Examination of Daniell MacThomas O Gilmore

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The Examinacion of Daniell MacThomas O Gilmore of Ballenahince taken by mee the 28th of Aprill 1653 Ambrose Bedell
The Examinat saith That about the 25th of 10ber next after the Rebellion hee then liuing att Balle David in the Countie of Downe together with 11: families more that liued aboute his fathers house, The Cheefe of which was one Brian boy O Gilmore who being of the Lord of Clannaboyes tennants had warneing for himselfe, And whatt other men hee could gather vpp; That they should <A> goe to Doe service on the Enemy, The which accordingly the said Brian Did bring with him: 7: or 8 more even as maney as were able to march forth, vpon which service, the partie, encountering with the Enemy, the said Brian was left for dead, haueing receiued vpwards of 15: wounds. The Examinant further saith That a partie of horse, of the Scotts the next day going to the place where the scirmish had beene, they found the said Brian O Gilmore with breath in him, and brought him to Killaliagh, where in processe of tyme hee recouered , And not many weekes after hee was taken by the said Scotts prisoner and the carried him to Bangor, where hee dyed The Examinant further saith That aboute: 8: Dayes before Candlemas next after the said skirmish, hee had some 4: sacks of Corne to carry to the mill, and Desired one James Johnson the younger being a neere Neighboure of his to goe with him to the mill, who consented to goe with him, and as they were goeing, the said Johnson bid the Deponent say that the Corne was the said Johnsons, and when they came to the Mill Dore they threw Downe the Corne, and then the Examinant asked the said Johnson whether hee would then goe hoame or nor, but the said Johnson Answered and said hee would nott, but said hee would keepe one of his horses vntill hee went hoame, on the evening of the same Day, the Examinant did see the said Johnson with aboute Eight men more in this company <B> coming hoame, of which there was one John Crafford of Craffords burne, William Pamer, Sandy Dobbin the yonger, John Watt the names of the rest hee knew not.
The Examinant further saith That one James Johnson the elder, father vnto the foresaid James the yonger and one Andrew Hamilton of the forte warned all or most of the Country thereabouts to come to Balle Davie which accordinly a greate number of them came that evening and Divided themselves into the severall houses of Brian Oge O Gillmore afforesaid and his neighbours, alledgeing that the were come for to saue those houses from plundering, by the Lord Muntgomerys horsemen who were to come that night to that purpose but aboute midnight they begann to stripp the Inhabitants, and aboute two houres Before

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before Day, The foresaid Andrew Hamilton went out of the foresaid Brian Oge O Gilmores house, and shott of his pistoll into the said house vpon which the Scotts which were within began to kill all the Irish who <C> were in the houses, And killed to the number of 73 persons, men women & Children, in the tyme of which killing, the Examinant escaped, being informed by one Sandy Wilson that there was a hole broken in the end of the house that night through which the said Sandie sent forth the Examinants father before him; The Examinant haueing escaped through the said hole, hid himselfe att the lower end of a Gardin, for the space of halfe an houre, hearing them killing all his friends in the houses; And then hee fled to the foresaid James Johnsons house, where hee found none butt a boye aboute the age of 14: yeares the which boye imediately with a short pike, run ne at him but the Examinant putt by many trusts made at him by the said boy, in the meane tyme, the foresaid James Johnson the younger came, into the house vnto whome the Examinant fell Downe on his kneese and intreated him for to saue his life for Gods sake, but hee for the present made him the Examinant no Answeere; yett hee did permitt this Examinant to stay there with him and his father for the space of three dayes, and then the said Johnson bid the Examinant for to goe to the Irish, and offered him some bread to carrie with him, but the Deponent by much intrety gott the said James Johnson the Elder, to
goe with him to the houses, where the slaughter was done, and there the Examinant fell to bury his kindred and buryed seaven of them where the said Johnson left him, And when the Examinant had done, hee returned to the said Johnsons house, where hee <D> agreed with two Scotch men for to goe with him, his mother and his brother (who gott 7: wounds) to the Ards; The name of one of the said Scotchmen was Andrew McVlven the others name hee knoweth not
The Examinant further saith that his father haueing escaped through the hole afforesaid did hide himselfe three dayes in a moore neere Holliwoode, where being found, was Deliuered a prisoner to one Robertt Jackson who was the Constable in the Parrish of Holliwood afforesaid, the which Constable carried him before on Capten Allexander Hamilton, who gaue the said Constable Directions to carrie him to the Prison of Bangor but in his returne homewards, the said Jackson killed the Examinants said father on the moore of Dun Donell as the Examinant was informed whilst hee himselfe remained in the house of James Johnson the Elder afforesayd
These

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E

These are the names of as Many of the Murtherers who were att the murther afforesaid; and are knowne vnto the Examinant
James Rowen the now Constable of Bangor
Abraham Adam of Carmuny
William: Rowen De ead.
Robertt Marnes De: ead.
Thomas Ma Gill De ead.
John MaGill of BalleRobertt
Andrew Scott De ead then Constable
Macin Macollagh in the Ards
Andrew Scott Junior
Andrew Hamiltons sonn of the forte
John Johnson sonn to Andrew Jonson of Balledavy

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60

The Examinacion of Daniell MacThomas O Gilmore of Ballenahinch
versis
Jam: Johnson
And: Hamilton
Rob: Jackson
Jam: Rowen
Abraham Adam
William Rowen
Robert Marnes
Tho: Magill
John Magill
And: Scott
Macin Macollagh
And: Scott Junior
John Johnson