Wall, Joseph (1737–1802), soldier and governor, was born in Dublin, eldest of three sons of Garrett Wall, farmer, from Derryknavin, near Abbeyleix, Queen's Co. (Laois); his mother's name is unknown. Educated locally, he entered TCD (1752) but left without taking a degree. Determined to pursue a life of adventure, he enlisted in the army and volunteered for service overseas. He fought with distinction at the capture of Havana by the Royal Marines (1762) and returned to Ireland with the rank of captain two years later. Receiving an appointment in the East India Company, he served for a time at Bombay before being made secretary and clerk to the council in Senegambia, West Africa, in 1773. There he was arrested for a military offence, and imprisoned by the lieutenant-governor. On his release from prison he sued for damages and was awarded £1,000 after the court found in his favour.
Six feet four inches (1.93 m) in height, Wall had a volatile temper and was ruthless in both his private and his public dealings. A notorious duellist, he killed one of his closest friends over a perceived insult. He returned to Ireland to find a rich wife and decided on a Miss Gregory, whom he had met at an inn. She rejected his advances, provoking his wrath, and he assaulted her. After being prosecuted for the crime he moved to England, where he divided his time between the gambling table and the bedroom. By 1779 he had exhausted all his money, and used his remaining influence to secure the lieutenant-governorship of Gorée (now Senegal), West Africa. A strict disciplinarian, Wall had a man flogged to death on the voyage over; the incident is believed to have traumatised his younger brother, Patrick, who died soon after arriving in Gorée.
For two years Wall served as a ruthless but effective governor and superintendent of trade, but he decided to return home in 1782 because of ill-health. 10 July 1782 was to be the most significant date of his career. He received a deputation from his soldiers who wanted reassurances that they would be paid after he left. Wall was drunk, and reacted angrily; he summarily arrested the leader of the deputation, Sgt Benjamin Armstrong, on a charge of mutiny, and without any trial ordered him to be flogged by the black slaves. Armstrong received 800 lashes and died shortly after from his injuries. When Wall arrived in England he was arrested and tried by a court-martial on the charge of having used unnecessary cruelty in Gorée. No witnesses were forthcoming, however, and he was allowed to go free. Settling in Bath, he was disturbed to discover in 1784 that eye-witnesses from Africa had arrived to give evidence against him, and he fled to the Continent. He lived in France and Italy under an assumed name, with a price of £200 on his head, but occasionally returned to England incognito. On one visit he married Frances Mackenzie, whose father was later the earl of Seaforth; they had several children.
Believing that he was safe from prosecution, he returned to England in 1797, having heard that no witnesses of his crimes were still alive. He purchased a house at Upper Thornhaugh St., Bedford Square, London, where he lived under the assumed name of Thompson. Deciding that it was safe to resume his former identity, on 28 October 1801 he wrote to the home secretary, Thomas Pelham (qv), offering to stand trial to prove his innocence. Arrested soon after, he was prosecuted by a special commission at the Old Bailey on 20 January 1802. Convinced that he would be exonerated, he confidently sang psalms loudly from his cell, and insisted on defending himself. His trial lasted from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The jury were not convinced by his claims that he had prevented a mutiny, and were still less impressed with his casual attitude about the death of Armstrong; he was found guilty and sentenced to death, with his body to be dissected afterwards. On hearing the verdict Wall raised his hands in abject despair and his confidence quickly deserted him. His wife's relative, the 10th duke of Norfolk, was unable to obtain a pardon and he was hanged on 28 January 1802 outside Newgate prison. His executioner, Botting, was drunk and did not place the rope around his neck properly. As a result he hung in convulsive agony for eleven minutes before somebody pulled at his legs to end his life. He was not dissected, and his body was given over to his family; he was buried at St Pancras church. His execution was hailed as a victory for the impartiality of British justice, but in reality it was motivated by other concerns, including the government's desire to give a warning to rebellious soldiers elsewhere.