Examination of Thomas Dixon

fol. 119r

2597
The Examinacion of Mr Thom{as Dixon} of Droghedah taken the 26. of Fe{bruary 1652}
The Examinant being duely sworne saith that at the begining of the Rebellion 1641 in Oct 1641 he was an Inhabitant in neere the Towne of Armagh That the Inhabitants of the said Towne haveing heard that Charlemont & other places were taken by Sir Phelim o Neile, they <A> betooke themselves for theire security to the Church of Armagh on the Saturday 23th 1641 whither they caried theire armes & what of theire goodes they coulde. that the 24th Sir Phelim o Neile summoned the Towne, & promised vnder his hand writing that at h is on his honour in regua rd they were his Neighbow rs & friends there showld be no hurt or prejudice to any in theire persons or estates so that the place were delivered & theire armes. That thereupon the place & the Armes were delivered accordingly, & the said Sir Phelim then speakeing to the Examinant did bidd him go home & keepe his mill, that dureing the warres he showld pay no rent, & that what he the said Sir Phelim did <B> by the Kings Comission. That notwithstanding the said {Sir} Phelims promise & Quarter given as aforesaid there was { } passed wherein English houses were not pillaged & some were murdered. T{ } about six weekes after, & after the defeate or the losse { } at Lisne{garvey} {the} Irish received at Lisnegarvy the Irish to revenge t{hem}selves on the English they did murder many Engli{sh} in the towne of Armagh & in the Country; & did drive { } of Armagh by Sir Phelim o Neiles orders (as the Irish said) two severall parties aboue the numbers of 100 pretending to s{end} them away to the English quarters by Convoyes of whom the Examinant heard the moste were murdered & some fewe escaped That Bromly Taylor of Armagh was caried away by Michael Duyn & his men & caried to Charlemont to Sir Phelim ô Neile, where the said Taylor was hangd the next day {by}

fol. 119v

{ } Examinant heard & was { } {b}y Captain Perkins that he much sollicited Sir Phelim to save the said Taylor but could not prevaile. That when Armagh was burning 46 English of the Inhabitants who were put into the Sessions house who were thence conveyed towards to charlemont <C> & put into the Church of Charlemont & the next mornening being sent thence towards Dunganon they were for the most part all murdered (as the examinant heard by the Irish) by Orders from Sir Phelim o Neile & the Examinant was about a fortnight after told by one that was groome to Sir Phelim o Neile, that he was by the said Sir Phelim sent after the said English with Orders from him to save Thomas Cleever who was a surveyor, saying let them by any meanes save the surveyor, but before he could come to them they were all murdered as aforesaid. And that one Patrick Dunkin being to be then murdered said The Lord be T hese murders acted by the Irish & thereupon they murdered him. He farther saith that one Patrick mc Tilly who had beene sometimes the Examinants servant, was at the time of the Rebellion servant to Tirlagh oge ô Neile brother to {Sir} Phelim ô Neile, who sollicited the said Tirlagh to procure a passe for the Examinant to which the said Tirlagh answered what! is he yet liveing, I much wonder at it; but could not get any such passe for him: & the said Patrick thereupon told the Examinant that Sir Phelim ô Neile & his brother Tirlagh desired that no English or Scotch should escape but all knockt in the hea d : & that there were not in the world two such murderers as they were: whereupon the Examinant laboured his Escape & after much suffring & being taken prisoner in { } he was released on Exchange of prisoners. And {further} saith not.
Tho: Dixon
Deposed before me
Hen: Jones