John Dopping

John Dopping was a JP / RM, an authority on local folklore in North Longford and South Cavan, a Gaelic Scholar which was a rarity for the Anglo Irish families, and got off a man on a sheep stealing charge for humanitarian reasons.

He started off as a JP, and was in time Resident Magistrate in Rathangan in Kildare, and Arvagh in Cavan, but it was as police magistrate he became noted for justice.

On April 1 1848 (Source 3) a man by the name of John Diamond (Source 2) was up on a sheep stealing case, but was got off the charge when a plea was put in for him by Dopping at his trial in Clifden, where Dopping was Police Magistrate.

His wife from hunger and madness caused by hunger had eaten the feet of their deceased child according to stories in the area, and in order to feed her Diamond stole the sheep Doppings declared. This was investigated and the corpse of the youth exhumed, from which the flesh of the lower legs indeed was missing.

On the negative side, he was a member of the Brunswick Club, a senior one in Longford, and spoke on rally platforms for them, though whether this was from conviction or to fit in with his class its not known.

Drowned in the Lough Gowna drownings of April 3/4 1855 along with three friends.

Sources:

1) Picture from Anthony Dopping / Frank Columb “The Lough Gowna Valley”
2) John Diamond Case “Eating Humans is Wrong”
3) John Diamond Case – Frank Columb “The Lough Gowna Valley” (p89) quoting Galway Vindicator
4) Brunswick Club

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Personal Information

John Dopping

Name	John Dopping
Death	3/4/1855 in Lough Gowna, Co. Longford from Drowning
Parents	Catherine Dopping neé Smyth Ralph Dopping
Wife	Frances Dopping neé Cottingham (1822 - )
School 1	Governess as child.
School 2	Trinity College, Dublin
Religion 1	Church of Ireland
Profession 1	JP
Profession 2	Gaelic Scholar
Bio Notes	Member of the anti Emancipation "Brunswick Club" in Longford. JP Testified in clemency to support Diamond man in Connemara Cannibalism case. Recorded a lot of the North Longford folklore, a cited Gaelic scholar.

Siblings

	Name	Birth	Death
	Mary Doppingasdasds		Deceased
	Henry Doppingasdasds		Deceased

Children

	Name	Birth	Death
	John Doppingasdasds	1830 in Derrycassin, Co. Longford	ON 21/09/1869
	Haidée Doppingasdasds		Deceased
	Charlotte Doppingasdasds		Deceased
	James Doppingasdasds		31 Oct 1896
	Ralph Dopping Hepenstalasdasds		Deceased

Children-in-Law

	Name	Birth	Death
	William Creaghasdasds		Deceased
	John Stollasdasds	1812	1877
	Helen Mooreasdasds		Deceased
	Amy Attfieldasdasds		Deceased
	Annie Foxasdasds		Deceased
	Diana Margaret Hepenstalasdasds	1833 in Altidore, Wicklow	ON 25th of February 1864

Grand-Children

	Name	Birth	Death
	Charlotte Stollasdasds		Deceased
	Constance Creaghasdasds		Deceased
	Edward Creaghasdasds		Sep 03 1954
	Ralph Creaghasdasds	Aug 23 1864	Jan 27 1904
	Arthur Creaghasdasds	29 April, 1866	27 November, 1941
	Charlotte Doppingasdasds	Dublin	1933
	Maxwell Dopping Hepenstalasdasds	1872 in Duncan, BC, Canada	1965
	Lambert Dopping Hepenstalasdasds	3/8/1859 in Derrycassan, Co. Longford	Deceased

Great-Grand-Children

	Name	Birth	Death
	William Boydasdasds	4/2/1890	Deceased
	Agnes Boydasdasds	18/4/1888 in 18/4/1954	ON
	Helen Boydasdasds	17/4/1882 in 7/2/1945	ON
	Lily Boydasdasds	8/3/1881 in 9/3/1881	ON
	Kathleen DOPPING-HEPENSTALasdasds	1923 in Dublin	15 Jan 2014
	Lambert Dopping-Hepenstalasdasds	15 Feb 1921	ON Mar 2001
	Robert Carewasdasds	May 22 1860 in Ballinamona Park, Co Waterford	Deceased
	John Boydasdasds	14/2/1886	Deceased
	Mary Boydasdasds	1880 in Ballymacoole House, Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland	1960

Great-Great-Grand-Children

	Name	Birth	Death
	Patricia Dopping-Hepenstalasdasds
	Lambert Dopping-Hepenstalasdasds
	Roberta Carewasdasds
	John Boydasdasds	23/9/1917	17/1/1941