"The Rushlight” A Long Forgotten Belfast Weekly

By Colin Johnston Robb

This article, by Colin Johnston Robb, appeared

 in the “Irish News” on Friday, 31st July 1941

Comparatively few people today have ever heard of “The Rushlight”, a weekly journal that flourished in Belfast 118 years ago and circulated all over the North. Having a complete file of this old forgotten courier of knowledge and caustic herald of current political affairs, perhaps a few historical sidelights on its origins and progress may be of some public interest.

The publication consisted of four pages measuring about ten inches by nine and was first published at No. 7 High Street, Belfast, on Friday, 3rd December 1824. It bears the caption in large block type, “The Rushlight, A Weekly literary Publication” , and was published at the cost of threepence. The publishers were Messrs, Clark and Hope, the latter partner being Luke M Hope, son of Jimmy Hope of Templepatrick, the well known rebel of ‘98, poet and political reformer. The publication office, 7 High Street , stood at the corner of Hodgson’s Entry, the first entry on that side of the street from what is now Corn Market. called after John Hodgson, the bookseller, whose shop stood at the other corner, No.9.

As to how it got its caption, “The Rushlight” is accounted for by reason that the rushlight burning near the window was a signal in the secret code of the United Irishmen. The song, “The Little Rushlight” was in very popular vogue in the closing decade of the 18th century. The paper contained many well written articles on general knowledge, lengthy poetical verses, and caustic political reform epistles, but its attitude towards the clergy of all denominations was considered what we would now term communistic. This was of course the dying embers of the French Revolution.

A skit on the baby weekly appeared in No.8 Vol.1. for Friday, 2lst January 1825, from the pen of James Chambers, a native of Finis, Dromara, Co. Down, under the pen name of “C. Chambers”, according to a pamphlet he published in the year 1818, was a die hard land reformer of his day. he writes ;- “From a thinly peopled district at the foot of Slieve Croob, coming other day into Belfast, seldom there, filled with wonder, and gazing at every thing, - I was struck with the word ‘Rushlight’ on a board at the mouth of an entry. The fine rushes in the glen beside my cabin seized my recollection at once. Have they set up a factory for dipping rushes in this great town of so many chandler’s shops and so brilliant with gas?

No-- Read on - Clarke and Hope in Co - for what? A new publication.. a magazine ? No...Newspaper ?.. No.. Literary Gazette ?, Not that either, What then ? “The Rushlight”, A Rushlight queer name- have heard of “The Star’, the Western Luminary, the Sun, but nothing of a Rushlight. If none of these great names pleased why not “The Moon” ? it is all borrowed light - not so the Rush- light. Why not “The Comet” ? it is too eccentric; or ‘The Meteor”? it is volatile and transient. Or “The Glow Worm” ? its tail only shines, or “Willy with the Wisp” He leads astray. The company have chosen for themselves and why not.? Still the name has something queer about it. But look at the place from which the Light is to issue - it is queer too ; up a long dark entry it shines, and not the cleanest in all the world. But where is the blink of a rush more needed than in the dark, ? especially where you must chose your steps. The office, where,? Above a narrow, steeped, crooked, and shall I say, dark stair. Light is needed there also. Besides, to climb in the dark, the ascend steep and winding, produces a dizziness that may for aught I know be a good preparation for the happiest lucubration’s. What wonders have shone from a garret !“ Space does not permit me to quote further from Chambers’ lengthy epistle.

The Irish Constabulary, who were embodied at this time, and later became the “Royal Irish Constabulary’, came under the lashing flail of Luke Hope in the columns of “The Rushlight’. In the May Issue, for 1825 the Constabulary are referred to as “The Black Militia”. We also read that a steamboat under the patronage of the force was about to be constructed in Glasgow for the purpose of conveying prisoners from Carrickfergus Jail to Belfast, and the writer adds... “a considerable number of passengers are anticipated daily” .. The interference of “The Peelers” on country roads was resented in the same issue for June lOth.1825. “The Rushlight” was issued by Luke M. Hope for the first time, his partner having severed his connection, on Friday, 27th May. 1835, at Telfair’s Entry, off Ann Street, which ran to what was then Poultry Square, called after the fowl market held there, and later “Police Square” called after the police station established here and now known as Victoria Square. According to a note which appears in the issue for September 2nd 1825, the journal was not paying as the country agents were unable to collect payment for sales.

The country agents at the time were Jas Cramsie, woolen draper, Ballymoney; George Dugan, book and print seller, Ballymena ; Robert Greer, Bookseller Newry, William Ireland, Bookseller, Dungannon; Henry Ireland, Bookseller, De;y; William Patterson, shopkeeper, Cookstown ; James Ward, bookseller, Lisburn; Charles Hurst, Donaghadee ; James Duncan, watchmaker, Killylcagh ; John Graham, printer, Downpatrick ; J. McConkey, Post Office, Hillsborough; William Jess, chandler, Dromore J. Crosby, Saintfleld ; P. Rice, grocer, Ballynahinch; and Fred Crothers, Linendraper, Banbridge.

The last issue was No.4 1 which appeared on the 9th September 1825, A special issue bearing no date, but the title of “The Ghost Of Rushlight - A Play “was published at the price of fivepence and with it ended the caustic but informative journal of Luke Hope.