Examination of Cahir alias Charles Birne
- Reference: MS 811, fols 205r-206v
- County: Wicklow
- Date: 8/10/1652
- Type: Commonwealth
- Nature of Deposition: Captivity, Military Action, Multiple Killing
- How to Cite
fol. 205r
3636
The Examinacion of Captaine Cahir alias Charles Birne late of Cananstown in the County of wickloe gentleman, aged fortie yeares or thereabouts taken the viijth daye of October 1652 taken before vs Sir Gerrard Lowther knight Sir Edward Bolton knight and Thomas Dongan Esquire Commissioners for Administracion of Justice Oyer and terminer and Gaole delivery &c.
The saide Charles Birne beinge examined saith that shortly after the Ryseinge out in the County of wickloe Phelim mc Redmond Birne, with ffeogh alias Luke mc Redmond Birne, John Birne of Ballynecor in the saide County of wickloe gentleman, and with a great Multitude of the Contry to the number of about fower or five hundred or thereabouts being armed with gunnes fforkes and other such like instruments <A> vnder the Comand of the saide Phelim mc Redmond, came to Joabe wards Castle of Knockrath in the County of wickloe, and tooke in the saide Castle vpon the Quarter followinge vizt: that the saide Joabe ward his servants and familie should have securitie for theire lives and for the goods of the said Joab and his servants and that they should have safe Conduct for themselves & their goods to goe to wickloe, but saith that noe quarter was given for the said Joabs tenants nor was theire anie of his tenants to this Examinants knowledg in the saide Castle at the tyme of the quarter given as aforesaid And this Examinant saith that he was there then present, but to his Remembrance Luke Toole of Castle Kevin was not there And further saith that Tirlagh mc Daniell Birne was apointed by the said Phelim mc Redmond to see that the said Joab ward and those that had quarter should be freed from violence and to see the quarter performed, but saith that whether Donnell mc Hugh Duffe Birne, and his other two sonns Teige mc Donnell and Donnell oge Birne were apointed or directed to looke to & secure the saide Joab ward and
fol. 205v
3637
and the rest and to see the quarter performed this Examinant doth not know And this Examinant further saith, that vpon Sir Charles Cootes first marchinge into the County of wickloe, it beinge reported in that Contry that an woman one of the Irish woman of the Rebells partie was by his Comand hanged, Phelim mc Redmond Birne Comander <B> in Cheefe of the said Irish partie, did therevpon send for twoe English men from Knockrath, the one of them called Ned of the bridge, the other Thomas Huntpatch a smith and saith that the said twoe Englishmen were delivered and sent to the saide Phelim accordingly, But this Examinant saith that he doth not know whoe it was that was sent by the said Phelim mc Redmond to demand the said twoe Englishe men nor to whome in particuler they were delivered when they were delivered; And saith that he this Examinant did nether send for them, nor receive them, nor was not in the Parke nor neare the said Castle when the said two Englishmen were demanded or received as aforesaide, And this Examinant further saith, that when the said twoe Englishe men were brought vnto the said Phelim mc Redmond he the saide Phelim Comanded them to be carryed alonge with them in their March toward Sir Charles Coote, And saith <C> that there was with the saide Phelim mc Redmond when he Marched thither Gar the before named Garrat Birne and John mc Bryan Birne twoe principall gentlemen of that Contry, whoe with the rest of the principall Gentry & most of the Contry, to the number of about five or six hundred (the saide twoe Englishe men beinge in theire Company ledd alonge with them as prisoners) Marched on togeather vntill they came neare vnto the River of Nuragh wher it
fol. 206r
3638
it was reported that the saide woman had beene hanged by the partie vnder the Comand of the saide Sir Charles Coote, and saith that vpon there Comeinge thither and findinge for Certaine that the saide woman had beene hanged, the said <D> Phelim mc Redmond did thervpon Comand the saide twoe Englishmen to be neare vnto the same place to be hanged vntill they were deade which was accordingly done as this Examinant hath certainely heard; but saith he was not present at the execution, And further saith that it was after the the quarter given to Joab ward and his servants as aforesaid that the saide two English men were sent for by the said Phelim mc Redmond and that they were delivered and brought vnto him and was carryed alongh with the Irish Army to the place where they were hanged as aforesaid, And further saith not.
Charles Birne
Gerrard: Lowther
Edw: Bolton
Tho: Dongan
fol. 206v
3639
The Examinacion of
Cahell alias Charles Birne
touchinge the hanging
of two Englishmen.
Edward Bolton
Gerard Lowther
Thomas Dongan