Roger O'Connor
| Roger O'Connor | |
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Roger O'Connor, as depicted on the frontispiece to the Chronicles of Eri.
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| Born | 1762 Connorville, County Cork, Ireland |
| Died | 1834 Kilcrea |
| Occupation | Polemicist; speculative historian |
| Period | Romantic era |
| Spouse | Louisa Strachan; Wilhamena Bowen |
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Roger O'Connor (1762-1834) was an Irish nationalist and writer, known for the controversies surrounding his life and writings, notably his fanciful history of the Irish people, the Chronicles of Eri. He was the brother of Arthur O'Connor and the father of Feargus O'Connor and Francisco Burdett O'Connor.
O'Connor was born in Connorville, County Cork, into an Irish Protestant family. He studied law and was called to the bar in 1784. He married Louisa Anna Strachan, who died after giving birth to two children, Louise and Roderic. He remarried in 1788, to Wilhamena Bowen, who bore him four sons and three daughters.
Roger's younger brother Arthur O'Connor was one of the United Irishmen. Roger was himself associated with the movement, editing the nationalist journal Harp of Erin. His two other brothers, Daniel and Robert, were pro-British loyalists. After his oldest brother Daniel got into debt, Roger bought out his inheritance for £5.000. These political and financial conflicts were deepened by a family dispute following the suicide of his sister Anne, who had not been allowed by the family to marry a Catholic man she was in love with. This led to a long feud between Roger and his brother Robert. According to historian James Dunkerley Robert, who was the local sheriff, "even tried to have Roger executed" for treason because of his involvement with Harp of Erin.
Roger and Arthur engaged in nationalist activities in London, building a network of contacts. He went into hiding in the run up to the abortive 1796 rebellion. He subsequently surrendered to the authorities and was released. In July 1797 he assisted in the defence of other accused persons. According to Roger, this act led to further plots against him led by his loyalist brother Robert. He and Arthur were arrested and held in various locations over a period of several years before being finally released. Though an avowed Irish nationalist, O'Connor denied that he had ever been party to treasonable conspiracies. In 1799 he published To the People of Great Britain and Ireland, a booklet that detailed what he considered to be his mistreatment. The O'Connors received considerable support from Whig politicians in Britain. MP and playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan wrote that "the usage of Roger O'Connor, who is one of the finest fellows I ever saw, has been merciless beyond example". O'Connor was held in Fort George near Inverness until 1801, when he was moved to London, but was barred from travelling to Ireland.
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