Information of John Turner

fol. 155r

1306
The examinacion of John Turner gent taken vpon oath before me Sir Samuell Mayartt Knight one of his Maiesties Justices of his highnes Court Common pleas in Ireland & one of his Maiesties Justices of peace of the seuerall Counties of Dublin & Galway & of the other Counties within the Realme of Ireland, this seaventh day of March 1643
The said examinante saieth that about the begginnynge of November 1641 he then & longe before beinge an Inhabitant <A> within the Towne of Galway in the Kingdome of Ireland & imploied as Clarke of the store for his Maiesties ffort neere Galway & also as Surveior of his Maiesties Customes & Revenewes of the said Port, A shipp belonginge to the Cittie of London (whereof one Robert Clarke was master was then ridinge in the said harbour of Galway) & freighted for ffrance by Thomas Linch fitz Andrewe A Marchant of Galway), with hides Tallowe & other Comodities for which Custome was Paied And this examinante saieth that he beinge informed that thirtie bagges <B> of Wooll of Irish English groweth were privately by night; by the direccion of Thomas Linch aforsaid, putt aboard the said Shipp he this examinante together with George Ratcliffe then Collector of the Customes of the said port & George Stanton then Searcher of the said port, did goe aboard the said Shipp & vpon search found the said wooll which was then seised vpon to his Maiesties vse by this examinante & the said Collector & Searcher & they endeuouringe to bringe the same to land, & to that intent hauinge boates attendinge The said Thomas Linch & other Marchants of Galway wold not suffer this examinante to take the said Wooll out of the said Shipp, & presently sett vpp sayle <C> & the said Shipp went for ffraunce, (as this examinante veryly beleuet{h} And this examinante further saieth that about three monthes after the said Shipp came backe to the said Harbour laded with salt & other Marchandise amongst which were A good quantitie of powder & seuerall Armes of which the said Robert Clarke gaue notice to Captaine Anthony Willoughby & this examinante) Wherevpon this examinante hauinge formerly Receiued A warrant from the then Lord Justices & Councell of Ireland & likewise from the Earle of Clanricard for the takinge

fol. 155v

1307
<E> takinge of such. Armes & Ammunition as shold be brought into that part, into his Maiesties Storehouse for the said ffort there to be disposed for the defence of the said ffort & contry, he this examinate by vertue of the said warrant did endeuour to haue the said Armes & Ammuntion for the vse of his Maiesties said ffort but was hindred by the said Thomas Linch & one Dominicke Linch o Keaghran his factor And presently afterwardes this examinante together with the said Robert Clarke went from the ffort of Galway to the Towne of Galway vpon whose Commynge there was A Court of Assembly called were where were present the Maior <f> Aldermen & Burgesses of the said Towne or the greater parte of them & likewise mr Patricke Darcy & mr Richard Martin Lawyers, before whome this examinante & the said Robert Clarke were called & this examinante shewinge the said Warrant before the said Assembly the said mr Darcy & mr Martin beinge present they the said mr Darcy & mr Martin did there publiquely declare that it was Treason in this examinante & the said Robert Clarke to hinder & deteine the said Armes from them by vertue of the said Warrant (they then pretending themselues to be his Maiesties Subiects) & therevpon Committed both of them to the towne Gaole of Galway where they remained by the space of tenne or Twelue dayes folowinge Vntill they were released, by the Earle of Clanricard And this examinante further saieth that the said Earle of Clanricard did make an end of the differences betwene the Marchant of the said Shipp & the said Robert Clarke & did assure the said Clarke that all thinges shold be fairely carried But the said Earle leavinge the said towne of Galway the [ ] <G> said Dominicke Keaghran factor to the said Thomas Linch with diuerse others (by the direccion of the said Mr Darcy & mr Martin as this examinante veryly beleueth) went aboard the said Shipp & carried with them seuerall boates vpon pretence to vnlade the Salt And vpon their Commynge to the said Shipp (the said Clarke beinge att the ffort & some of his men beinge gone out of the said Shipp) to fetch ballace) entred the said Shipp & killed the Masters Mate & twoe or three more of the men aboard the said Shipp & wounded seuerall others there, & so possessed themselues wholly of the said Shipp beinge of the burthen of 300 Tunn or there abouts & likewise tooke out of the said Shipp about [ ] tenne peeces of Ordinance which were landed presently & planted against his Maiesties ffort And further this examinante saieth that att the begynnynge of the Rebellion (vntill such tyme as the said mr

fol. 156r

1308
<H> Mr Darcy & mr Martin came to the towne of Gallway) they within the ffort had free traffique with the towne of Gallway & were furnished of such necessaries as they wanted for their monyes But after the comynge of the said mr Darcy & mr Martin to the said Towne the townsmen admitted the Irish people of Err Connaght to come into the said towne who robbed this examinante & the English Inhabitants within the said towne & killed & murthered seuerall of them amongst which they Cutt of the heades of one John ffox & his wife & murthered one mrs Collins as she was kneelinge att her praiers And (as this examinante def t hath heard after the said Murders were committed the Irish tumbled the heades of the said ffox & his Wife about the streetes) And further saieth that (although the said people of Err Connagh had robbed & murthered the English as aforsaid yett neither the Maior or Aldermen of Gallway aforsaid or the said Darcy or Martyn did any f wayes punish the offenders but rather abetted & maynteined them in their barbarous Cruelties, And this examinate further saieth that [ ] after by direccion & helpe of the towne of Galway the said ffort was beseiged & the townsmen of Galway hired the Contry to doe the same So that the ffort was enforced to yeild about the twoe & twe fiue & twentith of June 1643 wherevpon this examinante Went into the towne of Galway to demaund some of his goodes accordinge to the quarter giuen them And in the meane tyme the shippinge beinge in the harbour went away & left this examinante behinde so that he was enforced to gett A convey to Bonrattee to the Earle of Thomond And beinge there one Donne A man of Sir Roger of O Shafenes related to the Earle of Thomond & this examinante <J> that he saw the said Richard Martin which was then Maior of Galway vpon A Sonday Mornynge with A Pyx axe in his hand settinge people A worke to dimolish & pull downe the said ffort of Galway
John Turnor
Sa: Mayart

fol. 156v

1309

The examinacion of mr
John Turner
Concerning the Rebells
of Gallway