James Dixon (1758-1840) was an

Irish Catholic Irish Catholics are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland whose members are both Catholic and Irish. They have a large diaspora, which includes over 36 million American citizens and over 14 million British citizens (a quarter of the Briti ...

priest who was transported to Australia and in 1803 became the first Catholic priest permitted to minister there.

Early life and education

James Dixon was born in 1758 in Castlebridge, County Wexford. As was common for Irish priests, he trained for the priesthood overseas, at the universities of

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Herit ...

and Louvain, then became curate at Crossabeg near Wexford. During the

Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced ...

he was arrested and tried for involvement and convicted, although there was considerable evidence that he was innocent. He was sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted to transportation for life to

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. He arrived in Sydney on the ''Friendship'' on 16 January 1800. Two other Irish convict priests, Peter O'Neil and James Harold, arrived in the same year.

Ministry in Australia

Dixon impressed the authorities as a man of mild temperament and good education.

Lord Hobart Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire, (6 May 17604 February 1816), styled Lord Hobart from 1793 to 1804, was a British Tory politician. Life Buckinghamshire was born at Hampden House, the son of George Hobart, 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire ...

, the

Secretary of State for War and the Colonies The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a British cabinet-level position responsible for the army and the British colonies (other than India). The Secretary was supported by an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. Hi ...

, instructed Governor King to permit toleration of the Catholic faith in the hope of reducing discontent among the Irish convicts, many of whom had been sent for actions during the 1798 rebellion. On 24 April 1803 King announced that Dixon would be permitted to regularly say mass. King expressed satisfaction with the result and began to pay Dixon a salary. Castle Hill Rebellion (1804)

However on 4 March 1804 the Irish convicts began the

Castle Hill convict rebellion The Castle Hill convict rebellion was an 1804 convict rebellion in the Castle Hill area of Sydney, against the colonial authorities of the British colony of New South Wales. The rebellion culminated in a battle fought between convicts and the ...

. The commander of troops in the colony, Major Johnston, acted quickly and marched to confront the rebels. He took Dixon with him. A contemporary watercolour shows Dixon pleading with the rebels "Lay down your arms my deluded countrymen." His pleas were unsuccessful but Johnston tricked the rebel leaders and the rebellion collapsed. Despite Dixon's efforts at creating peace, King withdrew his permission to minister. Church authorities in Rome heard of the Irish priests and responded enthusiastically, sending Dixon an appointment as Prefect Apostolic of New Holland. It was the first official Catholic Church appointment in Australia. Dixon continued to minister privately and was recorded as performing a wedding in 1809.

Later life

Dixon was allowed to leave the colony in 1809. He returned to Crossabeg and became parish priest. In later life he said little about his time in Australia. He died in 1840.

Books

* 2003, Vivienne Keely, ''Dixon of Botany Bay: The convict priest from Wexford'', Strathfield, St Paul's, * 1984, Harold Perkins, ''The Convict Priests'', Rosanna, Vic, H. Perkins

References

External links

''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' article on James Dixon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, James 1758 births 1840 deaths Australian Roman Catholic priests 19th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Convicts transported to Australia Colony of New South Wales people Christian clergy from County Wexford