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Deposition of Robert Nisbitt

  • Reference:  MS 831, fols 083r-083v
  • County: Donegal
  • Date: 16/6/1653
  • Type: Commonwealth
  • Nature of Deposition: Assault, Multiple Killing, Words
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  • How to Cite
    • fol. 83r


    1108
    The deposition of Robert Nisbitt now Liweing at Cornegillagh within the barony of Rapho and County of Downegall takne at Sligo the 16o of Junij 1653
    Robert Nisbitt being of the age of twentie years or thaireabouts being duely sworne vpon the holy Ewangelists and examined, sayth that he Liwed with his father Robert Nisbitt in Ardneglas within the barony of Tireragh and County of Sligo att the begineing of <A> the rebellion, And that the said Robert with his wyff and fywe small children wer constrained to continue in the said place for a year and a half or thaireabouts efter the said rebellion began, till about the moneth of may in the yeare 1643: Att which tyme this deponent sayth that thair cam a company of Vlster men to the said towne of Ardneglas commanded by on Captan mcSwyne, who / dureing the tyme of thair abod this deponent sayth that wer hyred by the mcSwyns of Ardneglas to murder his father his mother and thair children, whervpon vpon a saturday at night thes murderers cam to this deponents fathers hous, and quartered thair all night and did dress a beeff for thair supper, which Roger mcSwyn of Ardneglas had giwen tham as a part of thair hyre, And on the sonday morneing the forsaid murderers bound the deponents father Robert Nesbitt elder, and in the mean tyme this deponents mother Ew elin Nisbitt went to the said Roger McSwyn his hous, and told him that they had bound her husband and that they intended to murder tham all, and prayed him for god his sake to sawe tham, wherevnto thise said Roger replyed that what was to be done <b> was done by his command for hee had giwen orders vnto tham, and withall commanded her to depart, adding withall that if they did not kill thes theewes (as he named thame) that he wold doe it himself, notwithstanding of which answer, as this deponent sayth, this deponents mother cam back againe to the hous wher her husband was bound and imediately they cam tyed the said deponents mother Ewelin with ropes of hair, and drew tham all to witt the father the mother and the fywe children to the place wher they intended to act the murder, and befor they cam to the place this deponent with his two sisters Helein and Marie shrunck back out of the way and hid thamselwes, The rest wer led on to the slaughter, wher they murdered the father, and the mother by cutting vp of her belly being than great with chyld and throweing a yong chyld newly weaned into the river, Whervpon thair eldest sone whoes name was John being than of sixten yeares or thaireabouts fled away and run away a great way till he mett with on Owen o Dowd now Liveing in Ardneglas vnto whom hee addressed himselff and told him that the vlster men had kild his father and mother and prayed him to sawe his lyff, vnto whom this owen replyed that he wold, and yet [ ] he <c> brought him back to the murderers and delywered him into thair hands who kild him, And this deponent being further examined deposeth that Roger mcSwyn Edmund mcSwyn Alexander mcSwyn <C> Roger mcSwyn fitz Alexander, Hugh mcSwyn, and diwers others wer all of tham contrywers and asisters of the murderers in the fact, and further, he, this deponent sayth, that they the said mcSwyns wer alwayes jelous that the said persons should escap into the English quarters and discower thair actions, which was the caus they murdered thame after so long a tyme And further this deponent sayth not. Hee further sayth that one George Eron nowe Liveing nere Dunnagall Cane testify what the deponent sayth.
    Robert [mark] Nisbitt his marke
    being present Cha: Gore

    fol. 83v


    1109

    The examination of Robert nisbitt against Owen o Dowd
    Ardneglass
    for Nisbitt

    In depo



    Charles Gore



     

Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2