Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Taaffe, John
TAAFFE, JOHN (fl. 1685–1708), informer, was an Irish priest whose real name is said to have been Thomas O’Mullen. He also at one time styled himself Father Vincent. He was secretary to the papal nuncio D’Adda on his mission to James II. After the revolution of 1688 Taaffe turned protestant, married, and obtained a small pension, being employed by the government in collecting evidence against the legitimacy of the Pretender, as well as in discovering estates bequeathed for catholic purposes. On the arrival in London in December 1693 of John Lunt, a Jacobite emissary, Taaffe, who was acquainted with Lunt’s wife, induced him to change sides, and introduced him to Sir John Trenchard [q. v.], secretary of state. Lunt alleged that in 1692 James II had sent him with commissions to catholic gentry in Lancashire with a view to a rising simultaneously with a French invasion. Taaffe was sent to Lancashire with Lunt to search for arms and correspondence, but he was detected in abstracting communion plate and money belonging to Roman catholic families, and on returning to London received a reprimand in lieu of a reward. Thereupon he went to the friends of the Lancashire prisoners, offering to divulge the evidence against them, so that they might be prepared to rebut it, and to swear that the whole story of the plot had been concocted by himself and Lunt. His offer was accepted, and he received 20l. on account, with the promise of an annuity. Accordingly at the trial at Manchester, 16 and 17 Oct. 1694, Taaffe made his retractation, together with such allegations against Lunt that though concealed arms had been found, Sir William Williams (1634–1700) [q. v.], solicitor-general, threw up the case for the prosecution. The prisoners were acquitted, and the other defendants discharged. Not satisfied with this triumph, the Jacobites, on the meeting of parliament, raised debates in both houses, and demanded the counter-prosecution of the crown witnesses for perjury. Eventually, however, both houses affirmed that a Jacobite plot had existed, a stringent bill against perjury was dropped, and the counter-prosecution was abandoned. Taaffe was examined by the House of Commons, 24 Nov., and committed to prison, but liberated on bail. He was also committed to prison by the House of Lords on 8 Feb. 1695, but was discharged on the 26th. He was again imprisoned by the privy council in February 1696 (see Luttrell, Diary}. He is said to have concealed himself in Lancashire to avoid prosecution. When very old and poor he waited on Speaker Onslow, to whom he showed documents respecting his discoveries of estates left for catholic uses (Onslow’s notes to Burnet). Nothing more is known of him.
[Burnet’s Hist. of his own Time, bk. 6; Wagstaff’s Letter out of Lancashire, 1694; Pamphlets by Robert Ferguson (d. 1714) [q. v.]; Kingston’s True History, 1698; Jacobite Trials in Manchester Chetham Soc., vol. xxviii. 1852; Ralph’s Hist. of England, ii. 523, 560; Howell’s State Trials, vol. xii.; Clarke’s Life of James II, ii, 524; Boyer’s Hist. of William III; Macaulay’s Hist. of England; Kenyon Papers in Hist. MSS. Comm. 14th Rep. App. pt. iv.; cf. art. Smith, Aaron (d. 1697?).]