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Bailey Sarian
You know, when you think about it, most of like what we know about the world is through history's most famous families. And like those families are usually involved in politics or royalty. There are so many other families in history that get looked over because you know, they don't seem as important, but they are just as rich and influential. I mean in the US we have the Kennedys, and over in Ireland they have the Guinness family. Oh yes, that Guinness. The beer your ex boyfriend loved. Maybe a little too much. As I started to look into the family, I expected it to be, I don't know, kind of boring. I mean, they made beer, you know, they're worth like a billion dollars. It's like, oh, what else is there? But when I started to get into it, I was shocked. I mean, I thought the Kennedy family deaths were bad. This was way worse. This family has been a part of some of the biggest events in Ireland's history and they have some serious skeletons in the closet. Skeleton like Paul. Plus they have a family curse that sounds like it's straight out of a Final Destination movie. So welcome to the dark history of the Guinness family. Hi friends. I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian and I like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Here we believe history does not have to be boring. I mean, it might be tragic, it might be happy, but either way, it's our dark history. Now before we get into it, don't forget to like and subscribe because I come out with that hot juicy history goss every week. And plus let me know what you think down below in the comments section. I love hearing from you. And you know, at the end I read some comments, maybe I'll read yours. Now let's get into today's story. So let's start with the founding father of Guinness. His name is Arthur Guinness. In 1725, he was born in a small Irish town called Selbridge and he grew up in a working class family and started working basically as soon as he could walk. He and his whole family worked at a place called Carberry Malthouse. A malthouse back then is where, like, beer was made. The family worked for a local, wealthy landowner and Bishop. And I guess they were pretty good at their job because once the landowner died, he left 100 pounds each for both Arthur and his father. Now, this equaled about, like four years of wages at the time. And, you know, it was a life changing move. I mean, again, it's the 1700s, so £100 was a lot of money. Like in today's dollars, it would be kind of like $34,000. I mean, great, right? I mean, most people were screwed over when their boss died. You know, they had to go find work on another property. But the Guinness family basically got a fresh start in life. And it was at the perfect time, too. So during this time, Ireland was going through a serious financial crisis in the mid-1700s. The everyday person had very little money, and the money they did have was used to feed their family. This meant there were tons of expensive buildings that were just kind of dirt cheap and ready to be scooped up. Arthur Guinness and his brother used that money that they got to buy a brewery near Dublin. And they wanted to take a stab at the beer industry. Breweries in Dublin were kind of struggling because of imported beer from Britain, but Arthur believed he had a chance at standing out. He knew how to brew it himself. I mean, working in the beer industry was practically, like, in his DNA. So he took a chance and he started that brewery. And then it paid off, I guess right away. It made a lot of profit. The taste was unique, and people loved that they were drinking Irish beer and not English beer. So Arthur used the profits to make a bunch of other investments in real estate, flour milling, and also insurance. And then in 1759, again, Arthur takes advantage of the fact that he's got, you know, money in his pocket and they're in the middle of, like, a huge financial crisis. So he leases a property called St. James Gate, and he uses that as the main Guinness brewery. So when you think about, like, signing a lease today, it's usually like a year or two, right? But Arthur, he wanted this lease to be the deal of a lifetime. So he signs a lease for 9,000 years, and he'll only have to pay 45 pounds or $57 for a year for it. So it's safe to say that Arthur was interested in building a dynasty from the very beginning. It kind of reminds me of like, Scientology, you know, I have to. You have to sign like a billion year contract. It's kind of what he did, but like 9,000 years, same thing. That's not the point. The point is his personal life, it was kind of tragic. Like, the rest of his life was like up and up. And then his personal life, woo, bad. Just real bad. So Arthur, he married a rich woman, and her name was Olivia Whitmore. And Olivia was said to be like the backbone of the whole Guinness enterprise. She had connections to the Irish government, which was like a big plus for the family businesses. Other than that, not