Society Saturday: Molly Maguires

The Molly Maguires was a secret predominantly Irish society known for its activities in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania. Depending on who you ask depends on the second part of the definition. They were either a group of Irish men and women who stood together fighting for the rights and safety of the coal miners and their families. Or, they were a terroristic group of Irish men who wreaked havoc in the coal regions. I suppose it depends on what side of the mine shaft you stood.

Disclaimer:

Now before I delve into this society, I should put out my disclaimer and opinion now since I am sure it will come out in my writing. My 2x great grandmother, Anna Keating Walsh (later changed to Welsh), is rumored to have been a Molly Maguire – according to my cousins (her great grandchildren). Hence, my interest is also centered around the Shenandoah area as that is where my family lived for a spell. While I would like to get to the truth regardless of which it is, I have to say that my Irish kin are very mild mannered and I could never believe any Irishman (or woman) was/is part of a terroristic group.

For the sake of this article post:

While the Molly Maguire is said to be a woman, by that name, in Ireland who killed several landowners’ agents, this post will focus on the secret organization as it pertained to Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

The Molly Maguires

Local law enforcement (if one could call it that) first became aware of the Mollie Maguires during the summer of 1862. My Anna Keating would have been seven that year and, while I have not found documentation, it is believed that is when she arrived in America from

Ireland

At least 50 murders occurred between 1 January 1863 and 30 March 1867 in Schuylkill County, according to the “Miner’s Journal.” The Molly Maguires were never charged with these or any other crimes committed, that is until the Pinkerton Agency got involved in 1873.

James McKenna, an alias of James McParlan of Pinkerton, reported back that the Mahanoy Valley was the focal point of the Mollies and that all Mollies were also members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH). That said, not every member of the AOH was necessarily a Molly Maguire. McKenna set up headquarters the next spring in Shenandoah and, on 14 April 1874, he infiltrated the AOH becoming a member.

Sometime before November 1874, Catholic clergy denounced the Molly Maguires. That is when, according to the Sunbury American, “new and frightful diabolism” occurred. In fact the society was actually excommunicated by the Archbishop if Philadelphia, according to a later article in the New York Times.

One infamous Molly Maguire named Daniel Dougherty was accused of murdering Chief Burgess George Major. According to the Sunbury American, Dougherty was guilt. According to Aurand’s text, Dougherty was actually innocent. Either way this case caused much excitement.

McKenna attended the AOH meetings and, when certain orders were made, he was able to warn the intended victims before the Mollies took action.

Six men, all believed to be Molly Maguires, were hung at Pottsville on 21 June 1877. Five of them men were accused of murdering police officer Frank B. Yost. The other allegedly killed another man.

In 1875 McKenna took the stand against the Molly Maguires revealing himself as McParlan, shocking nearly everyone in the court. It was the first time a Molly Maguire was ever actually convicted. Several other hangings were also held. In all, 20 men were tried, convicted and hanged. This essentially put an end to the Molly Maguires.

The AOH still exists. It is the oldest Irish Catholic fraternal organization in the States, dating back to 1836.

Sources:

Aurand, Jr., A. Monroe. Historical Account of the Mollie Maguires. Lancaster: Aurand Press.

"Crime in the Coalfields," Sunbury American ( Sunbury, PA) , 27 November 1874, Page 1, Image 1, col. 7. Accessed online 24 January 2015.

“Molly Maguires Excommunicated,” New York Times, 22 December 1875.

"The Molly Maguires," The Elk County Advocate (Ridgeway, PA), 25 May 1976, Page 4, Image 4, col. 4. Accessed online 24 January 2015.

Society Saturday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.

Coatesville's First Serial Killer

Young Alexander Meyer was a disturbed and angry young man with some major issues. He had failed sixth and seventh grade, and instead of having to repeat eighth grade again, he finally gave up on school. At age 16 he quit Downingtown Junior High. Meyer is not a relative, nor are his victims (that I am aware). I stumbled upon young Alex while reading Tortured Minds: Pennsylvania's Most Bizarre - But Forgotten - Murders by Tammy Mal. On 11 February 1937 Alexander Thweatt Meyer killed young Helen Moyer as she walked home from school in Coatesville along Modena Road. She was not his first. The jury was out only three minutes after hearing Dr. Michael Margolis' testimony on the death of Helen Moyer. The jury determined Meyer had murdered Moyer and should be held for first degree murder. The jury also condemned the parole system which had released Meyer back into the public, after having served just 14 months in Huntingdon Reformatory, for the murder of two other girls - Anna Blasc

Thaddeus Stevens at the Lancaster Convention Center

Within the Lancaster Convention Center (Lancaster, PA) is a small section dedicated to Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith. The section is known as the Stevens & Smith Historic Site. It is scheduled for development this year. At the moment one can only get a glimpse of it through the Convention Center or by peeking in from the outside. Here at Queen and Vine Streets in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania, Thaddeus Stevens had his law office. Stevens was an abolitionist. An abolitionist is a person who favors the abolition of a practice or institution, especially capital punishment or (formerly) slavery. Stevens was born 4 April 1792 to Joshua Stevens and Sarah (Sally) Morrill in Danville Vermont. One of four children, he attended Vermont University from 1810 to 1812 when the War prompted its closure. He then went to Dartmouth, where he graduated in 1814. He then studied law and found himself set up in Gettysburg, PA in 1816. He practiced law there until 1828 when he found hi

Living History Offers Opportunity to Step Back in Time

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to work the fields on a plantation during the Revolutionary War? Or stroll through an 18th century village? Or fight in battle during the Civil War? Living history offers an interactive perspective which incorporates historical activities and dress providing a sense of stepping back in time. So, how can YOU step back in time? Rock Ford volunteer Nancy Bradley in the Study of the mansion Rock Ford Plantation, in Lancaster County, PA, will be hosting a Volunteer Tour Guide Recruitment Event on Sunday, 22 March. They need tour guides for its upcoming tour season. Built circa 1794, Rock Ford was the home of Edward Hand and his family. Hand, an Irish immigrant and physician, served as Adjutant General to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Volunteer tour guides at Rock Ford bring the past to life for museum visitors. A tour guide can be any person aged 18 years and up. No experience is necessary, and trainin

Genealogical Gems

Search This Blog