Examination of Fergus Fullerton

fol. 56r

1523

The Examinacion of ffergus ffullerton of the Parish of Billy Maltman taken before vs the first day of March 1652
<25> Who being duely sworne & examined saith That he was one of the Brittish soldiers vnder the Command of Capten ffergus McDowgall which lay at Portnaw to keepe the Bannside. That the 2d of January 1641 <A> the Irish & Highlanders who were part of the Regiment vnder the Command of Archibald Stewart Esquire did rise in the night about two houres before day & murdered about twenty of Capten Glovers Company & some Brittish of other Companies in the same Regiment to the number of sixty as he hath heard & that this Examinante was the same time wounded in the head by one of Alexander McDonnells soldiers, that Alexander McDonnell gave him Quarters for his life And the examinante being demanded who ledd & commanded the Irish & Highlanders who then murdred the brittish, saith That it was James McColl McDonnell Alexander McDonnell Tirlagh oge ô Cahan And that in the morneing soone after the same Murder soe committed Brian ô Haggan Henry ô Haggan Art ô Haggan & all their tenna tennants & followers being Inhabitants of Magheresharkin Parish in the County of Antrim (the said Mr Stewart being called vp with his Regiment to quiet a riseing or vproare in the <B> Brayd) went over the Bann into the County of Londonderry then in Rebellion & returned back againe the said morneing with one John Mortimer & about five Companies of Manus roe ô Cahanes Regiment to assist the said Murderers and ioyned with them instantly & marching through the Countrey sett maney houses on fire and burned the whole Towne of Ballymoney & killed all the Brittish soe farr as he hath heard that they could lay their handes on And further he saith That Donnell Gorme McDonnell Neile oge McMullan & Neile oge McMullan & severall others whose names he doth not know, assoone as the said John Mortimer & the foresaid Companies came over the Bann joyned with them & with the said James McColl McDonnell & other the foresaid Murderers at Portnaw & marched through the Countrey with them (when they burned the said houses & Towne of Ballymoney & killed diverse Brittish) all along vnto the house of Ballentoy from whence they marched to Craigballinoe & the next day

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fol. 56v

1524

<C> day Gilduffe ô Cahan mett them & marched with them vnto Dunluce & quartered their men at Ballymagary neere Dunluce & the next morneing James McColl McDonnell Gilduffe ô Cahan Alexander McDonnell & John Mortimer wrote a letter into Capten Digby who with the Brittish kept Dunluce Castle, thereby summoning & requireing him to surrender the Castle or else they would burne the Towne of Dunluce, that vpon refusall to surrender it Gilduffe ô Cahan & John Mortimer caused the Towne of Dunluce to be burned which the said Alexander McDonnell would not consent vnto but went away with his Company The next day they marched back to Derrickighan where they made a Proclamacion that any who thereafter spoake Englishbe should be hanged, vpon which Alexander McDonnell bid his soldiers & those <D> he had protected that they should speake noe English for 24 houres being ready to fall out with the Irish that such a Proclamacion was made. ffrom thence they all Marched vnto Oldstone where meeting with some of the Irish of the Baronies of Toome & Antrim they were neere 2000 men That they summoned Oldstone which was yeilded vnto them within the space Of three quarters of an houre After which the Army [ ] severed & every Companey went to their vsuall quarters & this Examinante was alsoe there sett at liberty And further he saith not

Tho: Coote
Rich: Brasier Major