Examination of Nicholas ffulton

fol. 82v

1576

The examinacion of Nicholas the wife of James ffulton of Dunboe parish in the County of Londonderry yeoman taken before vs at Colerane the 22th day of March 1652
<61:> Who being duely sworne & examined saith That about Lammas 1642 when Generall Lasley with the Scotch Army marched through Colerane over the Bann she this Examinant, Paull Gault, Archy Craig, James Anderson, & one Jennett Minnis went some short time after the said Army, vnto Aghidowy five miles distant from Colerane, to see what was become of their houses & goods at Aghyidowy, which when they fled from the Irish, after the rout & killing of the Brittish forces at Garvagh they left <A> behind them. That being at Aghidowy lookeing & searching what they could find of their owne goods to releive them in Colerane whither the Examinante & the said persons with thousands more were fled for shelter; about a dozen of the Irish Rebells on horsebacke came vnto Aghidowy which this Examinante & the other persons fornamed espying, they fled vnto a Bogg wherevpon the said Irish horsemen alighted, & pursueing this Examinante & the rest overtooke them all, but the said James Anderson who fled another way & escaped. That in the pursuite some of them darted a halfe pike & hitt this Examinante in the Breast & most greivously wounded her & wished the said Paul Gault who had an halfe pike & the said Archy Craig who had a sword to yeild their weapons, & they should have quarters vpon which they yeilded. And the said Irish Horsemen tooke vp this Examinant & the said Paul Gault Archy Craig & Jennett Minnis vpon their horses behind them & carryed them about a mile of vnto an Old fort th where they alighted & satt downe. And after this Examinant & the said Paul, Archy, & Jennett, had staid there a little while <B> one Martin Taaffe the sonne of Richard Taaffe who dwelt in the said Parish of Aghidowy when the Rebellion begun & then bore some Office amongst the Irish came with some Irish with him vnto the said ffort & after some consultacion had amongst him & the rest of the Irish they stripped this Examinant & the said Paull Archy & Jennett of

(73)

fol. 83r

1577

<C> of their clothes. After which the said Paul Gault complained he was cold, And the said Martin Taaffe told him he should not long feele any Cold. And soone after Martin Taaffe with a horsemans piece which he had in his hand shott the said Paul Gault in the Brest with the same he the said Paul Gault being in the meane time vpon his knees most earnestly begging his life That with the said shott he fell vpon his face & being not killed outright some other Irish in the company with thier skeines hastened his death. And this Examinant further saith That when the said Paul Gault was with much earnestness begging his life vpon his knees the said Archy Craig bidd him be of good cheere & feare not the hoped that night they should supp with Christ; ffor which words the said Martin Taaffe & the rest of the Irish with him at the said ffort put the said Archy Craig to a more grieveous lingring paine for being stript starke naked to his Band, they compassed him about & when one of them prickt behind & he to avoid the paine wold fly forwards, another gave him a pricke with a pike or Skeene before to make him runn backwards & accordingly they prickt him on each side he in the meane time roaring most griveously for the extremity of the torment & this Examinante saith she verily believes they spent allmost three howers in killing the said Archy Craig And this Examinant being demanded how she & Jennett Minnis escaped killing, she saith some of the Irish would have them killed & some said they had noe orders to kill woemen & oftentimes they would send them away towards Colerane & call them backe againe & at last by the providence of God they suffered them to goe away with their lives & soe that night after the said Murders committed they came vnto Castleroe an Outer Garrison belonging vnto Colerane And further she saith not

Tho: Coote
Rich: Brasier Major

(74)