John Philpot Curran facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Philpot Curran
Member of Parliament for Banagher
In office 1800–1801 Serving with Arthur Dawson
Preceded by	Edward Hoare Arthur Dawson
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Member of Parliament for Rathcormack
In office 1790–1798 Serving with Henry Duquery
Member of Parliament for Kilbeggan
In office 1783–1790 Serving with Henry Flood
Personal details
Born	24 July 1750 Newmarket, County Cork, Ireland
Died	14 October 1817 (aged 67) Brompton, London, UK
Resting place	Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin
Political party	Irish Patriot Party
Spouse	Sarah Creagh
Relations	Amelia Curran Sarah Curran
Children	9
Parents	James Curran Sarah Curran
Alma mater	Trinity College Dublin
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Orator

John Philpot Curran (born July 24, 1750 – died October 14, 1817) was a famous Irish speaker, politician, and lawyer. He was known for using his skills to defend people's rights and freedoms. He became popular in 1780. At that time, he was the only lawyer willing to defend a Catholic priest who had been attacked by a powerful lord.

In the 1790s, he was seen as a champion for Catholic emancipation. This meant he supported giving Catholics more rights. He also worked for reforms in the Irish Parliament. In court, he defended members of the Society of United Irishmen who were accused of serious crimes. Curran strongly opposed Britain taking over Ireland to form a United Kingdom.

Many people admired Curran's speeches in court. Lord Byron once said that Curran spoke "more poetry than I have seen written." Karl Marx called him the greatest "people's advocate" of the 1700s.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Ireland

John Philpot Curran was born in Newmarket, County Cork, Ireland. He was the oldest of five children. His father, James Curran, worked for the local manor court. His mother was Sarah Philpot.

The Curran family was originally named Curwen. Their ancestor came from England with Oliver Cromwell during a war in Ireland. John's grandfather moved from Derry to Cork. His mother's family, the Philpots, included many important people like judges and bishops.

John's School Days

A family friend, Rev. Nathaniel Boyse, helped John get an education at Midleton College in County Cork. Before going to Trinity College Dublin, John was tested by Rev. Charles Bunworth. Bunworth was so impressed that he offered to help John pay for his studies.

John studied law at Trinity College Dublin. People described him as a "wildest, wittiest, dreamiest student." He continued his law studies at King's Inns and the Middle Temple. He became a lawyer in Ireland in 1775.

Overcoming Challenges

At his first trial, John was very nervous and couldn't speak. He was short, looked young, had a high-pitched voice, and a stutter. These things made it hard for him at first, and he was even called "Stuttering Jack Curran."

However, he was very passionate about causes he believed in. He worked hard to overcome his stutter. He practiced by reciting speeches from Shakespeare and Bolingbroke in front of a mirror. He eventually became a famous speaker and a quick-witted person.

A Champion for Rights

Duels and Early Success

John Curran sometimes challenged people to duels if they disagreed strongly with his beliefs. He fought five duels in his life. Along with his great speaking skills and quick wit, he became very popular. He supported important Irish causes like Catholic Emancipation (giving Catholics more rights) and allowing more people to vote. He could also speak Irish, which was still the main language for most people then. He also wrote many funny and romantic poems.

A case that made Curran very popular involved Father Neale and St Leger St Leger, 1st Viscount Doneraile in 1780. Father Neale had criticized a parishioner's actions from the church. This parishioner was the brother of Lord Doneraile's mistress. In response, Lord Doneraile whipped the elderly priest. He likely thought a jury, all Protestant, would not convict him for harming a Catholic priest.

Curran cross-examined Doneraile's witnesses and showed they were not believable. He convinced the jury to ignore religious differences. They awarded Father Neale 30 guineas (a type of money). Doneraile then challenged Curran to a duel. Doneraile shot and missed, and Curran chose not to fire back.

This trial and duel made Curran famous. In 1782, after seven years as a lawyer, he became a King's Counsel. This was a senior lawyer position, supported by the Attorney-General, Barry Yelverton.

Marriage and Family Life

In 1774, Curran married his cousin, Sarah Creagh. She was the daughter of a doctor from County Cork. Their first daughter, Amelia, was born in 1775. They had eight more children. However, their marriage did not last.

Working in Parliament

Fighting for Change

Curran became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kilbeggan in 1783. He later represented Rathcormack from 1790 to 1798. Then he served for Banagher from 1800 until the Act of Union in 1801. This Act joined the Irish Parliament with the British Parliament.

