tithes, and taxes, harsh martial law, and a loss of hope in reform. When open rebellion broke out in the summer of 1798, Tone was in France seeking military aid. He was captured in October of that year during his second attempt to land in Ireland with French troops and supplies. Sentenced to hang, he died from a wound he reportedly inflicted on himself.
Since the mid-1800s, different branches of Irish republicanism have both invoked his name and argued over his legacy. They hold separate, annual commemorations at his grave in Bodenstown, County Kildare.
Tone (who pronounced his first name as "Tibbald") was born in Dublin. His father, Peter Tone, was a prosperous Anglican coach-maker with a farm near Sallins, County Kildare. Though records are missing, Tone was said to descend from a Cromwellian soldier and French Huguenot refugees. His mother, Margaret Lamport, was a Catholic who, according to an early biographer, converted to her husband’s church when Tone was eight. Tone himself was baptised a Protestant, named Theobald Wolfe after his godfather, a cousin of Arthur Wolfe, 1st Viscount Kilwarden.
In 1783, Tone worked as a tutor for Richard Martin, a Patriot MP. He fell in love with Martin’s wife, Elizabeth Vesey. Tone later wrote that nothing came of it, but a Martin biographer suspects Tone was the father of the Martins’ first child, born in 1785.
Tone studied law at Trinity College Dublin, where Kilwarden called him a "sparkling conversationalist and rising talent." He was active in the College Historical Society, known for honing political oratory. He became a scholar in 1784, graduated in 1786, and qualified as a barrister in 1788, though he was already disillusioned with the profession. As a student, he eloped with Martha (Matilda) Witherington, a merchant’s daughter; he was 22, she about 16. After their first daughter was born and his father went bankrupt, Tone sought other work. In 1788, he proposed a Roman-style military colony on the Sandwich Islands to Prime Minister William Pitt, but got no reply. He then tried to enlist with the East India Company but applied too late. Calling himself an "independent Irish Whig," he began reporting on the Irish Parliament and the Dublin Castle administration.
In July 1790, Tone met Thomas Russell, a disillusioned East India veteran, in the visitors’ gallery of the Irish House of Commons. Both were critical of the proceedings below. Henry Grattan’s reform-minded Patriots were failing to build on the legislative independence won in 1782. Tone later called meeting Russell "one of the most fortunate" events of his life. With Russell’s introductions, Tone addressed a small reform club in Belfast in October 1791. Its members were Protestant Dissenters—Presbyterians without elected representation, despite owning commercial property. They had gathered around William Drennan’s idea for "a benevolent conspiracy" for "the Rights of Man" and "Real Independence."
The club invited Tone as author of *An Argument on behalf of the Catholics of Ireland*, a tract they had helped publish. With a print run of 16,000, only Thomas Paine’s *Rights of Man* outsold it in Ireland. The *Argument* took the most advanced Volunteer position: Catholic emancipation was the key to constitutional reform. Tone argued that as long as Protestants feared Catholics, the government would prevail. The choice was either "Reform, the Catholics, justice and liberty" or "unconditional submission." Tone himself distrusted Catholic priests, regretting that the Irish people...
- born
- 20 June 1763
- died
- 19 November 1798
- field
- Revolutionary, political writer
- nationality
- Irish
- known_for
- Founding the Society of United Irishmen; advocating Catholic emancipation; leading the 1798 rebellion
Lore & Background
Tone was born on 20 June 1763. His father, Peter Tone, was a prosperous coach-maker who had a farm near Sallins, County Kildare and was a member of the established Anglican church. Although records are absent, he is said to have been the descendant of a Cromwellian soldier and of French Huguenot refugees. His mother, Margaret Lamport, the daughter of a sea captain in the West India trade, was a Catholic. According to Tone's early biographer, R.R. Madden, she converted to her husband's church only when Tone was already eight years old. Tone, nonetheless, was baptised a Protestant, with the name Theobald Wolfe in honour of his godfather, Theobald Wolfe of Blackhall, County Kildare, a first cousin of Arthur Wolfe, 1st Viscount Kilwarden. In 1783, Tone found work as a tutor in the home of Richard Martin. Tone fell in love with Martin's well-connected wife, Elizabeth Vesey. While Tone later wrote that it came to nothing, a Martin biographer suspects that he was the father of the Martins' first child Laetitia born in 1785. Tone studied law at Trinity College Dublin. He was active in the College Historical Society. In 1784, he was made a scholar and graduated BA in 1786. After training in London's Middle Temple, in 1788 he qualified in Dublin's King's Inns as a barrister. As a student, Tone had eloped with Martha (Matilda) Witherington. When they married, he was 22, and Matilda was about 16. With the arrival of their first daughter, and his father's bankruptcy denying him an inheritance, he cast about for new employment. To British Prime Minister William Pitt, in 1788 he submitted a plan for a Roman-style military colony on Captain Cook's newly reported Sandwich Islands. When this elicited no response, he sought enlistment as a soldier in the East India Company but applied too late in the year to be shipped to south Asia. Styling himself an 'independent Irish Whig', he followed the example of a number of college friends and began reporting on the proceedings of the Irish Parliament and the conduct of the London-appointed Dublin Castle executive. In July 1790 in the visitors' gallery in the Irish House of Commons, Tone met Thomas Russell. He found Russell equally critical of the proceedings. With Russell providing the introductions, in October 1791 Tone addressed a small reform club in Belfast. Members were Protestant 'Dissenters' from the established church, Presby
Reader's Guide
Fuelled by the popular grievances of rents, tithes and taxes, driven by martial-law repression, and despairing of reform, the society developed as an insurrectionary movement. When in the early summer of 1798 it broke into open rebellion, Tone was in exile soliciting assistance from the French Republic. In October 1798, on his second attempt to land in Ireland with French troops and supplies, he was taken prisoner. Sentenced to be hanged, he died from a reportedly self-inflicted wound. Since the mid-19th century, his name has been invoked, and his legacy disputed, by different factions of Irish republicanism. These have held annual, but separate, commemorations at his graveside in Bodenstown, County Kildare.
Did You Know?
- Tone pronounced his first name as 'Tibbald' rather than the modern 'Thee-uh-bawld'.
- Tone's mother, Margaret Lamport, converted to her husband's church only when Tone was already eight years old, according to biographer R.R. Madden.
- Tone graduated BA in 1786, not 1784.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Theobald Wolfe Tone (June 20, 1763 – November 19, 1798), commonly known as Wolfe Tone, was a leading figure in the United Irishmen Irish independence movement and is regarded as the father of Irish republicans." — Wolfe Tone "The Harpers again. Strum Strum and be hang'd!" — Wolfe Tone "[I]t is our principle that if a nation wills a bad government it ought to have that government. We have no power, and we have no right, to force men to be free." — Wolfe Tone "I for one will never be accessory to subjecting my country to the control of France merely to get rid of England." — Wolfe Tone
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