Examination of Ellenor Stenger

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The Examination of Ellenor Stringer dwelling nere Peters Church in Corke aged 45 yeeres taken before us Nou: 27. 1652 Concerninge Charles McCarty Reagh
This Examinante being sworne saith and deposeth vpon her oath that in the monethe of ffeburary 1641 shee liued in Bandon and hauing occasion to goe abroad to get some <A> releife shee this examinante and one Richard Mewden of Bandon being in company together about a myle halfe and a halfe from killbrittan castle, were both sett vpon by some of Maccartyes Reaghe soldiers or followers, and by them carried to Kilbrittan castle and kept prisoners there, and being in the hall shee this examinante saw the said Maccarty Reagh, and complained to him how shee and the said Ri: Mewden were abused and beaten and almost starued to death with cold being at the same time bound to one another backe to backe, and the said Maccarthy Reagh then spoke to the soldiers to vnbinde this examinante and the said Ri: Mewden which was done accordingly but the same night shee this examinante and the said Ri: Mewden were put dovne into a dungeon where they were kept that night then had the liberty of the hall for 3 daies, and the next morninge some of the soldiers came into the hall and said that some of the English had killed some of the friends and therefore the said Ri: Mewden and this examinante must be hanged wherevpon the said Mewden and this examinante were presently taken to the Gallowes; where he the said Ri: Mewden was hanged and putt down before he was quite dead and some of the soldiers stroke his head against the Gallowes till he was dead and then threwe him into a ditche and Immediately after some of the soldiers hauinge taken the rope from off the necke of the said Mewden put it about this examinantes necke to hange her;

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{ }one that was by same night one that { } (who they said was a priest) askt this examinante in what Religion shee would die who answerered <C> that they should shee woulde die in the same religion wherein she had lived; who thereupon gaue order that the rope should be taken from off the english petitioners necke, and the said preist bad this examinant goe with him into the castle; and as they were going, the said preist told this examinant that the said Maccarty Reagh had done more in hanging the said Ri: Mewden then a n his father or great grandfather Euer did before him; and said that his the said Maccartye mother was against it, then the said preist led this examinante into the chamber where the said Maccartye mother was, who knockt her breast & cried, that Euer her child should so put an english man to death, and yet had so many children as he the said Ri: Mewden then had which were sixe in number and very small; and the said Maccartys mother (which this examinante saith was called the Lady Maccarty), gaue to this examinante some victayles from her[ ] to eate, and gaue her kinde good company; And this Examinante further saith that the said Richard Mewden was hanged (as neere as shee would guesse) between 9 & 10 a clocke in the morninge the gallowes being neere the castle vpon a little hill right against the Hall window) And that shee this Examinante saw the said Charles Maccarthy Reagh the very same morninge about 7 a clocke but doth nor remember that shee did see the said Maccarty Reagh vpon that daye after that time; nor doth shee know whether the said Maccarty Reagh was at kilbrittan, or where he was at the time of the hanginge of the said Ri: Mewden; but shee saith that shee beleeueth that the said Maccarty Reagh was vpon or neere to the hill where and when the said Mewden was hanged or else in the castle of kilbritten or some where about [ ], the ground of her beleefe is that;

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first, for that the said priest told this examinant, that the said Ri: Mewden was hanging & vpon the Gallowes before the said Lady Maccarthy knew of it, which was accidentally, shee the said Ladys hauing lodging chamber <D> hauing a little window towards the hill where the Gallowes stood looking out in the morninge before shee was drest saw one hanging vpon the gallowes, and instantly sent the said priest to maccarthy Reaghs to saue these those people that were then in hanginge fear ing [ ] the said Lady saying that shee feared the poore English man and woman were then in hanging, and that he came to saue her; and when this examinant was come into the said Ladys chamber, shee presently told this examinate the very same thing that she had sent to her son to saue her, and had saued her with much adoe and saith that shee doth not certainly remember, whether the said preist did tall her that hee had spoken with the said Macc{arty} Reagh to saue Mewden & her shee being then in a { } shee did conceaue by what the said priest said that he had spoken to Maccarty Reagh from his mother in the ti{me}{} hanginge to saue both Mewden & her this examinante { } that if he had come time enoughe he might haue do{} and this examinante further saith that the hall at kilbrittan { } place where the said Maccarty Reagh & his people usually { } masse, and that one de y morninge the said Lady Maccarty came doune to masse where the said Mac{carty Reagh} { } present with diuers others; and this [ ] shee the said Lady & this examinante and the said Ri: Mewden, there in the hall in mournfull condition, shee the said Lady was very earnest { } the said maccarty Reagh to discharge this examinant and Mewden that they might goe home to their children wherunto the said Maccarty gaue some slight answer backe to the purpose. The said Lady said son I charge you to doe them no [ ] hurt

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Meaninge this examinante and the said Ri: Mewden and further said I will neuer giue you my blessinge if theis 2 poore English people come to suffer, and added theis vowes, that If shee had thought how he would have vsed the english shee would have kept him out of the castle, Hee should neuer Come there; and seemed to be very angry with the said MacCarty Reagh that hee would not discharge the said Mewden and this examinante which (as shee remembreth) was about 3 daies before the hanging of the said Mewden; And saith that shee likewise remembreth that the soldiers were the more earnest in the hanging of the said Mewden, for that as they said he was a seruant to one Mr Oudeley an English man of Iniskean and knew where much money of the his said Masters was but would not tell them of it; And lastly saith that shee this examinante was kept prisoner 8 daies after the hanginge of the said Ri: Mewden and was carried vp and downe by the soldiers, and after was released.

The marke of [mark] Ellenor Stringer
John Cooke
ff: Wheeller

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The Examination of
Ellenor Stringer
concerninge
MacCarty Reagh

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