Examination of Robert Neale

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The Examinacion of Robert Neale of Dublin Butcher taken the xiiijth daye of September 1652 before vs Sir Gerrard Lowther knight Sir Edward Bolton knight Thomas Dungan Esquire Commissioners for Administracion of Justice Oyer Terminer and Gaole delivery for &c and William Basill Esquire Attorney Generall for the Comonwealth & one of the Justices of Peace for the Province of Leinster &c
<A> Whoe beinge examined and sworne saith that Joab ward Esquire this Examinant and manie other Englishe and Protestants beinge in the saide Joab wards howse or Castle at Knockrath in the County of wickloe in the begininge of the Rebellion and intendinge to keepe the same as longe as the could against the Eneneny of Colonell Luke Birne, Luke Toole of Castlekevin Esquire, Teige mc Donell Birne and Donnell oge Birne twoe of the sonns of Teige mc mc Hugh Duff Donnell Birne accompanied with manie other Rebells of whome the saide Luke Birn and Luke Toole were Comanders in Cheefe, being Armed with Musquetts guns [ ] swords Clubs Pykes and other warlike instruments about All Hallantyde next after begininge of the Rebellion, came to take and surprise the saide Castle and those that were in it, and that after som treaty to deliver vpp the saide Castle, The enemy gave quarter to the said Joab ward his servants and tenants and the rest of the English in the said Castle and gave Condicions to departe with and remove themselves by March following and for performance herof gave articles which were signed vnder the hand of the said Luke Birne, and as this Examinant then heard the saide Luke Toole did allsoe subscribe and signe vnto those articles, And further saith that about Christmas after Sir Charles Coote cominge into the County of wickloe and haveinge there killed som of the Irish Rebells the Irish gave out that they would be revenged of the English in the saide Castle, and with in a forth night after Captaine Charles Birne whoe ma rryed the daughter of Pattrick { K } ill Esquire with some other Rebells in their Companie came to the saide Castle and demanded to have one Mr Jones or Mr Owens a Minister that was in the saide Castle <B> this examinant, & three other English men by name Edward Sneap, Thomas Huntpatch and Richard a Carpenter, And this Examinante further saith that the said three persons last named were taken and carryed away by the saide Captaine Charles Birne and that the said Captaine Birne saide that it was by the order and Comand of the beforenamed luke Toole that he demanded and tooke away the saide three English men, and further saith that the saide Luke Toole was in the Parke when

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when he gave the saide Comand vnto the said Captaine Birne, and when the saide Captaine demanded and when he carryed awaye the saide three Englishmen <C> And this Examinant saith that he and the saide Mr Jones the Minister were faine to hyde themselves in the Castle or els they had allsoe beene carryed away with the said other three Englishmen And this Examinant further saith that those that tooke awaye the said three Englishmen carryed them som three myles of, and did there vpon a bush hange them vntill they were deade as he this Examinate was afterwards certainely informed and saith, that some women in the Contry thereaboutes did after ward show vnto this Examinant the Bushe wheron they sawe the saide three Englishmen were hanged and the place wherin they wer after ward buryed, And this Examinant further saith that he heard it generally reported in the Contry that the said Colonel Luke Toole about the first Christmas next after the begininge of the Rebellion did <D> cause divers English persons to be hanged till they were deade, at or about a foard neare the high way within a mile or thereaboutes from the saide Luke Tooles howse and that divers of them soe hanged lay there vnburyed a longe tyme and were eaten and devoured by doggs wolves Crowes and other Ravenous birds and further deposeth not.
Robert [mark] Neales marke
Gerrard Lowther Edw: Bolton
Tho: Dongan
William Basil

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{ }
The Examinacion of
Robert Neale touching
[ ] Luke Toole and
concerninge the hangeing of
The 3 Englishmen taken
out of Joab wards Castle &c

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