Examination of Jane Beere

fol. 98r

2625

The examinacion of Jane Beere the Late wyfe of Erasmus Beare late of Ballycosoone in the parish of Armagh gent deceased taken the fourth day of June 1653 before vs Daniel Hutchinson Esquire Sir Robert Meredith knight and Robert Jeaffrey Esquire appoynted by the High Court of Justice sitting at Dublin to take examinacions of massacres and Murthers
The sayd examinant being duely sworne and examined deposeth and sayth, that about Allhalontyd in the yeare of our Lord 1641 the Rebellion being befor that tyme broken out in the North, she came to the Towne of Ardmagh thinking there to secure herselfe yet she with manny others of the English were kept <A> prisoners there vntill that the Towne was see on fire which was on the fryday next after May Day then next following And this Examinant sayth that at that tyme and before, there dwelled in the sayd Towne of Armagh one named Edmund Crolly whoe was before the burning of the same made Capten therof by Sir Phelim o Neyle And that this Edmund Crolly was sonn to Teig Crolly whoe also was made Suffrayne of the sayd Towne by the said Sir Phelym And this examinant sayth That the sayd Edmund and his ffather were bothe, very mercifull favourable vnto the English then imprisoned there, and in perticular to this examinant, and did much good vnto her, and the rest, and were exceeding mercifull vnto them and the rest to the vttermost of their power, And this examinant sayth that all the rest of the Crollies who then dwelt in the sayd Towne of Armagh and all the rest of the Irish Inhabitants there except the sayd Edmund Crolly and his sayd ffather, were all, actors in the burning of the sayd Towne and committing the Massacre there
And this Examinant sayth That Michaell Dunn late of Late of <B> Knockearne in the County of Antrym gent, brought thence with him the same Wynter his wyfe & family to a place Called Hockly neere Armagh which was his wyfes former husbands fathers Land, and there most cruelly turned out of the sayd Towne and Lands of Hockly all the English there dwelling, and the sayd Michael and his wyfe, possessed themselves of their howses Corn and Cattell; as some of them that were soe turned out, did report vnto this examinant, And the sayd Michaell leaving his wyfe there, This examinant heard by report in the sayd Towne of Armagh, That the Irish made their boast

fol. 98v

2626

boast that he the sayd Michael went then from Hockly to his howse of Knockearne, and there killd and Murthered all the English and Scotts that dwelt there neere about his Land And this examinant sayth, that afterwards he came agayne to Armagh the wynter before it was burnt, and there ioyned himself with Sir Phelym O Neyle and his Army, and ridd forth with them to severall places where the sayd Sir Phelym did fight against the English And this examinant sayth that she heard it credibly reported that the sayd Michael Dunn did tell one Thomas Dixson now of Drogheda and then of Armagh that the sayd Michael and one other whose name the examinant knoweth not the first wynter of the rebellion at or about the Land of Knocke rne aforesayd did kill and murther 27 of the English and Scotts at one tyme and 17. at another tyme
And this examinant further sayth, that she knoweth not Coll McAlexander, But that ther are three brothers of that name surname, whereof shee sawe one at Belfast whoe had his arme tyed in a String, and was called Coll Kittagh and came thither (about the tyme that Generall Monroe had the government of Vlster from the slaughter of the English and Scotts about Colerane And it was reported to this Examinant that he then braged that he had kild there ffortie of the English and Scottish in one day But whether this Coll be the same mann, whoe is called Coll McAlexander, this examinant knoweth not. And this examinant sayth that she can say nothing concerninge Cahill o Quynn But she verily beleeueth that one Mary Symmes of Belfast wyfe of William Symmes of the same can give better evidence against him then this examinant can

Jane Beare

Dl: Hutchinsone
Rob Meredith
Robert Geoffreys

106

fol. 99r

99

2627

fol. 99v

2627

(103) B
The examinacion of Jane Beare concerning Armagh Michael Dun & others
5

9