John Going, eldest son of Richard Going and Anne White Going, was born July 3, 1766 at Birdhill Estate in County Tipperary, Ireland, according to "Going of Muenster" by Rev. C. C. Ellison. Much of the Going genealogy published by Ellison was gathered from the research of John Charles Going of Cranna House, County Tipperary who began a study of Going genealogy in 1908.
John Going married Frances Anne Shirley February 18, 1789 under a special license. She was born May 6, 1870 to Rev. Walter Shirley, rector of Loughrea and his wife Henrietta Maria Philips. After undergoing training for the clergy, John Going was named curate of Stradbally.
In 1794, he was made curate at the church at Kilmastulla where he served until 1807. He was named rector at Mealiffe in 1815 and served there until age 63 when he was shot and killed during the "Tithe Troubles." The Tithe [a tenth] was a tax whereby the whole area, irrespective of religion, had to give one tenth of what they produced to the Church of Ireland. The tithe would continue to be a point of contention between the clergy and the laity in Ireland until it was finally abolished in 1871 with the disestablishment of the Anglican Church.
Details of the murder were contained in a letter dated October 24 from "Templemore:"
"This morning the alarm here became very general that the Rev. John Going, Incumbent of the Parish of Mealiffe in this diocese was shot last night near his own house. Maj. O'Donohue, the Police Magistrate stationed here, and a party of police who were sent for express in the course of last night have just returned and confirm the melancholy intelligence.
The facts are as follows: The Rev. Mr. Going went to Thurles yesterday morning [Friday] and was at the Sessions Court where he was detained somewhat late. He was riding home between six and seven o'clock in the evening, and, when within half a mile of his own glebe [parsonage], he was shot through the heart by some ruffians who awaited his return--the unfortunate gentleman instantly fell from his horse and expired.
The animal proceding home without its rider naturally alarmed Mr. Going's family, who were expecting him to dinner. The son went out to meet his father and found him a lifeless corpse by the side of the road. It is alleged that the provocation given by this inoffensive gentleman was that he was unwilling to compound the tithes of his parish on the terms offered by his parishioners--they refusing to allow him more than £300 per annum for a parish containing 12,000 acres of tithable land and which was worth to his predecessors £700 a year, but for which he only demanded £400 and which would not be granted.
He was always very kind to the poor of his parish, making every allowance in their tithes and taking anything in lieu thereof to accommodate them."
The court record reveals that three years later, in 1832, two men were indicted for the murder of the Rev. Going, "but were defended by R. L. Sheil and acquitted." John Going had begun writing a will, and it was found, unfinished and undated, among his papers:
"I leave to my dearly beloved wife all my household furniture with jaunting car [two-wheeled cart] and horse, provided she remains with my children who are incapable of assisting themselves and are not otherwise provided for and as she is entitled to £60 a year out of the lands of Erina during her life, being the interest of £1,000 of her fortune obtained by me; I leave the remainder of the rent, £31 a year, to my 3rd son Thomas Shirley Going during her life and the entire rent for 3 lives renewable for ever after her death.
I also leave to my 4th son Charles the third part of the interest coming to me out of the lands of Grange on the decease of my sister Jane Going, as stated in my father's will.
I also leave to my 2nd son Henry all my interest in the lands of Birdhill,
Summerhill and Pollough Brehan, provided he takes under his protection his mother
and unmarried sisters and pays each of them [that is his unmarried sisters]
£500 in addition to what they may be entitled to of their mother's fortune
as younger children after her decease."
Children born to the Rev. John Going and Frances Anne Shirley Going include: