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Examination of Alice Countesse Dowager of Antrim

  • Reference:  MS 838, fols 022r-023v
  • County: Antrim
  • Date: 9/2/1653
  • Type: Commonwealth
  • Nature of Deposition: Arson, Captivity, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Words
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  • How to Cite
    • fol. 22r



    4329 4239

    The Examinacion of Alice Countesse Dowager of Antrim, taken at Colrane the ninth day of February 1652. Before Richard Brasier Esquire Major of Colerane, & Colonell Thomas Coote Governour of Colerane Commissioners for Administracion of Justice and Justices of Peace within the Province of Vlster
    Whoe being examined saith, That shee dwelt in the house of Bally Cas{tle} at the beginning of the Irish Insurrecion which was part of her Jointure & <A> left her by her late husband the Earle of Antrim, and that she continued in the same house untill the Scotch Army sent in Ireland under the Command of Generall Major Robert Monroe Mar{ched} into the Roote, which was about three weekes in May in the yea{re} 1642. And being demanded, why shee left Bally Castle hou{se her} owne Jointure, when the Scotch Army came into the {} shee saith, Because shee could not keepe it from her her Enemies And being demaunded who those Enemies were shee {said} Monro and the Scotch Army who were marching from{Car}rickfergus & had almost catched this Examinant before shee w{as} well over the Bann. And being demanded upon what Ground shee imagined the Scotch Army to be her Enemies her Answer thereunto was, Because the Scotts Army tooke he{r} <B> sonne Randell Earle of Antrim Prisoner out of his own house of Dunluce. But being told that That could be no Reason for her to leave her house & flee over the Bann, because that her said sonne was not taken Prisoner untill three day{s} after shee left her said house & fled over the Bann; shee the{n} answered That the Scotts Army comming on one side by Land, and McCallins Army by Sea from the Raghries, who were alwaies Enemies to the mcDonnells, shee fled for her Life over the Bann as aforesaid And the said Examinant being further demmanded why shee did not aswell take & imagine the Irish & Highlanders who murdered the Brittish att Portnaw (& who came over the Bann and burnt all the Countrey & murder(ed} <C> man woman & childe of the Brittish all along in their March from Portnawe unto Ballentoy & besiedged the house of Ballentoy her Enemies aswell as the said Scotch Army and mcCallin men, To which shee said, That shee could not keep not maintain her house, and therefore shee went away. But being severall

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    fol. 22v



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    <symbol> times told That that Answere was not pertinent to the Question; shee at Last Answered That if shee were to be hanged shee could not Answer the said Question any otherwise. The said Examinant being likewise demanded whether William Glover with severall <D> of the Brittish Inhabitants of the Towne of Bally Castle the next morning after the Murder at Portnaw did not offer to come into the house of Bally Castell to make that house a Shelter to Protect them from the Irish Murderers, and whether some of them namely James Stewart & Thomas Stewart did not enter the house, and whether her Ladyshipps servants, to witt Edmund O Haggan & Shane O Haggan and others, came not upon those that entred the house with drawne swords, (her Ladyshippe & her daughter the Lady Sarah being present) and forced them out of the Gates; Shee saith shee did not heare of the Murder at Portnaw, untill a long time after it was committed. And that shee never saw or heard that the said William Glover or any others entered the said house, or ever were repulsed by her, or any of her servants. And her Ladyshippe being further demanded, whether shee & her servants refused not to suffer any of the Brittish Inhabitants of the Towne of Ballycastle or Countrey thereabouts to enter into the house of Ballycastle for safety of their Lives; shee answered shee nor her servants never refused any to enter for shelter. And being further demanded what Brittish her Ladyship did save and protect in her said house, shee answered that her house was full of Irish Scotch & English, of whom remembers none but an English Tuck=Miller whose name shee knowes not, who was father in law to Edmund O Haggan <E> her Ladyships servant & Coaltagh, and one John Hunter Carpenter his wife and their Children as shee thinks. Ands her Ladyship being told that not onely the said English Tuck=Miller, Anthony Knowles by name, and the said John Hunter Carpenter with his wife & Children, but likewise John Murghlan Smith, Alexander Begg Stewart Moulterer of her Ladyshipps owne Mill, and John Kidd Mason were preserved by her Ladyship and servants and those with them, not soe much out of any good intention in preserving their lives as out of particular respects viz: Anthony Knowles for his relacions aforesaid John Hunter and the rest because they were Tradesmen, and so necessary as that her Ladyship and the rest could not be without them, when as many others both men & women not

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    not so necessary to be preserved for their purpose were drawne from the Castle Gate if not out of the very house, & bawne & babarously murdered under the very Walls of the Castle besides <ff> such as were murdred neer the Castle & in and about the Towne To which last Question her Ladyship answered that shee did not know of any that were there murdred & if there was that shee was no souldier to go out and defend them. And her Ladyship being further demanded, if shee knew one Jennett Speir wife vnto John Smith, unto which shee answered shee had some little knowledge of the same Jennett. And being asked whether the said Jennett did not come into the Castle and prayed her Ladyship to save her life, and whether shee did not at the same time hold {her} Ladyship by the skirt of her gowne, & whether her Ladyship did no{t} command the Carlin should be taken away from her, an{d} whether according vnto her Ladyships Command, was not the sa{id} Jennett presently taken out and murdred. Unto which h{er} Ladyship answered, that shee knowes not that the said Jennett ever came into the said house, or that ever she spake unto her, or tooke her by the skirt of her Gowne, or gave any Command concerning her, but shee saith, that long after shee was murdred shee heard of it, & that shee was kild <G> behinde her owne Stable, but by whom shee knowes not. And being demanded whether shee knew one Thomas Robinson who was murdred either the same day or day before that Jennett Speer was killed, and at or neer the same place shee saith shee knew no such man or that any such man was there murdred. And being demanded whether her Ladyship did owe the said Jennett Speir 20 li. or 30 li. or any money, shee answered, shee never in all her life did owe her one penny, but that the said Jennett Speir did owe her 15 li. And being further demanded whether her Ladyship knew Margaret Moneypenny wife unto Andrew Cowburne Laird of Traiton, And whether the said Margaret came unto Ballycastle her Ladyships house desiring shelter and protecion under her roofe or within her Walls, and wase refused

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    refused safegard for her life by her Ladyship or those belonging unto her, vpon which refusall was shee not afterwards murdered To which her Ladyship answered that shee never knew the said Margaret Moneypenny, neither did ever heare that any <H> such woman was murdered. And her Ladyship bering further demanded If shee heard of the defeat which Alester mcColl and the other Irish gave vnto the Brittish in the Layney beyond Ballymony, she saith she heard of that defeat but how soon after, or by whom shee knowes not. And her Ladyship being likewise demanded whether shee did receive a Lettre from Sir James McDonnell Alester McColl McDonnell, James McHenry O Cahan and James McSworley upon Satturday the next day after the defeat given in the Laney dated from Ballymoney wherein they certified her Ladyship That they her servants had obtained a victory the day before (since called Blackfryday) against her Ladyship & their enemies wishing her to make her Liquour a little stronger then the Last was, or they would no longer be her servants To which her Ladyship ansered that shee neither knew of or received any such Lettre And further shee saith not.

    Tho: Coote
    Rich: Brasier Major

    (4)



    Richard Brasier
    Thomas Coote



     

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