1641 Depositions

Examination of Gilduffe O Cahan

Reference: MS 838, fols 024r-026v
County: Antrim
Date: 10/3/1654
Type: Commonwealth
Nature of Deposition: Arson, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Words

Print
How to Cite

fol. 24r

4233

The Examinacion of Gilduffe O Cahan of Dunseverick in the County of Antrim Gent taken before us at Colerane the tenth day of March 1653
Who being examined saith, That upon Sunday the 24th of October 1641 in the morning, he came from his house of Dunseverick unto the Towne of Dunluce with a little foot boy with an intent to heare a Masse at Dunluce, having no more Company with him, <A> that there being no Masse there that day he this Examinante went into James Stewarts house In Dunluce to drinke a Cupp o{f} wyne, that about ten of the Clock the same Sunday morn{ing} Henry McHenry his son in Law, and his owne sonne Ma{nus} O Cahan who had been visiting his said brother Henry mcH{enry} came vnto this Examinant unto the said house where they drun{k} three or foure pottles of wyne, That about one or two of the Clock the same Sunday in the afternoone Capten McPheadr{ie} Mr Archibald Boyd, & about ten or twelve horsemen more with swords and some Pistolls, came unto Dunluce and reported that Sir Phelomy roe O Neill and the Irish in Tirone, were risen in Rebellion, and the said Capten McPheadres and the rest with them made the Scotch in Dunluce arme themselves & draw downe into the new Pavement in the inner Court next the Draw=Bridge and outer gate of Dunluce Castle, which this Examinant hereof hearing of, and also being very soone after told by one Doole McSparran a highland Scotchman, who dwelt at Bushmills, & came into the said house, where hee this Examiannte and his said son in law Henry McHenry and his said son Manus were drinking <B> wyne, That five hundred of Argiles men were comming over the Bush Bridge (a mile distant from Dunluce) to take Dunluce Castle and command the Countrey. Upon which Newes this Examinante left his said sons drinking wyne in the said house, and went downe alone (having no weapone but his Rapier) about three of the Clock the same afternoone into the said Inner Court where the Scotch were gathered, and asked Capten McPheadres what newes

5

fol. 24v

4234

newes brought him and the rest thither Capten McPheadres told him that Sir Phelomy Roe O’Neill and all the Irish in Tirone were risen in Rebellion, whereupon this Examinant told the said Capten McPheadres that he rather believed that the Scotch <C> and the said 500 men intended to joyne together to take the Castle of Dunluce Whereupon this Examinante alone went into the Castle and bolted the Outer gate, and staid there alone about halfe an houre, And then Anthony, Capten Digbyes man who had the key of the Castle came to the Outer gate, and this Examinante unbolted it, & lett him in, and demanded of him the key of the Inner gate, which he gave this Examinante And this Examinante opened it and went into the Castle, That about one quarter of an houre after, Capten Digby and his said sonns Henry McHenry & Manus O Cahan came downe unto the Castle with about eight English men belonging to the Earle of Antrim and Capten Digby to whom this Examinante opened the Castle gate, and lett them in, but he this Examinante saith, that both he & Capten Digby after his entrance refused to suffer the Scotch to come in, lest they should surprise the Armes in the Castle untill an Order came from the Deputy of Ireland or Earle of Antrim. And this Examinante being demaunded whether the newes was true that 500 of Argiles men were comming over the Bush=Bridge, saith that it was a false Alarum, and an untrue Report as he understood forthwith after hee this Examinante had entred the Castle as aforesaid. That bout ten of the Clock the same Sunday <symbol> at night, the Earle of Antrims brother Mr Alexander McDonnell <D> Archibald Stewart Esquire and this Examinants son Tirlagh Oge O Cahan came unto the new Pavement neer the Castle gate the Bridge of the Castle being drawne vp, and the Gate lockt & called into the Centinell. Wherevpon this Examinante went vp into an vpper Roome over the Castle gate and thrusting out his head, asked who they were, and what was their busines, The sayd Mr Alexander McDonnell answered this Examinante that he was there and Mr Archibald Stewart and his son Tirlagh Oge O Cahan, who desired to come into the Castle. And this Examinante and the said Capten Digby told them that they three might come in, provided none came with them, and promising none should enter but themselves, the Draw=bridg was lett downe and the gate opened at the said houre of the night, and then three

