Examination of Mary Austin

fol. 249r

1846

Lo: Musk

Mary Awstin now the wife of Thomas Awstin of Kinsale in the County of Cork yeoman late the wife of John Oakley Late of Macroome in the same Countie C Carpenter deceased & one of the Daughters of Phillip Hill Late of the Curroe within the Barony of Muskery Carpenter [ ] sworne & examined deposeth
That in the begining of the present Rebellion her said father Phillip Hill kn with her mother & twoe of this deponents brothers namely Nicholas Hill & Phillip Hill Lived at the place aforesaid & were tennants by Leas of a farme & half a plow Land of the Curroe aforesaid made by Hownlife mc donogh ô Leary of dromcarroghe in the same Barony & County gent, & <A> was possessed there of the same farme & of Cowes garrans howsholdgoods & other thinges wor th (as shee thinketh) of considerable value: At which time the said hownliff mcdonogh ô Lerie the Landlord perswaded him this deponents father (for security of them) to bring his goods to his the said hownliffe Castle which was done accordingly & the deponents father & brothers came along with them & staid there, vpon promisse of safety from the said Hownliffe both of person & goods, for about six or eight weeks, & then were surprized & taken out of the said Castle by certeine Rebells the tennants of him the said hownliff mc donogh ô Lery vizt Donogh ô downe & John Boy & the rest others whose names shee knoweth not & within muskett shott of the said Castle hanged to death & thrown into the river as this deponent hath credibly heard & verely beleeveth And shee is confident the same is most true for that shee lost her said father & brothers at the same tyme & never sawe them afterwards & the generall report of the Country was & is that they suffered death in manner as aforesaid: And for that alsoe since that time the said hownleff mc donogh ô Lery (whoe pretended he <B> was absent when the murther was comitted) feareing to be questioned for the fact apprehended twoe poore ragged Irish roagues & brought them to the gaole at Cork for the fact but (for any thing shee knoweth <{ }ansay> prosecuted them not, though Lieutennant Collonell Wheeler (as shee hath credibly heard) tooke him bound to prosecute: Howbeit shee hath credibly heard that the said Hownliff & his wife for the gayneing of this deponents said fathers estate & for mallice which they (especially th his wife) bore to this deponents fathers cawsed & procured [ ] some bloudie

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fol. 249v

1847

Irish villains to putt him & his twoe sonns to death And <C> further that at the tyme of the deaths of her said father & brothers both the said Hownliffe & the actors in the said Murther & all the rest of the souldiers on the Irish partie within the Barrony of Muskery were vnder the Comand of the Lord of Muskry & beleeves verely that his Lordship had notice of those murthers but never could heare nor doth beleeve that his Lordship cawsed any one to be questioned or punished for the same: And this deponent further saith that the next day after the comitting <D> of the said murther one the said Donogh ô downe who was then of Dromcarroghe aforesaid being the one of them (which after was brought to the gaole at Cork) came to the deponents howse & desired that either shee or her husband would goe to dromcarrogh aforesaid to visitt one of her brothers whoe (as he pretended) was greatly hurt with a plow running over his foote, wherevpon her husband going along with him to Dromcarrogh aforesaid was then & there taken prisoner & bound with an hayren rope, but after lett loose & escaped away home: where the next day following vpon some <E> malicious complaint made to the Lord of Muskerys Lady that the deponents husband should say that he would burne three garrisons of the Lord of Muskeries, the said Lady sent some some ruffians whoe were the said Lord of Muskery her husbands souldiers to apprehend her this deponents said husband which they did, (he being then the Lord of Muskeryes tennant) & brought him before the Lord of Muskery whoe being told that the complaint was malicious his Lordship promised him a saffe Convoy: Howbeit within 2 or three days after the deponents said husband together with three or fowre English more were hangd at the Lord of Muskryes campe of Ballenrosvardin where his Lordship was in person: The deponent says it is true shee saw not their deaths nor the manner thereof, for if shee had she verely beleevs shee had bin putt to death alsoe, but knoweth too well shee Lost her husband at the same tyme & the generall report both of the Irish & Englishe was & still is that her said husband wereas murthered in manner as aforesaid & <f> none, that ever shee could heare of, brought to Judgement or question for the same by the said Lord of Muskery or his said Ladie whoe was generally reported to be as cruel as the Lord her husband himselfe:

The mark [mark] of the said Mary Awstin
Deposed the 19th of
August 1653
Joh: Harding
Tho: Waring