a lot is really known about her. But what we do know is that Arthur and Olivia had buckle in 21 children. That's a lot. I don't know if you know this, but that is a lot. Huh? Can you imagine pushing out 21? Tragically, 11 of them died before adulthood. I mean, this was the 18th century. So he's normal, which is sad to say, but it was kind of normal for, like, kids to be dying left and right. And then on the professional side of things, Arthur was very successful, but he was also very messy when it came to politics. Because Guinness was such a big part of Irish society, Arthur became like an important figure in local politics. One of his big political moves was to petition the Irish House of Commons to lower its tax on beer. And I'm sure you can put two and two together. Like, of course he wants that. I mean, he's going to get more money in his pocket. But the controversial part is his reasoning as to why he believed that it's important for the government to lower the taxes because there was a war being waged on the Irish people through liquor. Hmm. Huh? Yeah. Specifically gin and whiskey. So the British had introduced liquor to the Irish people. People got hooked on it, and they're like, this is a lot of shit. The people who liked it the most were like, the lower working class in Ireland. The alcohol strength was higher and the quality was lower. At this time, there was over like 1,000 whiskey distilleries alone. So entire towns of people were becoming addicted to this stuff. It was just a totally different situation from beer. I mean, have you ever gotten drunk off of whiskey? It's a different kind of drunk than, like, beer drunk. Arthur argued that by lowering the tax on beer, the government wouldn't just be helping his company, it would be helping society. Fair. I mean, he was convincing because the government was like, yeah, okay. By arguing against the jinn in society, it was almost like an act of resistance against the British. So this was important because at this time in the 1700s, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, so it was under their royal government rule. But Ireland believed if they stayed under this rule, their culture and history would be erased. And there was this fear that Ireland would be turned into another version of England. Most people in Ireland wanted their own country, you know, doing their own thing and not under control of the British. But Arthur, he was on his own little path. You know, he's just building an empire. He knew he would never be able to grow his business beyond Ireland if he was anti uk. Okay, so he didn't want to come off as anti uk but, you know, he also wanted to keep his Irish customers. So he's trying to play both sides. So there was this thing called the Irish rebellion in 1798. And allegedly Arthur spied on his fellow Irishmen and then passed that information to British authorities. Allegedly. There were many other rumors surrounding Arthur and his, like, allegiance to the Irish people throughout his life, but it doesn't matter. Cause despite all that, Arthur Guinness is really seen as, like, an Irish icon. He did good. I mean, he was known for creating good working conditions and giving generous benefits for his workers all the way from, like, day one. So that's great. Don't hear about that that often. You know, Arthur, he died in 1803 at the age of 78. And he died leaving an incredible legacy. And I guess you could say, in a way, he definitely accomplished his dream. He left his family, a profitable Guinness dynasty. Now, the family, all they had to do was take it to the next level and make sure that no matter what, the Guinness family or Guinness just, like, stayed on top. And the ways that they achieved that were shocking. In 1839, Arthur's grandson, Benjamin Guinness, he stepped in and, like, took over the company. Benjamin was ambitious, to say the least. He wanted to grow his family's company, not only in Ireland, but he was thinking, like, internationally as well. You know, it's like thinking big, especially England. Despite the tensions between the two countries. And after some smart business investments, Benjamin was able to do that. He actually made more money than his grandfather. But, you know, he did it in, like, a really suspish way. So kind of like his grandfather, Benjamin had some, you know, questionable politics. One of the reasons the Guinness family, like, popped off was because under his rule, there was, like, a tragedy happening in Ireland, and he kind of, like, benefited from it. So in 1845, Ireland was struck by the potato famine. So there was a disease that infected potato crops, and it was, like, killing them all over the country. Those potatoes were what most of Ireland depended on for food. So at the same time as its population was starving, Ireland was still expected to ship large portions of its food to England. And if you weren't able to produce enough crops to sell, you and your family were kicked out of your home and, like, left to just starve on the street. So it was not