(6)

fol. 25r

4235

three were admitted entrance. That after Mr Alexander McDonell with the said Mr Stewart and his this Examinants son Tirlagh were entred the Castle, Mr Alexander asked this Examinant wherefore he entred the Castle of Dunluce in such manner and kept out the Scotch, To which this Examinant answered That it was by reason of the foremencioned Report <E> of 500 of Argiles men that were comeing, whom with the Scotts, he feared would have surprized the Castle: That this Examinant and his sons Henry mcHenry and Manus O Cahan stayed in the said Castle untill Thursday following with the said Capten Digby & his men upon which day, a Lettre comming from the Earle of Antrim directed un{to} Capten Digby to take Charge of the said Castle, this Examinant and his said sonnes Henry McHenry and Manus O Cahan depa{rted} the Castle, and went to their owne homes. That he the this Ex {aminant} (from) that day vntill the Murder at Portnaw joyned with M{r} Archibald Stewart in keping the Roote in Peace and Qu{ie}tnesse: W hich Murder was plotted by his son Tirlagh O{ge} O Cahan, Alester McColl McDonnell, James McColl McDonnell and others now dead, as his said son Tirlagh and others told him, That the said Murder was committed by them and their men vpon the third day of January 1641, as he remembers, and that he heard there were 60. or 80. Of the Brittish there killed That after that Murder the Irish on the other side and this side the Bann having for their Chiefe Commanders James McColl Mc <ff> Donnell, Alester McColl McDonell, Patrick McHenry, Manus Roe O Cahan, John Mortimer, Tirlagh Oge O Cahan this Examinants sonne & divers others since dead did with fire & sword march through the Roote and killed the Scotch whereosever they gott them as he heard, That this Examinant being at his owne house at Dunseverick Alester McColl McDonnell, and other the Chiefe Commanders last mencioned about two dayes after Portnaw Murder comming over the Bush Water sent for this Examinant who dwelt but a mile thence to goe along with them unto Ballentoy; That he mett them neer Ballentoy and that the Garrison of Scotch there, being summoned to yield Ballentoy house by Alester McColl and the said Commanders they of the said Garrison refused to yield Vpon which the said Commanders to witt the said James McColl McDonnell, Alester

(7)

fol. 25v

4236

McColl, John Mortimer and his sonne Tirlagh Oge O Cahan, with others now dead and their men, consisting of about 300 men marched that night to Craigballinoe and encamped there, & <G> this Examinante with Colonell Manus Roe O Cahan who came with his men over the Bann after the Murder at Portnaw, went that night along with this Examinante unto his said house at Dunseverick, where his two sonnes, Henry McHenry and Brian Modder McHenry with their wives & families then Lived; That the next day the said Commanders and their men marched from Craigballinoe unto Dunluce, & compelled this Examinante to go alonge with them, to see if Captain Digby would take this Examinants Councell sooner then theirs to yeild the Castle of Dunluce unto them. That the said Capten Digby after summons sent by them & Councell given by this Examinant unto him by a boy to yield the Castle upon quarters he refused to yield it & to take quarters, After which some of the Common souldiers, without any Command to this Examinants knowledge, sett a house on fire, whereby the whole Towne was burnt. And he saith, That he did not see any kild that time at Dunluce, but he heard that one Scotchman called William Galt was killed by one of Collonell Manus roe O Cahans souldiers called McJasson by the new Buildings in the Court next the Castle. That the same night after Dunluce was sett on fire the said Commanders & their men quartered at Ballymagary a mile distant from Dunluce and that he this Examinant & his sonns in Law Henry mcHenry, and Brian Modder McHenry, stayed with them that <h> night, and that the next day the said Commanders & their men marched towards Old Stone, and this Examinante went home to his said house, but where his said sonnes in law went, or whether they went with the Army or no unto Oldstone he doth not know And this Examinant being demanded who killed John roe Spence, his Tennant, and his wife, and two or three more at Ballyallarty upon this Examinants Land neer his house; He saith That about two dayes after the Murder at Portnaw his son Tirlagh Oge O Cahan, came unto this Examinants house at Dunseverick late

