Joseph Wall

Joseph Wall (1737 – 28 January 1802) was a British Army officer and Lieutenant Governor of Gorée, an island near Dakar, Senegal, who was executed in London for the fatal flogging of one of his soldiers. The former colonial administrator, who had previously been arrested for cruelty, was hanged outside Newgate Prison eight days after a one-day trial at the Old Bailey. Thousands of people came to watch the execution because of the notoriety of the case.

Early life Wall was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1737, a son of Garrett Wall of Derryknavin, near Abbeyleix in Queen's County, who is described as "a respectable farmer on Lord Knapton's estates". At the age of 15, Joseph Wall was entered at Trinity College, Dublin. However, preferring a career to the life of a student, at the beginning of 1760 he joined the British Army as a cadet. He then volunteered for foreign service.

By early 1782 Wall, who had served both as governor and superintendent of trade, began preparations to leave the colony because his health had declined.

Fatal floggings On 10 July 1782, shortly before Wall left Gorée, a deputation from the African corps, led by Sergeant Benjamin Armstrong, came to see the governor and the commissary to ask for a settlement on their pay as they had been left short for some time on their wages. A parade for the entire garrison was then called. On meeting the delegation, a drunken Wall ordered that the sergeant be arrested on a charge of mutiny. Wall, without holding a court martial, ordered seven men flogged with a rope one inch in diameter by black slaves. On 10 July Sergeant Benjamin Armstrong and George Robinson each received 800 lashes, and on 11 July Corporal Thomas Upton received 350 lashes, Private George Paterson 800 lashes, William Evans 800 lashes, Joseph Shaw 275 lashes and Private Henry Fawcett 47 lashes. From their wounds Corporal Upton died on the 13th, Sergeant Armstrong on the 15th, and George Paterson on 19 July.

Criminal charges On returning to England, several charges of cruelty were laid against Wall by Captain Benjamin Roberts, one of his former officers. The former governor was brought before the Privy Council for a court-martial. However, when the ship bringing the main witnesses back to Britain was reported lost, the charges were withdrawn against Wall. Wall was charged with three counts of murder from the events of 10 and 11 July, Serjeant Benjamin Armstrong, Serjeant George Paterson and Corporal Thomas Upton. On 20 January 1802, Wall was tried for the murder of Sgt Armstrong at the Old Bailey by a special commission presided over by the Chief Baron, Sir Archibald Macdonald, 1st Baronet. Although Wall addressed the court, he had the assistance of lawyer Newman Knowlys, a future recorder of London, and Sir John Gurney, in examining and cross-examining witnesses. The chief evidence for the prosecution was given by garrison surgeon Peter Ferrick and orderly-sergeant Evan Lewis, who were on duty during Armstrong's punishment. All the other officers had died. The commission decided there was no evidence that there was any mutiny and Wall's claims of justification was not sustained. On accounting as to why he fled, Wall stated that he had left the country in 1784 because he felt the prejudice against him at the time assured him he would not receive a fair trial. He also said the charges against him had been already disproved so the ones relating to Armstrong were unexpected.

The session at the Old Bailey lasted from 9 a.m. till 11 p.m. Its verdict was guilty. Great efforts to obtain a pardon were vainly made by his wife's relative, Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk, and the privy council held several deliberations on the case.