Examination of Jane Beare

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The Examinacion of Mrs Jane Beare Adged 53 years or therabouts taken Befor us the 26th of ffebruary 1652 Being dulie sworne & Examined
Sayth that shee liued the first yeare of the Rebelion At Balecosoon in the parish of Armah within three Miles of Charlemount And saith that shee did Know Sir Phelim Ô Neale seuerall yeares before the Rebelion And the Examinant did heare that the Night before the Rebelion did breake foorth the said Sir Phelom Onele went to <A> Charlemount to visite the ladie Cafild & her sonne the yonger Lord as he pretended, but tooke that opportunity to bringe in seuerall Irish of his ffolowers who betrayed surprised the said Castle & tooke the yonge lord Prisoner And the Examinants husband the next morn ing haueing the news of that surprisall; (& of a generall Rising Into Rebellion) tooke his horse And Rid to Armah to Know the Reason of that Risinge And when he Came to the said towne of Armah he did ther see Sir Phelom Oneale on Horsbacke in the marked place with seuerall men in Armes And he the said Examinants Husband with other English present Demaunding of the said Sir Phelom what <B> was the Reason of ther being soe in Armes the said Sir Phelom Replied if he did it of his owne head he was a Traytor but had a warra Comaund d for what he did And therwith shewed them the Kings Commission as shee sup oseth with his broad seale to it as the Examinants Husband tould the Examinant when he Cam home the same day & withall said we were a <2> sould people, And the Examinant further saith that the English at & neare Armah betooke them to the Church of Armah for ther security And the said Sir Phelom <C> Cam within foure days neare to Armah to sumon the Church which was deliuered to him vpon conditions & the said Sir Phelom mad proclamations that thay should Returne to ther seuerall dwelings wher he Ingadged thay should be safe but as soone as the English were soe dispersed the Irish fell a plunderinge & Murthering of diuers And others thay tooke prisoners some of whom thay brought to the Church of Laghgall

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In which place seuerall of them were seuerall wais tortured to make them Confes wher ther moneys were by which meanes thay gott some 4000 li. or ther abouts as it was Reported In which time seuerall of the English were Inqusitined what thay would doe with <D> them And the Rebells tould them thay Could not tell till thay had orders from Sir Phelom Ônele but within some 7 or eight days after, Sir Phelom Came from Armah Burneinge And destroying seuerall Houses in his way to Legall And the next morneing the English prissoners were all sent Away pretending to send them Away to Lisnegaruy which was an English garrisson but when thay Came to Porterdowne Bridge thay were ther All K ild And drownded to the number of 140 men women & Children some of which were Country people that Ranne Into them vpon the Report thay were to [ ] goe to Lisnegarvie thinking to take the benafit off that Convoy, & soe were drowned with the Rest <E> And the examinant further saith that shee Liued all that winter after in the towne of Armah where she did see Sir Phelom Ôneale was at one A day when ther was a Commaund from the said Sir Phelom as was R eported for the Gathering of the English vp for to send them to the towne of Droughedah as was pretended & by saith that ther was 140 taken vp to send as aforsaid but one the way to Dundalke as the Examinant was Informed ther was some 90 Murthered for that ther Cam but 62 or ther abou ts thereof to Dundalke or therabouts, And saith ffurther that ther was 3 seuerall Companies (taken up) of English Maney of which were alsoe sent towards Charlamount & Into the Countrey seuerall ways And were murthered as one
<ff> And the day that the towne of Armah was burnt the said Sir Phelom with his Armey Came to the markett place & gaue Comaund to them to burne the towne And gather vp all the Englishmen And Carrie them downe to Charlemount And as the Irish themselfes did say thay Asked him what thay should doe with the women & Children he Replied that thay might make gunpowder of them if thay would And by his power & the said permission the Examinant beleeueth thay Acted much Cruelty & murther that day in the towne & Countrey & the Examinant herselfe was thenn a greate sufferer being fforced to goe thorou

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The fflames of ffire to saue herselfe & Children And had a sonne of 18 yeares of Aidge that day Murthered by the said Rebels & a little sonne of 9 yeares of Aidge ffrighted (with the sight of his Brothers death) out of his sences And died within three days After; And the Examinant thorou the spesiall prouidence of god scaped with her some of her Children Into the mountains wher shee wandared 3 days in which time shee lost one more of her Children & afterward her Husband & two more of her Children were murthered betweene the Newrey & Dundalke before the Examinant gott to Dublin And ffurther the Examinant saith not saue that the Cause of her Knowledge Appeareth shee beinge at th e An Eie witnes of some of the particulars And did Liue ther wher the ffriss Reports of of this And Many more Crueltyes were Comitted & Came to her hearing
Jane Beare
Allies Pressicke
Taken before vs the
day beforesaid
He: Sankey
Hen: Jones

65

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The Examinacion of Mrs
Jane Beare 26th
ffebruary 1652

Against Sir Phelom
O Neale
1/ .2.