(8)

fol. 26r

4237

late in the night with some few soldiers, and told him that this Examinants said Tennant John Roe Spence, & his wife and three or foure more whose names he doth not remember were killed that night by his men. And this Examinante asked his said sonne Torlagh if he gave Commanded so to do, and he said <J> he did not give full Command, but he did not hinder it: Wherevpon this Examinant cursed them for killing his good Tennants And this examinant saith, That Alester McColl McDonnell sent orders unto this Examinante in the beginning of March 1641 to besiege assault & gett in the Church of Ballentoy then kept by the Brittish upon peril of his life; That soone after this Examinante not daring to do otherwise went into Ballentoy & he this Examinant & his {sonne} Tirlagh Oges men and Donnell Grome & Dwaltagh mcAlest{ers} men who then lay about Ballentoy went & assisted him to g{ } the said Church That accordingly this Examinante and the same {}assaulted the Church seeking to force the doore, that three o{f} the Assailants were killed by shotts sent out of the Church {} this Examinante, he being under or neer the Church=Wall was {} upon his head=peece with a small stone throwne out of the said Church, whereupon he & the said men retreated. That soone after his said sonne Tirlagh Oge O Cahan, & his men, and the said McAlesters men, did againe assault the same Church, and endeavoured to breake the Wall with Pickaxes, but were beaten off with the Losse of two men. And this Examinants further saith That after the Irish had beate the Brittish in the Layny and killed very many and taken severall Colours he this Examinant & his sonnes Henry McHenry & Tirlagh Oge <K> O Cahan wrote a Letter unto Mr fullerton & Archibald Boyd then in Ballentoy house, for surrender of it, certifying (among other things) That Mr Stewart & Churches forces were all killed with no other forces then their owne & so wished them to surrender the house, and as they had soules to save they would Conduct them with a good Convoy for Colerane or Inver, which Letter containing much more, being now shewed unto this Examinante, he saith That he & his said two sonnes subscribed that Letter & sent it unto the said persons hoping that upon the Newes therein, they would surrender the said house. That the Brittish in the said house not

(9)

fol. 26v

4238

not surrendering it upon the said Letter this Examinante said sonne Tirlagh Oge O Cahan & Alester McColl McDonnell, according as he was threatned in the same Letter, sonne after sent for a <L> Cannon & brought it against Ballentoy, and shott two shotts at the said house, and also caused a Sow to be made which they brought neer unto the house but did no service against the house either with the Cannon or Sow. And the Examinante being demanded which of the Irish Gentry commanded the Irish who encamped at Ballyreshane and straitened the Towne of Colerane & Besiedged the Brittish fled thither he saith, That James McColl McDonnell now prisoner at Carrickfergus and Alexander McColl McDonnell James McHenry & divers others now dead were the Chiefe Comanders of those who besieged the said Towne. And being demanded where Henry McHenry & Brian Modder McHenry his two sonnes in law then were, he saith they were sometimes with him this Examinante at his house at Dunseverick, and sometimes with the Irish Campe <M> at Ballyreshane aforesaid and that himselfe never came thither but once all the while the Irish Campe Lay there, and at that time he went to see his Gossip James McHenry whom he heard was sick. And the Examinante being demanded who killed James Kerr and a boy fetching water from the Spring neer Ballentoy Church, he saith he heard it was one Patrick O Levarty now in france & then a souldier of his son Tirlagh Oge O Cahan, And further saith not.

Tho: Coote
Rich: Brasier Major

(10)

Richard Brasier
Thomas Coote