Deposition of Ruthe Martyn
- Reference: MS 817, fols 209r-210v
- County: Longford
- Date: 16/3/1644
- Type: Dublin Original
- Nature of Deposition: Arson, Assault, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Stripping, Words
- How to Cite
fol. 209r
56.
The Examinacion of Ruthe Martyn the Relict of ffrancis Martyn of Longford merchant sworn & examined taken before vs his Maiesties Commissioners &c deposeth & sayth
<A.> I T he said this Examinante being sworne vppon the holy Evangelist, and duely examined, deposeth that soone after the 23th day of october 1641 (about which tyme the Rebellion brake forth in this Kingdom) Vizt on the Wensday before Allhallontide 1641 aforesaid as shee Remembreth Thomas Trafford Minister of Longford, his wife & foure Children, Thomas Allen of Longford gent his wife & fowre Children the said ffrancis Martyn her husband & shee the deponent, and theire three Children, Raphe Griffen gent and his wife, Mathew Baker gent his wife and three Children, John Smith gent & fowre Children & about threescore other men women & Children haveing betaken themselves for safeguard of theire lives with some small provision into the L. Angiers Castle or house att Longford, wheare they were there on or aboute the seventh or eighth day of November An no Domini 1641 weare beseiged by Cormock mc Rosse ô <A.> fferrall of the Moate gent ffrancis ffarrell of the same esquire ffaghny ffarrall sonne to ffargus mc Bryen ô Mona gent Rory mc Gerrott fferrall of Lassenemuck gent, Lisagh mc Gerrott fferrall of Temple=Michell gent Morrogh mc Edmond ffarrall of the Ryne gent, John mc keadagh ffarrall of Balleclare gent lisagh mc Connell ffarrall of Clonbalt <B.> gent, Richard mc Connell ffarrall of Cartronkeenagh gent, ffargus mc Lisagh ffarrall of Racleene gent & Roger Nangle of Longford gent, all of the County of Longford, being Called Captens amongst the Rebells, haveing theare, as shee Conceiveth about one thousand men, armed with swords pikes skeines & other weapons which seige the said Rebells Contynued till on or about the second day of december 1641 as shee Remembreth, and did very often dureing
1)
fol. 209v
57
that tyme assalt & Attempt to take the said house by force, by erecting Ladders to scale the wales, and endeavoureing to sett the gate on fire, with a barrell of piche & Rozin, & would not dureing the seige permitt any the persons within the said house to goe forth for any kind of provision att Length the persons within the said house being in brought to great distresse on the second day of december 1641 they weare forced to yeald vpp the said house to these said Captens & theire Company vppon quarter promised them by the said Captens, whearvppon it was agreed vppon betweene the persons in the said house, & these said said Captens by writeing vnder theire hands & seales, that all the people which weare in the said house should bee safely Conveighed by them to Trym & should bee permitted to Carry away all theire Monys, as much wearing Cloathes as they Could putt on, & every family they (being about twenty families, to have two Cadows and two paire of sheetes, And the said Captens weare by the said Agreement to furnish to furnish the said people in the said house with horses for theire Conveighance to Trym. And thearvppon about three of the Clock of the same day (as shee Remembreth) the people in the said house Came forth of the said house, att whose Comeing forth when a lane was made for them by the said Rebells by Comand of the said Captens extending in Length about a Musquett shott from the said house, thorough which the people that Came out of the said house weare to passe who as they passed in the said lane weare by the said comon Rebells in the presence of the said Captaines, all stripped, and most of them weare stripped starke naked, and then ymediately they the Rebells murthered the said Thomas Trafford ffrancis Martyn, Mathew Baker John Smith John Evans Abrahama mason Thomas Allen and others & they wounded the said Baker in twenty places with stabbs & Cutts, Cutt of the Examinantes husbands head after they had killed him & killed a young Child of the Examinantes (being about three yeares ould) in her the deponents
2)
fol. 210r
58
Armes, and Cruelly wounded the said Allen, & afterwards then putt him into prison wheare hee Remained till saterday following & was then hanged by the Judgment & Comand of the said Captaines, The Cause of the Examinantes knowledge of what shee hath deposed is that shee was in the said house all the tyme the same was beseiged as aforesaid and sawe the persons aforesaid stripped & Murthered as aforesaid, was her selfe stripped, and was privy to the said Agreement, or quarter, sawe all the bodies of the said persons, after they weare Murthered throwne into the Church of Longford naked, by the said Rebells & that shee was present the next day when theire bodies weare throwne into the earth by two & three together by some of the said Rebells, except And for her the Examinants husband for whome shee procured for him a wynding sheete, And shee fur= ther <A> deposeth that Cahell oge ffarrall of Cranellagh gent and one John Reynolds of the County of Leytym weare also att the said seige, & Comanded men among the said Rebells & weare present when the people of the said house Came forth & were massacred as aforesaid, and saith that the said Reynolds was the first that wounded the said Trafford And that one Mullmay ô Realy of the County of Cavan was Constantly att the said seige & Comanded as a Capten among the Rebells when the people Came out of the house as aforesaid, & that shee heard the said Cahell oge Confesse that hee himselfe was one of them that helped to Carry the piche to sett the said gate on fire <[
3)
fol. 210v
59.
Walls of the said house demolished by the said Rebells & sawe the said house burneing, being sett on fire by them, the Cause being as was Comonly Reported among them, that they Could not endure to abide in the said house for the noise those that weare flame mad{
Ruth Martyn
Jurat .16. Martij 1643.
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton
23)
Ruth Martin
C. Longford
Jurat 16 March
1643 Ex
Intw
hand
Intw 27 oct
Ex
w +
4)
Henry Brereton
Henry Jones