The Execution of John Hadsor

Norman Architecture in Louth. From: Louth Heritage web 

The relationship of the Anglo-Norman aristocracy in Ireland and the English Crown were complex from the beginning. Of course, the barons wanted to run their own show, and at times this suited the English well enough – since strong, independent local overlords maintaining the system – was highly cost-effective. But in such cases lines could easily be crossed, as the barons sought to enrich themselves and also formed local defensive and offensive alliances with the local Irish. In the mid-fifteenth century, John Hadsor succeeded in turning himself into something of a case-study, following his own interests by and large until the crown authorities got too close to him, and then pretending fealty until they were out of the way again.

This policy worked for only so long. Sometime in the 1450s, John was finally captured and executed for treasons and felonies that included kidnapping, murder, refusing to allow burial to one of his victims, but instead leaving him to be consumed by dogs, and even worse entering marriages and forming alliances with the local McMahon chieftains, and at the same time adopting ‘the abominable conditions and inhuman manners of the Irish enemies of our Sovereign Lord...’.

John had at one point been Sheriff of Louth. Other Hadsors of the time, included the Mayor of Dublin and the Bishop of Meath.

The essential moral of the story, at least as far as the local Anglo-Normans were concerned, was do not consort with the native Irish. And this was by no means a new policy. Effectively, what was being proposed was a very early version of apartheid.

See: Don Hodger’s in-depth article for more on John Hadzor: