Examination of Edward Butler

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The Examinacion of Edward Butler of Vrlingford in the County of Kilkenny Esquire taken before Collonell Thomas Herbert & Robert Doily Esquire Members of the high Court of Justyce sitting at Dublin.
<A who saith> that he hath liued at Vrlingford in the County of Kilkenny for twenty yeares past or thereabouts also saith that hee is second son to the late Lo Mountgarrett and that his eldest brother is called Edward Edmund. Being demanded if hee was in that partie of 6 or 700 horse & foote with his brother comanded & fought with towards fouerscore English men in the yeare 1642 a little before Michaelmas near to Ballynakill in the County of Kilkenny at which tyme that Irish party then kild amongst others leutenant Gibben Ensigne Alfrey Mr Thomas Bingham a Minister Robert Graues Richard Bentley & others whose heads (as a Trophy of the Victory were sent to be sett vp at Kilkenny a piper playing before them) Hee this Examinant saith he was not in that fight but at his owne house at Vrlingford about ten miles from Ballinakill aforesaid. Being but he heard that those English men were there abouts kild and that his Cosen Walter Butler was also kild at that fight by the English & was himselfe at the buriall of the sayd Walter Butler next day to after the fight at a place chapell about 3 miles from the place where the fight was & that his brother Edmund was also at that buriall. Being further demanded, if he had not the Comand of horse or foot that yeare or the yeare after hee this Examinant saith that hee had the Comand of a foot company that yeare, and that so soone as that fight aforesaid was ended hee layd downe his Comission Command and was not in armes since, but contynued at his aforesaid dwelling house in Vrlingford & had not since that medled with any military imployment Being demanded if in the yeare 1642 hee was Governor of Balliraggett, or if any of his foote soldyers were quartered there hee saith hee never was Governor there, nor did any of his foot liue in that Place to his knouledge but he confesses that he was in the toune of Balliraggett about Easter after the Rebellion broke out & in one Edmond Scotts house there.

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Being demanded if he did see any English people brought prisoners into Balliragget at the tyme hee was in Edmond Scotts <B> house as aforesayd, hee this Examinant saith that hee did not that night heare any thing of them, but next day h morning (being the day next day after his coming thither) hee was told by Mrs Scott wife to Mr Edmond Scott that there were some prisoners there going to Execution & shee earnestly desired this Examinant to saue their liues if hee could and that there vpon hee went in person to the place where the marshalls man was hanging them, and hee did see 3 hanged vizt an old man an old woman & a boy and that hee saued all the rest who otherwise had bin hanged like wise , all having ropes about their Necks. and further saith hee was so troubled at Itt that hee cald the marshalls men there Rogues & demanding of them by what order they hanged them, none could shew any order in writing for the fact, but alleadged that it was by the Provost marshall Cantwells order. Being demanded if there were not fiue hangd at that tyme, hee saith hee saw but three nor did euer heare that any were after that executed of that
Company.
Being questioned if vpon Mr Scotts begging the boys life hee did giue the said Scott a Token by which the marshall should deliuer that boy him to Mr Scott hee saith hee is assured that Mr Scott never did ask such a thing of him nor did hee giue him any token to haue the boy deliuered to him or any other. Being demanded if Mrs Scott did desire him to saue one Anne Trout alias Deavers who was going to <C> Execution & was one of those that were brought from ffreshford at Ballyraggett Hee this Examinant saith that Mrs Scott did not name any to him in particuler, but in generall words (coming hastily into his chamber betyme in the morning) she told him some English people were going to be hanged & desired him to saue vse the best meanes hee could to saue them Hee therevpon presently went to the place of Execution with his sword in his hand and did accordingly saue all that were not putt to death as he hath already declared. Being also demanded if Mrs Scott did not intreat him to saue the life of a poore Scotsh gentlewoman who was then to be hanged with the other aforenamed and if he did not send his man with her to guard near the gallouse: Hee

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this Examinant saith that he did saue that poore Scotsh woman whose name is Kingkale wife to a Corporall then in the Earle of Ormonds Regiment & to that end went thither in person as aforesaid But denyeth that hee sent <D> his man thither but remembreth that Mrs Scott & hee thincks her husband also went with him the sayd Captain Butler to the place of Execution. Being demanded if Mrs Scott was not vpon her knees to beg from him the liues of those poore English people hee saith shee was not nor any other that he remembers Being demanded if hee knew Mr Bifeild and Mr Clerk. Hee saith hee did know them & that they liued at Parksgrove halfe a mile from Balliragget. being questioned further if those 2 gentlemen did not intercead to him for the saving Elizabeth Ennys alias Harris & her husband who was ambler or rider to his ffather & were likewise to be then Executed. Hee this Examinant saith that hee well remembers they were led to Execution with the other English afore mencioned, & that hee then saued their liues also. But denyeth remembreth not if they spoke with him before Mrs Scott & this Examinant went together to the place of Execution, but well remembers that hee saw them the sayd Bifeild & Clark in towne that day. Being questioned if at his apprehension by Sergeant Williams and Jeremy Weauer hee did not desire them to shoote him being sure that hee should be hanged if he came to Kilkenny Hee saith that the vsage was so violent & inciuill towards him taking from him his money, jewells & cloathes that hee confesses that in passion hee desired them <E> to shoote him rather then to vse him so but denyeth that hee either was afrayd of going to Kilkenny or that there was any word spoken of Itt at that tyme. Being lastly demanded why having solemnly ingaged himselfe to the Countess of Ormond to see the poore stript English safely convoyd from Kilkenny to Waterford the first outbraking of the Rebellyon, hee forsooke them at Knocktofer & thereby exposed them to the rage of the blood thirsty Irish. Hee this Examinant saith that hee did promise the Countess to secure those English people to the water side against Waterford and accordingly went with them to Knocktofer & 2 miles further and being that cold snowy day surprizd with an a quartan Ague hee was so ill that he was thence carryed in a horse litter to

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<f> to Vrlingford & for a month after was forced to keep his bed & that if those English receaued any bad vsage afterwards, hee could not help it but denyes that the English were plundered that night or had any loss of life or goods while hee had the charge of them and further saith not
Edward Butler
This Examinacion was taken the 16 of ffeb
1652 before vs
Tho Herbert
R Doyly

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Captain Edward
Butlers Examinacio{n}
touching the murther at
Balliraggett in the
County of Kilkenny
1641

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