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these he proceeded to read copious extracts. Once when he had been at his work for more than two hours, without a pause – except to take an occasional sip of water – the chairman (the House being in
Committee), thought to get him to resume his seat by telling him that his observations had become almost inaudible and unintelligible to the chair. Mr. Biggar tendered respectful apologies, said he felt conscious that his voice was growing somewhat indistinct, remarked that he was at rather too great a distance from the chair, but said he would be happy to improve matters by drawing nearer. Thereupon he gathered up his books and papers and moved up, with all the ease and confidence in the world, to the front bench on the opposition side, facing the table of the house – a place reserved by immemorial custom for ex-ministers and their leading supporters. Then, before resuming the thread, or rather the chain-cable- of his discourse, he informed the astonished functionary that if there was any part of his argument which had not reached his ears, he was quite willing to go over it again.
409:, and perhaps Mr. Biggar wished to punish Mr. Chaplin for his attack on Mr. Gladstone. It was a daring thing to do – I mean it was daring in one to get up with the knowledge that you must talk for a half an hour on Threshing Machines. But Mr. Biggar triumphed. Once or twice I really fancied all was over with the hon. member. He, to all appearance, had exhausted every possible branch of his subject, and Mr. Chaplin was already chuckling in anticipation of the break-down of his foe. But no! Mr. Biggar bethought him of "the old flail". It was a moment of inspiration. Who could not talk for fifteen minutes on " the old flail". A groan of mortal anguish escaped Mr. Chaplin as, in eloquently rounded periods, the honourable member for Cavan turned over, ogled, turned over again, and genially touched upon the beauties of flails. At length the hour struck. Mr. Biggar sank down victorious, and Mr. Chaplin rushed in anger from the House.
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387:...the obstructionist wants, as a rule, strength of character rather than of oratory – as witness the extraordinary work in obstruction done by the late Mr. Biggar, who, by nature, was one of the most inarticulate of men. It was because Biggar had nerves of steel – a courage that did not know the meaning of fear, and that remained calm in the midst of a cyclone of repugnance, hatred, and menace...
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Chairman, all I have to say is, I can't agree with what you state, and if Mr. Lynch goes to the poll I'll support him!". Despite their differences, Biggar and
Parnell retained their close alliance in subsequent years. Biggar died from heart disease in London – some months before the O'Shea scandal ended Parnell's career – and was buried in his native Belfast.
353:. This new form was directed not just at the Government but at the institution of parliament itself, and lacked the previous traditional restraint exercised by oppositions who realised that they could expect like treatment when they attained government. This involved giving long speeches to delay passage (also known as
390:...Joe Biggar, his associate, was also able to speak in any circumstances with exactly the same ease of spirit. To him, speaking was but a means to an end, and whether people listened to him or not – stopped to hang on his words or fled before his grating voice and Ulster accent – it was all one to him.
527:
On 9 February 1886 Parnell declared to the voters of Galway that "If my candidate is defeated, the news will spread round the universe that a disaster has overwhelmed
Ireland. The world will say, 'Parnell is beaten. Ireland has no longer a leader.'" Biggar split with Parnell over this, declaring "Mr.
