Examination of William McPheadress

fol. 72r

1555

<Quere> The examinacion of William McPheadress of Loughgeill Gent: taken at Colerane the said 8: day of March 1652
<47: O> Who being duely sworne & examined saith That vpon Sunday the 24th of October 1641 Archibald Stewart Esquire came vnto Derrickighan Church & acquainted this Examinante that he had intelligence that the Irish in the County of Tirone were risen in Rebellion & had surprised Charlemount & Dungannon & Moneymore Castle & Towne in the County of Londonderry Wherevpon the said Mr Stewart desired this Examinante to repaire foorthwith vnto Dunluce & secure the Castle there least the Irish should surprise it & the Armes therein That the Examinante with some Companey went accordingly vnto Dunluce & caused five or six men of the Towne to goe & watch the Castlegate, who after awhile came away againe together with one Anthony Capten Digbies man who kept the key of the Castle That as the same men & the said Anthony who had locked the Gate came into the street the said Gilduffe ô Cahan as he heard tooke the Key of the Castle gate from the said Anthony & entred the Castle & kept it After which this Examinante with diverse others of Dunluce Towne went vnto the Gate & desired to goe into the Castle which he refused calling them Rogues & said the Scotts would have surprizsed the Earles Castle That the same Sunday at night Mr Alexander McDonnell the Earle of Antrims brother, the said Mr Stewart & Capten Digby came vnto Dunluce who after some parley or discourse with the said Gillduffe were admitted into the Castle, & by some agreement amongst them the Castle the next day with the Armes therein were delivered vp to Capten Digby & the said Gilduffe left it & went out That in the absence of Mr Stewarts Regiment which was called in the latter end of December 1641 into the Braid to quell some riseing there

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fol. 72v

1556

there, one William ô Sheile now prisoner in Colerane & the O Haggans dwelling in Magheresharkin parish went over the Bann vnto the Rebells quarters as he hath credibly heard And this examinante further saith That Tirlagh oge ô Cahan was one of the Captens of Mr Stewarts Regiment which lay at Portnaw & that he betrayed his trust & ioyned with the Highland Company & the Irish in murdring the Brittish Companies there, After which the Irish in the Roote of all sorts & condicions (to a very few who remained with the Brittish in their Holds) did rise in Armes & kill, most of the Brittish without distincion of Age or sexe whom they could lay hands on & burnt most of the Townes & houses in the Countrey & beleaguered & assaulted the Holds held by the Brittish vntill the Scotch Army came vnto the Roote And further he saith not

Tho: Coote
Rich: Brasier Major