Duke of Wellington Irish or English?
- Thread starter Grenadier
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- duke english irish wellington
Joined Mar 2010
9,845 Posts | 31+
Most deffinatly English, when asked about his birth in Ireland he famously replied
"Just because one is born in a barn does not make one a horse."
"Just because one is born in a barn does not make one a horse."
Joined Aug 2010
10,440 Posts | 17+
Wales
Joined Apr 2011
64 Posts | 0+
And what a phenomenal looking uniform that man had if I may say so!
Joined Dec 2010
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Like most members of the Anglo-Irish community he probably considered himself to be British first and foremost but Irish, or Anglo-Irish, by birth.
Wellington's famous quote about being born in stable shows that, whilst he may not have been proud of his families Irish origins, he at least acknowledged their existence.
Wellington's famous quote about being born in stable shows that, whilst he may not have been proud of his families Irish origins, he at least acknowledged their existence.
Joined Aug 2010
10,440 Posts | 17+
Wales
Joined Mar 2011
5,554 Posts | 1+
Bedfordshire,England.
Joined Mar 2011
152 Posts | 0+
Sussex, United Kingdom
He considered himself Anglo-Irish, infact. These were the peerage of Ireland, great landowners, English in heritage and culture, but Irish in land and wealth.
The Anglo-Irish, much like the Scottish, assumed a greater degree of responsibility in the Empire and army establishment than their numbers made logical.
The Anglo-Irish, much like the Scottish, assumed a greater degree of responsibility in the Empire and army establishment than their numbers made logical.
Joined Oct 2010
6,504 Posts | 7+
Éire
Something like Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, an English hero. His being born in Ireland does not really change the issue, though, he was born in Trim, and there is a pillar with a statue of him atop much like the one of Nelson the IRA blew up in '66, but which has been left undamaged, remarkably.
There is no photo of it on the internet, unfortunately.
Joined Oct 2010
6,504 Posts | 7+
Éire
Joined Mar 2011
152 Posts | 0+
Sussex, United Kingdom
Joined Apr 2008
7,924 Posts | 29+
Hyperborea
Urban legend I'm afraid.
There was no Ireland back then. He considered himself from the Irish part of Britain. I would suggest people read Wellington by Richard Holmes.
Also his ancestry is Irish settler right back to the first wave of the plantations, he had little connection to England.
Wellington’s Ancestry « History Planet
Joined Oct 2010
6,504 Posts | 7+
Éire
Correction - Irish part of the United Kingdom. Ireland has never been a part of Britain, however it has been part of a United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland ... And while this may seem like a technicality to some, it is highly offensive to consider Ireland "A part of Britain".
Joined Apr 2008
2,198 Posts | 3+
Sodom and Begorrah
I’d say Wellington was as Irish as yourself General. He was born in Dublin btw not Trim. Back in those days a man like Wellington would have had no problem feeling he was Irish and English as they were interchangeable terms. It was Catholic or Protestant that was the important bit in those days not Irish or English. In fact the famous quote about stables and horses was a misattributed one which actually came from a speech by Daniel O’Connell. The Catholics at the time of O’Connell started to claim themselves as the true Irish and denounce people like Wellington as un-Irish despite the fact his family can be traced back to the Anglo-Norman invasion. The largest monument in Ireland is the Wellington monument in Dublin which I have read was part paid for by the Dublin Catholic middle classes in thanks for his efforts in achieving the right for Catholics to sit in parliament. There is a plaque on it dedicated to civil and religious liberty.
I don’t think there is any actual reference of Wellington saying he was not Irish or English as all and I would love if someone could come up with something like that here.
Just because he is not a Catholic Nationalist like yourself doesn’t mean he isn’t Irish.
Joined Apr 2008
2,198 Posts | 3+
Sodom and Begorrah
I read somewhere once that the Colley's were Catholics who converted which implies that they were Old English but I might be wrong.
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