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Of course he could not get the materials for his lengthy discourses "all out of his own head" but he knew whence there was a perfect mine of such matter, and thence he provided himself with supplies. He brought into the House from the
Library bundles of parliamentary papers and Blue Books, and from
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With sturdy
Northern resolution, Mr. Biggar in the last hour of the sitting of the House of Commons yesterday, assailed and defeated the Threshing Machines Bill. If your readers ask me why Mr. Biggar defeated the Threshing Machines Bill, I really must confess my inability to inform them. Perhaps it
331:
I was sorry he had turned
Catholic... Biggar asked sharply, "Why?" and I replied that he could be more useful as a Presbyterian. "Now", I said, "when young Protestants in Ulster showed a tendency towards Nationality their mothers would say to them: 'The next thing we'll know is that you've turned
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Parnell's intrigue should not, Biggar said, be allowed to stand in the way of political obligations, and no seat should be sold to a worthless woman's husband. Biggar was not a purist, but urged that private vices should be kept private, and ought not to be imported into political issues. He was
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after his election to parliament in 1874 and accepted a seat on its
Supreme Council, but 'only with a view to winning fenian support for parliamentary politics'. However, his involvement in constitutional politics did not sit well with his more radical IRB colleagues and he was expelled from its
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His surname was originally spelled Bigger, but he changed the spelling upon conversion and taking up his political career; which caused some confusion about his namesake (also a
Protestant nationalist from Belfast, and Joseph Gillis' cousin once removed)
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As part of
Parnell's attempt to widen the area of land reform agitation while remaining within constitutional bounds, Biggar on 26 March 1882 was elected to the executive committee of the new National Land League of Great Britain.
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Papish like Joe Biggar'". "And what about my soul?" asked Biggar. "Oh, I'd be willing to see you damned for the sake of
Ireland", I said jocularly. Biggar laughed and then... began a discussion of the Presbyterian doctrine of
269:. He became a wealthy Belfast provision merchant and city councillor. He is believed to have converted to Catholicism in 1875 in solidarity with Irish nationalism. He lacked physical presence, being a 'diminutive hunchback'.
316:. Biggar is reported to have said that he took Catholic communion to "annoy his sister". Others believe that he converted to the majority church in Ireland "more from 'patriotic' than religious motivations".
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Following the defeat of a Women's Disability Bill in 1871, there was little debate in Parliament on votes for women until after Biggar's death in 1890. But Biggar did attend meetings in Belfast of
889:"The ‘success of every great movement had been largely due to the free and continuous exercise of the right to petition’: Irish suffrage petitioners and parliamentarians in the nineteenth century"
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from its formation on 21 October 1879, and was charged on 2 November 1880, together with the other Land League leaders, with conspiracy to prevent the payment of rent as violence broke out in the
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he was expelled in March 1877 on the expiration of the August 1876 ultimatum of the I.R.B.'s supreme council to its members to cease involvement with the home rule movement.
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He was the eldest son of Joseph Bigger, merchant and chairman of the Ulster bank, by Isabella, daughter of William Houston of Ballyearl, Antrim. He was educated at the
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with whom he lived in a family relationship, as the nationalist candidate for Galway – a move widely viewed as an attempt to buy O'Shea's silence.
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prepared to bring about the downfall of Parnell, in spite of the fact that Gladstone was in treaty with him for a Home Rule Bill. I differed.
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Beiner, Guy (2012). "Revisiting F. J. Bigger: A "Fin-de-Siècle" Flourish of Antiquarian-Folklore Scholarship in Ulster".
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300:. In 1871, he was elected a town councillor, and he acted for several years as chairman of the Belfast Water Commission.
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Letters and Leaders of My Day. Chapter 19. Captain O'Shea, Nationalist or Liberal? (1886)
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210:(c. 1828 – 19 February 1890), commonly known as Joe Biggar or J. G. Biggar, was an
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reported Biggar's obstruction of the Threshing Machines Bill on 27 February 1877:
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Dissenting Voices: Rediscovering the Irish Progressive Presbyterian Tradition
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Recollections of an Irish rebel.... A personal narrative by John Devoy
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Biggar served as a nominal joint treasurer on the executive of the
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He is known for introducing in 1874 a new, more aggressive form of
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The Englishwoman's Review of Social and Industrial Questions: 1876
540:'s North of Ireland Women's Suffrage Society. He did so alongside
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to negotiate with Irish nationalists. Obstruction was opposed by
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and to generally obstruct the business of the House to force the
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recalls bringing up the subject of his conversion to Catholicism:
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815:. Dublin: Sealy, Bryers & Walker/M. H. Gill & Son, 1905
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From 1869 onwards, he took an active part in local politics at
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Biggar sympathised with Fenianism but considered reliance on
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in 1885 and named Ballyconnell Joe Biggars in his honour.
