Posted by Anna Rudden

Hi Bill

I enjoyed reading about John Rudden the wanted man. It reminded me of another story I heard about another wanted Rudden. Going back about 10 years ago when I first started looking into the family history,I decided to look in the local Melbourne phone book to see if there were any Ruddens and I found 2.So I decided to give them a call and see if they were from Ireland.One had died recently but the other Rudden, John told me the story of Joe Rudden.

John had had a phone call from an American Doctor who was over in Australia on business and whenever this Doctor would go to a new place he would look up any Ruddens in the phone book and give them a call.He was in search of his lost Uncle Joe.

The story goes that  when Joe Rudden was a young lad he worked as a stable hand for some English lord who had stables in Ireland. One night a foal was born to a champion racehorse and Joe helped with the delivery but the wee foal had a twisted leg or something like that.The English Lord told Joe to put the foal down as it would never be any good. But Joe being the kind hearted Rudden that he was took the foal and hid it.Over time Joe cared for the  horse and fixed its leg.He trained it and when it was ready he raced it and the horse stared winning.Now the English Lord got wind of the winning horse and somehow found out that it was his foal.He confronted Joe and an argument broke out.The English Lord struck Joe then Joe hit back causing the man to loose his balance,fall and hit his head . Joe panicked and ran off home .Later he found out the English man had died. Joe’s family told him to get on a ship to America and never come back as they will hang you if they find you.So Joe left Ireland changed his name and was never heard of again.His brother later went to America and spent the rest of his life looking for him.The Doctor from America was the son of Joes brother.

I often wonder if he ever found Joes family.

It would make a great movie lol

Isn’t Scott Rudin in the movie business lol I nearly forgot to mention I am looking for info on my great grandmother Susan Rudden. I have nothing to go on except that she had a son James born 1891 in the Work house in Monaghan.Susan was unmarried.My grandfather James called himself a Cavan Lad so I quess he must have lived in Cavan before going to Scotland around 1903.

Seamus I am glad to see you finally got this up and running Regards Anna