Examination of Nicholas Willson

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The Examinacion of Nicholas Willson of Thomas streete Dublin Shoemaker aged seaventy yeares or thereabouts taken the Eighth day of November 1652. before vs Gerrard Lowther Knight Sir Edward Bolton Knight and Thomas Dongan Esquire Commissioners for Administracion of Justice Oyer & Terminer & Gaole deliuery &c in and throughout the Province of Leinster Except the <A> Counties of Kilkenny and Wexford
The said Nicholas Willson being duly sworne & examined saith that he was dwelling in the Towne of Castlecomer in the County of Kilkenny in the begining of the Rebellion, and saith that about a forthnight after breaking out of the Rebellion a great Company of the Irish Rebells to the number of two or three hundred as neare as this Examinant could guesse, came to the said towne & beseiged the Castle of Castlecomer in the County of Kilkenny aforesaid, and that seuerall other Companies of the said Rebells came and Joyned in the said <A> Seige with the former, and saith that Captaine Thomas Butler Captaine Edward Brenan and one Captaine Demsy whoe lived within two miles of Ballynekill afor in the queene County and whose Christen name this Examinant knoweth not, were the Officers that were cheife in Command of those Rebells that came and beseiged the said Castle as aforesaid, and saith that one Barnard a young youth the sonne of Alexander Barnard the Clothier, having occasion to goe out of the said Castle into the said Towne, the said youth was taken by the said Rebells and carryed to his fathers tenters and there in the sight of the said Castle was hanged vpon the said tenters vntill he was dead, the Rebells having cutt & cloven his head with a sword before he was hanged vpon the tenters as aforesaid, and saith that one Robert the Porter that kept the Kayes of the gate of the said Castle was shott as hee stood at the gate with a slugg or a bullett from the said Rebells and there fell downe & dyed at the said gate And further saith that one Marley an Englishman brother to one George Marley as he was trauelling betweene the Parke of Castlecomer and Ballynekill in the tyme of the seige was there mett with by some of the said Captaine Demsyes Company and <B> was there by them killed or hanged till he was dead And further saith that the said seige did continue from about Allhallantide in the first yeare of the Rebellion vntill Shrovetide following or thereabouts and that then they came to a full treatie, and therevpon Condicions were made and quarter was giuen vnto Captaine ffarrer and all that were in the said Castle of Castlecomer for their Lyues & goodes, And further saith that before the said Quarter, one Edward Nutton a Rich

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<C> ffarmer being in the said Castle with his wife & three children with the rest of the English in the said Castle Mr Richard Butler who was eldest brother to the said Captaine Thomas Butler and then lyved in the said Towne of Castlecomer, sent vmto the said Edward Nutton that hee with his wife and children should come out of the said Castle vnto him the said Richard Butler and that the said Richard would permitt and suffer him to lyve amongst them and followe his Calling and his husbandry and should be protected against the Irish, and that therevpon the said Edward Nutton and his three children came vnto the said Richard Butlers and there lyved for some tyme, And this Examinant further saith that after quarter giuen to Captaine ffarrer & the rest of the English there, and that they departed from the Castle and were to goe to Athy and Ballylynan the Irish sent a Convoy alonge with them for their guard, & that the said Convoy <D> was Commanded by the said Captaine Demsye & his Company, and that the English being brought to Ballylynan, Captaine Graham with some of his soldiers came forth to meete them & havinge intelligence as this Examinant heard that the Irish intended to breake their quarter with Captaine ffarer and to cutt of the English the said Captaine Graham & his Company fell vpon the Irish and beate them backe and that one John Shovell and Richard Phillips two English men and Thomas Betty three of those that had quarter att Castlecomer being in this skirmish betweene Captaine Grahams his Company and the said Captaine Demsyes men and the said John Shovell Richard Phillipps & Thomas Betty (being weary after trauell, in there retreate with the English back to Ballylynan being not able to march alonge with the Company tooke vpp in a Create intending to stay there all night but the said Captaine Demsy getting some notice of there being there as the Examinant <D> supposes hee and some of his Company came vnto the said Create and fell vpon them to take and kill them, and the said John Shovell Richard Phillipps and Thomas Betty standinge vpon their guard endeavored to defend themselues as longe as they could wherevpon the Irish bidd them take quarter which they accepted, and soe hauing quarter giuen and thinking themselues secure came forth of the Create or Cott; And this Examinant saith that being come forth and yeelding themselues Prisoners vppon

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<E> quarter, the said Demsye and his men carryed them away towardes Castlecomer or Kilkenny hee knoweth not certainely whether, and that there after quarter giuen as aforesaid, the said Captaine Demsy or Captaine Butler or some of theire men by their Comand caused the said John Shovell and Richard Phillipps to be hanged and putt to death, but spared the said Thomas Betty being an Irishman as this Examinant afterward heard by Captaine Graham and Captaine ffarrer & others who said they had Intelligence <f> thereof for a certaine truth. And this Examinant further saith that the before named Edward Nutton being at the foresaid Richard Butlers & living peaceably with him and following his Calling & husbandry heard by some priuate intelligence that the said Richard Butler or some of the Rebells intended to putt him the said Edward Nutton to death and that therevpon the said Edward in the night tyme with helpe of a sheete slyde downe a windowe with his eldest sonne and soe made an escape & came to Athy and did there meeting with this Examinant tell him all the seuerall passagees before mencioned of his going to the said Richard Butleres, his stayinge there, and escapinge away as aforesaid, and that when the said Edward Nutton made an escape as aforesaid hee left two of his younger children asleepe in their bed, and that he heard for certaine that the said two children were soe neglected that they were famished and starved for want of foode and that they dyed vnder the Markett house in the Towne of Castlecomer aforesaid
Nicholas [mark] Willsons
marke
Gerrard Lowther Tho: Dongan

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The Examinacion of Nicholas
Willson concerninge the
Murders at CastleComer &c
Castlecumber