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Examination regarding the breach of quarter and massacre at Longford

  • Reference:  MS 817, fols 279r-282v
  • County: Longford
  • Date: 17/2/1653
  • Type: Commonwealth
  • Nature of Deposition: Arson, Death, Killing, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Stripping, Words
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  • How to Cite
    • fol. 279r


    2157
    Examinaciones taken before Colonell Tho: Herbert and Thomas Richardson Esquire two of the members of the right honorable the high Court of Justice sitting at Dublin (by order of the same Court) touching the breach of quarter and Massacre committed by the Ir Irish at Longford in the first yeare of the Rebellion vizt
    Bartholomew Nangle of the Towne and County of Longford Merchant aged forty foure yeares or thereabouts <A> being duely sworne and examined sayth that hee hath lived in Longford for sixteene yeares past before the massacre, of the English there committed in the moneth of November 1641: about halfe a yeare after which massacre or murther hee left the said towne but now liveth there againe and hath lived there ever since November last or thereabouts, And further sayth that hee this Examinant living in the said towne at the tyme of the said Massacre and the seige of the Castle of Longford before the same was surrendred to the Irish, did see and observe Conock mc Rosse fferrall, Lisagh mc Gerald fferall, Rowry <B> mc Gerald fferrall, ffaghny mc ffergus fferrall, Roger Nangle, Richard mc Connell fferrall, John mc Kernan & Patricke mc Kernan, Edmond mc Conocke fferrall, Lisagh mc Connell fferrall, Cahil oge fferrall, Levallin Nugent <the same levallin now in prison> Bryan mcShane fferrall Murrogh mcEdmond fferrall Teig mcShane fferrall and James mcShane fferall to be all in the said Towne having eich of them a Company of men or squadron of men vnder

    fol. 279v


    2158
    his command, beseidging the said Castle, & continued there till the Castle was surrendred vnto them being about six or eight weeks, to his best remembrance, & were all in the towne of longford on both sides of the River at the tyme of the said Massacre, And further sayth that hee hath credibly heard from seuerall of the said Irish partye that quarter for life was <C> given promised by them to the English then in the Castle and that they shold be safely convoyed to Ball the Bridge of Ballinalack in the County of westmeath, but after the said Castle was surrendred most of the English therein found were barbarously murthered, th vizt John Smith, mr Mathew Baker, Thomas Trafford Minister, ffrancis Martin, John Evans, and whether any more or noe hee knoweth not, And hath he further sayth <D> that hee this Examinant did see John Reignolds and one william or Shane Heslenan, James mc Shane fferrall, Richard mc Connell fferrall, Teig mc Shane fferrall running out of the towne over the bridge towards the Castle with their swords drawne in their hands, and hath heard and verily beleiveth, they were principall Actors in the said Massacre, And being further demanded how many of the said parties hee knoweth to be yett living, and where, sayth that Rory mc Gerald <E> fferrall late of Temple Michaell neere Longford, ffaghny mc ffergus fferrall of Tullagh, Richard mc Connell fferrall of Cartron Kenagh, John mc Kernan of the County of Cavan, lisagh mc Connell fferrall of Cleonbalt neere longford, Cahill oge fferrall of Cartron reagh, levallin Ne Nugent now in the Marshalsey of the foure Courts, Murrogh mc

    fol. 280r


    2159
    Edmond fferrall of Rhyne betweene the County of Cavan and the County of longford, Teig mcShane <E> and James mc Shane fferrall, of Lizard are all yett living, the rest hee hath heard to be all since deceased, And further sayth that one Hugh mc Richard <M> fferrall now in the marshalsey in dublin was sent into the Castle (by the said Connocke mc Rosse fferrall who then commanded in Cheife the said Irish) to secure the goods of the English assoone as they were gone forth of the Castle as this Examinant credibly heard And further sayth that hee this Examinant hearing to his owne house the crye of the English as they were stripping went over the bridge towards the Castle to see if hee cold saue any of their goods and gett them restored to the owners, but was mett vppon the greene betweene the Castle and one Roberte Pettitts <f> house, by the said Heslenan who having a broad sword drawne in his hand comanded this Examinant to goe about his businesse, or if hee wold ioyne with the English hee shold be vsed as they, whereuppon the Examinant sayth hee returned imediatly to his owne house over the water, and neere the dore of the next house (being then the dwelling house of one Henry Soare) seeing lisagh mcGerald fferrall, Rory mc Gerald, and ffaghny mc ffergus fferrall, and divers other, hee this Examinant ch required them in the kings name to goe and see the English had their quarter promised, performed to them, whereunto the said Lisagh and the rest answered (laughing and at this Examinant) goe about your businesse what

    fol. 280v


    2160
    haue you to doe with it And further sayth that hee this <G> Examinant having formerlye put two brewing pannes an [ ] Aquavita pott, and another brasse pott into the Castle to secure them from the Irish either hee or his wife went into the Castle the same day or the next day following after the said Murther was committed into to Castle but which of both hee remembreth not, and had restitucion of his said goods by Conock mc Rosse his Orders but denieth that hee had ever any comand or did at all act any thing in the said or any other party of the Irish against the English but was like to be Killed and haue his house burned by Conocke fferrall of Camliske yett living, James mcShane fferrall of lisard alsoe yett living and others for endeavering to saue th mr Thomas Allen from their ffury whom (notwithstanding) they hanged the next day ofter the said murther or massacre And further hee sayth not.
    Barth: Nangle

