A NARRATIVE OF THE CONFINEMENT AND EXILE OF WILLIAM STEEL DICKSON, D. D. FORMERLY MINISTER OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATIONS OF BALLYHALBERT AND PORTAFERRY, IN THE COUNTY OF DOWN, AND NOW OF KEADY, IN THE COUNTY OF ARMAGH, TO WHICH IS ANNEXED, AN ACCOUNT OF AN ASSAULT COMMITTED ON THE AUTHOR, SEPTEMBER 9TH, 1811 ON HIS RETURN FROM THE CATHOLIC MEETING IN THE CITY OF ARMAGH; WITH A SKETCH OF PROCEEDINGS CONSEQUENT THEREON

Dublin, Ireland: J. Stockdale (Self-Published), 1812. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Octavo, 9.5 in. x 6 in., pp. 371, [1], 118 (appendix). Rebound in dark three quarter morocco over marbled boards, double-ruled in gilt. Gilt title to contrasting black panel on spine. Five raised gilt-decorated bands with double gilt band lines. Untrimmed edges. Recent endpapers on laid paper. Damaged title page professionally repaired years ago by piecing in replacements of missing text. An interesting repair)/ Lengthy manuscript inscription on verso of errata page, dated 1892, regarding the rarity and importance of the book, ending with a quote from Lowndes: "Suppressed ... very scarce." Browning to title and erratta pages, and light dampstain to pages 351-363; otherwise clean and bright. Previous owner's signature to final printed page (p. 118 of appendix). William Steel Dickson (1744-1824) was an Irish Presbyterian minister and member of the Society of the United Irishmen, committed to the cause of Catholic Emancipation, democratic reform, and national independence.

In April, 1798 Dickson was in Scotland arranging some family affairs. During his absence a plans were made for an insurrection in Ulster, and soon after his return Dickson agreed to take the place of Thomas Russell, who had been arrested, as adjutant-general of the United Irish forces for county Down. A few days before the county was to rise with the Irish Rebellion of 1798, Dickson was himself arrested at Ballynahinch. Dickson was conveyed to Belfast, and lodged in the 'black hole' and other prisons and then sent to a prison ship with William Tennant, Robert Hunter, Robert Simms, David Bailie Warden and Thomas Ledlie Birch. On 25 March 1799, Dickson, Tennant, Hunter, and Simms joined the United Irish 'State Prisoners' on a ship bound for Fort George, Highland prison in Scotland, and Dickson would spend two years there. Unlike more high-profile prisoners like Arthur O'Connor and William MacNeven. Dickson would not be released until June 1802.

Dickson returned to liberty - and misfortune. His wife had long been a helpless invalid, his eldest son was dead, his prospects were ruined. His congregation at Portaferry had been declared vacant on 28 November 1799. William Moreland, who had been ordained as his successor on 16 June 1800, at once offered to resign, but Dickson would not hear of this. He had thoughts of emigration, but decided to stand his ground. At length, he was chosen by a seceding minority from the congregation of Keady, County Armagh, and installed minister in 1803. Dickson's political engagement ended with his attendance on 9 September 1811 of a Catholic meeting in Armagh, on returning from which he was cruelly beaten by Orangemen [the event captured in this book].

In 1815 he resigned his charge in broken health, and henceforth subsisted on charity. Joseph Wright, an Episcopalian lawyer, gave him a cottage rent-free in the suburbs of Belfast, and some of his old friends made him a weekly allowance. His last appearance in the pulpit was early in 1824. He died in 1824, having just passed his eightieth year, and was buried 'in a pauper's grave' at Clifton Street Cemetery, Belfast. (edited from Wikipedia)

The 118-page appendix is entitled: "Three Sermons on the Subject of Scripture Politics."