a great time. Most of Ireland was starving and living in poverty. Over 1 million people would end up dying of starvation over the course of this famine. And it was one of, like, the worst periods in Irish history. But if you were in the Guinness family, it was the opposite. They're like, this is the best time in history. You know, the Guinness family, they had to grow crops just like everyone else. The main ingredient of their famous beer is barley or was barley, which is a plant that's similar to wheat. And the family had tons of barley crops in Ireland. You would think that they would help, like, the people out, you know, their people, by giving out free beer or something, right? Like, free beer for all. Or maybe they would give out, like, some crops to survive. I don't know. You think they would just, like, help the people? But of course not, you know. You know what they did instead? So the landowners in charge of those fields hired armed guards to protect their precious barley, and then they made sure that this barley was shipped to England. So they were, like, prioritizing England over their own people, and this crop brought in a ton of money for them. The family used this money to buy up cheap land and estates all over Ireland. So while most people were struggling to survive, they were thriving. Now, the Guinness family wasn't, like, they weren't crappy all of the time. In fact, in Irish society, one of the things that they are most famous for is financing the restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral. This is a big deal to them because, like, this place of worship was a huge symbol to the Irish people. So it just really meant a lot. And they also threw the beloved Irish symbol of the arts onto their beer logo as well. It's the harp. Joan has a harp here. Play us a song, Joan. I'll wait. That was great. I love that. In 1868, Benjamin died at the age of 69. At the time, he was, like, the richest man in Ireland. So in just a few decades, the Guinness brewery went from, like, just a good old family business to this huge empire. By 1900, they were the biggest brewery in the world. Brewery is a hard word, isn't it? But, look, you couldn't go into, like, a bar without Seeing their beer, it was everywhere, right? And it's like, you know, it's not all success and wealth. There was a dark side to all of this. In the next few decades, the Guinness family sees, like, one tragedy over another. I'm talking, like, car accidents, overdoses, murder, freak accidents. Like, those are just a few. There was, like, this dark curse that seemed to be forming around this successful family. And I just have a few of the stories for you. By the 1920s, the Guinness family was pretty established. Like, they didn't really have to fight for power or relevance. I mean, at this point, like, Guinness was one of the top beer brands in the world, you know, and the Guinness family was just living rich, you know, just enjoying all the benefits of being rich. Especially Maureen Guinness. Maureen was just part of the Guinness family. Okay, got it. Good. So Maureen and her sisters were known as the Golden Guinness Girls. And, you know, they're wealthy, so they grew up in, like, this massive mansion with money to burn. I mean, they were coming of age during the roaring 20s, which was like, a great time to be alive, I guess. The Golden Guinness girls eventually moved to London and were just taking part in the wild nightlife. So at this time, like, if you were young, wealthy, and you were part of, like, the partying elite, you were known as, like, the bright young things, kind of creepy in a way, but, like, they became, like, celebrities because they were constantly being chased by photographers. So the Golden Guinness Girls were part of this, I guess, and became partying legends in London. So Maureen in particular was, like, known as a social climbing party animal. She would host parties that were, like, super over the top. And she loved to play practical jokes on her guests. And, like, it sounds funny and cute, but it's like, not, because, like, the jokes were just weird, you know? For example, let me tell you, one of her jokes was like, to dress up as a drunk servant and, you know, with like, an Irish accent. So she would dress up like this, and she would join the parties in this disguise and I don't know, just be like, sloppy or whatever. And then she would serve her guests wine in glasses that had holes in them so it'd spill. And then she would serve, like, fake cheese, I guess. I don't know. I guess that's, like, innocent, right? It's not that bad. I. I think. I think one of the weirdest ones was, like, she liked wearing a fake penis as a nose. Yeah. Kind of like a chin strap, but on her nose face strap were those called. Anyway, the guests, I guess they loved her. They Loved her jokes. They thought she was so funny. Ha ha ha, ha ha. She was notorious for, like, throwing these ragers, and I guess her love life was quite complicated. Oh, she's a party girl. You know, like, you can't. She's