Curran entered the Irish House of Commons after the "Revolution of 1782." At that time, British soldiers had left Ireland to fight in the American War of Independence. This made the British government nervous about the Irish Volunteer movement. So, Britain gave the Irish Parliament more power to make its own laws.

In his first big speech in the Irish House of Commons, Curran supported Henry Flood's efforts. Flood wanted to improve the parliament even more. He suggested getting rid of "pocket boroughs." These were small areas that allowed powerful lords to control many seats in the Irish Parliament.

However, the powerful lords, who were mostly Protestant, were confident that British soldiers would return. They also liked the favors they received from the government. They decided to keep the "Constitution" as it was. This made Curran realize that they needed to include the Catholic majority in Ireland, who had no voting rights.

Supporting Catholic Rights

On the tenth anniversary of the 1782 changes, Curran said that Ireland's independence was due to a "partial union" between Protestants and Catholics. He felt that the Patriots had accepted Catholic support but had not given them a fair share of the victory. He believed this made the Irish Parliament still controlled by the "British Minister."

Curran agreed with Wolfe Tone's idea from 1791. Tone argued that without full rights for Catholics, they could not truly unite with Protestants. He believed that without this unity, the powerful Protestant leaders would continue to misrepresent Ireland. They would put England's interests before Ireland's.

Curran warned that if this continued, it would lead to a "Union with Great Britain." He said this would mean important people leaving Ireland. It would also mean paying British taxes without getting British trade benefits. He believed it would make the Irish people lose their identity as a nation.

Curran, a friend of Henry Grattan, pushed for Catholic emancipation. After some voting rights were given to Catholics in 1795, Curran focused on allowing Catholics to sit in Parliament and hold public office. The government, fighting Republican France, stopped further efforts.

In 1796, Curran spoke against a bill that allowed magistrates to send poor people away for minor reasons. He said it was "a Bill for the rich, and against the poor." He warned that if laws were made against poverty, poverty might create laws against the rich.

In October 1796, Curran supported Grattan's idea that Ireland's defense would be stronger if everyone had the same rights, regardless of religion. In May 1797, he supported William Ponsonby's plan for big reforms. When the government rejected these ideas, Curran and his friends stopped attending Parliament debates.

Defending the United Irishmen

Many people were frustrated with the government. The Society of United Irishmen, led by Wolfe Tone, decided to try and gain a national government by force. They hoped for help from France.

Even though he received threats, Curran became a key lawyer for the United Irishmen when they were accused of serious crimes. He took William Sampson as his junior lawyer.

Curran's court performances were widely reported and admired. However, he often could not get his clients acquitted in the most famous cases.

In Ireland, a person could be convicted of treason with just one witness. Curran tried to win cases by cross-examining government witnesses (who were often paid informers) for a long time. He tried to catch them in lies. He used this very well in 1797 for eleven people accused of attacking a loyalist's house. His questioning of the main witness was very strong, and all the accused were found not guilty.

Curran also defended Peter Finnerty, who was accused of criticizing judges and the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Curran seemed more interested in re-trying the case that had sent another man, William Orr, to prison, and in embarrassing the government. Finnerty was sentenced to time in the pillory and two years in prison.

In 1802, Curran won damages from Major Sirr. Sirr had shot and killed Lord Edward FitzGerald during an arrest in 1798. Curran showed that Sirr and his colleague had used unfair methods like wrongful arrest and imprisonment to get what they wanted. Curran used this case to highlight that these unfair methods were also used to stop the United Irishmen movement.

It was rumored that if the rebels had won in 1798, they would have chosen Curran to be part of their governing committee.

Later Life and Legacy

Retirement and Final Years

In 1806, Curran was appointed Master of the Rolls in Ireland. This was a high-paying job in the Irish legal system. Daniel O'Connell was later offered this job but refused it.

In 1814, Curran retired and moved to London. There, he enjoyed spending time with friends like Thomas Erskine (who also defended reformers), John Horne Tooke, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the Prince Regent, William Godwin, and Thomas Moore (a famous Irish poet).

However, his later years were sad due to personal problems and political disappointments. He felt that everything was going back to how it was before. He saw -France being controlled again, Spain returning to old ways, and Ireland still struggling.

