The Belfast Grave of Henry Joy McCracken United Irishman

APOLOGY - I was getting Wolfe Tone mixed up with another United Irishmen leader. Tone was indeed Prtestant but his father was Church of Ireland and a coach maker. Please pardon my stupid error!

I'm down at historic Clifton Street Cemetery in the heart of Belfast to visit the grave of Henry Joy McCracken (31 August 1767 – 17 July 1798) This man was like many others would be an enigma to many today. He was a Presbyterian, a Ulster Scots industrialist and a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.
History
Henry Joy McCracken was born in High street, Belfast into two of the city's most prominent Protestant industrial families. He was the son of Ulster Scot Presbyterian shipowner Captain John McCracken and Ann Joy, daughter of Francis Joy, of French Huguenot Protestant descent. The Joy family made their money in linen manufacture and founded the Belfast News Letter. Henry was the elder brother of political activist and social reformer Mary Ann McCracken, with whom he shared an interest in Irish traditional culture.
In 1792, he helped organise the Belfast Harp Festival which gathered aged harpists from around Ireland, and helped preserve the Irish airs by having them transcribed by Edward Bunting. Bunting, who lodged in the McCracken's Rosemary Lane home, was a classically trained musician.
McCracken became interested in radical politics from an early age and joined the Society of the United Irishmen in 1795 which quickly made him a target of the authorities. He regularly travelled throughout the country using his business as a cover for organising other United Irish societies, but was arrested in October 1796 and lodged in Kilmainham Jail in Dublin. While imprisoned with other leaders of the United Irishmen, McCracken fell seriously ill and was released on bail in December 1797.
Following the outbreak of the United Irishmen-led Rebellion in Leinster in May 1798, the Antrim organisation met on 3 June to decide on their response. The meeting ended inconclusively with a vote to wait for French aid being passed by a narrow margin. A new meeting of delegates was held in Templepatrick on 5 June where McCracken was elected general for Antrim and he quickly began planning military operations.
McCracken formulated a plan for all small towns in Antrim to be seized after which rebels would converge upon Antrim town on 7 June where the county's magistrates were to hold a crisis meeting. Although the plan met initial success and McCracken led the rebels in the attack on Antrim,The Roman Catholic DEFENDERS Group whom McCracken thought would assist were conspicuous by their absence. McCrackens United Irishmen were defeated and his army melted away. Although McCracken initially escaped, a chance encounter with men who recognized him from his cotton business led to his arrest. Although offered clemency if he testified against other United Irishmen leaders, McCracken refused to turn on his compatriots.
He was court-martialled and hanged at Corn Market, Belfast, on land his grandfather had donated to the city, on 17 July 1798, aged 30.
McCracken's remains are believed to have been reinterred by Francis Joseph Biggar in 1909 at Clifton Street Cemetery, Belfast, alongside his sister Mary Ann. His illegitimate daughter Maria (whose mother is speculated to have been Mary Bodell), was raised by her aunt Mary Ann McCracken.

[rosapittman]

One branch of my family tree is descended from Irish Presbyterians from County Antrim and I love hearing the story of those who fought so hard to free Ireland.

[colleenmccracken]

Henry Joy is my ancestor a true hero & patriot

[finneire]

Thank you for this uplaod
My family all fought in wexford .
Some died some were sent to NSW australia .
As a proud Irishman i would and always have said i have nothing against other religions it was always about equality

God bless them those of 1798

[henrymagennis]

God bless you henry joy... an ulster man I am proud to be. 1798.

[baconsoda]

I didn't know there were United Irishmen buried there. It looks like a very interesting graveyard. Maybe I'll go when it's a bit drier.

[simondicksondrums]

Amazing history. I am finding a split in my own family as I go back in time. Decenters and others who were still part of the hierarchy. Presbyterians who became part of Church or Ireland and others who decided to stay and to side with humanity and fight for freedoms of the ill treated. A surprising find but a proud one.

[SeanQuinn-IrishMarxist]

It's very sad that such a young man died in such a horrible way. In some alternate reality, where the United Irishmen were successful and the act of union (1801) didn't happen, all of the subsequent bloodshed and inter-sectarian violence was avoided. It's too bad we are stuck in a world where Irish history is what it is, an irreconcilable nightmare.

[smurfette]

As an American who's half-black and of partial Irish Protestant descent (shout out to County Antrim!) I have a special affinity for Henry Joy McCracken's anti-slavery stance and that he fought and sacrificed for all Irishmen, makes me so very proud!

[GaryGSF]

Another part of our twisted history. Interesting to see that site.

[prawnjohn]

Tom this has to be a coincidence about Henery Joy McCracken being put to death
in 1798 because that was the year Betsy Gray (united irish presbyterian ) her brother
and her fianc`e were killed by the royal forces at the battle of Ballynahinch.

I have a book called Discover Northern Ireland by Ernest Sandford printed in 1976
(out of print nowadays) which confirms the location of Betsy Gray`s cottage as
the story i told you about the 2 brothers said it was up their country lane at the back
of their farmhouse.

I went to the location and i was great by a girl who works there as it is now a large
nursing home. As the present owner was unavailabe i had to know after all these
years since i was about 8, was it still standing even though i knew it was private gound!

I got some photos if you wish to see them please have a look at my U Tube page!

[patsymillar]

My ex mother in law always told me shecwas descended from Henry joy mc cracked. Her maiden name was mc cracken. I never believed her, until ivsawca picture of Henry's sister, Mary Anne in thevwee belfast book. I got the fright of my life. She was the picture of my mother in law.

[robertmcguigan]

Any chance of telling us where the graveyard is