like, I'm a free spirit. You can't tie me down. She ended up getting married, like, three different times, and she had four children that were all, like, from her first husband. I guess her first husband was killed in World War II, so it left her with the responsibility of, like, raising these kids. But she's a. She's a party girl, so she's like, I don't know what to do. So according to her daughter Caroline, Maureen did not have much of, like, a maternal instinct. The only thing Maureen would talk about was, like, her glory years on the London party circuit. Her daughter Caroline would say, like, her childhood was not a happy one. Maureen didn't want to, like, stop partying and going out. So Caroline and her siblings were usually left to be raised with a nanny. Well, I guess no one was doing background checks on these nannies, you know, so, uh. Oh, and according to Caroline, while their mom was out doing whatever she was doing, their nanny would just, like, not feed them and starve them, I guess, to the point where, like, the kids would hop on their bikes and just ride around their massive estate begging people for food. So when Caroline got older, you know, she was beautiful, she was rich, and she even became a famous novelist at one point. She was a girl that I guess everyone wanted to get with, but Caroline didn't care about getting the right husband. She was going through that stage where she wanted, like, the bad boys and, like, the sensitive artists. She's like, but Danny, I love him. Eventually, she stopped asking for permission and. And ended up running away from her home to get married to her hot lover, Lucian Freud. Maureen was not happy about this, of course. So, just like Caroline, Lucien came from, like, a famous family. His grandfather was Sigmund Freud. Oh, yeah. Small world, huh? The inventor of, like, psychoanalysis. You know, the one who came up with, like, the theory that most men have mommy issues. Yeah, you don't know that. Well, yeah. So his grandson Lucien wasn't in the psychology business, but he was a painter. And I guess the two of them, Caroline and Lucien, were, like, one of the most popular couples in society, and they were friends with everyone. But, like, most relationships started out of rebellion. Caroline and Lucien's marriage would not last. She would go on to be in, like, multiple relationships, including, like, a Hollywood screenwriter. I don't know, I feel like with rich people, like, this is just my observation. I don't know anything, but, like, they never really are loyal to their partners. Right. When the years 1977 rolls around, Caroline would experience multiple tragedies, like, all at once. So Caroline, like, married a new guy. His name was Robert Lowell. Well, it doesn't matter. We introduced him. And now he's dead. Cause he died of a heart attack. Yeah. So she's like, shit. Now there was this rumor going around that he died clutching a portrait of Caroline, which was painted by Caroline's ex husband, Lucian Freud. Yeah, I don't know. But okay, I guess, like, Caroline was like, devastated. Well, yeah, Caroline was devastated about this because it was her husband, Bailey. Like, have a heart. But I'm like, I guess she was devastated, but she was. She was devastated. And then the following year, tragedy strikes for the Guinness family once again. In 1978, Caroline, she had a daughter, right? Her daughter's name was Natalia. And she was 18 years old, just living her life, being a rich Guinness heiress. She was kind of like her grandma. She liked to party. She was a party girl. She liked to go out, she liked to have fun, and, you know, she just had endless money. So what are they going to do? They do everything. And, like, she definitely got sucked into the world of drinking, drugs, partying. Right. At some point, Natalia started to, like, dabble with heroin. Yeah, not great. So I guess one night, Natalia was in her bathroom and she was, like, preparing the heroin she was about to inject herself with. Now, it's unclear, but, like, I guess she lost her footing or something. But as she was injecting herself, she fell headfirst into a bathroom tub filled with water. And then she ended up passing away. And then that same year, like, again, tragedy would strike. This time it was Natalia's cousin, a woman named Lady Henrietta Guinness. So I guess Lady Henrietta was dating this guy named Michael Bebe. I love that last name, Bebe. Okay, Sorry. But he was like, a popular socialite. Okay, so they're dating at the time. The two are cute. They're together. Great last name, Bebe. So they were going on a drive in Michael's red Aston Mart around the French Riviera. Wow, what a life. So they're driving and, you know, oops. They get into a really bad car accident. And it leaves Lady Henrietta severely injured. So she gets, like, really hurt. And she would survive the crash, but she would say, like, the injuries from the crash would plague her for the rest of her life. And she never Fully recovered from it. Years go by, and Lady Henrietta, she