1798 Rebellion Project Part 20 (!): Some Buildings

 This is the twentieth post relating to my 1798 Project. I must admit I hadn't expected the project to last this long! I suspect there will be many more posts in the future. My interest in this period of history has only grown through researching it.

I've made two buildings this week. Most dwellings in 18th Century Ireland were very humble. The majority lived in small cottages. These were usually made of stone or earth. Roofs were normally thatch, with few being slated. The brick "Georgian houses" were not common outside Dublin. Some landlords constructed large manor houses, such as Russborough House and Moore Hall.

The window frames are made of coffee stirrers. 

The plaster texture was made using my basing mix - similar to Stirland Mud. 

This model is based on a drawing of Boolavogue Chapel in Nicholas Furlong's book "Fr. John Murphy of Boolavogue, 1753-1798". After Henry VIII's "Dissolution of the Monasteries" in the 16th Century,  Ireland's abbeys had ceased to exist.  Beginning in the late 17th Century, the Penal Laws limited Catholic worship in Ireland. Services were held at isolated "Mass rocks". Later, thatched buildings were used for religious ceremonies. The village of Tomhaggard, near my home, contains the only Irish thatched Church still standing. 

The model is made of MDF sheet. It's not the easiest material to use for scratch building. But with a sharp knife, superglue and Milliput, it can be used to good effect. MDF buildings are also very durable. The thatch is made from scouring pad.

This model is based on Evoy's forge, which I've previously visited. It's fairly similar to the church in its construction. The stones were added using a thin layer of Milliput, scored with a toothpick.

Just a few days ago I received some more figures for the project. The next job will be painting some rebel artillery!

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua! 

1798 Rebellion Project Part 19: Conquering the Lead Mountain

 After completing the French, I still had a few extra models. I decided to paint them up, finishing off the Lead Mountain in the process!

The first piece I made is a French Deployment Point. These are among my favourite things to paint for Sharp Practice, as I can make little scenes. I like painting leaders for the same reason.

Capitane Garnier discusses revolution with Cuan. Kilalla Bay, August 1798. 

The beach was built up with Milliput. The sand is painted snow flock. 

The water was painted straight onto the MDF base. I used gloss varnish on top. 

The flagpole is a wire pike. The Phrygian cap was added with Milliput. 

Next, I painted up another Leader for my United Irish army. I plan on painting every Irish personality that Trent produce - this will give me greater freedom to represent the different theatres of the rebellion.

This is Joseph Holt, a leader of United Men in County Wicklow. Holt was from a Protestant, Loyalist family near Redcross. He was as a farmer, but also worked as a sub-constable, fugitive hunter and a fabric inspector! Holt's Memoirs contain exciting stories about his pursuit of criminals, all told with great relish. In his own words, "my name was to the disobeyors of justice a terror"! 

Joseph Holt led a guerilla campaign against British troops, making use of the Wicklow Mountains. After the defeat at Ballinamuck, the rebels had lost all hope of success. Holt surrendered, and was transported to New South Wales. His fellow Wicklow Captain Michael Dwyer continued the campaign until 1803(!). Holt was pardoned and left Australia for Ireland in late 1812. However, his ship struck a reef. He and his family had to land on one of the Falklands. They would not make it to Ireland until 1814.

I can't believe I'd never heard of Joseph Holt before starting to research this period in greater depth. His life story is just so interesting, and I think he's the perfect Sharp Practice character.

There is debate over Holt's reasons for joining the United Irishmen. In his Memoirs, written in Australia, he claims he was swept up by the rebellion. He does, however, sympathise with the rebels' grievances. This isn't a satisfactory answer. Holt  had been involved in the Society of United Irishmen since 1797, and several of his brothers were also members.  Holt's membership of the Irish Volunteers in the 1780s also suggests a liberal political standpoint. 

Holt took up arms after his home was burned by the Fermanagh Militia. This unit was under the command of local magistrate Thomas Hugo. Hugo owed Holt money; as such, his rebel activities may have been the result of personal rivalries. 

