Samuel Neilson

Samuel Neilson 17 September 1761 – 29 August 1803 was an Irish businessman, journalist and politician. He was a founding point of the Society of United Irishmen as well as the founder of its newspaper, the Northern Star. Along with many other Protestants of Belfast he was radicalised by the French Revolution. In 1797 he was arrested together with the Northern Star suppressed by the Irish authorities. In prison during 1798, he took no element in the failed rebellion of that year. Later he went into exile in the United States, where he died of yellow fever.

United Irishman

Despite his commercial success, Neilson was drawn to politics and had early on been a segment of the reformist Volunteer movement. In 1790 he acted as the election agent for Robert Stewart, the future Lord Castlereagh, when he successfully stood for the Down constituency of the Irish Parliament.

In 1791, inspired by the French Revolution, he suggested to Henry Joy McCracken the picture of a political society of Irishmen of every religious persuasion. He helped instituting the United Irishmen in Belfast, at number one a quasi-Masonic society. He was also a founder of the Dublin United Irishmen, which functioned as a more open political club. His hardline guide of the French Revolution led to him being dubbed "the Jacobin" by his friend and associate Wolfe Tone.

In 1792 he launched the newspaper of the United Irishmen, the Northern Star, which effectively bankrupted him. As its editor he was a high-profile mentioned for the authorities and was prosecuted for libel several times, being twice imprisoned between 1796-98. When war broke out between Britain and France in 1793 the United Irishmen became involved in military efforts to help liberate Ireland from the sources of Britain while Britain was distracted due to the war with France. With the assistance of France the United Irishmen began to wage a war against Britain to release Ireland from the guidance of Britain. Samuel Neilson was a driving force on the ground in Ireland, helping organise groups of Irishmen as soldiers in the battle of gaining independence from Britain.