moves to Italy where she got married. And she had this, you know, quote unquote, picture perfect life. She could have anything she wanted. It was beautiful. It's like the Britney Spears song. She's so lucky she's a star. But she cried, cried, cried something, something, something. You know, she was living that, but for real. So. Because she struggled with depression for years, and then in 1978, at just 35 years old, Lady Henrietta succumbed to that depression. She ended up, like, taking her own life by jumping off a bridge in Italy. That's so sad. She was once quoted saying, if I had been poor, I would have been happy. Okay. You know, like low key kind of eye roll, you know, it's like, all right, I'm sure if you tell that to someone who doesn't have money, they're gonna be like, shut the fuck up. But okay. Either way, like, all of that trauma led Caroline Guinness to embrace the darkness. And her drinking became more and more of a problem. You know, she used alcohol to cope with her feelings for years. And after multiple personal tragedies, she started to like, lose control. So Caroline was like, in and out of her kids lives, just like her mom Maureen did to her. And she was also said to have, like, let herself go. She was like, neglecting her appearance and even her hygiene. Caroline was like, suddenly known as being dirty and smelly. Completely different from her reputation as like this beautiful young it girl. She was also known for her wild behavior in public, which led to her being blacklisted from several hotels and cut off from most of her friend groups. In 1996, Caroline died at the age of 65. But she wouldn't be the last person to experience the Guinness curse. Nay, nay. Just a few years later, something bizarre happened to the Guinness family. On October 30, 1998, the niece to the heir of the Guinness fortune, a woman named Rose Nugent, was in England celebrating her mom's birthday. I guess Rose wanted to do something special for her mom's celebration. She's like, what should I do? I don't know. It was said that she was like, very skilled when it came to riding horses. And it was like her passion in life. She was a horse girl. She offered to drive guests to her mother's birthday in a horse drawn caravan, which is like, it's like a horse carriage, but just nicer. I know it's the 90s. Like, when you hear the horse drawn caravan, I'm thinking like, oh, it must be the 1800s? No, this was in the 90s, so, you know, rich people, huh? So that afternoon, she was, like, driving the caravan along a peaceful countryside road on her way to, like, pick people up. And with her, she actually had her dog. He's in the little caravan, too. So multiple people from town recall seeing her riding the caravan, and she was, like, waving at them and letting them pass. Normal shit. But then, I guess something spooked Rose's horse. And, you know, when it's. When it gets spooked, it just, like, took off, galloping full speed down a hill. The horse just went, like, crazy. And Rose tried to stay calm as she was, like, grabbing the reins, you know, but the horse was too freaked out and headed straight for a bend in the road. Uh oh. So Rose, like, lost control of the horse, and she was thrown from the caravan. So she was just thrown out there, and then the caravan actually runs her over, and she's crushed to death. What the. On her mom's birthday. So it took seven men to, like, pick up the caravan and, like, pull her body from it. She's. Oof. Her death completely shocked the town, especially, like, since Rose was. She was so experienced with horses. Her death was just kind of considered a freak accident. And the media was all over it. They were publishing headlines like, never ending Curse of the Guinness Dynasty in all caps, like, yelling at you, and you're like, okay. And then people wondered, like, when the hell this curse was gonna end, or was it gonna end? Most of the Guinness family deaths at this point were tied to their partying, their wealth, and even their influence that the family gained over generations. John Henry Guinness, the next victim of this family curse. On April 8, 1986, John Henry Guinness arrived home to find his wife Jennifer, and one of his daughters tied up by masked men. Jennifer had been pistol whipped and, you know, terrified for her life. So when John enters, he was, like, immediately tied up by the men. And apparently another business associate of his showed up at the house. So the gunmen, they tied him up, too. So the gunman then kidnapped Jennifer and told John that they would return her after he paid the ransom, which was £2 million. So after they left, the police were. They were called, and they got to work attempting to find Jennifer and, like, these men who kidnapped her. So while Jennifer was being held captive, she, like, pleaded with the kidnappers over and over again, telling them her husband was not in the direct line to inherit the Guinness fortune. She told him, like, there's no way he could pay the millions of dollars in ransom. So she's like, you got