Examination of Elizabeth Browne

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The examinacion of Elizabeth Browne alias Dixson Late wyfe vnto John Browne late of the fformall in the County of Meath deceased taken before vs Sir Gerrard Lowther knight Sir Edward Bolton knight and Thomas Dongan Esquire the xxjth day of December in the yeare of our Lord 1652, by vertue of the Comission of the right honorable the Comissioners of the Parliament of England for the affayres of Ireland bearing date at Dublin the xxvijth day of November in the yeare aforesayd authorising vs and others or any one or more of vs (amongst other thinges) to take examinacions of the Massacres, murders and Robberies which have been committed vpon the English and Protestants in Ireland &c
The sayd examinant being of the age of thirty yeares or neere thereabouts and being duely sworn vpon the holy Evangelists and <A> examined deposeth and sayth vpon her oath, That about three yeares now past the sayd John Browne her husband being then a protected person vnder the government of the Parliament of England in the quarters of Trym in the Barony of Moyfenragh, And having occasion to goe to Castlecarbery, which as this examinant conceiveth was onely to see his Mother named Gen Browne alias Bathe and three of his sisters named Catherin Browne ffrancis Barnewall and Margarett Barnewall whoe at that tyme Lived at Castlecarbery aforesayd where Captaine Dudley Cooley his foot company which he had (as this examinant heard) by Comission from the Lord of Ormond, then Lay, And the sayd John Browne her sayd husband being noe sooner come into the sayd Towne of Castlecarbery but was there instantly apprehended by one Henry Holecroft Ensigne to the sayd Capten Dudly Cooley of the foote company aforesayd, and kept him the sayd John Browne in prison for the space of tenn dayes vntill the sayd Captayn Cooley whoe was then at Kilkenny came home, whoe presently vpon his coming home caused the sayd John Browne this examinants husband to be brought forth of the prison where he was kept into the street or markett place of the sayd Towne of,

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of Carbery and there instantly without giving him one howres tyme to prepare himself for death or passing a Counsell of warr vpon him, most cruelly and bloodily caused him to be shott to death And the examinant remembreth not the name of him whoe by the Commaund of the sayd Capten Cooley soe shott him but beleeveth that he that <B> shott him did it much against his will And this examinant further sayth that she heard by comon report in the Countrie that the sayd Cooley hath ever since the beginning of this rebellion constantly acted against the Parliament, and that he being a protestant before the rebellion, the more to indeeare himself to the Irish Rebells went since the sayd rebellion to Mass with them; And being demaunded what other person or persons she knoweth or have heard that had a hand in the murder of her sayd husband besides the sayd Holecroft and Cooley she sayth that she knoweth not nor heard of any other that had a hand in the murthering of her sayd husband but the sayd Holecroft and Cooly, And this examinant further sayth that when her sayd husband was shott to death by the Commaund of the sayd Cooly as aforesayd, that the sayd Genn Browne alias Bathe her husbands sayd Mother and his three sisters aforesayd, were all present tearing of their hayre and with lowde <C> and bitter Cryes begging of the sayd Cooly to save her sayd husbands lyfe, but could not prevayle with him nor move him to take any pitty or compassion of them, but most bloodily caused him to be shott to death, as aforesayd; The manner of whose carriage and behaviour in that bloody action, they the sayd Genn his Mother and his sisters aforesayd, can better express and relate, then the examinant whoe was not present at the murder aforesayd And this examinant further sayth not
Elizabeth Brown [mark] her mark
Gerrard: Lowther
Tho: Dongan

bownd in C li.

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The examinacion of Elizabeth
Browne alias Dixson widdow
against Dudley Cooley Esquire
& Henry Holecroft for the
muder of John Browne her
Late husband.