Many of Holt's men were Militia deserters. I've painted this chap in a mix of Militia and civilian clothing. 

Finally, I put together a water cart. In Sharp Practice, these are available as a support option. It's been thrown together from coffee stirrers, cocktail sticks and spare plastic wheels. 

The barrels are from a Warhammer fantasy Ogres kit. A lad at my gaming club gave me some spare bits (thank you very much!). The crate and canteen are the result of my dodgy sculpting.

While I'm waiting for some more minis to arrive, I've started making some buildings for this period. One is based on Evoy's Forge, which I visited this summer. I've posted some pictures of that trip here. 

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua! 

Sharpe Diorama

 Here's a small Sharpe diorama I made as a birthday present for a friend. The figures are from Tangent Miniatures' Ahistorical range. I hope he had a great day!

1798 Rebellion Project Part 18: The Completed French Force

 I got lots of painting done this week. So much so that my lead mountain is home to only two figures! I've finished the last models for the French list.

First up is General Jean-Joseph Amable Humbert. Before the French Revolution, Humbert worked as a dealer in animal skins, but rose to become a general. In August 1798, he landed at Killala with the 70th Demi Brigade. The "Republic of Connacht" was then proclaimed by the French, with John Moore (no relation to the British General) as its president. Humbert had initial success at the Battle of Castlebar, and intended to advance into the Irish Midlands. However, his small force surrendered against impossible odds at the Battle of Ballinamuck.

Humbert was taken as a prisoner of war and repatriated. He continued to fight for the French army, and was sent to Haiti to suppress the revolution. Quite ironic considering his activities in Ireland! Humbert was accused of looting while in Haiti and returned to France. He joined rebel movements in both New Spain and Argentina, before fighting in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. He spent the rest of his life as a school teacher. Like many figures in this period, Humbert is a fascinating character. I'd love to see a detailed biography of his life in print.

That cartridge box caused a lot of headaches

I put together some Shock markers to go along with the force. 

A group photo of the full army:

I had some leftover figures from the British force that I wanted to get painted. Here are the Monaghan Militia Light Company. 

"U wot m8?"

Finally, I made a small holy well. These are very common in Ireland, and have many superstitions attached to them. Although their veneration is entirely Christian nowadays, evidence suggests that bodies of water were important ritual sites in pagan Celtic culture. It's not a substantial piece of terrain, it's just a nice bit of decoration. 

The wall is made of pieces of gravel. The water is gloss varnish. 

I built up the earth texture around the edge to give a stronger illusion of depth.

The Wicklow general Joseph Holt is currently on my painting table. He's another truly interesting character and I can't wait to finish painting him. After that I'll move on to the next stage of the project - artillery!

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua! 

1798 Rebellion Project Part 17: The French Arrive

 This week I've managed to finish off two groups of Frenchmen! That means the force is complete, aside from General Humbert. There are some extra bits to do as well, such as casualty markers, but I'm almost done.

 I'm already planning the next "phase" of this project as I've been enjoying it so much. This will probably consist of some artillery. I plan on making some improvised artillery pieces. According to Thomas Pakenham's book, the rebels of Antrim mounted an old Irish Volunteers cannon barrel onto a peasant cart. He also recounts the story of a haberdasher who made grapeshot cartridges from socks! 

This is the first Group I finished this week. They're nothing extraordinary, just some poor foot soldiers. As always with Trent figures they are a bit quirky. Here are some close ups:

The other batch I painted are from Trent's "Scruffy" French infantry pack. I get the impression from Pakenham's "The Year of Liberty" that these are particularly suitable for Humbert's force. They're probably my favourite Group in this army. I think would be nice to see models like this more often. Soldiers on campaign are rarely dressed in perfect uniforms.

All three groups drawn up in line. I've mixed the "scruffy" lads in with the other Groups. 

Go dtí an chéad uair eile, beir bua!