Examination of Jane Boswell
- Reference: MS 831, fols 099r-100v
- County: Dublin
- Date: 16/4/1653
- Type: Commonwealth
- Nature of Deposition: Apostacy, Assault, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Stripping, Words
- How to Cite
fol. 99r
1150
The Examinacion of Jane Boswell wife to Mr Thomas Boswell living in winetaverne street Dublin taken before Sir william Gilbert knight and Thomas Richardson Esquire two of the members of the high Court of Justice the sixteenth day of Aprill 1653
The said Examinant being duely sworne and examined sayth that shee was in the house of William Crofton Esquire at Tee temple in the County of Sligoe in the first yeare of rebellion and about Chri s a <A> fortnight or three weeks before Christmas in the said yeare there came before the said house one Captaine John Crean Captaine Hugh mcdonogh and one Iriell ô Hara and about seaven or eight hundred Rebells in their Company and beseiged the same which seige continued till about seaven or eight weeks to her best remembrance and then the said Irish Captaines and mr William Crofton came to a parlye at which tyme it was agreed that the said mr Crofton and his familye with all the rest of the familyes there in the house should haue libertye there to remaine for nyne dayes longer, and then such of them as wold departe shall haue libertye to departe with bagg and baggadge and to haue safe Convoy to the Abby of Boyle in the County of Roscommon and the said Mr Crofton was to sweare that hee should not harbor or conceale any goods belonging to any other person then not in the house or comprehended
fol. 99v
1151
within the said Agreement, which Agreement was put in writing and signed and sealed by the said mr Crofton mr Oliphant minister, mr Wray a minister mr Roger King this Examinant her selfe and others then present on the one parte and the <B> said John Crean Hugh mcDonogh Iriell alias Oliver ô Hara Bryan ô Hara and others on the said Rebels parte all which Rebells tooke before named swore vppon a booke (they called a Portoos) to performe the said quarter and they the said william Crofton mr Oliphant mr Wray and this Examinant did sweare vppon a bible not that they wold not conceale or colour any goods of their owne of any other more they then they cold carry away according to their quarter but assoone as the said quarter was soe fully agreed vppon and confirmed the said Rebels refused to goe out of the said house and the said Captaine John Crean Captaine Iriell ô Hara and Bryan <C> ô Hara laid violent hands on the said mr Crofton and his wife and threw him on the ground and tooke off her her hatt, ruffe, and Apron & grew very violent and the next day serched all the house and tooke the view of all goods and the next day after being Saturday, the said Irish divided all the said goods amongst them, and the next day being the lords day all the English scottish and others in the house were summoned by the said Irish to heare Masse which was said in the hall and all the said
fol. 100r
1152
English scottish and Irish did heare th masse accordingly except onely the said mr Crofton and mrs Crofton mr Oliphant mr Wray this Examinant mrs Anne Loftus and some other children And the next day the said Irish tooke out the said mr Oliphant and another scottish man called Henry Begge and their wyves and one Margarett Branagh a welsh woman and her husband one duffe an Irish man and their fyve children and this Examinant and her three children shee being then great of the fourth child, all which persons the said Irish led to the middle <D> of the towne where was about foure Ash trees the said John Crean Bryan ô Haran and Hugh mcDonogh being principall Actors and on some of the said trees they hanged the said Mr Oliphant having first stripped him starke naked and after he was dead they dragged his dead body by the with they hanged him in at the l a garrans tayle through a mire to a ditch where they buryed him further sayth that at the same tyme they hanged the said Henry Begge and Margarett Branagh in this Examinants presence who expected nothing but death all the while and stript mrs Oliphant and her children most barbarously to the skin, this Examinant being first stripped herselfe to her skin by the said Crean And the Examinant further saith that one Mulmore mcSwine one of the said Rebels led this Examinant backe from the said trees to be reprived for thirteene dayes or and then to goe to masse or be hanged and the said Mr Crofton and the rest were all brought backe
fol. 100v
1153
to the towne of Tee Tample, where they remained some about a fortnight after and some not soe long and then were convayed away, this to Ballymote where by the way the said mr Wray was killed by the Rebels in the street of Tee Temple in this Examinants view And further sayth that about the same tyme shee heard some of the said Irish Rebels boost that they had Cooked six women and two men and some children and that they wold serue this Examinant and the rest of the English soe bidding them sweepe the house cleane for they shold haue blead enough, and that English folk lowed puddings, or words to that effect And further shee heard by some that were present and saw it that the said Irish had k halfe killed and throwne into a sawpitt about a mile from Tee Temple six woemen and two men and three chidlren and putt d there cast Earth and stone vppon them buryeing them alyve And further sayth not.
The marke of Jane [
Taken before us
William Gilbert
Tho: Richardson
Dublin
Mrs Jane Boswell her Examinacion touching the murther at Tee Temple in the County of Sligoe in the yeare 1641
Thomas Richardson
William Gilbert