{"id":1405,"date":"2013-02-14T13:49:51","date_gmt":"2013-02-14T13:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=1405"},"modified":"2015-01-24T13:53:21","modified_gmt":"2015-01-24T13:53:21","slug":"the-curse-of-a-bride-jilted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-curse-of-a-bride-jilted\/","title":{"rendered":"The Curse of a Bride Jilted"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"McKee,
McKee, and the bridesmaid who he married, both were burned, in a seeming realisation of the Brides Curse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Scottish fashion to be wed
\nHugh Mc Kee to the Tavern did go
\nAnd all were assembled there
\nBar the bride who did not show
\nAnd Hugh was disappointed
\nBeside himself and distraught
\nHumiliated and angry
\nDecreed that marry the bridesmaid he ought.
\nAnd on her giving to him her consent
\nThe ceremony it then went ahead
\nOnly for the bride to turn up
\nAs the bridesmaid and groom as man and wife were made<\/p>\n

Of hearing the calamity
\nHer dressmaker held her up she exclaimed
\nAnd rode in all the way on horseback
\nAnd by her friend was shamed
\nAnd she eerily predicted
\nThat the man she may have won
\nBut Judgement would fall on her
\nAnd him for what they had done.<\/p>\n

And in time came the troubles
\nAnd fear and fighting was great
\nThe peasantry was up in arms
\nIn the year of 98
\nAnd the croppies came a calling
\nTo with violence settle a score
\nFor McKee had men hung falsely
\nClaiming they attacked his house some years before<\/p>\n

And they set fire to the welling
\nAnd in the inferno Hugh lost his life
\nAs did his five sons and three daughters
\nAnd also his Bridesmaid wife
\nSome said it was just an event of the times
\nOthers darkly said they were not surprised
\nFor a brides curse is a powerful one
\nAnd it seemed the Brides Curse was realised.<\/p>\n

—oOo—<\/p>\n

The Story Behind the Poem<\/strong><\/p>\n

A JUDGMENT: OR A ROMANCE WITH A TRAGIC ENDING<\/p>\n

\n

Mr. William Orr, of New Line, Saintfield, who believes he may be a descendant of one of the parties involved in the burning of the McKee family, has a quotation from “A History of the Descendants of David McKee, Annahilt”, published in Philadelphia in 1892. It includes the following story about the Hugh McKee whose family suffered the terrible fate:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“Hugh was engaged to be married to a girl in the Ards. He went on the day arranged to the tavern where according to Scottish fashion the marriage was to take place. The clergyman, bridesmaid and all were there, except the bride.<\/address>\n
After what seemed an endless wait and everyone had given up hopes of the bride’s appearance, Hugh, deeply chagrined and disappointed, turned to the bridesmaid with the question “Will you have me, then?” She consented, and the ceremony was immediately performed.<\/address>\n
“The last word had scarcely been spoken, when the intended bride came galloping up to the door on horseback, having been delayed by her dressmaker. On learning the turn which matters had taken she violently upbraided her friend and bridesmaid, and left, telling her that some judgement would fall on her for what she had done.<\/address>\n
“How tragic was the subsequent fate of Hugh, his wife, five sons and three daughters, at their farmstead at Craigy.<\/address>\n
Dozens of Croppies attacked the house with firearms. A valiant but ineffectual defence was offered. Soon the house was ablaze, and in the end the inmates were immolated. The threat of the disappointed bride was fearfully realised”.<\/address>\n
The McKee family had 12 men hanged for falsely attacking their house, and were burned out by croppies and all perished. Was it justice… or a supernatural curse of a jilted bride that caused it?<\/address>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Scottish fashion to be wed Hugh Mc Kee to the Tavern did go And all were assembled there Bar the bride who did not show And Hugh was disappointed Beside himself and distraught Humiliated and angry Decreed that marry the bridesmaid he ought. And on her giving to him …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[412,178,1094],"tags":[561,1598,1599,1602,1601,1596,1600,1593,922,1595,293,1101,1490,1597,1594,562,1095,2370,1592],"class_list":["post-1405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1798-rebellion","category-irish-romances","category-ulster-scots","tag-561","tag-ards","tag-county-down","tag-craigy","tag-croppies","tag-curse","tag-david-mckee","tag-irish-romance","tag-love-story","tag-murder","tag-romance","tag-scots","tag-taboo","tag-tavern","tag-tragic-romance","tag-turn-oot","tag-ulster","tag-ulster-scots","tag-wedding","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-mF","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":893,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-death-of-betsy-gray\/","url_meta":{"origin":1405,"position":0},"title":"The Death of Betsy Gray","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"20th October 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Oh, Erin mourns a daughter Who was tragically cut away A Scot of Ulster who for Ireland Was killed one fateful day Her hand cut off by a traitor Who tried to apprehend her She used upon the English Their own cry of \"No Surrender\" And though she was a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "1798 Rebellion"","block_context":{"text":"1798 Rebellion","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/irelands-wars\/1798-rebellion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Betsy Grey - Presbyterian patriot who died for Ireland","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Betsy-Grey.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3775,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/to-march-they-had-no-need\/","url_meta":{"origin":1405,"position":1},"title":"To March They Had No Need","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"12th July 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Not all Protestants have a need for Orangism, though there is a face that is not as bigoted as what is presented in the years of late. 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