Examination of Robert Lisforde

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Examinations taken at the towne of Sligoe the xiiijth day of May 1653
Robert Litforde of the Abby of Boyle a trooper in maior John Kinges troope beinge duely sworne, & examined sayeth that at the breakinge out of the rebellion (in 1641 hee lived at Skrene in the County of Sligoe) <A> and soone after Candlemas that yeare, Sir Robert Hannay with his lady & Children, and many of the brittish nation, whoe we had lost their substance by the rebells, enioying litle butt their lives, nere by a Convoy of the County of mayoe from whence they came brought towards Ardnaglasse but the said Convoy beinge surprised by the meanes of Roger oge mcswyne of Ardnaglasse & his brother Brian mcswyne the most of those distressed people fell into the enemies hands & were murdered, butt this examinant particulerly sawe one Connor roe mcNamee he pullinge a pretty youeth of of those prisoners, and him brought within Twenty yeares of the place where this examinant was hideing himselfe neere the Church of skreine, & tooke him by the haire of his heade with one hand, & with the other hand Cutt his the said youeth throate by stabbinge him through the same four or five tymes with an irish skeine & then seeinge a poore churle Come accidentally by Caused him to dragg the said deade Corpps to a grave that was open in the said Churchyearde, & there to burry itt: And when hee had soe donn he sawe the said Conor roe mcNamee [sallinge?] of an ould brittish man, whoe carryed a younge childe in his armes, & driveinge the oulde man before him out of this examinants sight to murder him as this examinant verylie beleeveth but what was donn with them this examinant knoweth nott, hee further sayeth that there was three of those number of brittish at the same tyme hanged by the Country inhabitantts therabouts Ardnagl{ass} which one owen mcEdwany liveinge there perceaveing & that the said Connor roe mcNamee with other wicked persons were sayinge they woulde passe from Ardnaglasse to the Skreine where this examinant lived there to kill all the brittish inhabitantts did hastily runn to this examinant to advertise him what hee hearde spoaken & to putt this examinant vppon his gura guarde against the said rebells approach thither which hee did the best hee might by hideing himself vpp & downe that Country. This examinant further sayeth that one Thomas Coote, & his wife, & one Thomas Crowne two englishmen were <B> soone after that tyme murdered at Toneregee by Hugh ô Connor sonn of Teige o Connor of Sligoe esquire deceased, his brother Cahell ô Connor And that Teige ô Connor of Sligoe esquire & the said Hugh & Cahell ô Connor all bretheren wentt togeather into the barrony of Tere Tereragh with many idle persons callinge themselues souldiers followeinge them, a litle while after the murder of Sligoe was Comitted and the first night they all lay at Ardnaglasse towne, & from thence wentt forwarde into that barrony, and within fower or five daies returned backe & lay at Toneregie aforesaid

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when & where the said murder was Comitted, butt whether the said Teige ô Connor of Sligoe the eldest brother of the three were there at that instant of the doeinge of the same this examinant Cannott tell this examinant further sayeth that Robert Neisbitt & his wife a brittish couple, & of the inhabitantts of Ardnaglasse were soone after that tyme stabbed, & murdered, but by whome this examinant doth not knowe the said woeman being greate with childe at that tyme, & his this examinant hearde when shee was killed ther belly was ript vpp by the murderers of her itt beinge soe Comonly reported in the Country And further therevnto this examinant Cannot depose
Robert Lydford
examined before me
Robt: Parke