the wrong person. I mean, who knows if that was true, but she, you know, she was trying. She has a Guinness last name. Like, the captors didn't listen to Jennifer and they kept her in captivity for eight days. So she was finally found after a neighbor recognized Jennifer when she was being taken into a home by her captors. So the story of the kidnapping was like all over the news. And when the police showed up to free Jennifer, it turned into like an all night hostage situation. Eventually they were able to get Jennifer out and they got her kidnappers and they were convicted. So you're probably thinking like, is it really a curse if Jennifer survived in the end? Well, only two years after the kidnapping, John Henry Guinness was with Jennifer and their children on a walk in northern Wales. And John apparently like lost his footing and he like fell 3,000ft feet off of Mount Snowden. And after surviving her kidnapping, Jennifer and her children watched John like tragically fall to his death. Geez. So it's like, hey, I mean, like, what's going on with the Guinness family today? I mean, are they still cursed? So one of the current faces of the Guinness family is Daphne Guinness. She's known as an icon of the fashion and beauty industry. But I guess her childhood was like, filled with the same darkness as many of her family members. When she was five years old, Daphne was taken hostage by a family friend named Tony. Tony was at Daphne's home looking for his own mother, who, you know, was friends with Daphne's mother. Both of the moms were together out to lunch that day. So Tony, he was like a family friend, so they didn't really think much of, like, letting him inside the house and like, roam around. But as soon as Tony saw Daphne, he pulled out a knife and like, held it to her throat. Tony was 25 at the time, so he could physically overpower Daphne. He began walking through the house saying he wanted to kill all the women. And the family's housekeeper, I guess, like jumped in and like, tried to save her. And I guess it works because Tony eventually left the house and he actually ended up killing his own mother the next day. I don't know. I guess you could say Daphne was just like another victim of the Guinness family curse, but maybe she was the one that actually broke it. Even though her family's wealth is what put her in danger, it was kind of like the thing that actually saved her too. So Daphne became like a major player in the world of London fashion. She was good friends with Alexander McQueen. She worked as a Gucci consultant and created her own makeup lines with NARS and Mac. Plus, she's done, like, a lot of charity work throughout the uk and she once said, quote, life is a comedy and tragedy in equal parts. And the main thing is to try to pick yourself up and to create something that's worthwhile out of it. I know. I was trying to do, like, the math on how many Guinness family members and friends died under this quote unquote curse. Look, after 12, you stop counting. And that's like, just the family. It's not counting other people in, like, their inner circles. It's really freaky. But throughout their, like, history, the Guinness family has been known for more than just their tragedies or political influence or even beer. From the days of Arthur Guinness. They have always been charitable. I mean, we know that they gave back to Ireland when they helped with the reconstruction of St Patrick's Cathedral, but they also funded a medical research institute at Trinity College. And on top of that, family members from every generation have also donated to hospitals, UN universities, and so much more. And they've even made it, like, a point to take a stand when it comes to equal rights. In 2014, Guinness even pulled out of financially supporting the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade, but they did so because they want to show solidarity with the LGBTQIA community. Apparently, the parade banned any pride organizations from, like, participating in the parade. Lame. Guinness, like, made a point to publicly stop or drop its funding. And then, surprise, surprise, the following year, the parade changed its mind when Guinness started funding it again. So, yeah, seems like they're. They're doing their part. A lot of people today just kind of, like, talk about the Guinness family curse. I mean, I just did. Hi. It kind of just feels like a made up story that you'd hear about in, like, some kind of, like, I don't know, scary book or something or a B movie. But with as much power and influence as this family has had for centuries, maybe it isn't surprising that they've dealt with, like, this much crap. I mean, who knows how any of us would act if we got the same kind of privilege and access to the party scene like this family has. I don't know. Thanks for listening. And next time you have a pint of Guinness, just remember, you might be cursed, too. Just kidding. Oh, my gosh, you guys. You know what? I can't believe I'm saying this, but we've reached the end of season