Examination of Faghny mcLisagh Ferrall
- Reference: MS 817, fols 231r-234v
- County: Longford
- Date: 18/1/1653
- Type: Commonwealth
- Nature of Deposition: Death, Killing, Military Action, Multiple Killing
- How to Cite
fol. 231r
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18th of January 1652.
<A> ffaghny mc Lisagh fferrall of Newtowne in the County of Longford Esquire aged fortye foure yeares or thereabouts being duely sworne and examined touching the late horrid Massacres committed by seuerall Irish rebells at Longford aforesaid in or about november 1641 sayth that hee this Examinant being then one of the Justices of the peace of the said Countye, and having notice given him of divers of the ruder sort of the Countrey robbing and spoyling the English Inhabitants, and that they had beseiged the Castle of longford wherein were divers English men woemen and children fled for their safety, hee this Examinant repaired to longford, where hee saw the said seige preparing, and did himselfe with many threatning speeches endeavor to hinder the same, telling the Irish rabble there that hee this Examinant wold forthwith goe to dublin and acquaint the state with their proceedings, And further sayth that at that tyme one Connocke mc Rosse fferrall <B> [
fol. 231v
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<C> Rebels, and morgan fferrall of Reene, ffaghny mcffergus ffergus ffergus fferrall of Roree. Teig mcShane fferrall of Aghoardkill, John mc Donell mc Kernan of the County of Cavan, John Reynolds of the County of Leytrim, Rory mc Geralt fferrall and Lisagh mc Gerald fferrall of the County of Longford, & Connell mc Iriell fferrall of Camlesky in the said County were all there present, and commanded every one a Squadron of the said Irish partye, with whom when this Examinant saw that his perswasions cold not prevaile but that they wold persist in beleagreing the said Castle hee this Examinant (accompanied with ffrancis fferrall of <D> the Mote, ffaghny mc Conell fferrall of Losser, william fferrall of Ballintober, and Bryan fferrall of Allice (all since deceased) and Iriell fferrall of Ardanragh then sheriffe of the said Countye) came vppe directly to Dublin, and acquainted the then Councell of State (vizt the Earle of Ormond, Sir william Parsons Sir John Borlase, Sir James Ware & others who then sate at Corke house) with the pillaging of the Countrey, and beleigring of the said Castle by the said Irish Rebels, and ernestly mooved
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mooved the said Councell of State that they vizt this Examinant and the rest of his co company before mencioned might haue Armes and Ammunicion deliuered them out of the Castle of dublin for their defence, and waited in that sollicitacion a fortnight or thereabouts the said Councell then, telling this Examinant and the rest that they expected Armes out of England, and willing them to haue patience for a while, but at the fortnights end or thereabouts the said (noe Armes comming in the meane tyme out of England) the said Councell of State desired this Examinant and the rest of his company to returne home, telling them they were eminent men in their Countrey and might prevaile more by mild perswasions then by force of Armes to allay the fury of the Rebels promising them aid by armes and ammunicion assoone as any shold come over, whereuppon hee this Examinant and the rest returned home, and (goeing by the way) at Trym, they had notice given them that the Castle of Longford was taken by the English Irish Rebels, and that they had killed and murthered all the English found there after quarter given them for their lyves, the trueth whereof this Examinant
fol. 232v
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and the rest found (to their greife) at their comming into the Countrey, where they found most that were in the Castle killed, onely one Raph Griffin, Thomas Allen, and some few more English escaped for that tyme, though about three days <F> after, one Connell fferrall of Camliske before named being Marshall hanged the said Thomas Allen which hee did by the command of the rest of the Irish Comanders before mencioned as this Examinant verily beleiveth, And further sayth that vppon notice given him of the execucion of the said Allen hee this Examinant sent for his widow & two children, & kept them at his this Examinants owne house for about halfe a yeare together, and then sent them with a safe Convoy to dublin, And the Examinant further sayth that vppon his returne from Dublin hee tooke seuerall Examinacions of the manner of the said murther at longford, and the occasion of it, and found that the same was committed principally by the said John Reignold and his squadron, vppon the accompt of a former grudge conceived by the said Reignolds against the said Allen mr Trafford a minister then in the said Castle And the Examinant (being demanded) denyeth that hee was more then onely once in the towne of longford during the tyme any Irish fforces were there, before their taking of the said Castle, and that his businesse thither at that tyme
fol. 233r
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was to diswade the said Irish fforces from their violent proceedings, wherein hee vsed his vtmost endeavors: both there and St Johnstowne before his comming vppe to Dublin beforesaid, <G> And further sayth that afterwards hee repaired to the then supreame Councell sitting at Kilkenny and vrged them to proceed against the said Murtherers at Longford, telling them that if they did not, their warres wold never thyv thrive, but the said Supreame Councell were altogether mute as to any such proceedings And the Examinant being demanded if hee knew of any other murthers &c. sayth that in the said first yeare of the rebellion one Christopher Hollywood of Gartain in the County of dublin being accompanied with one Andrew white and about twelue Musquettyers vnder hes command caused One of the said musquettiers to mr John ware to be shott at his owne stable dore at his house in Castletowne neere Trym for refusing to deliuer them his horses to goe serve vnder Sir Phelim roe ô Neile as this Examinant hath bin since credibly informed by the said John ware deceased his wife and somme of his children and further sayth not.
Hugh ferall
sworne the day &
yeare first aboue
written before mee
Tho: Richardson
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The within named ffaghny fferrall doth acknowledge to owe to the Comon wealth of England the somme of 500 li. sterling to be levied &c by way of Recognizance Condicion is for his personall apperance before the right honorable the lord President and high Court of Justice to be sitting at Dublin at any tyme vppon notice to testifye his knowledge viva voace against any of the persons within named And not to departe the said Court without their License.
ffagh: ferall
Acknowledged before mee
the day and yeare first abouewritten, before mee
Tho: Richardson
The said Examinant ffaghny mc Lisagh fferrall Esquire denyeth that ever hee received any Commission from the supreame Councell (as they called themselues) late sitting at Kilkenny to examine any witnesses or for any other service then onely gathering of moneys and quartering of Soldiers, nor ever acted in any other service by their power or authority.
ffagh: ferall
Taken before mee
Tho: Richardson
fol. 234r
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fol. 234v
2328
6.
ffaghny mc Lisagh
fferrall his Examinacion
& Recognizance
1. Ex
x
Thomas Richardson