The Streamstown Murders, 20 March 1757 By James Robinson The tranquil cemetery at Ballynadrumny, Moyvalley, Co. Kildare includes at its summit an enclosed plot, which contains the remains of the ancient families of Bermingham and Nangle. A horizontal tombstone is inscribed thus: In memory of the GARISKER BERMINGHAMS who lived here for Centuries, many of whom are buried here. Amongst others, Pierce Bermingham who married in 1690 ELIZA NANGLE daughter of MAJOR GARRET NANGLE of COOLE CO. WESTMEATH He was great-grandfather of CHRISTOPHER NANGLE Now residing in GARISKER who enclosed this tomb in 1829. JAMES son of Pierce and his grandson PIERCE REILLY BERMINGHAM And his two wives MISS BUTLER and MISS CUSACK Also here ELLEN DARDIS wife of CHRISTOPHER NANGLE, she died in 1829 and three of their Children. For your charity pray for the soul of GEORGE NICHOLLS. He died on 24 th July 1864 aged 67. He succeeded To the GARISKER ESTATES under the will of his cousin, the last representative of the ancient NANGLE family. R.I.P. The Nangles traced their origins back to one Gilbert de Angulo, who came to Ireland with Strongbow as part of the Norman invasion in 1169. Gilbert s son, Joceline, obtained a grant of land from Hugh De Lacy at Navan, and so became the first Baron of Navan. The annals of Meath show that Philip Nangle, his father and grandfather, have been deprived of their lands for rebellion but obtained a pardon from King John in 1207. The former had lands in Kilbixie in the year 1210. 1 Major Garret Nangle was outlawed for involvement in the insurrection of 1641 and his lands were subsequently forfeited as he was an active member of the Council of the Confederated Catholics. These lands at Tullynally, Mayne and Firmore were granted to Henry Pakenham who leased the latter two properties back to Garret Nangle in 1672 and who then became a tenant of property he formally owned. 2 He died at Mayne, leaving his grandson Hyacinth, who married Mary Dowdall, his heir. Garret and his family are interred at Mayne churchyard, Coole, Co. Westmeath and their headstone reads: Coat-of-Arms This monument reads Erected by JOHN NANGLE 1
Of Coole in memory of his wife MARY WHITE alias NANGLE Who died 21 st June 1750 And in memory of his father MAJOR GARRET NANGLE And MOTHER AST NUGENT and uncle COLLONELL FRANCIS NANGLE and wife CATHERINE PLUNKETT who are all Interred here Pray for their souls. 3 The reverse side of the upright headstone in Ballynadrumny bears the following inscription: THE BERMINGHAM AND NANGLE BURIAL PLACES On the front face of this memorial is inscribed the following: In memory of ELLEN NANGLE alias DARDIS Wife of CHR NANGLE ESQ. Of GARISKER Who died of 6 th May 1829 and of said CHRISTOPHER who was the sole survivor Of the MURDER of his family at STREAMSTOWN CO. WESTMEATH in the year 1757 And who died 11 th June 1836 in his 80 th year Also of their children; as follows; ELLEN Who died in infancy, KITTY, who died 30 th May 1805 in her 14 th year. ANN who died 22 nd Oct 1815 in her 20 th year CHRISTR who died 15 th Jan 1820 in his 18 th year CECELIA who died 29 th Dec 1823 in her 20 th year ELIZA who died 29 th June 1831 in her 32 nd year WILLIAM who died 12 th Jan 1844 in his 45 th year SUSAN, a nun, who died 4 th Nov 1844 in her 46 th year JOHN HYACINTH, Who died 12 th Sept 1865 in his 22 nd year. And MARY ELINOR, the last of her race, who died At GARRISKER, 3 rd June 1869 in her 79 th year By whose DESIRE this monument is erected. Here are also interred the remains of MISS MCNAMARA For many years GOVERNESS in the NANGLE family. May they rest in Peace. 2
