New Geneva: Waterford’s failed town that became a prison for rebels

An ambitious plan to establish a refuge for Genevan exiles in Co. Waterford in the late 18th century ultimately ended in failure, with New Geneva later serving as a prison for Irish rebels during the 1798 Rebellion.

Between 1782 and 1784, detailed plans were drawn up for a new utopian settlement known as “New Geneva” in Co. Waterford, overlooking the Suir estuary and Waterford Harbour. It was intended to accommodate merchants and artisans – predominantly clockmakers – who had fled the Republic of Geneva following a failed, largely non-violent revolution in 1782.

This revolution was an attempt by Geneva’s middle-class citizens to secure voting rights and access to official positions. Some exiles escaped to the principality of Neuchâtel, and others to England and other parts of Europe, while their families often remained in Geneva.

In consultation with the Genevan exiles, the British establishment selected the south of Ireland for the new Genevan colony, believing that an influx of Protestants into the region would drive local reforms in religion and industry. Ireland was also preferred over England as the site for the colony to avoid disrupting English industries.

Approximately 1,800 acres in Co. Waterford were allocated for the project. The wider territory annexed to New Geneva included the existing fishing village of Passage East, as well as farms, mills, churches and a castle.

Lord Shelburne, the prime minister at the time, allocated a substantial grant of £50,000 to the project. This amount was designated for initiating the construction of the new town and for transporting the exiled craftsmen, as well as their families, from mainland Europe to Ireland (approximately 1,000 to 2,000 people).

Andrew Caldwell, a prominent barrister with an estate at Newgrange, Co. Meath, played a crucial role in driving the project. He was chosen because of his reputation in promoting trade and manufacturing in Ireland. A collection of letters preserved by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) sheds light on New Geneva. Among these documents is a letter requesting Caldwell’s presence at a meeting with the Lord Lieutenant, George Nugent-Temple-Grenville (known as Lord Temple), at Dublin Castle to discuss “plans for establishing the settlement of the Genevans”.

Renowned architect James Gandon, known for his designs of the Custom House, Four Courts and King’s Inns, was commissioned to design the town. Notably, Gandon’s grandfather was a Huguenot refugee. Dublin architect William Gibson was in charge of the plans for the individual houses, for which he was paid £207-16-1.

The plans for the small Genevan city included more than 80 terraced houses around a central square, as well as churches, a hospital, a prison, a water supply system, a cotton factory, a paper mill, a bakery, a tannery, a laundry, an inn and even a university, modelled on the Geneva Academy, which was intended to draw scholars from across Europe.

An advance party of Genevans led by Ami Melly arrived in Co. Waterford in the spring of 1783. Soon after, the plans for the scheme started falling apart. Nonetheless, by the end of that year, around 250 Genevans were already living in Waterford, having renounced their Genevan citizenship to become subjects of the Crown. They waited in vain for their new city to be built.

The foundation stone for New Geneva was laid in June 1784 and although numerous buildings were completed, construction of the new settlement came to a halt in 1785. Several factors have been proposed for the project’s failure. The main issues seem to be the financial costs and the refusal of project supervisor James Cuffe to release funds. Its abandonment was also the result of waning interest from the Irish and British administrations after Lord Temple’s return to England and Lord Shelburne’s departure from office.

Others attribute the project’s failure to the desire of the Genevan refugees, who were democratic republicans, for representation in the Irish parliament and for self-governance. Furthermore, the Genevan watchmakers grew increasingly reluctant to leave their homes for unfamiliar territory beset by Whiteboys activity. The Genevan government also used intimidation tactics to discourage migration.

The RIA’s collection includes correspondence between Caldwell and François D’Ivernois concerning the proposed town. Following the abandonment of the plans for New Geneva, D’Ivernois, an exiled lawyer, author and one of the most enthusiastic leaders of the Genevan Revolution, sought to relocate the faculty of the Academy of Geneva to America, along with the resettlement of some Genevan exiles.

Although US President Thomas Jefferson expressed keen interest in the proposal, the grand scheme did not secure the necessary support from the state legislature.

A F F I L I A T E A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A few Genevan settlers stayed in Waterford, while most dispersed across Europe.

1798 Rebellion

The houses constructed with the initial funding allocated for the new settlement were later converted into military barracks to accommodate troops. During and after the 1798 Rebellion, the barracks were used as a prison for holding thousands of rebels (“croppy boys”) and United Irishmen, often before execution, conscription or transportation to the penal colonies in Australia.

Thomas Cloney, a leader of the uprising in Wexford, vividly described the deplorable conditions in the “damp and loathsome prison”, noting its “want of cleanliness”, “filth” and “intolerable smell”. The Schools’ Folklore Collection features a number of accounts of locals helping prisoners escape.

The barracks are memorialized in the song “The Croppy Boy”, which concludes with the following poignant lines:

“At Geneva Barrack that young man died,
And at Passage they have his body laid.
Good people who live in peace and joy,
Breathe a prayer, shed a tear for the Croppy Boy.”