Examination of Alexander Aikins

fol. 147r

1715
The examinacion of Alexander Aikins Gentleman of the Armes in Sir George St. George his Company of ffoote, Concerneinge the Murder of Robert Aikins, and ffoure other English, in the begininge of the Rebellion, att Clondohorka in the County of Dunagall, in the Barrony of KillmcCrenan, and parish of Clandohorka in the Province of Vlster, Taken by vertue of a Comission from the High Courte of Justice sittinge att Dublin, Beareinge Date the 18th day of January Instant Directed vnto Alexander Brafeild James Shaen Henry Wadington and George Southcotte Esquires or any two of them,
The said Examinant Alexander Aikins aged about twenty yeares, being duely sworne and examined, deposeth & saith, that this Examinants father Robert Aikins Minister of gods word, of the parish of Clandohorka, in the County of Dunagall, with severall other persons were Liveinge in A slate howse, three stories High, att Clandahorka aforesaid, In the first yeare of the Rebellion, And that about Candellmas in the said yeare, In the Night time, when all the people of the howse were a sleepe, There came some people vnto the doore, And knockt And this examinants said father awakeinge enquired of one Edward Evans, who lay in an vper roome of the said howse, whether he should aske whoe was at the doore, And the said Edward Evans adviseinge him therevnto, The said Robert Aikins <A> demanded whoe was at the doore, & it was Answered, I Mulmurry mc Swine, Therevpon the said Robert Aikins caused a Candle to be lighted And called vpon one, to open the doore, wherevpon, the said mac Swyne & five more (vizt) Manus mcConocher, Dualtagh ncGarvy Bryan Reagh ô ffarry [ ] Donnell mcGilbridie, and Neill ô Donnell, came Rusheinge into the said howse, with their swords drawne, And the said Robert Aikins, enquireing of the said Mulmurry mcSwyne, what was the Matter with them, the said Mulmurry Answeringe bid him put on his Cloathes, And he should know presently, And haueinge caused the said Robert to put on his Cloathes, The said Miles mcSwyne tooke him, and three more (vizt) Marcus Aikins and John Aikins Brothers, vnto the said Robert and one Robert Buchanan) out of doores, And bid them say their prayers, And then brought them Into a Barne, where they hanged them all ffoure, and Murthered on{e} John Adams, when they stobed with skeins in the same place, bei{ng} all english protestants, and afterwards the said Miles came backe againe, Into the said howse, And satt downe vpon Edward Evans bedside, with his sword drawne, lyinge Crosse his kne{es}

fol. 147v

1716
And then one Gennett Tarbarett, beinge in bed in the same roome, sate downe vpon her knees, and prayed him to save her, And such of <C> her family as were there, wherevpon the said Miles in Irish Mulmurry promised and said, my life for yow and yours, noe harme shall Come to yow or any that belongeth to yow, And then when newes was brought that the said Robert and the other foure were murthered he went out of the house, and haueinge put this examinant and all belonginge to his father out of the house, he put the said Gennett and her family in possesion of this examinant said fathers howse and goods, And hee with those in his Company, went away that night And the next morneinge, some of the said Miles men, whoe were with him the night before, (but he cannot positively depose, whether the said Miles was with them or not,) came to the said house and tooke the widdows, of the said Murthered persons, And hanged vp ropes vpon the Rafters, threatninge theyat if they would not confesse, & give them their moneyes, they would hang them, Wherevppon one Elizabeth Todd, the widow of the aforesaid John Aikins confessed, and gave sixteene, or twenty pounds vnto them, which moneyes the said Elizabeth, did lately receive satisfacion, from the said Miles, And this examinant saith, that his cause of knowledge, of what he hath deposed is, that he was in the said howse that night the murther was Comitted, and that he saw the said Miles mc Swyne, and two other persons, whoe came vpstares with him with their swords drawne, & doth perfectly remember & know, <D> what he hath deposed to be true, And ffurther saith, that one Robert Dale who held the Candle, whilst the said persons were Murthered, in the barne, tould the widdowes a while after, in this deponent heareinge, that the said Myles cutt downe the, foresaid Marcus, [ ] after he was hung vpp, And that afterwards the said Marcus was hanged vp againe, untill hee died, And this examinant further saith, that he is Informed, and verely beleeveth, that the said Miles mcSwyne, Manus mc Conocher, Dualtagh mc Garvey Bryan Reagh ô ffarry Donnell <E> mc Gilbride and Neill ô Donnell, the Murtherers aforesaid doe now live & reside in the Countrey of Doe in the County of Dunagall, and Barrony of KillmacCrenan and parishes of Clandahorka, Ray & Tulluch ô Biggvey, and province of Vlster,

fol. 148r

1717
And beinge demanded whoe can probably give evidence, in behalfe of the Comonwealth Concerninge the matters & things aforesaid, this examinant saith, that the persons vndernamed can give full Informacion therein, (vizt) Margrett Walker late wife to mr Robert Aikins, who was then murthered, now maried to William Cumberland, & liveinge in the Towne of Collraine, Elizabeth Todd Late wife to John Aikins, whoe was then Murthered, now widow and Liveinge in the County of Dunagall, Barrony of Rapho, & parish of Ray, Elizabeth Morton Late wife to John Adams, who was then Murthered, now maried to Edward Dalle, & liveinge in the County of Denigall and Barrony of KillmcCrenan, & parish of Clandohorka Robert Dalle a husbandman now Liveinge in the County of Dunagall Barrony of KillmcCrenan, and Parish of Clandohorka, Jennett Greenhill, married to Phylomy ô Doherty now Liveinge in the County of Danagall, Barrony of KilmcCrenan, parish of Meuagh Jan Euans maried to James Peebles, now Liveinge in the County of Dunagall, Barrony of KillmcCrenan, and parish of Mevagh, And further deposeth not.
Alexander Aikins
Taken as aforesaid the 28th
of January 1653 before vs.
H. Wadington
Alex Brafield

74

fol. 148v

1718

The informacion and Examinacion
of Alexander Aikins concerneing
the Murther of Mr Robert
Aikins by Collonell Miles mc
Swyne and others.