Examination of Winyfrid Field

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The examinacion of Winyfrid ffield of the age of xxv yeares or thereabouts wyf vnto Thomas ffield gent taken the xviijth day of October 1652 before Sir Gerrard Lowther knight Sir Edward Bolton knight and Thomas Dongan Esquire Commissioners for administracion of Justice oyer and Terminer and Gaole delivery &c. in and throughout the Province of Leynster except the Counties of Kilkenny and Wexford Concerning the murder of Richard Langford Late of Ardbrakan in the County of Meath merchant father vnto the sayd Winyfrid ffield
Whoe being duely sworne and examined deposeth and sayth that the sayd Richard Langford her father, being a merchant and vsing that trade about fower yeares before the Rebellion at Ardbrackan aforesayd, where he then dwelt, And that <A> at the very begining of the Rebellion, about a Moneth before Christmass next after the sayd rebellion broke out, her sayd father hearing that an Army of the Irish vnder the Commaund of Owen roe o Neale was to comme vp very shortly out of the north towards Ardbrackan aforesayd and the partes therabouts, went to the Navan to one Patrick Begg whoe vsed the same trade of merchandize there, He the sayd Patrick being his familiar friend and acquayntance, and bemoned himself vnto him, that when the sayd Rebells would come into the Country he would be in hazard to be robbed of all his goodes in his howse and shopp at Ardbrackan aforesayd, and that he did not knowe what to doe to save them, wherevnto the sayd Patrick Begg in a friendly manner answered, that if he pleased to bring his sayd goodes vnto him, he would secure them as his owne, and be answerable vnto him for them; Wherevpon the examinants sayd father with all speed brought vnto the sayd Patrick Begg vnto his howse at the Navan, loded vpon Carrs, soe much of his goods and wares from [ ] his shopp at Ardbrackan, as this Examinant valueth to be worth one hundred pounds ster and vpwards, And that before <B> he could bring the rest of his goods vnto the sayd Begg, the Rebells came into the Country, And this Examinants sayd father, with this Examinant and her Mother in Lawe, were forced to fly away from his howse at Ardbrackan, and came from thence vnto the sayd Patrick Begge to the Navan, and her sayd ffather desired him to take this Examinant into his keeping, vntill it should please God he might send for her, and tould him that

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that he himself and this Examinants sayd Mother would shift a whyle for themselves, and the sayd Begg receiving this examinant into his chardge, and promising her sayd ffather <C> to doe for her, as for his owne, her sayd father and Mother Leaving her with him, they parted with the sayd Begge And within three howers after, the same day that this Examinants father tooke leave of the sayd Begge, this Examinant sawe her sayd fathers Clothes that he wore, brought into the sayd Beggs howse by the Rebells, that then, and before were were quartered in his howse, At which the Examinant being much afryghted and amased earnestly inquired what became of her father, whoe presently found, that bothe he, and her Mother, being stript of their clothes, and what els they had about them, were imprisoned at the Navan by the Rebells and that her sayd father was threatned to be hanged, wherevpon the examinant meeting with one – Dowdall an ancient mann of Athlumney and other gentlemen of the Country, she cryed unto them, that they would procure her sayd father and Mothers Liberty, whoe taking pitty on her, gott them forth of prison, and at sett at Libertie, and then presently came with this examinant vnto the sayd Patrick Begge; <D> And her sayd father being stript of his clothes and in a most misserable case, earnestly intreated the sayd Begge for a litle monney to beare his chardges from thence to Dublin, which he refused to doe, and bade him Leave his prating and gett him gone; Wherevpon her sayd father, this examinant, and her Mother, parted with him in great sorrow and truble of mynde, and taking the iorney out of the Towne of Navan aforesayd in that misserable condicion, they were gone but about a bowe shott from the Gate of the sayd Towne, when they were followed by manny of the sayd Rebells, wherof three of the Rebells quartered in the sayd Patrick Beggs howse overran and outstripped the rest, and one of them struck downe her sayd father with a great Clubb, which some of them he had in his hands, and [ ] being Layd on the ground almost dead, the sayd three with the rest, running

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running at him with their swords drawen, this examinant indevouring to save his Lyfe, Lay downe vpon him, But the sayd Rebells tooke her of from him, by force and violence and in her view and sight, did with their swords, Cutt of his heade, and there Left him, where his dead bodie Lay twoe dayes before it he was buried, And <E> this examinant and her sayd Mother, gott into a howse in the sayd Towne of Navan, and hid themselves vpon a cock loft in the sayd howse, for the space of a fortnight after the sayd Murder Committed, And then the sayd Rebells that quartered in the sayd Beggs howse, and murdred her sayd father, in manner as aforesayd; searched the sayd howse for this examinant, and her sayd Mother, and this examinant then escaping from them, they found her sayd Mother vpon the sayd loft, and tooke her downe thence, and drew her out of the sayd howse and wounded her very sore in the head and thinking that she was dead left her there, where she Laye vntill one Thomas Dowdall, a gentleman of the Country, whoe is not now Living, took her vp behynd him, on horsback to his owne howse, and remayned there with him vntill she was cured of her wound: And this examinant being Left still in the sayd Towne of the Navan, at a <ff> poore mans howse there, where it hapned, that one Mr Martin – Nangle sonn vnto Mr Nangle Baron of the Navan taking notice of her, and the poore condicion she was in; she made her mone vnto him, and tould him that they sayd Patr Begg had her sayd fathers goods, and that he would give her noe relief; Wherevpon the sayd Mr Nangle tooke her along with him, to the sayd Begg, and very earnestly intreated him, the sayd Begg, to take pitty of her, and give her somme part of her fathers goods to releeve her at the present, whoe answered that she was a protestant bastard, and that he would not give her any thing, And that if she would not Leave trubling him, he would have her head cutt of, as he had her fathers head

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head cutt of; yet at the sayd Mr Nangles intreaties and much importunitie, he gave her only, an ould petticote and wastcoate of her owne, and so turned her away with threats and evill language,
Winnifred feild
Gerrard Lowther
Edw: Bolton:
Tho: Dongan

Thomas ffield of Dublin gent is bound in a C li. with Condicion that Wynifred his wyfe shall appeare and prosecut & give evidenc against the sayd Patrick Begg for the murder of her say Richard Langford her father &c.

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The examinacion of Wynifred ffield concerning the murder of Richard Langford her father against Patr Begge

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