    Jeoffrey Cormacke of the Towne of Longford gentleman aged forty fyve yeares or thereabouts being duely sworne and examined touching the late murthers at Longford <H> and Calloe in the said Countye sayth that hee hath lived in Longford since about the first of August last and noe longer, And further sayth that hee hath credibly heard that about two yeares since that one Conocke mc Rosse fferrall had the cheife command of the Irish that beseiged the Castle of Longford in the first yeare of the Rebellion, and that one John Kernan of the

    fol. 281r


    2161
    County of Cavan, Richard mcConnell fferrall of Cartren- <I> Kenagh, & some others whose names hee doth not nowe remember, had Companyes or commanded partyes there alsoe, and hath heard of the bloody murther there committed vppon the English then in the Castle there, but knoweth nothing of the said seidge or murther of his owne Knowledge, hee this Examinant being then in Dublin, and of the lord of Roscommons Troope (then Sir James Dillon) with whom hee confesseth hee went downe as one of his Troope towards Longford hoping to haue raised the said seige [ ] but hearing at Bawne (two [ ] or three miles short of longford) what strength the enemy was of there, the said Sir James with his Troope marched toward Calloe, and soe to Roscommon be and Athlone, being in danger all the way to be taken themselves, And being further demanded touching the said late Murther at Callow the said Examinant sayth that hee hath heard that Oliver by boy ffits Gerald (now gone for Spaine) was a <k> Cheife Actor in the said Murther, and had the cheife command, but doth not remember any other by name that were there that hee heard of, And further hee sayth not
    Jeffry Cormack
    Theise two Examinacions of Bartholomew
    Nangle and Jeffrey Cormack taken &
    deposed the 17th day of ffebr 1652 before vs
    Tho Herbert Tho: Richardson.

    fol. 281v


    2162
    (the whole text on this page has been deleted)
    Bartholomew Nangle of Longford in the Countye of Longford Merchant acknowledgeth to owe to the Keepers of the libertyes of England the Commonwealth of England by authority of Parliament the somme of One thousand pounds sterling

    John fferrall of Tirlicken in the said County Esquire and Thomas Dowlin of Newcastle in the same County gentleman acknowledge to owe to the said keepers the somme of 500 li. eich mere to be levied of their and every of their lands and tenements goods and Chattles by way of Recognizance

    The Condicion of the aboue Recognizance is such That if the aboue bounden Bartholomew Nangle now in Dublin shall attend the high Court of Justice now sitting in Dublin from day to day and answer such matters as shalbe obiected against him in the behalfe of the Common wealth and not departe without licence That then the said Recognizance to be voyd or else to remaine in fall force and vertues
    Barth: Nangle
    John fferrall
    Tho: Dowlinge

    fol. 282r


    2163
    John fferrall of Tirlicken in the County of Longford Esquire acknowledgeth himselfe to owe to the keepers of the libertyes of England by authority of Parliament the somme of 500 li. to be levyed vppon his lands and tenements goods and Chattels to the use of the Comon wealth
    The Condicion is that if the said John fferrall shall personally appeare (vppon notice to him to be given or left for him in writing) at his now lodging b in dublin being one Halpenny his house in Cornemarkett at any tyme within one weeke, or after that at his dwelling house of Tirlicken aforesaid to testify his Knowledge on the behalfe of the Comon wealth before the high Court of Justice now sitting at Dublin, and not departe the said Court without license That then the said Recognizance to be voyd or else to remaine in fall force and vertue
    John fferrall

    Jeoffrey Cormacke of Longford aforesaid victualer doth acknowledge to owe to the said keepers the somme of 100 li. vppon Condicion as aboue mutatis mutandis.
    Taken and acknowledged the 17th day of ffebruary 1652 before vs
    Tho Herbert Tho: Richardson

    fol. 282v


    2164

    .19.20.
    Bartholomew Nangle and
    Jeoffrey Cormack
    Examinacions, and
    their & John fferrall
    of Tirlickens Recognizance
    for apperance &c.

    x



    Thomas Herbert
    Thomas Richardson



     

Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2