Examination of Mary Fyfe

fol. 281r

1858

Mary the wife of George ffyfe of the Citty of Corke yeoman deposeth That above fowre three yeres since William Woods then of kilhominy in the County of Corke yeoman, whoe <A> was this deponents Late father haveing gotten a Protection from Donoghe Lord Viscount Muskery that hee & his family might quietly live & remaine at his howse in Kilhominy aforesaid & enioy their goods & meanes without trouble or disturbance of the Irish & (the same protection being vnder the hand writing of the said Viscount), And that therevpon this deponents said father and hanna his wife, this deponents mother with this deponent herself & one William Tute her former husband & their English servants, staying there accordingly with their goods. It fell out that about three moneths afterwards that notwithstanding the said protection & in deed contrary to the purport thereof, One Lieutennant Reardan sonn to Mr Reardan of Castlehinch in the County of Corke & divers other Irish souldiers whose names shee cannott expresse being as shee conceaves souldiers vnder the Comond of the said Lord Viscount Muskery, came in forceible & rebellious manner to p this deponents said fathers howse, & then & there by force & Armes entered into brake open & surprised the same, & also deprived & robbed her said father of all his goods: & alsoe in a most cruell & inhumane manner did stripp to their very shirts & smocks him the said William Woods her father and her said mother: And alsoe him the said William Tute & her this deponent & their servants: And not so contented but as it seemeth intending a further mischeefe did then & from thence take & carry away with them as prisoners them the said William Woods & William Tute & them carried to the howse of one William Murfy whoe is a frend to the <B> said Lord of Muskery & from thence to other placs and near about 30 miles from kilhominy aforesaid, where at Length the said Rearden & his Complicees hanged to death both her said father & the said William Tute her then husband at And although she this deponent was not an ey witnesse of the murther aforesaid yet shee is altogether assured that at the same was Comitted in manner as aforesaid: And hath credibly heard & verely beleeveth that the said Lord of Muskery had notice of the said murthers & of the Acters thereof, & that they

1

fol. 281v

1859

<C> afterwards came into his presence yet she this deponent [ ] could never [ ] learne nor beleeveth shee that the said Viscount ei ther ever punished or casheered them for the same though shee is assured he might haue done it if so he had bin pleased But becawse he punished them not shee verely beleeveth he either comanded the Murther to be done or approved there of afterwards; & soe is guilty of the same: Neither durst this deponent nor her mother complaine to the said Lord of Muskery for the outrage & murder aforesaid for feare that some of the Irish souldiers should Likewise have murthered them or have executed some other cruelty vpon them:

Mary ffeife
Deposed vnto the vjth of
August 1653 before
us
Isay Thomas
John Baker
Tho: Waring

Against the Lord of Muskery
Mary the wife of George ffife
of the City of Corke
A
A
A.1
[ ] souldier rearden