Examination of Robert Rawlins

fol. 197r

1294
The Examinacion of Robert Rawlins Chirurgn taken vpon Oath the 5th of ffebruary 1653
Saith that hee was Chirurgion of the Ship Elizabeth and ffrancis vnder the Command of Captain Robert Clarke, and in or about March 1641 the said ship was rydeing att an Ancor in the Harbour of Gallway, And that on a certayne day (which day this deponent remembreth not) divers persons came aboard the said ship amongst which was Dominick Keruine, who was the [ ]watch Super Cargo of the said ship, but cannot tell whether Thomas Martin was came aboard the said Shipp att that tyme, but he remembreth that hee being wounded with a skene by a boateman fell into the hould, and after some tyme recovering of himselfe did gett vp and cast himselfe vpon a cradle which stood betwixt decks, and lying there did see divers persons about the ship indeavoring the Surprisall of the Gunroome in which tyme there came one vnto this Examinant haueing a Carbine hanging by a belt about his Shoulders, who demanded of him whether he were hurt or noe. who made answere I am and cannot helpe it, the said pe rson with the Carbine who made reply stay by me and they shall doe you noe more hurt then what they haue done, the Examinant made answere to him that hee was not able to helpe him selfe, and that if hee would stay by him, hee should take it as a curtesie, who tooke this Examinant vp in his Armes and sett him on his feete standing, and carryed him on shoare, and as soone as this Examinant was Landed, Dominick <B> Keruine came to the Examinant, and cald him Dog, and asked him whether it were not better be a slaue in Argere then there. the Examinant made answere that hee thought it better to be in Argere then there. and that he thought him a worce [ ]inge then they: who imediately vpon the

fol. 197v

1295
<D> Same pulled out his skeane and runnes at the Examinant then the aforesaid man with the Carbine houlds it vp. and presented it towards him, and [bid ] [ ] spoke in Irish to him (which the Examinant vnderstood not, where vpon the said Dominick desisted, but who this person was that Saued the Examinants life hee knoweth not,
And being further Examined concerneing the manner of the ships surprisall Saith there came divers boates aboard with ticketts for Sault from the mayor <C> of Gallway. and there being not men enough to heave vp the sault att the capsin, the boatemen did helpe therein, in which tyme the said Dominick Keruine came aboard. and cald to the steridge port to open the doare and this Examinant being in the cabbin, cald to the Boy and bid him not open the doare, the said Dominick being very ernest to haue the doare opened, the Examinant went into the steeridge himselfe and demanded of him what hee would haue the said Dominick made reply that hee had brought Two or three freinds aboard. and hee would willingly drinke a Cap of Beare in the Cabbin with them, this Examinant made answere that hee must Excuse him and that hee could not come in att that tyme but tould him that the boy should bring him a Cann of beare. out of the mayne hatch way which the Boy did, And then the said Dominick desired to speake with the Examinant vpon the deck, who went to them, and came vp out of the mayne hatch way, and after this <d> Examinant had spoken with them, he went downe agayne the same way he came vp, and Imediately the said Dominick & the rest of his consorts sent for this Examinant agayne, who came to them vp at the hatch way. in the meane tyme they had gotten the steridge doare open and the Examinant seeing them press towards the steeridge to gett in

fol. 198r

1296
hee runn towards the hatch. to gett downe, to secure the Gunn roome, and stoopeing downe to <E> take hould of the comeings of the Hatch to lipp downe. one of the Boatemen drew his skeine and stebd him through the shoulder back
And being further demanded what men were kild aboard the said ship made answere. that the masters mate Jon Richard Herring calling to fyre in the forecastle to cleere the deck. was by Sum of the Surprisers strooke through with a skene and dyed imediately, and Two more one that had his head cleft on Two. and another stobd of in the belly, who both dyed. And the carpenters mate was after coming ashoare kild in Gallway in one foxes howse, where was likewise kild an English woman att the same tyme as he hath heard, And further saith not.
Robert Rawlins
This Examinacion was taken
before me
Robert Clarke

And being further Examined whethr hee were in the forecastle dureing the tyme of the surprisall Saith hee was not, neither doth know of any thing that was done therein.
Robert Rawlins

fol. 198v

1297

The Examinacion of Robert Rawlins
Chirurgion concerneing the murther
of Captain Clarkes men taken the
5th of ffeb 1652 vpon Oath