Examination of Coll McAllester

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[4250]

The Examinacion of Coll McAllester of the Parish of Dirretighan in the County of Antrim Gent taken before vs the 14th of March 1652
Who being duely examined saith That it was Allester McColl McDonnell & Tirlagh oge ô Cahan who (as he hath since heard by common report both of the Irish & Scotch) were the cheife plotters & Actors of the Murder of the Brittish at Portnaw in Christmas 1641 That after the Murder was committed by the Irish & Highlanders upon the Brittish at Portnaw, the Irish being jealous of the English & Scotts and the English & Scotts iealous of the Irish, without any difference or distincion the Irish kill’d all the English & Scotts they could lay hands on, & the English & Scotts did the like vnto the Irish, except some few Irishmen who shewed mercy vnto the English & Scotts whereof this Examinant was one who did as much for preservacion of the Brittish as lay in his power And this Examinant further saith That he & Robert oge Stewart were standing vpon the Rocke over the strand at Portnagree & one Gillcomey McHallgar as he remembers & noe more at all either Irish or Scotch with them, when one Donnoghy McGuiggen McAwley killed one Gilbert Garrill under the Rocke, but none else were killd there soe farr as he could see And this Examinante being demanded wherefore he so Lefte his vsuall habitacion

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habitacion after the said Murder at Portnaw & other the Murders committed in the Roote He saith that the Reason thereof was because the Brittish Garrison in Ballentoy house was within three miles And being demanded what need he had to feare the Brittish he being soe carefull to preserve asmany as lay in his power he saith because at that time The Brittish & Scotch Irish durst not trust one another. And this Examinante being demanded if he was at the fight in the Layney when the English & Scotch on the 11th of ffebruary 1641 called blacke ffriday were routed & aboute 700 Brittish slaine he saith he came that very day vnto the Lainey 120 Cowes being lately taken from him for his not compliance with th{e} Irish to gett restitucion of them And Allester McColl McDonne{ll} (the Brittish forces then approaching) made this Examinant to ioyn{e} him & his men, and vpon ioyneing battell the Brittish were {} & enough of them kill’ d but this Examinante saith he killed none { but } those who would have killed him. And being demanded if he did {see} or heare of any Brittish kill’d in Ballycastle house or Town{e} where the Countess of Antrim dwelt he saith he was often at Ballycastle & that the house of Ballycastle after the Murder at Portnaw was kept by Donnell grome mcDonnell deceased & his men but he saith he never see or heard of any kill’d there or at Carnkirrin or Ballylusk which two Last mencioned places were not farr distant from this Examinants house And this Examinante saith alsoe that he was not at any time at the Siege of Ballentoy or Colerane save only once that Allester McColl sent for him vnto Colerane, to bring him provisions & that he brought him at that time five Cowes for the provisions of his men And further he saieth That That he never marched through the Countrey with the Irish to Dunluce or Oldstone neither was he at any time betwixt the begining of the Irish Rebellion & march of the Scotch Army into the Roote at Dunluce or Oldstone And that he never heard of any Brittish murdered by the Irish at the Salt panns of Ballycastle or at Margie Moore, but of some few murdred at Ramoane Church by Dwaltagh McAllester & the dullenans now dead And further saith not

Tho:Coote
Rich: Brasier Major

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