Examination of George Smith

fol. 278r

1869

The Examination of George Smith of Cork taken September. 10. 1652
The said George Smith sworne & examined saith that at {the} breakeing out of the rebellion & long before he lived at Granahane in the Co: of Corke a tenant to Mr Walter Baldwyn at Granahone aforesaid. that about November 1641, the saide Mr Baldwyn, & he this { } removed for theire securety to mackroome in the saide County { } <A> Lo: of Muskerys protection, whither also reported other English from sev{ } some before some after amonge whom was That on the first {day} in Lent (commonly called Ashwednesday) the Lo: of Muskery first declared for the Ir{ish} w{ } the English thereabout began to be troubled, & the same day was { } Examinant robbed of his goodes by some of the said Lo: of Muskerys servants {and} tenants. And That about Easter next after the English of macroome afore{said} desired the Lo: of Muskery to give them leave to be gonne to { } which he refused, but said they should goe to Corke, & showld { } convoy’d thither, yet excepting the said Mr Baldwyn & hem th{ } whom he would not then suffer to goe. That therevpon Mrs H{ussey} her daughter Katheryn, & sonne Henry, goody Webber, & h{er sonne} & daughter, George the miller of Cloheene & his wife, good { } & her sonne, Mrs Croker & her daughter, John Nayler, & one who was a Colliers man, were the n prepared to be goeing as aforesaid: that <B> the day before the goeing away of the said persons, the Lo: of Muskery went towards Limerick, & being gonne about musket shott on his way, he was called back on by a gentleman whom this Examinant now remembreth not who minded his Lord of those poore English readie to be sent away, & that if they showld miscary on theire way it would redound much to his Lordships dishonour, & therefore that they showld be safety conovyd: on which the Lo: of Muskery returned & called upon Edmond mcMullmurry mcSwyny of Mahallagh then steward of his Lordships house that he should {be} carefull of seing the said English safely convoyd away & thereupon his Lordship proceeded on his journey to Limerick as aforesaid Th{at the said} McSwyny appointed a convoy for the said English, among { } one Richard Slabber who had maryed one daughter of the { } who d id then & hath since [ ] continued with him, her said husband and are now liveing about { } That they a{ } the said English were stript & murthered, as all except the said g{ } was also stript & wounded & left as deade, but after recov{ } after into England. That the said Convoy being returned they { } them the clothes of the persons he murthered as this Examinant did { } informed, & he was then also told, that the said McSwyny then meet{ } Convoy asked said to them, whether have you doune that! the{ } they that they had done it: he replyed, the like befall the { } which was vnderstood of the murther aforesaid { } the said Lo: of {Muskery} being return{ed} to Macr{oome}

fol. 278v

1878

weekes after, & heareing of the said murther, & of the murthers of one Scott & others English with him about the same time, he seemed to be thereat troubled, & said he would question those, <D> who were actors or had an hand in the said murthers: but this Examinant did never heare of any farther enquiry of or proceedings against any of them, notwithstanding that he this Examinant did stay there vntill August followeing; & that the said murtherers or some of them continued within his Lordships power & vnder his commaund, & that the said McSwyny still continued in his service as his steward as aforesaid.
<E> This Examinant farther saith, That one Robert Scot, & his wif & 3 daughters formerly liveing at Curleagh in the barony of Kilnameky in the Co: aforesaid about december 1641 removed to Curclogh to donogh mcdermot who was then a Sergent or Bayly to the Lo: of Muskery to be by him protected & from thence after removed to Clonacow where then lived William mcdonogh ô Murroghoe who did take the said Scot & his family aforesaid into his protection: That about Easter aforesaid (as the Examinant remembreth) the said ô murroghoe takeinge occasion of goeing to Castlemoore about a mile from Clonacow aforesaid severall of the Irish among whom were Phillip buy o Realla & his brother Shane oge o Realla, & dermott o Realla of Ballinihella in the parish of killmurry-Cloncnogher, entred the said ô Murroughe house in Clonacowe, & thence drewe out & murthered the said Scott & his wife & his 3 daughters; & that we they were long in killing the old woman, as this examinant was informed by the Irish: & that one of the daughters begging for her life, said she would bring them some money if they would spare her: & that after she had brought to them the said money, they notwithstanding murthered her, as this examinant was informed. And farther saith not

George [mark] Smith his marke
deposed the day & yeare first
above written
Hen: Jones