Gilbert McIlveen
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Gilbert McIlveen (17? – 1833) was a Belfast linen draper and founding member of the
Society of the United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform, ...
, a revolutionary organisation in late 18th century Ireland. He took no part in the rebellion of 1798 and in
1803 Events * January 1 – The first edition of Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière's ''Almanach des gourmands'', the first guide to restaurant cooking, is published in Paris. * January 5 – William Symington demonstrates his ...
, in response to rumours of a further republican insurrection, he joined the loyalist yeomanry.


Life

McIlveen was a linen draper in Belfast, described as fabulously wealthy. An important member of Belfast's mercantile and industrial middle class, he donated £100 to the building of a new White Linen Hall in 1782, to act as a centre for the bustling linen industry in the city. Another important benefactor to the building of the hall, was fellow future United Irishman, Thomas McCabe.


The United Irishmen

The United Irishmen were initially founded as a group of liberal Protestant and Presbyterian men interested in promoting Parliamentary reform, and later became a revolutionary movement influenced by the ideas of Thomas Paine and his book ‘ The Rights of Man’. In 1791 Theobald Wolfe Tone published the pamphlet ‘Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland’ where he set out that religious division was being used to balance “the one party by the other, plunder and laugh at the defeat of both.” He put forward the case for unity between Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter. This pamphlet was read by McIlveen and a group of eight other prominent Belfast Presbyterians interested in reforming Irish Parliament. They invited Tone and his friend Thomas Russell to Belfast where the group met on October 14, 1791. It was there that the Belfast
Society of the United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform, ...
was formed, with McIlveen as a founding member.


1798 Rebellion and later life

In March 1798, most of the leadership of the Leinster branch of the Society were meeting at the house of
Oliver Bond Oliver may refer to: Arts, entertainment and literature Books * ''Oliver the Western Engine'', volume 24 in ''The Railway Series'' by Rev. W. Awdry * '' Oliver Twist'', a novel by Charles Dickens Fictional characters * Ariadne Oliver ...
in Dublin, when they were arrested. This crippled the organisation. Many of its leaders, such as Russell and Thomas Addis Emmet were already in prison, while others like Tone and Arthur O'Connor were in Europe. Meanwhile, Lord Edward Fitzgerald was in hiding, with a government net closing around him. Nonetheless, in May, the rising finally began. First in Kildare, it spread to other counties in Leinster before finally consuming Ulster. Ultimately, the rising failed with enormous bloodshed. McIlveen seems to have taken no part in the plans or execution for the rebellion, and he was never imprisoned, unlike fellow founders like
Henry Haslett Henry Haslett (Died 8 November 1916 at Bexley)"Death of Mr. H. Haslett" in '' The London Philatelist'', Vol. XXV, November 1916, No. 299, p.233. was one of the small group who met regularly at the Rev. Stainforth's Rectory that formed the nucleu ...
and Thomas Russell. On 5 April 1803, responding to rumours of a renewed rebellion (the conspiratorial plans of Robert Emmet and Anne Devlin for which Russel and Jemmy Hope vainly sought to raise northern support) citizens in Belfast proclaimed their readiness to repel the attacks of foreign or domestic enemies. Two new corps were raised and, with another former United Irishman, Robert Getty, McIlveen was one of three lieutenants appointed. Indeed, by 1809 he was painted by
Thomas Robinson Thomas, Tom or Tommy Robinson may refer to: Artists * Thomas Robinson (composer) (c. 1560 – after 1609), English composer and music teacher * Thomas Heath Robinson (1869–1954), British book illustrator Politicians * Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron ...
in his work 'A Military Procession in Belfast in honour of Lord Nelson', appearing as a loyal servant to the British crown Thomas McCabe.Strickland 1913. Like other early members of the United Irishmen, such as William Drennan, it is possible that McIlveen was put off by the growing radicalism of the organisation. He died in 1833 in Belfast.


Notes


References

*
Marianne Elliott Marianne Phoebe Elliott (born 27 December 1966) is a British theatre director and producer who works on the West End and Broadway. She has received numerous accolades including three Laurence Olivier Awards and four Tony Awards. Initially ...
2012, ''Wolfe Tone'' Second edition, Liverpool University Press * University of Ulster 2014, Reform and change in Belfast (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Reform+and+change+in+Belfast.-a0382088044) * WALTER G. STRICKLAND 1913, ''A Dictionary of Irish Artists'', Cambridge University Press {{DEFAULTSORT:McIlveen, Gilbert 1758 births 1833 deaths United Irishmen Irish Presbyterians