Examinations of Connor and John Kenny

Date: 1653-06-29

Identifier: 817306r212

County: Longford & Westmeath

Deposition Type: Commonwealth

Nature of Deposition: Assault, Captivity, Death, Killing, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Stripping

Commissioners: Robert Geoffreys, Thomas Herbert

Deposition Transcription:

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The Examinacion of Connor Kenny of the Towne of Longford gent. aged sixty yeares or thereabouts taken before vs Coll Thomas Herbert & Robert Jeoffrey Esquire Mombers of the high Court of Justice sitting at dublyn
The sayd Examinant being duly sworne and Examined saith that about the latter end of October the first yeare of the Rebellyon he liued in the Towne of Longford and was there & at a little farme of his called Coollneyhinch a mile from Longford att the tyme of the seige. he <A> also saith that the principall Comanders of the Rebells party were Connac mc Ross, Rory mc Garrald ffarrall, Lisagh mc Garrald fferrall ffaghney mc ffergus fferrall, Murrogh mc Edmond fferrall Connell mc Cam fferrall the marshall Richard mc Connell fferrall John kernan Hugh mc Richard fferrall of Lizard Lisagh mc Connell fferrall ffergus mc Edmund fferrall Roger Nangle John Reynalds & diuers others. He further saith that after a months seige the Castle was yeilded vpon Articles vnto Connac mc Rosse fferrall & the rest of the Rebells by mr Thomas Allen ffrancis Martyn Mathew Baker Raph Griffin John Smith John Evans mr Tho Trafford the Minister & diuers others, who Notwithstanding the sayd Articles for their safe passage towards Dublyn, were (all saue Raph Griffin) murthered by the sayd Rebells neare vpon the green not a Muskett shott from the Castle. only mr Allen was wounded in the Riuer by mc <B> Ross ferrall (since slayne) & comitted to the goale & three dayes after was hanged neare the Towne of Longford by Connall Cam fferrall This deponent further saith that he hath heard by diuers & was told by his wife (now living) that she saw Hugh mc Richard now prisoner in Dubly n was in the Castle of Longford the day after the murther of the English aforenamed, & contynued there vntill the goods that were left by the English in the Castle were disposed of amongst the Rebells.

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The sayd Examinant further saith that Rory mc Garrald fferrall, Lisagh mac Gerrald ffarrall Murrogh mc Edmond fferrall Connell Cam fferrall <C> Richard mc Connell fferrall Lisagh mc Connell fferrall ffergus mc Edmond fferrall & John mc Kernan and are all now living & were officers for the Rebells during the seige. but doth not know where their dwellings are at present. saue only has been told they are vpon their keeping in boggs & woods in the Countyes of Cavan & downe. & further deposeth not.
Connor Kenney
Taken before vs the 29 of June
1653
Tho Herbert
Robt Jeoffreys

The Examinacion of John Kenny of the towne of Longford Labourer aged fiue and twenty yeares or thereabouts duely sworne & Examined saith
That hee serued Connor kenny of Longford gent when the Irish Rebells <D> beseiged the Castle of Longford & was in the Towne & att his masters farme at Coollneyhinch during the seige, and saw there Connac mcRosse fferrall who was commander in cheife (since slayne by the English) Rory mc Garrald ffarrall lisagh ffarrall his brother Marrogh mc Edmond John mckernan Connell Cam fferrall Rosse fferrall ffergus mc Edmond fferrall Lisagh mcConnell fferrall Richard mcConnell fferrall Hugh mc Richard fferrall of Lisard now prisoner in Dublyn & diuers others this deponent further saith that being at Coolneyhinch he heard the English were to march out of the Castle of Longford to dublyn & being desirous to see the surrender hee hastned thither, but before hee could gett thither hee perceaued the English were come out of the Castle & saw the dead bodys of diuers of those English (who were but newly marcht out) stript and lay wounded vpon the ground some thrust through with pikes & swords

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others had their braynes beaten out. all which towards night were putt into graues which some of the townespeople made for them. He further saith that hee did see mr Allen executed by Connell Cam vpon the Comon gallowes near Longford two or three dayes after the surrender of the sayd Castle to the Rebells. hee saith alsoe that <E> Itt was in every mans mouth then, that the English so murdered had Articles from Connac mcRoss & the rest of the Comanders for their safe passage vnto Dublyn. And hath bin told by diuers that John Reynolds (one of the County of Letrim) began the Massacre & with his owne hands murderd mr Trafford the minister. hee also saith that coming to the place where the English were murderd as aforesaid, about a quarter of an houre after the murther, hee could heare the poore English cry out as he was coming & saw vpon the green neare the bridge (not a stones cas from the place where the murdred persons lay) Connac mc Ross fferrall murrogh mc Edmond fferrall Richard mc Connell fferrall ffaghney mc ffergus ffarrall and very many other Irish people. & being demanded how they were called, hee saith hee cannot name any more then those aforenamed. being demanded if hee did see James mc Gerrald fferrall of Coollevore there or Levallin Nugent soone after the Murther. hee this Examinant saith that hee did not see either of them at that tyme hee came thither as aforesaid, but hath bin told that James mcGerrald fferrall was there in the towne soone after the Murther & was also told that Levallin Nugent was there in the towne when & a soldyer during the seige, but knowes not nor heard whither hee was vpon the green when the Murther was done. & also saith that hee did see Hugh mc Richard fferrall of Lizard within the Castle of Longford that day the Murther was & heard hee was orderd by Connac mc Ross fferrall to looke vnto the goods which the English had left behind them in the Castle. but knowes not that hee was of that party that did the Murther & further saith not
marke
John [mark] Kennye
Taken before vs
the 27 [29?] June 1653
Tho Herbert
Robt Joeffreys

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36.
The Examinacion of
Connor kenny &
John Kenny

concerning the murther
of Longford.

Connor Kenny
John Kenny
each of them bound in 100 li. by way of recognizance to appeare before that high Court of Justyce at Dublyn or other Court of Justyce after ten dayes warning to be left at the house of the sayd Connor Kenny to giue Evidence for the State concerning the murther of Longford & not to departe without lycence of the Court.
Tho Herbert
Robt Joeffreys.

Deponent Fullname: Connor Kenny, John Kenny

Deponent Gender: Male, Male

Deponent Occupation: Gentleman, Gentleman

Deponent County of Residence: Longford,

Mentioned Non-Deponent Fullnames: Connac mc Ross, Rory mc Garrald ffarrall, Lisagh mc Garrald fferrall, ffaghney mc ffergus fferrall, Murrogh mc Edmond fferrall, Connell mc Cam fferrall, Richard mc Connell fferrall, John kernan, Hugh mc Richard fferrall, Lizard Lisagh mc Connell fferrall, ffergus mc Edmund fferrall, Roger Nangle, John Reynalds, mc Ross ferrall, Connall Cam fferrall, Hugh mc Richard, Rory mc Garrald fferrall, Lisagh mac Gerrald ffarrall, Murrogh mc Edmond fferrall, Richard mc Connell fferrall, Lisagh mc Connell fferrall, ffergus mc Edmond fferrall, James mc Gerrald fferrall, Levallin Nugent, Thomas Allen, ffrancis Martyn, Mathew Baker, Raph Griffin, John Smith, John Evans, Tho Trafford

Mentioned Non-Deponent Roles: Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim