Examination of George Smithe

fol. 160r

1872

<symbol> George Smithe of the north subburbs of the Citty of Corke yeoman (an English Protestant, aged about 60 yeres sworen & examined deposeth
That about the feast day of Ester next of in the yere 1642 next after the begining of the present rebellion, One Robert Scott & his wife with 2 or three of their daughters Liveing with one William Murfy being all English protestants and all tennants to Donogh Lord Viscount Muskery left their owne howse & for safety came to the howse of one donogh ô Dermott & from thence they afterwards came to the howse of one William mc Donogh <A> Murfy at Clonocowe: whoe after they had stayed some short time there they were one night (in the absence of the said Murfy) surprised & carried out of the said howse, by one Phillip Buy ô Rely of kilmighell in the Barony of Muskery & countie of Cork Labourer Teige ô Rely of the same Laborer Donogh ô Rely of the same Labourer & divers others Rebells of that sept, whose Chrissen names he cannot expresse, which said Rebells then carried them from thence into a Little wood nere that howse. And then & there smoothered to death in a bogg the said Robert Scotts wife & hanged the said Robert Scott and his said daughters to death as this deponent hath been credibly told & he beleeveth nothing more then that the same was true, hee this deponent being their neare neighbours & it being the Common report of the whole Countrie & still passed (as it doth yet) for an vndoubted truth & the parties soe murthered were after buried & throwne into a sawpitt & never seen of him this deponent since that tyme, And saith that the Rebells aforesaid dwelled on the Lord of Muskerys Lands And this <B> deponent since the said Murthers hath severall tymes seen the said Phillip Boy ô Rely in Muckroome being the Lands of the said Lord of Muskery where his great mansion howse stands but never heard, nor beleeveth that he was any way troubled questioned or brought to [ ] punnishment for the same although this deponent is very confident that the Lord of Muskery had notice of the same & could not be ignorant thereof, the report of the same being soe generall as it was, & the said Lord of Muskery with his Lady & children being near neighbors to the said murtherers & to the place where the said murthers were Comitted. The truth & manner of the premises being very well knowne to one Teige mc Rory of Coolnepishy tanner if he please to declare the same

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fol. 160v

1873

same. And further this Deponent saith he knoweth that about Whitsontide in the said yeare 165 1642 the said Lord of Muskerie sent from Macroome aforesaid one George the Miller & his wife Dorothy; Elizabeth Hussy widow katherin hussie her daughter Henry Hussy her sonn, widow Webber with her sonn & daughter, Mris Corcker & her daughters widow Coleman & her Little child. John Smallman a Nayler & one whoe was a Collier, all English protestants; & appointed them a Convoy vizt Edmund Seeney now of Mahallow in the Barony of Muskery gent to provide a Convoy for them to carry them to Corke, but not to Bandon <D> Wherevpon the said Seeney appointed for their convoy one Richard Slabaghe of Macroome, Inholder, & one Richardwhoe is a sadler, & others whose names hee cannott expresse, which said Convoy tooke away the parties aforesaid & carried them as farr as kilmurrey Cloynemconaghe where they mett with one Doctor Halie a Rebell, whoe then & there questioning whoe the English were, & it being answered that the tw one of them was a Nayler & the other a Collier, the said Doctor said he had imployment for them, & soe he & his complicees carried them away but not farr till he & his they hanged those twoe parties to death: And the rest were suffered to come within 2 myles of Corke to a place called Aghanboy: Where divers of the warders of Blarney Castle comanded by John mc <E> William oge ô Reardan one of the Lord Muskeries Captains & others whose names he knows not fell assaulted & sett vpon those English people, & there or neare that place murthered them all saveing the said Coleman whoe being greevously wounded was Left there for dead. And although the Lord of Muskery could not choose but know of the murthers aforesaid the last of them being Comitted near his owne Castle of Blarney as is well knowne, yet this deponent never heard nor beleeveth that he said Lord of Muskery, ever punished or brought the said Captain Rearden or any of the rest of the murtherers