The times., 1897-06-20
ABDUCTION CLUBS.
The Carrying Off OF the Kennedy
Heiresses and the Result.

The Carving Off OF the Kennedy
Heiresses and the Result.
Abduction clubs have vanished from
ireland for many a long day, but lhere
is hardly noble or gentle family In the
green isle which cannot point to one or
more of its ancestors who were connected
with those extraordinary associations.
The express object of the abduction
clubs was the forcible carrying off OF
rich hei rcsses and their marriage under
duress to husbands chosen from their
csptGrs During the seventeenth century,
when protTactcd wars and penal persecu-
tion had impoverished many old and hon
ored houses Ireland became overrun Will.
the class known as "squireensH-younge
sons OF brothers of land-holding gentry
who were for the most part very poorly
endowed with the worlds goods. These
young fellows, of course, rarely con
descended to take up any profession OF
avocat;on by which they could earn On
honest livelihood, but preferred TO re
main under the ancestral rooftree, drinking
the reigning relatives claret and riding
bis horses Now these "squireens, being
for the most part lads of spirit, were
not long content to remain in harmless
tdleness but set about many schemes for
the procuring of funds without much
labor and OF all these schemes the carrying
off of heiresses proved the most popular
At first the fair inheTitors were not
abducted against their will, but so des-
perate and SO daring grew the "squireens
that very soon they did not even stay to
ask the lady's consent before running
away with her. A direct outcome OF this
state of affairs was the first abduction
club started in the counties of Kilkenny
and Carlow about the year 1850
Kilkenny was then close rival to Dub
lin for the social supremacy OF Ireland
Very many noblemen and gentlemen had
their town houses in the ancient city on
the More, and the Kilkenny theaters had
an Observation-Disclosures Itwasnatural,
therefore, that the first abduction club
should spring up with this lively town
as its base of operations. During the ten
years succeeding 1850, over eighty heir
esses and number of young ladies with
prospects" or possessed of some fortune
were deliberately carried Off while attend
ing balls, parties or the theaters In the
club was enrolled every younger son of
good family in southern I.einster. The
members were bound together by oaths of
the most terrible nature, and every MEM
Der was pledged to help every other mem
Der with hand, heart and pocket.
The modus operandi of the club was sim
pie enough. When an heiress appeared Oh
the tapis, all members who desired TO be-
come candidates for her hand land foFtune)
entered their names in book. Then "a
series of numbers were written on specially
prepared slips of paper. These slips were
shaken up in an urn, and, in order of Sc
niority, the members drew lots for their
urconsC ious victim. The peTson drawing
the highest number was pronounced vic
tor, and immediately the club Went into
executive session to determine the best
means, time and place for the lady's abduc-
tion. If the capture proved successful
and the abducted heiress accepted her lot,
tie lucky bridegroom, in severing his con-
bcction with tie club, formally presented
his old associates with handsome honora
rium from his wife's fortune.
The list OF families descended from,
and Of estates founded by such forcibie
marriages, is long and interesting one
Indeed. the present writer knows of enc
marquis, four earls, a viscount, eight
barons and half a score of barun4ts,
who owe their present properties, and,
in some cases, their very titles, to tie
abduction of an ancestress.
The abduction club idea throye vigor-
ously III Ireland. and spread through
every county and province In vain, the
government made weakkneed efforts to
stop it So well-connected and inlIr.n-
tial were these younger sons, that they
could afford to noHt the judiciary of
Iral md
tices.
Things grew SO bad, that from 1853 to
1870 no young lady of foItune dared to
travel far from home without a large
armed escort TO protect her from attack
ION July Z. 1766,'' we read, 1.-The beau
tiful Miss Loughnan, daughter of Mr.
Connel Loughnan, wealthy Kilkenny
banker, was travelling in coach, at
tended by twelve servants with nuskets,
from Clonard castle cher fathers coun-
try housej 10 the city. Near Callan the
party was set upon by over forty masked
men, who dragged the young lady from
the coach, set her upon pllion behind
one or their number and galloped away
The next news that reached Mr.. Lough-
nan was sad letter from his daughter,
stating that she had been carried to Wales
anu thcle fhdflleu against Eer VIII to Mr.
Francis Shearman, younger brother OF
Mr.. SEcarman OF Sandfonds court Three
Of Miss Loughnan's s attendants were
badly wounded in the attack on the
coach" This account is taken fIom the
Leinster Journal of that date
So common did such occurrences become
that one cannot take up a newspaper
or news letter of the period without
finding accounts Of the abduction club and
its manifestations. At last the government
resolved TO stand such a state of affairs no
longer. Proclamations were issued by
the lord lieutenant and priyy council. an
nouncing that any further law breaking
on the part OF the abduction clubs would
be punished to the fun extent OF The law,
despite the position and connections OF the
abductors At the same time abduction
was made acapitai offcnse- punishable with |
death
But the ''squireens'' were not frightened |
or deferred by these threats and warnings. !