Examination of Bryan Ferrall
- Reference: MS 817, fols 242r-243v
- County: Longford
- Date: 11/4/1653
- Type: Commonwealth
- Nature of Deposition: Captivity, Killing, Robbery
- How to Cite
fol. 242r
2295
The Examinacion of Bryan fferrall of Ardanragh in the County of Longford Esquire taken before Colonell Tho: Herbert and Tho: Richardson Esquire two of the members of the high Court of Justice sitting at Dublin (by vertue of an order of the same Court) the Eleaventh day of Aprill 1653.
The said Bryan fferrall being duely sworne and examined to declare his knowledge and the cause of his knowledge touching the murthering of two boyes of borne of English parents about drogheda in the County of meath and murthered at a place called Knockanagooly neere Tynelicke in the County of Longford, or any other murther that hee knowes of or hath heard to haue bin committed at any tyme since the begining of the Rebellion of the Irish in this Nacion sayth that hee the said Examinant being on the battlements of the Castle of Ardanragh about ffebruary last was a yeare watching the Cattle belonging to himselfe and his Nephew for feare of the Toryes hee this Examinant discerned two men with some boys and three horses in their Company about a mile distant from the said Castle coming from the County of westmeath or that way and soone after discouered <A> fyve footmen with long staves meeting with the said other persons and boys, and shortly after passing by them which fyve persons came the same night to Ardanragh pretending they were people of the County of westmeath and following the tracke of some Cattle they had lost, two of which persons were called Daltons the one Henry and the other Andrew, but the names of the rest hee did not heare, And further sayth that the said two Daltons and the rest of their Company told the being inquired of by the people of the towne who those other two horsemen and boys before mencioned were, answeared that
fol. 242v
2296
<B> Answeared that they were two men were called John a Nasy ô Quin and Murragh mc Connocke and that they the said <symbol> ô Quin and Connocke had taken the said boys being three of them and three horses about Ballymore and were carryeing them along as prisoners, And about two days after this Examinant and others of the said towne of Ardanrah heard reported that the cloathes of the said two of the said boys were sold in Rathreah by the said Quin and Connocke who had caused the third boy to shoot the other two with one of their pistolls which boy at the request of mr John ffox of Rathreah aforesaid the said ô Quin and Connock had graunted vnto him And further sayth that hee hath heard that the said ô Quin and the said two Daltons are now all in the Goale at <C> Athloane touching the said murther And being demanded whether hee knows of any other murther to haue bin committed by any of the Irish and by whom denieth that hee knoweth of any otherwise then by hearesay but sayt hath credibly heard that the said John a Nasy ô Quin was a principall Actor in the massacre at Ballinalacke in the Countye of Westmeath about two yeares since And denieth that ever hee declared since his being a prisoner in Dublin that hee knew of any cheife murtherers other then hee hath named in this his Examinacion And sayth that since his comming into the marshalsey hee saw the said ô Quin goeing through Castlestreet Dublin who is now a prisoner in Athlone as hee hath heard and before declared And further hee cannot depose save onely that hee heard from his Nephews servants at <D> Ardanragh about two years since that one walter Ailmer
fol. 243r
2297
<E> Ailmer and william Tuit had brought an English Trooper about that tyme into the house at Ardanragh aforesaid where they kept him a night and the next day at night tooke him out and murthered him and brought his horse and cloathes into the house the same night And further sayth that the said Ailmer w and Tuit were of Captaine Edmonds Troope in Colonell Theophilus Jones his Regiment for halfe a yeare together since the committing of the said murther, but where they were now or either of them hee knoweth not but beleiveth the said Ailmer may be heard of about downe a day in the County of Kildare And further sayth not that hee hath alsoe heard from some footboys of the said Tuits and Ailmer that they had Killed two Troopers of the English partye <f> vppon at Irishtowne (being of the land of Richard Dalton of Drawlinstowne) about two years and a halfe since, after quarter given them And further sayth that about fyve yeares since one Christopher ffitsgerald brother to the lady Tuite of Portloman killed one Hen{
Bryan fferrall
Taken before vs the day and yeare
first aboue written before vs
Tho Herbert Tho: Richardson
fol. 243v
2298
33
Brian fferalls
Examinacion
11 Apr. 53.
Thomas Herbert
Thomas Richardson