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Information of Margaret Clarke

  • Reference:  MS 836, fols 035r-036v
  • County: Armagh
  • Date: 16/3/1643
  • Type: Information
  • Nature of Deposition: Arson, Assault, Death, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Words
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  • How to Cite
    • fol. 35r


    The Examination of Margaret Clerke the wife of John Clark of Annaclea in the Parish & Countie of Armagh taken the 16th day of March 1642 Before mee Sir Robert Meredith knight Chancellor of his Majesties Court of Exchequer and one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Ardmagh By direction of the right Honnorable the Lords Justices and Councell

    Who beeing sworne & Examined saith that she this Examinant hath heard read and considered of the Examinacion of Margaret Phillis the wife of Thomas Phillis taken before his Majesties Commissioners the 15th day of this instant March 1642 And saith that the same is in all thinges true to her this Examinants owne knowledge saveing that this Examinant cannot soe certainelie speak to her Losses as she doth Yet is perswaded that the Expressions of her Losses are true And this Examinant for further Explanation of the truth saith that she this Examinant was one amongst the rest of the English and Scottish Protestants who were all forced and driuen together into a thatcht house belonging to this Examinant in Shewis in the aforesaid Countie & Parish of Killmore which when the Rebells had filled full of Protestants they set ffire in seuerall partes thereof Wherevpon this Examinant and about ten more of the Protestants aforesaid fell down vpon theire knees and with teares prayed one Jane Hampson the wife of Henry Hampson of Legacory

    fol. 35v


    who was the most forward and cruellest Rebell amongst them that she would permitt them to come out of the house & rather to knock them in the heades then to burne them But the said Jane Hampson beeing resolute to destroy them that waie said she would bee a Blacksmith amongst them & denyed to suffer them to come out of the house But she haueing a Pitchforke & the rest of the Rebells other weapons made fast the doore on the outside and burned the house and all the Protestants therein (which indeede filled the house) saveing her this Examinant together with Ann Smith who breakeing through a hole in the wall and comeing through the same into the house some of the Rebells threw a great stone att her this Examinant whereat she fell downe to the ground & others of them knockt her the said Ann Smith in the head wherewith she falling to the ground The aforesaid Rebells buisied with burneing the said house and the rest of the Protestants left her this Examinant and the said and the said Ann Smith lying there vpon the ground for dead Yet God Allmightie gaue them opportunitie and soe much abillitie as to flie and escape awaie But all the rest were burned to ashes beeing a housefull of poore Innocent soules but how many were of them she this Examinant cannot certainelie tell Howbeit such of the Protestants as she this Examinant knew then and there to bee burned were Robert Smith Richard Jennis Ffrances the wife of Nicholas Wood and one of her children about eight weekes old Elizabeth the wife of James

    fol. 36r


    Ghipsy Allice Butterwith the wife of Isaac Butterw{ith} & two of her children besides one in her bellie she beeing great with childe Raph Hill and his wife The rest were such Strangers of English and Scotts as the Rebells had driuen and brought into the Towne that Night & the day before whose names she this Examinant cannot tell And this Examinant further saith that euer as any of the aforesaid Protestants attempted to escape to come out of the ffire and house The barbarous & cruell Rebells knockt them in the heades with their Pikes Pitchforkes and othe{r} thinges & threw or forced them into the ffire again by which they were all consumed as aforesaid And this Examinant likewise saith that the aforesaid Rebe{lls} did exercise this crueltie att what tyme they rece{ieved } an ouerthrow att Lisnegarvy ffor after that tyme the Irish Rebells neyther spared Protestant nor Papist soe they were eyther English ore Scottish And to this Examinants knowledge the Rebells about that tyme murthered one Hugh Clerke Richard Natter, the wife of William Blundell and six of there children Mary Smith & six children Effam Clark widdow and one childe Elizabeth the wife {of} Michaell Smith, an old woman called Goody Beere & annother young woman and her childe John Hall Thomas Orten John Orten and diuerse others th{at} she this Examinant cannot name Insoemuch as but very few escaped eyther English ore Scotts in all the Co{unty} thereabouts ffor the inhumaine and barbarous Reb{ells} spared neyther litle children nor [sex] of any age whatso{ever}

    fol. 36v


    But some they put to death by hanging some by drowning in Riuers Ditches and holes others by burning The rest by the Sword starueing famishing tortureing and other cruell deathes And this Examinant alsoe saith that seuerall of her ffrendes acquaintance and Neighbours were drowned att the Bridge of Port a downe to the number of one hundred and ffiftie att one tyme soe as, indeede all the full and faire Plantations of Protestants in the Countrie thereabouts were quite depopulated and destroyed And this Examinant further saith that att the begining of this present Rebellion she heard some of the Rebells say That Sir Phelim ô Neile would haue all the Lands in Ireland Northwardes from Dundalke to himselfe And that since the Rebellion began & by meanes thereof her husband & she were depriued robbed and spoiled of their Corne Cattle horses Mares Sheepe hay householdstuffe ready mony apparrell and other thinges as alsoe of the proffitts of theire lease of the value & to theire losse for the present of 99 li. 16 s. 8 d. besides Timber worth 4 li. And that her said husband & she are like to be depriued of and loose the future proffitts of theire ffarme which she this Examinant conceiueth to bee cleerely worth xiii li. vi s. viii d. per annum vntill a peace bee established And this Examinant lastlie saith that att the tyme when the Rebells burnt her said husband to death they robbed and depriued him & her of the possession Rents & proffitts of theire house Garden household suffe provision apparell and other thinges worth



    Robert Meredith



     

Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2