The first lynching
Sir: Let me point Dot Wordsworth to the origin of the use of the name Lynch in its relation to lynch law (Mind your language, 26 February). The Anglo-Norman mayor of the city of Galway — one James Lynch FitzStephen — in 1493 brought back from Spain the only son of his Spanish host, for a visit to Galway. This young man proved to be more than usually attractive to the girlfriend of his host's — the mayor's — son, a 'wild card' in local parlance. So, in a moment of passion, he killed the young Spaniard. The stern Norman father sentenced his son to death, but could not find an executioner to carry out the sentence. So he hanged his only son himself, from an upstairs window in his house, before the eyes of his people, to teach them a lesson. This act is com- memorated by a stone plate above the door there to this very day.
Paddy Falloon
Millicent House, Sallins, Co Kildare Ireland
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