JOI-IN < McNAGH'rEN-THE MAN WHO REFUSED ,TO .BE HALF-HANGED .John McNaghten was the head of a Scottish family which came to Antrim in the late sixteenth century to act as sheneschals for :~heir kinsmen the MacDonnel:s of Antrim. He was born in the year 1722 and when only six years old .succeeded to his ·father's property. As a youth, at school in the Royal School, Raphoe, and afterwards at Trinity College, Dublin, he became so addicted to gambling that even as a young man he was forced to ·sell ·.some and mortage the rest of his estates. His first wife, a sister of Lady Masserer.e, died from shock on hearing of one of her husband's reickles·s deeds~an event which he deeply deplored. After this his affairs became so de$perate that a few influential friends came to his aid. His brothei·-in-law, Lord Masserene, obtained for him the ColJ.ectorship of Taxes for the County of Coleraine and his ·sister's husband became his surety for £2,000, the amount of the bond required for that position. 'Within two years he had lost the post through emibezziing £800 of public monies. Andrew Knox of Prehen, near Derry, tl.1en took pity on McNaghten's .Plight and invited him to Prehen for a few weeks unrtil another posibon could be found for him. 1vVhile at .Prehen he determined to marry Knox's heiress, a girl of fifteen years and in la very short time had induced the y.oung lady to read the marriage service with him in the preis:ence of a witness. He then claimed her 1as hi,s bride ; 1a claim '\Vhich her father promptly hlad declared inuJl and void by the Court of Delegiates. 1Then in order to free hi:5 daughter from McNaghten's attentions Mr. Kn1ox decided to move with his f :tmily to Dublin. .1\ilcNaghten hearing of these plans arr1anged to ambush them erroute and to abduct his lady love. He then chose a ·spot on the Derry-Dublin road three miles from Strabane and with a servant and two ten1ants took up positions there. Knox feared .something of tihis nature and well tarmed guards rode with the family coach. In the dash which followecl 1McNaght,en w21s wounded in the black and in a rage rushed to1wards the coaoh to shoot Mr. Kn10x. The daughter sensing what was being done thre1w her arms about her father land in shielding him received the full charge of gunsh0it in her side. She died in agony a few 1hours later. iT,hils tragic ol<'currenee took p1 ace on the lOth N:av·ember 1760. Two hours after the attempted abduction McNa·ghten was captured, but only after a fierce struggle followed by attempted 1sui:cid0. !One of his tcn~mts. Thomn.s Dunlap, w:-is betray0<l 1a fe:w dayh :::,ft.er1wr1r<ls and \,\t:ls lodged in Lifforc.l g:wl with his master. McNaghten's other {tssociates, Gem·gc McDougall and J1amos 323.
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