Deposition of William Linch
- Reference: MS 831, fols 239r-240v
- County: Galway
- Date: 23/4/1653
- Type: Commonwealth
- Nature of Deposition: Assault, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Stripping, Succour
- How to Cite
fol. 239r
1330
Depositions taken before mee Maior Robert Ormsby at Sruell April 23th 1653 concerning the Murder of Sruell.
<A> William Linch fitz Peter of Galway franscisca n ffryar, aged about fourty yeares being duely sworne on the holy Evangelists and examined Deposeth that hee the said Deponent came vnto Sruell to see his father (then resideing in the Castle of Sruell) the night before the Murder was comitted: and that on the day the murder was comitted this said Deponent (being a franciscan fryar) came out of this said Castle when the said Murder was acting on the brittish in Sruell aforesaid to shelter some of the brittish: and that one Buchanans sonne was twice or thrice at least forceibly taken out of this Deponents Armes who received som e stabb in his Garment and this Deponent farther saith that the Murderers (whom this deponent being a stranger knew not) threatned to kill this deponent if hee let not the sonne of the said Deponent Buchanan goe and that the sonne of the said Buchanan was forceibly taken out of his this said deponents Armes and Murdererd <B> And further saith that whe n Mr Gilbert with his wife and three children endeauored to were sent by this Deponent said vnto the howse of Mr Robert Lambert of Sruell and were there sheltered vnder bedds vntill midnight after the Murder was com {
fol. 239v
1331
went with the said Mr Gilbert out of the said Island towards Cung and about a quarter of a Mile from the said Island, there appeared out of an Ambush Donnogh Kenyn <C> and Richard McThybot (who as this said Deponent was informed waited for the Deponents comeing along with the said Mr Gilbert all that Morning. And that the said Donogh Kenin and Richard McThybot after saluteing this deponant came vp with A firelocke which was in the hands of the said Donogh vnto whom this deponent cryed see that they should not draw any blood from the said Deponent they hee the said Donough and Richard being this Deponents father his followers wherevpon the said Donogh & Richard came vp with the said firelock, vnto whom this deponent againe cryed to abstaine from meddling with the said Mr Gilbert, and that this deponent endeavoured to preserue (as much as in him lay) to preserue the person and goods of the said Mr <D> Gilbert from the said Richard Donogh and Richard yet Notwithstanding this Deponents entreaties and endeavours to defend the said Mr Gilbert: the said Donogh Kenny came with his firelocke to shoote the said Mr Gilbert though wherevpon this deponent tooke hold of the bore of the said firelocke so as the shotte was thereby diverted there from the body of the said Mr Gilberts body and onely peirced his clothes and razed his Arme when the shott was spent who where u pon the said Mr Gilbert fell, and they the said Donogh Keny and Richard Thybott stripped the said Mr Gilbert out of his cloths and what hee had about him, leaveing the said Mr Gilbert so stripped, with this Deponent who tooke his foster Brothers mantle and put the same about the said Mr Gilbert and carryed him the said Mr Gilbert along vnto Mr Andrew Linch at BallymcGibbon which said Andrew releiued the said Mr Gilbert with cloaths, and then the said Andrew and this deponent conveyed the said Mr Gilbert safe to Cung and farther saith not.
Robert Ormsby
Copia vera concordat cum original{
fol. 240v
The Examinacion of William Linch fitzPeter
Robert Oliver