Deposition of George Burne
- Reference: MS 839, fols 038r-039v
- County: Tyrone
- Date: 12/1/1644
- Type: Dublin Original
- Nature of Deposition: Arson, Captivity, Death, Killing, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Rape, Robbery, Words
- How to Cite
fol. 38r
1362
George Burne late of Dunganon in the County of Tirone Miller sworne and examined saith That in or about the xxiijth of October 1641 when the Rebellion began the Rebells Randall mcDonnell (whoe was after by Sir Phelim ô Neile knight made a governor of Dunganon): Patrick Moder ô Donnell of the Parrish of Donnamore in the same County gentleman (whoe was heretofore Silicitor for the Lord Caulfeild, & Both Captains & Ringleaders of Rebells) did with a great number of rude and barbarous Irish invade and forceibly surprise the Castle and towne of Dungannon aforesaid and ro then and there Robbed all the English & other protestants in that towne and amongst the rest forceibly deprived and robbed him this deponent of his howsholdgoodes Cattle horses Corne hay turfe due debts & a ll other his goodes And since that tyme they burned his mills and howse to his vtter vndoing And when those Rebells had robbed him of all his goodes and that he attempted to goe away with his wiffe and 2 children (she being great with child of the third) this Deponent & they were inforced to stay by the said Sir Phelim & this deponent was forced & to work for them and soe restrained that he durst not goe away for nyne months or therabouts During the tyme of which his aboad there he observed theis ensueing passages by or amongst the rebells & others thereabouts first th e one mr Mather the minister of Donamore was murthered by one of his owne servants whoe was an irish man and after a trooper to the said Sir Phelim ô Neile
fol. 38v
1363
Then the rebellious souldjers vnder the Comand of <b> the said Randall Mc Donnell murthered Mr Blith minister of Dunganon and a Justice of the Peace and one mr Hastings minister, John Hamble, mr wynfore and one Raph servan t to mris Clot worthy one Mr Clever Mr Gurlagh: ffrancis Spark Mr Aylmer, one William de Lapp a ne one Mr Pitchforke Mr Burbeck and his brother Mr Bursfeild & one Scotchwoman all murthered of this deponents knowledge, in or nere Dunganon aforesaid
About the first or second weeke of lent next after the same Rebellion began this deponent and many other of the English protestants that were there restrayned from goeing away were all forced to goe into the Sessions howse at Dungannon amongst a multitude of the irish Rebells when and where they were constrained to heare a sermon preached by an Irish friere whoe tooke his text out of the story of Judeth how she cutt of Holifernes head Relateing how shee by fasting and prayer prevailed soe as she had that Libertie to cutt of his head, and even as he was about to expresse how and in what manner she did it, P art of the The ffloares of the vpper chamber where they were, fell downe with a great number of the Rebells: Many whereof were then and there slayne by the falle & others soe bruised that they died quickly after Howbeit the Mercy and providence of god was su ch that neither this deponent nor any other of thenglish (then forced thyther) received any hurt att all nor fell downe with the rest, and the fryer that preached catching hould of a Raile that was nayld closse to the wall, hung there by the Armes, & with much difficulty escaped: And quickly after such was the mallitious falshood and designe of the Rebells surviveing that they to colour the disaster of their slaine frends: & to putt a
fol. 39r
1364
Blemish vpon thenglish protestants faigned a report (which they published in many placs) That the protestants hadd blowne them vpp with gunpowder: And therevpon (by the reports and confessions of many of themselues) they fell vpon the protestants in the Cuntry thereabouts & slewe a great number of them
And further saith That after the falle of the said howse one Margrett Hoggy whoe had bin this deponents servant, protested earnestly vnto him (and he beleeveth her report to be true,) the rather becawse it was seconded by many others of creditt) That they sawe many of the protestants that were murthered and lay dead wh in ditches within a myle and a half of Dunganon: & that they saw alsoe divers sucking children lye there dead on the mothers breasts whoe as they said were left alive when their mothers were slaine, & after by cold and want of food there dyed as they were left to starve
This deponent further saith That he this deponent heard it confessed and publiquely talked of and complained of to the popish preist of the Parrish of Dungannon, by some of the native irish themselues, (that were more Mercyfull then the rest) That [
fol. 39v
1365
1. And saith that at Donnamore some of the Rebells murthered one Mr Mr Allen an English protestant and at that tyme one <1> of the barbarous rebells first ravished the said Mr Allens Wiffe as before her husbands face as the rest were murthering him: and instantly after they murthered heir alsoe
2. In the parrish of Killaman one John ô Neale (whoe was Cozen to Sir Phelim ô Neile) and one of his Captains, and his Rebellious souldjers murthered and butchered at one tyme xxij protestants women & children All or most of which murthered persons were his owne servants And such as he had promissed to protect, and some of them were theis named vizt Mris Gudlane & her daughter and three children and one that was a sadler another that was a glover, some other were distillers of Aquavitæ Maltsters thrashers and of other professions And the same John ô Neile at other tymes murthered a great number of other protestants (and amongst the rest) he hanged one Mr Bromley Taylor of Armagh gent vpon a Carr att Charlemont
And this deponent hath often heard the Rebells at Dunganon call the said Sir Phelim ô Neale Kinge of Ireland, and sayd alsoe that thenglish Lawes were greivous and intollerable, And that the Spaniards would take England, and they would goe over and take Scotland Soe as the protestants should have noe Releefe nor anie to helpe them
<Dr J mr Br>
Signum predicti Georgij Burne
[
Jur xijo Januarij 1643
Hen: Jones.
Hen: Brereton.
copied
<Tirone
Geo: Burne
Intw hand>
Henry Brereton
Henry Jones