Examination of John Crean
- Reference: MS 831, fols 118r-119v
- County: Sligo
- Date: 14/5/1653
- Type: Commonwealth
- Nature of Deposition: Military Action, Multiple Killing, Succour
- How to Cite
fol. 118r
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Examinations taken before at Sligoe the 14th day of May 1653
John Crean of Sligoe sayth that hee was made Captain of a foote Company of Teige ô Connor Sligoe then called Collonell of the County <A> of Sligoe a litle after Christmas 1641 And at a meeteinge of the officers of the irish army itt was ordered that five Captains with their Companies out of shoulde goe out of the barrony of Carbry to beseidge Templehouse the residence of william Crofton Esquire the names of the said five Captains were these vizt Teige boy mcShane ô Connor Phelym mcShane ô Connor, Phelym m cShane ô Connor Roger ô Connor mcfardinando, Donnell ô Connor mcBryan Dorah, and this deponent examinant, And that they shoulde ioyne with the Captains of the other barronies of the said County of Sligoe to accomplish that service. And that they shoulde yealde obedience vnto the Comaund of Livtenant Collonell Brian mcdonnogh then livtenant to the said Collonell ô Connor Sligoe; wherevppon they all wentt to Templehouse, & there it was agreed vppon by the cheife officers that mett for the settinge forwards of that seidge that there shoulde remaine there onely a partie out of each barrony of the said County for the barrony of Carbry this examinant with his Company was left there out of the barrony of Leynie Captain Brian ô Hara out of the barrony of Corren Captain Hugh mcDonnogh with authority vnto Captain Brian <B> ô Hara to Comaund in cheife over those forces in regarde the said garrisson of Templehouse is scituate in ô Haras Country and that after some Contineweance of tyme in that seidge the said mr Crofton yealded to deliver vpp that house vppone Capitulation articled betweene the said three Captains & him wherein was a clause of safety to the said mr Crofton & all in that houlde with him for their lives, & some reservation of mr Croftons goods & others the certeinety whereof hee leaves to the said writinge But as for the murther of mr Oliphant layed to his chardge hee knewe not of itt, not did heare hee was executed vntill after the same was donn by some of Captain Brian o Hara & Captain <C> Hugh mcDonnoghes souldiers over whome hee had noe Power neither was in place but at that tyme ymployed himselfe aboute the preservation of mr Crofton & his wife with all the english of that house which were in a lowe roome with them, from the fury of the enraged souldiers, & Countrymen whoe were furiously actinge ther pleasures aboute that house in the instance of that distracion And for the murther of Henry Norwell & the oulde woman hee sayeth that hee is not knoweinge of itt, nor was in Templehouse at the tyme of their killinge, neither did hee see or knowe of the killinge of any of the brittish which Came out of the County of Mayoe, hee at that instant of tyme beinge at Ballymoate vppon a visite to the Lorde Taafe that then
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Lay sicke, but hee was afterwards informed that those persons were seised vppon by Captain Brian ô Hara, whoe carryed bouletts <D> with him out of Templehouse seidge leager to putt vppon them in a place called Rathbane neere therevnto, where this examinant heares they were murthered by Neile Murry ô Scanlan and others of the Company of Captain Hugh mcShane glasse mcDonnogh And as to the killinge of mr wray this examinant sayeth that hee procured a horse for him, and his wife beinge his tennants to Carry them to Sligoe, & soe to Convoy them into the North for their safety, And had them both sett on horse backe to goe alonge in company with mr william Crofton, & his wife, when on a sudden Shane mcRickard mcManus, Donnell & James McRickard McManus & Murtagh McManus of the Company of Captain Brian ô Hara, tooke the opportunity as they were rideinge before the rest of the Company, to fall vppon the said mr wray, & some of them to give him a slash or two with a skeine on his heade vppon sight whereof this examinant advanced forwarde endeavouringe to stave them of from doeinge more mischeife, And gott mr wray to Ballymoate, & theire had Chirurgions to dresse his woundes but for all they Coulde doe within two daies after hee died This examinant lastly sayeth that his said Collonell Teige ô Connor Sligoe Came to Templehouse soone after the surrender of the same, before either the officers or souldiers were disper st dispersed, And that they the Captains whoe tooke in the said houlde bought a barrell of secke to bestowe vppon him for his welcome thether, where after the same was drunke each man departed without the said Collonell ô Connors further takeinge notice of (any act or thinge that had bin there donn) by the said Collonell ô Connor
John Crean
This examination taken before
Robt: Parke
Rich: Coote
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fol. 119v
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Aboute the murther
of Templehouse
John Crean his
Examinacion
Prisoner
Richard Coote
Robert Parke