This reference to Christopher, being the only survivor of the murder of his family, is explained by a horrendous massacre. This took place at the home of Hyacinth Nangle at Streamstown, CastlePollard, Co. Westmeath on Sunday 20 March 1757. A plot to rob the Nangle homestead was hatched that week when Edmond and James Hughes, (who were brothers) together with Luke Murray and Francis Gehearty met at Murray s home. Gehearty was sworn to secrecy by Edmond Hughes who proposed that the group, together with Maurice Crossby and the rest of the boys should carry out the robbery. You will get a sive full of money (and) that he had received a great deal of money for connacres and for potato ground and had not been at the bank for some time, Hughes declared. Despite reservations about the plan by Gehearty due to the occupant being armed, Hughes allayed the fears by stating that there were two guns which hung in the kitchen and that access to the house was not a problem as there is not a corner of the house that Jimmy Hughes does not know as well as myself. Pleading that he was too heavy to walk and that the occupants of the Nangle household would know him, Edmond Hughes excused himself from participation in the robbery. Further reservations by Gehearty concerning the house being protected by armed bars on the windows (due to a previous robbery by James Hughes) were assuaged by Edmond Hughes, when the latter said, You go with Jemmie and he will get you in. The group then agreed to rob the house on 21 March. On the following Sunday 20 March, James Hughes collected Francis Gehearty and brought him to Luke Murray s house where Hughes was lodged and there they met up with other members of the gang. They were Elizabeth Murray, Maurice Crossby and Mary Carney. A consultation at which Elizabeth Murray (wife of Luke) and sister of the Hughes brothers and Edmond Hughes were present had taken place the previous night concerning the robbery. At it, Hughes contended that nobody in the house should be left alive in case the perpetrators were discovered. He also said that the house should be burned. At nine o clock on the Sunday night James Hughes, Luke Murray, Maurice Crossby, Mary Carney and Francis Gehearty blackened their faces with burnt straw and tallow. They left Elizabeth Murray at home to take care of their child and they met William Conron of Portnashannon and Owen McCabe of Knocknacor at Williamstown bridge. Hughes blackened the faces of the latter two and the entire group then went to the Nangle homestead, which they reached at about ten o clock. Entering by the garden, they reached the back kitchen window where James Hughes removed an iron bar protecting the window, and he entered the house, having first removed a basket of forks and knives, which were in the window through which he entered. He lit a rush candle and then handed it out through the window: two sides of bacon, a piece of hung beef and two loaves of sugar. Hughes then exclaimed, Now boys, come in this place is ready for you for they are all asleep whereupon the men all entered the house through the window, leaving Mary Carney outside of the house and telling her that she might faint if she heard a noise in the house. The gang, having unlocked the back door, then broke down a door at the end of a passage, which was at the foot of a stairs. Gehearty then fled the house through a window as he imagined the breaking of the door had awakened the occupants sleeping above. Hughes, Crossby and Murray followed Gehearty and persuaded him to return to the house. As the latter was trembling, Hughes told him, You dog you are trembling you can t do one halfpenny worth of good but (do) you hold the candle and we shall do the business ourselves. Led by Hughes, the robbers entered the bedroom of Mr. and Mrs. Nangle, where they lay sleeping together. Opening the curtains around the bed and with a short iron bar he had brought with him from Luke Murray s house, Hughes struck Mr. Nangle on the head several times until they all imagined he was dead. Gehearty held a tallow candle to illuminate the ghastly scene. 3
Mrs. Nangle awakened in terror and ran to the next room, where the two maids and her child lay. You dog why did you let her go out why did you not trip her? Hughes exclaimed to Gehearty. I could not meddle with her s, the latter replied. The gang then followed Mrs. Nangle into the room to which she had escaped and Hughes and Murray, using the iron bar from the kitchen window, attacked the two maids and Mrs. Nangle, and left them for dead. The assailants then went to another room, where the boys servants lay and the boy named Farrell, who was aged 14, was struck by Hughes until he was thought dead. The attackers then returned to the principle bedroom to find Mr. Nangle struggling to dress himself. On seeing his