Henry Joy McCracken
| Henry Joy McCracken | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
31 August 1767 High Street, Belfast, Ireland |
| Died | 17 July 1798 (aged 30) Corn Market, Belfast, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Textile manufacturer |
| Known for | founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen |
Henry Joy McCracken (31 August 1767 – 17 July 1798) was an Irish republican and industrialist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Society of the United Irishmen.
Henry Joy McCracken was born in High street, Belfast into two of the city's most prominent industrial families. He was the son of Presbyterian shipowner, Captain John McCracken and Ann Joy, daughter of Francis Joy, of French Huguenot descent. McCracken was of Scottish descent on his father's side and his family came to Ireland with the plantation of Ulster in the 17th century, so alongside being Irish he could also be called Ulster-Scots. 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 republican 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.
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