891:, in Alexandra Hughes-Johnson and Lyndsey Jenkins (eds).
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backed the campaign of tenant farmers against landlords.
714:"Biggar, Joseph Gillis | Dictionary of Irish Biography"
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refers to Biggar's preparation and delaying technique:
744:. New York: Chas. P. Young Co., printers. p. 284
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1164:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Presbyterianism
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805:Recollections of Troubled Times in Irish Politics
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972:, 1912 supplement, Volume 2 "Johnston, William"
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312:, but in 1877 he was formally received into the
677:. Ulster Historical Foundation. p. 227.
506:In early 1886 Parnell insisted on nominating
1219:People educated at the Belfast Royal Academy
1069:contributions in Parliament by Joseph Biggar
928:Murray, Janet Horowitz; Stark, Myra (2016).
842:. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. p. 399.
563:The first GAA club in Ulster was founded in
377:but approved of by most Irish nationalists.
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1179:Members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood
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228:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
877:. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
828:, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003.
697:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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32:For other people with similar names, see
1008:. Folklore of Ireland Society: 142–162.
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450:In March 1879, in a meeting arranged by
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873:Norgate, G. Le G. (23 September 2004).
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840:A History of Ireland in 250 Episodes
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646:Davitt and Irish Revolution 1846–82
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985:Clements, Paul (8 December 2007).
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432:physical force Irish republicanism
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434:to be unrealistic. He joined the
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1078:Parliament of the United Kingdom
1052:. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
1048:Dictionary of National Biography
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970:Dictionary of National Biography
893:The Politics of Women's Suffrage
764:The Politics of Irish Literature
595:, London: Daniel O'Connor, 1921.
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283:Biggar as depicted by "Spy" (
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967:18 July 1902, p. 5 cited in
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810:5 September 2006 at the
673:Courtney, Roger (2013).
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987:"An Irishman's Diary"
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93:Constituency created
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974:by Alexander Gordon
768:Parnell and Davitt
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218:. He served as an
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963:"London Letter",
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901:978-1-912702-98-5
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617:Beiner 2012
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357:) of Irish
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285:Leslie Ward
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1120:West Cavan
1002:Béaloideas
748:13 October
723:6 February
516:T.M. Healy
464:John Devoy
375:Isaac Butt
325:John Devoy
244:West Cavan
234:and later
71:West Cavan
693:cite book
546:Orangeman
472:home rule
426:Fenianism
192:Education
156:, Ireland
124:1874–1885
120:In office
83:1885–1890
79:In office
1014:24862874
808:Archived
492:Land War
482:Land War
460:Boulogne
363:Liberals
321:Boulogne
55:Biggar,
1064:Hansard
1045:(ed.).
1035::
559:Honours
458:met in
373:leader
349:in the
298:Belfast
277:"Irish
265:Francis
250:Origins
226:of the
222:in the
216:Belfast
154:Belfast
1041:". In
1012:
938:
899:
718:dib.ie
681:
1099:1874–
1095:Cavan
1010:JSTOR
571:Notes
462:with
287:) in
240:Cavan
112:Cavan
59:1880s
1129:1890
1125:1885
1101:1885
936:ISBN
897:ISBN
750:2020
725:2023
699:link
679:ISBN
394:The
365:and
238:for
161:Died
151:1828
148:Born
1150::
1006:80
1004:.
989:.
858:,
848:^
802:,
792:^
781:.
716:.
695:}}
691:{{
653:^
644:.
624:^
589:,
579:^
494:.
323:,
220:MP
57:c.
1127:–
1016:.
995:.
944:.
752:.
727:.
701:)
687:.
663:.
607:.
553:s
336:.
281:"
36:.
20:)
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