three. Oops, sorry. Joan snaps. Isn't that nuts? We learned a lot this season. So you know what that means. Dig up your good bra, find a cute little black dress, pop the champagne, and join me next week for the dark history award show of the season, the Joanies. It's gonna be fun. I like the Joanies. So come back, I'm gonna see you guys there. It's gonna be fun. We're gonna give out some awards and we're gonna learn stuff, huh? Yeah. What are you gonna wear? Do you know what you're gonna wear yet? I don't know what I'm gonna wear. Anyways, thank you for hanging out with me today. You can actually join me over on my YouTube where you can watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, you can catch my murder mystery and makeup on Mondays. And don't forget to subscribe because I'm here here for you weekly with new content. I love to hear your guys reactions to today's story, so make sure to leave a comment below so I can see what you guys are saying and your comment might even be featured in a future episode. Now let's read a couple comments you guys left me. Wooerie. Jade left me a comment. First of all, don't change the thing, but I wanted to tell you I homeschool my kiddo and we watch your Dark History series as a part of our social studies. My son even knows when I click on you YouTube, it's Bailey Sarian. Thank you for all you do. Aw, that's really sweet. Should I be teaching your kid though? I mean, I think it's great. Like we do a lot of hard work here over at Dark History, you know, and we like come with the facts, you know, and we're learning true history that we didn't learn in high school or school in general. So I think that's good. Right? But I appreciate you, you know. Which episodes have you shown them? Let me know. Naomi H. 7954 had a reading suggestion for me. Bailey, have you read A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift? It's very you. I'm not sure if that's a compliment or a read. I have not read it. But I'm always looking for good reading suggestions. So I will look into this and see what it's about. Cleansy Frim left us an episode suggestion saying, bailey, you should discuss the dark history of the Amish community. I think you'd find it super interesting. Smiley face. Cleansy, let me tell you, I go down rabbit holes all the time about the Amish community. Do you watch that show on tlc. It's like Amish something. It's about the Amish people who like left and they're trying to go back and they're all. It's messy and I kind of can't stop watching it. But I also watch a lot of YouTube videos about people who left the Amish community. It's nuts, right? We should do an episode on it. I think that's a good idea. Okay, thank you. I appreciate you guys so much for watching and for engaging. Keep on commenting because maybe you'll be featured or maybe you won't. I'm not sure. And hey, if you don't know Dark History isn't Audioboom original. A special thank you to our expert, Dr. Edward Burke, author of the Guinness Story, the Family, the Business and the Black Stuff. And I'm your host, Bailey Sarian. I hope you have a good day. You make good choices and I'll be talking to you next week. Goodbye.
Podcast: Dark History
Host: Bailey Sarian
Release Date: August 21, 2024
In Episode 142 of Dark History, Bailey Sarian delves into the intriguing and tumultuous legacy of the Guinness family. Known globally for their iconic beer, the Guinness family’s history is riddled with both monumental successes and haunting tragedies. Bailey explores how this family's influence extends far beyond brewing, touching on politics, societal changes, and a series of unfortunate events that have led many to believe in a dark family curse.
Bailey begins by tracing the origins of the Guinness dynasty to Arthur Guinness, born in 1725 in the small Irish town of Selbridge. Coming from a working-class background, Arthur and his family worked diligently at the Carberry Malthouse, a facility where beer was produced. Their proficiency earned them a substantial inheritance of 100 pounds each from their late employer—a sum equivalent to approximately $34,000 today—which was a life-changing fortune in the 18th century.
Bailey Sarian [03:45]: "Arthur and his brother used that money to buy a brewery near Dublin, stepping into an industry struggling against British imports."
Arthur seized the opportunity during Ireland's mid-1700s financial crisis to establish his brewery. His unique brewing methods and commitment to quality quickly made Guinness a beloved Irish beer, distinct from its British counterparts. In 1759, demonstrating his visionary mindset, Arthur signed a 9,000-year lease for the St. James Gate brewery at a mere 45 pounds per year.
Bailey Sarian [07:15]: "Signing a 9,000-year lease? That's like the Scientology of beer contracts!"
Arthur's personal life, however, was marked by tragedy. He married Olivia Whitmore, a woman of wealth and influential connections, and together they had 21 children, eleven of whom died before adulthood—a grim reality of the 18th century.
