Examination of Richard Gardner

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December the 13th 1652
The Examination of Rich: Gardner of Portumna one of the Lord Presidents Troope Aged about thirty yeares taken as followeth
Rich: Gardner being Examined vpon saith Oath saith, that being besieged in the Steeple of Roserke by Captain Robert Barrett & others, three quarters of A yeare Mr Edmund Burke of Rappagh writ to them that if wee they would Deliuer up the Garrison to him he would see us safe conveyed to any English Garrison & wee (not knowing how to returne an Answer to him) espyed A servant of his <A> and there was A Lettre wrote to Mr Burke, and put [ ] it within A Turfe, & threw it into A church yard, which his man tooke up, Then Oliverus Burke the sonne of Edm: Burke the next day came to us to Roserke, and Called to us & told us that Captain Barrett with most of his men was gone downe to Moyne to A Generall meeting with the Country, Whereupon they lett the said Oliverus into the Steeple to them presently the said Robert Barrett with about 100 of the Enemy sett on fyre the houses about the Steeple which wee then possest and forced us to Retreate to the steeple & he saith that the next Day Mr Edm. Burke of Roppagh came thither with A Company to releiue us according to what he had promised by his Lettre & to preserve his Sonne that was with us, upon which he & barrett had like to have fallen together by the Eares, but that the ffryers of <B> the Moyne made some agreement betwixt them, when they were agreed Barrett put a ward into the House, and Edm: Burke put A ward into the Steeple with his sonne, and promised A safe conduct for Mr Walker & his man, this Examinants Mother & his wife to goe to the Boyle in the County of Roscommon it being an English Garrison And sent <C> his brother Richard Burke A ffryer with Gillduffe Kelly Thomas Kelly and 4 others for A Convoy for them, and further saith that he was Credibly informed that Mr Walker and his man were killd, and saw his wife & his mother returne stript, and that the aforesaid Gillduff Kelly had A ring from the Examinants mother, and some lynnen cloathes which after his Returne he sold, & being Demanded whether the guard did offer to oppose those that murthered the said Walker & his Man, and this <D> Examinant saith he heard they did not, but as soone as they that murthered them were coming the fryer left them, & the convoy that was sent with them stript

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stript them, & this Examinants mother & wife returned soe stript to bally Cottle, where his mother in Law stayed with his ffather in Law, and was afterward murthered going betweene Ballimote & Boyle, but the Examinants wife returned to Roserke where shee staid with the Examinant, till a Party of the Parliaments fforces under the Lord Presidents comand Came & releiued them And being Asked whether he told Mr Edm Burke of Rappagh of the murther of Mr Walker & his man & the stripping of his wife & Mother he saith he did, who replyed he could not helpe it
This Examinant being asked whether he knew any thing of those that were murthererd & Drowned about Moyne and Killally saith, that being in the steeple of Roserke he heard that one James Dexter (having his boate taken away by three Scotch men, who made an Escape with it into Vlster) with some of his men and some others of the Irish that he gott together, gathered what Brittish he could together, and there had them murthered & Drowned
This Examination was taken and subscribed before Me the Day and yeare above written
Cha: Coote

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[Exam]

The Examination of Richard Gardner
December the 13th 1652
conc. the murder of Walker &c.