Examination of Mary Rutlidg

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The examinacion of Mary Rutlidg of Lysmolyn in the County of Meath widdow aged Sixty yeares or therabouts taken the xxvijth day of August 1653 before Colonell Thomas Herbert and Alderman Thomas Hooke twoe of the Comittee appoynted by the High Court of Justice sitting at Dublin to take examinacions of Massacres & Murthers Committed in the Countyes of Meath and westmeath &c.
Whoe being duely sworn and examined deposeth and sayth that she did well knowe Mr Edmund Dalton sonn and heir of Richard Dalton of Molluimieghan in the County of Westmeath Esquire and that at or about Michaelmas in the yeare <A> 1642 one Phelym mc Brien with about Six soldiers in his company came to her howse about Midnight this examinant being then in bedd and brought with him thither the sayd Edmond Dalton tyed with ropes and kept him there so <B> tyed all that night and the next morning being the Sabaoth day six other soldiers came vnto them and sayd that they had Sir James Dillons warrant to hang the sayd Dalton at the next tree wherevpon the examinant and her son James Malone sent privat{} to an Aunt of the sayd Daltons to let her knowe in what danger her nephew was then, in, and desired her to make haste and come to save his Lyfe if she could, and in the meane tyme the examinant with cryes and teares did begg of them to spare him but for one hower And her son Likewyse Labored very much with them to gayne a litle tyme
<C> for him in so much as one of the sayd soldier threatned to shoote him or runn him through with a pyke if he would not desist intreating for him And before the messinger that the examinant sent vnto his sayd Aunt came back the sayd Phelym mc Brien and the rest of the sayd soldiers whose names
<171>

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names this examinant knoweth not tooke the sayd <D> Edmond Dalton violently forth out of her howse and about half a quarter of a Myle distant from thence hangd him vp by the neck vpon a tree vntill he was deade and as this examinant heard stript him of his clothes and buried him there naked And the examinant further sayth not.
Margaret [mark] Rutlidg
her marke
Taken before vs
Tho Herbert
Tho Hooke

The sayd Margaret doth acknowledg to be indebted to the
keepers of the liberty of England &c in one C li.
Condicion to appeare before the High Court
of Justice after notice & there give what
evidence she can for the Murther of Edmund
Dalton And not depart without licenc &c
<172>

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The examinacion of Mary
Rutlidg of Lismollin
against
Phelym mc Brien and
for the Murther of
Mr Edmund Dalton