Arthur's legacy was brilliantly carried forward by his grandson, Benjamin Guinness. Taking over in 1839, Benjamin expanded the family's brewing empire internationally, making Guinness the world's largest brewery by 1900. Despite his business acumen, Benjamin's political maneuvers were often questionable. During the 1845 Potato Famine, while Ireland suffered immensely, the Guinness family capitalized by protecting their barley crops and prioritizing exports to England, thereby increasing their wealth at the expense of their struggling compatriots.
Bailey Sarian [12:30]: "While Ireland was starving, the Guinness family was thriving, securing barley and expanding their empire ruthlessly."
The prosperity of the Guinness family was overshadowed by a series of personal and familial tragedies, leading to whispers of a Guinness curse.
In the 1920s, the Golden Guinness Girls, including Maureen Guinness, became London’s party legends. Maureen, known for her extravagant parties and bizarre practical jokes, had a tumultuous personal life marked by multiple marriages and the tragic loss of her first husband in World War II. Her daughter, Caroline, reports a lack of maternal affection, leading to Caroline’s tumultuous relationships and eventual rebellion.
Bailey Sarian [22:10]: "Maureen was notorious for her rager parties and wild antics, leaving her children to fend for themselves."
Caroline Guinness endured a cascade of misfortunes in the late 1970s:
These events led Caroline to spiral into alcoholism and neglect, ultimately leading to her death in 1996 at the age of 65.
Bailey Sarian [30:50]: "With each tragedy, it seemed the Guinness family's curse only deepened, affecting each generation more profoundly."
In 1998, Rose Nugent, the niece of the Guinness heir, died in a freak accident when her horse-drawn caravan malfunctioned, crushing her to death during her mother's birthday celebration. Later, in 1986, John Henry Guinness fell to his death from Mount Snowden after surviving his wife's kidnapping, an event that many linked to the ongoing curse.
Bailey Sarian [35:20]: "With Rose's bizarre death and John's tragic fall, the Guinness curse seemed unstoppable."
Daphne Guinness, a modern face of the family, faced her own trauma when, at five years old, she was taken hostage by a family friend intent on harming the women in the household. Although she survived, her grandfather’s legacy of tragedy left its mark. Daphne channeled her experiences into becoming a fashion icon and philanthropist, striving to break the cycle of darkness.
Bailey Sarian [42:00]: "Daphne's survival and subsequent success could be seen as a beacon of hope against the family’s cursed legacy."
Despite their dark history, the Guinness family has been profoundly philanthropic. From funding the restoration of St. Patrick’s Cathedral to supporting medical research at Trinity College, their contributions have significantly impacted Irish society. In 2014, Guinness made headlines by withdrawing funding from the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade in solidarity with the LGBTQIA community, prompting the parade organizers to reinstate their support the following year.
Bailey Sarian [50:10]: "Amidst all the tragedies, the Guinness family's commitment to charity and social causes shows a complex legacy beyond the curse."
Bailey Sarian wraps up the episode by reflecting on the intertwined tales of success and sorrow that define the Guinness family. While the notion of a curse adds a dramatic layer to their story, their enduring influence in business, philanthropy, and culture remains undeniable. The episode serves as a compelling reminder that behind every famed dynasty lies a tapestry of triumphs and tragedies.
Bailey Sarian [55:30]: "Maybe the so-called Guinness curse is just the weight of immense privilege and responsibility. Or perhaps it's a reminder that no legacy is without its shadows."
This episode of Dark History offers a captivating exploration of the Guinness family's multifaceted legacy. Through Bailey Sarian's engaging storytelling, listeners gain insight into how a family's pursuit of greatness can be both inspiring and tragic. The blend of historical facts, personal anecdotes, and the ominous theme of a family curse makes this episode a standout addition to the series.
For those unfamiliar with the episode, this detailed summary provides a comprehensive overview of the Guinness family's rise to power, their philanthropic endeavors, and the series of personal tragedies that have fueled the legend of their dark history.