Examination of John McNeill

fol. 55r

1521

The Examinacion of John McNeill of Billy parish the younger labourer taken before vs the first day of March 1653
<O 23> Who being duely sworne & examined saith That about the 3d night after the Murder at Portnaw, he was lodgeing in John roe Spences house in the said parish of Billy & that about 9 or 10 of the Clocke in the night, some of the Irish discharged a Shott in at the window of the said house upon which the same John Spence, & his wife runn out of the doore & were murdred by some Irish whom he heard to be Gillduffe ô Cahans <A> sonnes & their men & followers, That he this Examinante escaped to a little bogg, & after he see a house thereby fired & the Irish gone (as he conceived) towards Gilduffe ô Cahan house at Dunsevericke he returned to the said John roe Spences house where he found diverse Brittish come to see the cause of the burneing & Murder That he this Examinante being appointed Centinell hee see early in the morneing 8 or 9 Irish men comeing from Gillduffe ô Cahans house vpon which he gave the Brittish warneing to be gone, but they alleadgeing that it was, but some neighbours comeing thither, few of them would stirr, but this examinante fled away leaveing his sister Marrian McNeile behind him who was soone after there murdered by the said Irish men or some of them And alsoe that the same Morneing they killd there John Coghrane & Robert McCurdies soones two youths the eldest vnder 12 yeares of age & one McIvicar & one Marrian McCurdie And further he saith not

Tho: Coote
Rich: Brasier Major