Examination of Richard Bryne

fol. 125r

1998
The Examinacion of Richard Bryne of Moydrum in the County of westmeath gentleman taken the 16th day of ffebruary 1654 at Dublin before Thomas Richardson of the same Esquire one of the Justices of the peace for the said Citty and County
The said Examinant being duely sworne & examined sayth <A> That on or about the last day of September in the first yeare of the late Rebellion of the Irish hee was present at Creggan in the County of westmeath at a Parley betweene mr Arthur Jones (now lord leiftenant Ranelagh) on the one parte and Sir James Dillon on the other party, where many of the Countrey were also present, where And one Captaine Oliver buoy mcGawley then kept Guarrison there, And further that one Atkinson of the said mr James Dil l ones of the said mr Jones his company acquainting the said Capt Oliver mcGawley that Mr Edmond Dalton sonne of Ric and heyre of Richard Dalton of Mullymeaghan was within vppon the way betweene Creggan and Athloane (being but about a mile distance) thereuppon (during the Parley) the said Oliver mcGawley tooke out some of his company with him, and brought in apprehended and brought into his said Guarison the said mr Edmond Dalton, and assoone as the said mr Arthur
<176>

fol. 125v

1999
Arthur Jones (now lord Ranelagh) had left the towne of Creggan, the said Oliver buoy <C> mcGawley brought out the said mr Edmund Dalton into an Orchard in the said Towne of Creggan, with a long rope of Malch about his necke, to hang him at a tree, whereof the Examinant having notice by a woman of the towne hee imediatly ran to the said Orchard, and there found the said mr Dalton with the Rope about his necke vppon his knees vnder a tree, and the rope cast over a bough of the tree, and the end of the rope in the said Oliver boy mcGawly his owne hand ready to pull vppe & hang the said Mr Dalton, where uppon this Exam the said Oliver having many of his Co Company of Soldiers about him wherevppon the Examinant aduised & perswaded the said Oliver to desist from that wicked and bloody designe, which wold be the ruyne of him and his freinds, telling the said Oliver with all that hee had no Commission to hang any man, and vsing many other arguments to him, wherewith at the last hee & prevailed, by the assistance of one fferdoragh ô Bryne this Examinants great vnckle
<177>

fol. 126r

2000
since deceased, And the said mr Dalton was againe brought into the Castle of Creggan but the same night (being saturday night) the said Oliver Magawley sent away the <D> said mr Edmond Dalton by some of his Soldiers to a place called Booaly Cahill Roe, three miles from Creggan, where they hanged him in an Oake th tree, and there hee was found hanged before Sunrising the next morneing, his further cause of knowledge is that the said Oliver magawley hath seuerall tymes since confessed to this Examinant and others that hee gave order for the hanging of the said Edmond Dalton as aforesaid, and that hee did it in to reveng, for that the said Edmond had killed his the said Olivers father, And the Examinant further sayth that when the said Edmond was vppon his knees in the Orchard at Creggan ready to drawne vppe as aforesaid, hee this Examinant heard the said Oliver [ ] Edmond take it vppon his death that hee had noe hand in the Killing of the said Olivers father nor with was within two miles of the place when hee was killed, And further heard the said Oliver seuerall tymes offering the
<178>

fol. 126v

2001
Edmond to haue a preist, which the said Edmond refusing <E> & sayeing hee cared not if all the preists were in the Sea, thereuppon the said Oliver swore a blasphemous oath that if there were noe other occasion but that word hee wold hang the said Edmond, And further sayth that hee this Examinant saw one Oliver duf magawley (who was the said Captaine Olivers Ensigne) and a John ô Duffily, and John Duff Magawley, two of his Soldiers (who hee beleiveth did Execute the said Edmond) shortly after wearing some of his apparell, And sayth that hee hath heard that the said Captaine Oliver Magawley is gone for Spaine, and that the other three last before named are somwhere in the North of Ireland, but where hee knoweth not, And saith hee doth not remember who were present at any tyme when the said Captaine Oliver Magawley confessed to him this Examinant that hee gaue order for the hanging of the said mr Dalton, but sayth the whole Countrey knew it, And furth{er} sayth that the said Mr Edmond Dalton his grandfather and this Examinants grandmother were brother and sister And further sayth not.
Rich. Bryne
Sworne the day and yeare
first within written
before mee
Tho: Richardson
Idem Ex r 40 li. &c