assailants, Hyacinth Nangle cried out, Oh Jack Smith, Jack Smith, where are you, will you not assist me and save my life? The unfortunate owner thought his manservant was asleep in the room where the boy Farrell lay. Hughes again attacked Nangle, striking him repeatedly. With a knife or fork which Crossby had carried from the kitchen, Hughes then stabbed Hyacinth Nangle in the belly. Surveying the dead occupant, James Hughes said, My boys, we are now very easy but I am full sure Jack Smith is still in the house, but we will go and look for him. Whereupon they searched the rooms where the boy Farrell lay dead, and also the bedroom where Mrs. Nangle and her maids lay prostrate. Mrs. Nangle s child, aged about three years, was found crying close to one of the maids. James Hughes struck him two blows on the head, which they believed killed him. He then cut Mrs. Nangle s throat. Returning to the main bedroom and removing the key from Mr. Nangle s britches, Hughes opened a chest of drawers in the dead man s bedroom from whence they removed silver, copper and two pieces of gold and silver buttons, along with a bundle of banknotes. Also stolen were two gold watches, together with a long basket full of plate. When the raiders broke into Mr. Nangle s office, they got 6 or 7 pence in halfpence. My boys, we have no more to get here give me the candle and I will set fire to the house, said Hughes. He took the candle, went to the top of the house and set fire to the thatch in two places, leaving the candle sticking therein. The assailants then exited the blazing house through the window through which they had entered replacing the iron bar which protected the window. There, they met up with Mary Carney. The group returned to Luke Murray s house and made a rush candle from the fat from some of the beef stolen from Mr. Nangle s house. James Hughes then divided the money from seven shares one for each of the robbers. He kept for himself the two watches and the large pocket pieces of gold, together with the two pocket pieces, which he said belonged to Mrs. Welsh a sister of Mrs. Nangle. Francis Gehearty received about 18 pieces of gold, three guineas in silver and some banknotes as his share of the booty, which he hid in his garden. The stolen plate was given to Elizabeth Murray and Mary Carney to hide in a boghole until such time as it was safe to melt it down. A newspaper report of the massacre, dated 22 March 1757 stated that: On last Sunday night some villains broke into the house of Mr. Nangle of Streamstown within two miles of Pakenham Hall, Co. Westmeath. He was thought to be very rich and they murdered him, his wife (who was with child), his son, aged four years and a maidservant and afterwards set fire to it, which, though large, was thatched... Lord Longford has been very active in searching after the villains and he has one of them at his house who was confessed himself a party (to the attack)... He gave the names of two men and a woman and a man and woman were arrested. A militia of the barony is raised and not less than two hundred of them have dined at his Lordship s Hall today... They are in search of the other man. On 26 th March, the same newspaper reported that: Francis Gehearty (Giraghty) was apprehended in a house in Church St., Dublin. About 30 guineas were found on him and he confessed to being concerned in the atrocity. Subsequently, banknotes were found in a garden and five persons were taken into custody for the crime. 4 4
On 29 March, according to the newspaper, Francis Gehearty made a voluntary confession concerning the crime and his statement is the story of this atrocity. 