John Philpot Curran - Private Life

Private Life

He married in 1774, to his cousin Sarah Creagh (1755–1844), the daughter of Richard Creagh, a County Cork physician. His eldest daughter Amelia was born in 1775, and eight more children resulted from the union, but his marriage disintegrated, his wife eventually deserting him and eloping with Reverend Abraham Sandys, whom Curran sued afterwards for Criminal conversation in 1795.

His daughter Sarah's brief romance with the rebel Robert Emmet, who was hanged for treason in 1803, scandalised Curran, who had tried to split them up at one point. He was arrested and agreed to pass their correspondence on to the attorney general. In the circumstances he could not defend Emmet. He was suspected with involvement in Emmet's Rebellion, but was completely exonerated. However, his friend Lord Kilwarden was killed by the rebels, and he lost any faith in the beliefs of the United Irishmen.

In Dublin, he was a member of Daly's Club.

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