In the summer of 1817, he suffered a stroke while having dinner. He passed away on October 14, 1817, at the age of 67. A few days before he died, when Irish politics were mentioned, he cried.

Remembering John Curran

In 1837, Curran's body was moved from London to Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin. He was buried in a classical-style stone tomb. In 1845, a white marble memorial with a carved statue by Christopher Moore was placed near the west door of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.

Sir Jonah Barrington, who knew Curran well, described him. He said Curran was small and not very graceful, with thin limbs and a yellowish, wrinkled face. But his eyes and eyebrows were very expressive, showing his thoughts and humor. Barrington said Curran's quick movements, energy, sparkling eyes, and varied voice made him lively in any group.

Lord Byron said after Curran's death that he had heard Curran speak "more poetry than I have seen written." Karl Marx called Curran "the only great lawyer (people's advocate) of the eighteenth century and the noblest personality."

Famous Sayings and Wit

A restated version of John Curran's quote is engraved into a statue in Washington D.C.

Curran was known for his clever and witty remarks. Here are some of them:

• "I have never yet heard of a murderer who was not afraid of a ghost."

* He said this to a politician who supported the Act of Union. The politician said he hated seeing the empty Parliament House, Dublin (where the Irish Parliament used to meet). Curran replied that he wasn't surprised, because a murderer is always afraid of a ghost.

• "Assassinate me you may; intimidate me you cannot."
• "His smile is like the silver plate on a coffin."
• "In this administration, a place can be found for every bad man."
• "It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."

* This means that if people are lazy, they will lose their rights to those who are active. To keep freedom, people must always be watchful. If they stop watching, they will become enslaved. This quote is on a statue in Washington D.C.

• "No matter with what solemnities he may have been devoted on the altar of slavery, the moment he touches the sacred soil of Britain, the altar and the god sink together in the dust; his soul walks abroad in her own majesty; his body swells beyond the measure of his chains which burst from around him, and he stands redeemed, regenerated, and disenthralled, by the irresistible genius of universal emancipation."

* Curran said this while defending James Somersett, a slave from Jamaica. Somersett declared his freedom when he was brought to Britain, where slavery was banned. This speech was often used by people fighting to end slavery.

• "Evil prospers when good men do nothing."

* This quote is also sometimes linked to Edmund Burke.

• Judge: (to Curran, whose wig was crooked) Curran, do you see anything ridiculous in this wig?

 :Curran: Nothing but the head, my lord!

• "My dear doctor, I am surprised to hear you say that I am coughing very badly, as I have been practising all night."
• "When I can't talk sense, I talk metaphor."

More of Curran's Wit

One night, Curran was eating dinner with Justice Toler, a judge known for sentencing many people to death.

Toler: Curran, is that hung-beef? (meaning dried beef)

Curran: Do try it, my lord, then it is sure to be! (a play on words, suggesting the judge would "hang" the beef)

Curran hated the Act of Union. This act removed the Parliament of Ireland and combined it with the British Parliament. The Irish Parliament had been in a beautiful building in Dublin. A lord who supported the Act of Union said, "Curran, what do they mean to do with this useless building? For my part, I hate the very sight of it!" Curran replied, "I do not wonder at it, my lord. I have never yet heard of a murderer who is not afraid of a ghost."

One morning, Curran arrived late to court. The judge, Viscount Avonmore, asked for an explanation. Curran began, "On my way to court, I passed through the market—" "Yes, I know, the Castle Market," interrupted the judge. "Exactly, the Castle Market," Curran continued, "and passing near one of the stalls, I saw a strong butcher holding a sharp, shining knife. A calf was waiting to be killed. At that moment—that critical moment—a lovely little girl came running along from her father's stall. Before a moment had passed, the butcher had plunged his knife into the breast of—" "Good God! His child!" sobbed the judge, very upset. Curran finished, "No, the calf, but your Lordship often anticipates."

A prosecutor, angry at Curran's insults, threatened to put him in his pocket. "If you do that," Curran replied, "you will have more law in your pocket than you ever had in your head."

In a debate with John Fitzgibbon, 1st Earl of Clare, Fitzgibbon said Curran was being too picky. He argued that the words "also" and "likewise" meant the same thing. "Hardly, my Lord," Curran replied. "I remember when the great Lord Lifford was in charge of this Court. You also preside here, but you certainly do not preside likewise."