5 A somewhat incoherent letter dated 29 March 1757 from a John Sheridan, who was probably from Streamstown, to Miss Nangle in Dublin, reads: Rite just to tell you about your brother wife. Ed Servant wear on Sunday ye 20 th instand Ly murtherd and ye house consumed to ashes Servant Maid by name Mary Sister to Mrs. Nangle, I saw ye body D (?) oyle and Mrs. Nangle about two owers It happened ye child lived forty owers He received his wounds, one of ye maids is el Lenevy by name but will not Live long by all accounts; I beg dear Miss Nangle o not kell yourself but leave all to God. Lett Mr. Davead Nangle know of this letter by reason I had one from him; you can hardly sense of this for I needer the person since this Happened Page 2 Re name of ye persons that murdert ye fam (ily) at Streamstown: Jn Hughes, Luke Mur (ry) married To Jn. Hughes sister, Murry Servant M (an To Hughes, Frances Gehearty, Morros Cr (Ossby) Owen McCabe an Lauraghan, all with Edmond Hughes, Murry wife, but it not found out yet that Hughes was at ye robbery. Ye Child living and to go to ye Co. Meath next weeke. Hartly Sorry that this sad Scraul was not With some good noose (news). My kind and best Respects To Miss Morros, Miss Welsh I am Dr Miss Nangle your most Humble Sert. Jn. Sheridan To Miss Nangle Dublin 6 On 16 April the newspaper reported: James Hughes and James (Francis) Geraghty (Gehearty) was brought to the bar at Mullingar and tried for the multiple murders. Both pleaded guilty and were directly taken to the gallows, and hanged for some time. They were then cut down and quartered, their bowels taken out 5
and thrown in their faces and their bodies brought back to the gaol to be gibbeted at Knockine Hill, which overlooks the burnt ruins at Streamstown. Luke Murray was also arraigned on Friday and pleaded not guilty. Mary Carney s (Carney) evidence was admitted by the Crown and her life was spared. Murray was found guilty and is to be hanged and gibbeted with Hughes and Geraghty, who died in a hardened manner, accusing each other in their last moments. Edmond Hughes and Murray s wife were presented for transportation. In total, five of the perpetrators were executed at Knockine Hill. A final grotesque fact regarding this case Edmond Hughes, who planned this dastardly deed, and who with his wife advised that no person should be left alive, was a foster brother of Hyacinth Nangle! Hughes had been reared from childhood by the Nangle family. 7 Christopher Nangle, who escaped a terrible fate, was about four years old and he had been nursed out, as was the custom of the time. He spent the fateful night with his nurse at her relations a neighbouring priest. Christopher was schooled in England by his uncle, George Dowdall. When he returned to Ireland, he arranged the purchase of the Garrisker estate with his relative, Major Bermingham. Christopher married Eleanor Dardis about 1789 and thus began the Nangle line at Garrisker. The Dowdall family were related through one Fanny Buchanan, mother of Archbishop Nicholls, who came to Ireland in 1540, to Earl Darnley, who married Mary, Queen of Scots. Miss Buchanan and Earl Darnley were first cousins. 8 As this headstone inscription shows, he lived to be 80 years of age and his family referenced this terrible atrocity on Christopher s headstone when he died, 76 years later. Finally, this reference by Rawson, who visited Nangle s estate in 1807, shows Christopher to have been a progressive farmer: I viewed in his neighbourhood on the estate of C. Nangle Esq. Some very handsome young plantations and I was very much pleased to find him admire the timber sallow, which in all moist wet grounds (with which this country abounds) grows more rapidly than any other tree, yielding a new valuable substitute for oak bark, which in the past twelve years has more than doubled in price. In Mr. Nangle s demesne, I admired good healthy-growing white-thorn hedges in turf-bog, owing to the care and attention of Mr. Nangle, who made a trench of one foot filled with earth, in which he planted his quicks. 9 References 1. Ríodh na Midhe Reverand CC Elison, Naas, 1996 Vol. III, No. 4, Page 315-317 2. The ancient family of Nangle and Garrisker, Roy Gallie, Ballyna Magazine, 1981, Pages 6,7 and 97 3. Micheál Conlon, CastlePollard, Co. Westmeath. 4. Pue s Occurrences, 1757, 22 nd March (The Streamstown Murders) 5. The Voluntary Confession of Francis Gehearty of Williamstown in the Co. of Westmeath, The National Archives, ref. unknown. 6. The National Archives, ref. unknown. 7. History of the Westmeath Hunt, Edmund F. Dease, Brown and Nolan, 1898, Page 113-4. 8. Tatler, The Irish Independent, date unknown. 9. Statistical Survey of Co. Kildare, James Rawson, 1807, Page 67, R.I.A. Ref. 56-e-33. 6
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