Deposition of William Linch

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Depositions taken before mee Maior Robert Ormsby at Sruell Aprill 23th 1653 concerning the Murder of Sruell
<A> William Linch fitz Peter of Galway franciscan fryar aged fourty years: being duely sworne on the holy Evangelists, and examined; Deposeth that hee the said Deponent came into Sruell to see his father (then residing in the Castle of Sruell) the night before the Murder was committed: and that on the day the said Murder was comitted, this said Deponent (being a franciscan fryar) came out of the said Castle (when the said Murder was acting on the brittish in Sruell aforesaid) to shelter some of the brittish: And that one Buchanans sonne was twice or thrice, at least, forcibly taken out of this Deponents armes. And this deponent farther saith, that the murderers (whom the deponent being a Stranger knew not) threatned to kill this Deponent, if hee lette not the sonne of the said Buchanan goe: and that the sonne of the said Buchanan was forcibly taken out of his the said Deponents Armes, and Murdered
And farther saith that Mr Gilbert with his wife and Children were sent by the said Deponent vnto the howse of Mr Robert Lambert of Sruell and neere there sheltered vntill Midde=night after the said Murther was comitted vnder bedds. Att which <B> time this Deponent with his two foster brothers Edmond McGillocoman (yet liveing in Sruell) and William McGillocoma{n} deceased; came with horses of Peter Linch this Deponents father, and conveyed the said Mr Gilbert with his wife and two children vnto ffryars Island, on the Lands of Moyne wh{ere} the said Mr Gilbert with his wife and two children stayed twenty foure howres, expecting the conveniency of this Deponent to convoy them towards Cung: the said wife and childre{n} this Deponent left in the said Island, vntill a better convenie{n}cy might bee aforded for their convoyance thence: And on Wednesday after the murther hee this Deponent

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Went with the said Mr Gilbert out of the said Island towards <C> Cung, and about a quarter of A Mile from the said Island there appeared out of an Ambush, Donogh o Kennie, and Richard McThybotte, who (as this deponent hath been enformed) wayted for the deponents commeing along with Mr Gilbert, all that morning And that the said Donnogh Kennie and Richard McThybotte (after saluteing this deponent) came vp with a firelocke, which was in the hands of the said Donogh; vnto whom this Deponent cryed that they should not draw any blood from the said Mr Gilbert the said Donogh being this Deponents father his follower: wherevppon the said Donogh and Richard came vp with the said firelocke, vnto whom this Deponent againe cryed, to abstaine from meddleing with the said Mr Gilbert: and this Deponent endeavoured (as much as in him lay) to preserve the person and Goods of the said Mr Gilbert, from the said Donogh and Richard yet notwithstanding the said Deponents entreaties and Endeauours to defend the said Mr Gilbert the said Donogh Kenny came with his firelocke to shoot the said Mr Gilbert through wherevpon this deponent tooke hold of the bore of the said firelocke so as the shotte was thereby diverted <D> from the body of the said Mr Gilbert and onely peirced his skinne and razed his Arme, who imediately fell, and they the said Donogh Kenny and Richard Thybotte stripped the said Mr Gilbert and of his cloaths, and what hee had about him; leaveing the said Mr Gilbert with this Deponent so stripped with this Deponent who tooke his foster brothers Mantle and put the same about the said Mr Gilbert, and carried him the said Mr Gilbert along vnto Mr Andrew Linch att Ballymcgibbon, which said Andrew relieved the said Mr Gilbert with cloths, and then the said Andrew and this Deponent conveyed the said Mr Gilbert safe to Cung, and farther saith not.
William Lynch fitzPeeter
Taken before mee
Rob: Ormsby

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1360

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1361

Depositions taken for the Murder of Sruell.

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1362

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1363
Depositions and Examinations concerning the murder of Sruell.

Examinacions of Ja: Linch & others concerning Shrule