Examination of John Burrowes

fol. 235r

1822

John Burrowes of Courtmacsherry in the County of Cork gent aged fortie yeres or thereabouts sworne & examined deposeth and saith. That in or about the moneth of ffebruary 1641 Mr John Burrowes this deponents father (being then alive) fled with his family <A> for safetie of his life from his owne howse at Ballonescarty to one Dermott Carthy alias mcnecrimens Castell of BellaNorrah in the Barony of Carbery & brought thither also his goods & money of considerable value where they contynued vntill whitsontewsday following when mc Carthy Reoghs Castle of kilbrittaine was taken by the English forcs: And within a few dayes after the deponent being then in Bandon & inquiring after his said father, was credibly told that he with his wife & three children were all putt to death: vizt his this deponents father was hanged, vpon the said Dermott Carthys Land near his said Castle, And that his wife & one sonn were alsoe then hanged & the other children starved to death: And that this deponent makeing earnest enquirie by whom & whose meanes they soe suffered the generality of the a great many of the Irish <B> neighbours said they were putt to death & suffered by & by the meanes of the said dermott Carthy but others of the Irish said they were putt to death & suffered by the meanes & comand of McCarthy Reaghe. But about fowre or five yeres after when the said Dermott McCarthy submitted himself to the English protection this deponent mett with him at Bandon where the deponent taxing him with the death of his father mother & their three children He the said Dermott mc Carthy then and there said he was sorry that he this deponent should have such an evill opinion of him protesting that they were all taken out of his hands by the Comand of the said McCarthy Reogh & that he would show him an order <C> vnder mcCarthy Reoghs hand (whoe still was in Rebellion) for the same: And accordingly afterwards he

13

fol. 235v

1823

<D> the said dermott mc Carthy shewed him a warrant which this deponent verely beleeveth & partly knoweth, was the said McCarthy Reoghs owne hand writing to this effect to his best remembrance vizt That becawse he this deponents father was suspected to give intelligence against the Irish to the English forcs & was guilty of treason: Therefore he & his wife should be brought away to shanway (where the <E> said McCarties Campe then was) to be tried by a Councell of warre: And further saith that as the said Dermot McCarthys told & protested to this deponent this deponents said father & mother were vpon the warrant aforesaid carried away & putt to death by McCarty Reoghs command & that one of the sonns were was also hanged by McCarthie Reoghs people And some of the Irish sometimes said the other children were amongst the Irish: but the def deponent is verely perswaded they were starved to death about that tyme, ther he could never heare of their being alive since: But this deponent saith that <f> he since credibly heard that his said father mother & brother were hanged at the said Dermot mcCarthy alias Macnecrimens howse & this deponent very well knoweth that the said mc Dermott for being guiltie of the same was since hanged for the same at Timoleige: And further saith that about the moneth of June July 1642 Mr Thomas Linchcombe formerly suffreine of Clonekilty & his wife whoe were was this deponents father in Lawe & mother in Lawe was fetcht out of a place called Mockrus howse in the Barony of Ibane by donnell mc Daniell Carthy alias Sasnaghs sonns, whoe were the kinred & people comanded by the said mcCarthy Reogh & was by them hanged him to death within a mile of the same howse in a wood, And the deponents mother in law & sister being to be conveyed to Kinsale were murthered in the way by Dermott ô doagh a brogmaker, whoe Liued afterwards at Skippin, McCarthy Reaghs towne: & William Weeks a shepperd & their his complicees whose names he knows not, but by what warrant they did the same this deponent knoweth not: And somwhat before that one tyme one William Weeks an Englishman & a shepperd &

fol. 236r

1824

<H> servant to Mr Tho Linchcomb comeing towards kingsale was mett withall nere Clonekilty by Owen buy Carthy (a Comon gamster) & by him carried to Shanway where the Campe & forcs of the said McCarthy Reogh then Lay; & there hanged to death, And this deponent is verely perswaded that the said McCarthy could not choose but notice that the said Murders were comitted as aforesaid. And yet this deponent could never learne that ever hee questioned tried or brought to punishment any of the Murthererers for the same, although he might haue done it if he would, he being sol e cheefe Comanders of the whole forcs of that Cuntrie And verely beleeveth & is perswaded in his conscience that the said McCarty Reogh either gave way to all the murthers aforesaid, & might have prevented them all if he would:

John Burrowes
Deposed 15o Augusti 1653
1653
Tho: Waring
Joh. Harding

fol. 236v

1825

Against Lo: Muskery
John Burrowes of Coutmac
sherry Co Cork gent
A 13
McCarty Reah
A 13