Names of Protestant Clergy Killed in the Irish Rebellion of 1641-42

Extracts from The Siege and History of Londonderry (ed.) John Hempton (The Diamond, Londonderry, 1861)
Transcribed from a very old anonymous submission to CTI/h5>

Amended, Compiled and Submitted by
Len Swindley, Melbourne, Australia
len_swindley[at]hotmail.com

For some background to the 1641 Rebellion refer to the Wikipedia page

The writer, one of the commissioners appointed for the examination of Protestant grievances, relates that about thirty ministers were massacred in a small part of Ulster alone, while a still larger number died in circumstances of extreme wretchedness. Of those who were murdered he enumerates the following:-

Mr. Mather of Donoughmore [in Tyrone], cut to pieces and left unburied

Mr. Blythe, minister of Dungannon, hanged

Mr. Fullarton of Loughgall, to whom Sir Phelim O'Neill owed at least six hundred pounds upon mortgages, and though he had a pass, was stripped and murdered

Mr. Matchett, minister of Magherafelt, after long imprisonment, was murdered at Lieutenant Thursbie's, in the county of Londonderry

Mr. Hudson, minister of Desertmartin, taken between two feather beds out of Mrs. Chappel's house, where he had been long fed and concealed, was discovered and murdered

Mr. Campion of Killowen, [beside Coleraine], being at the battle of Ballymoney, which the English, in regard of the fatability of the day, called Black Friday, was killed

The rebels commanded by Colkitto's sons; at the same battle was slain a Scottish minister, under the command of Colonel Archibald Stewart, late agent to the Earl of Antrim

Mr. Tudge, minister of Newry, after long imprisonment and many perfidious promises, was, with thirteen more, cruelly put to death, of which none but one Greene, a tapster to Mr. Butterfield of the Newry, escaped, ransoming his life for forty shillings. This Greene brought me this relation in May 1642 *(note XX)

Mr. Hastings, minister, endowed into a living of Mr. Fairfax, but being schoolmaster in Ballysegart, a house belonging to my honoured friend, the virtuous Mrs. Clotworthy: him they caused to swim in the lough [Neagh] till he was drowned

Mr. Darragh, my Lord Caulfield's chaplain, killed;

Mr. Fleming, minister of Clonfeckle, Mr. Mercer, minister of Mullabrack, and Mr. Burns, curate of Loughgilly, murdered

Mr. Bradley's curate of Ardtrea, Mr. New, killed

Mr. Wilkinson of Clones, killed at the Cavan

Mr. Thomas Crauford, killed by the rebels after quarter was promised

Mr. Montgomery of Dunamain parish, hanged

Mr. Faulmaster, that once lived at Carrickfergus, minister there, was, as his wife informed me, hanged at his church-door

Mr. Flack of Fermanagh, a minister of special note, was, with two of his sons, taken out of Castle Crevenish, and also offered up to God as a sacrifice

Mr. Michael Berket of Salter's-town, flying for safety with his wife and seven small children to Carrickfergus; where his wife and all his poor children died most miserably for want of ordinary nourishment, himself being famished to the point of death, finding the pangs strong upon him, got leave to go into the church at Carrickfergus, where he had not long stayed, did there depart this life

Mr. Griffin, Mr. Bartley, Mr. Starkey, curate, all of Armagh, murdered on the 6th of May

Mr. Beveridge of Killaman, and Mr. Robison of Kilmore, ministers of the same county, were sufferers at the same time

Mr. Lightfoot of Castleblayney, cruelly murdered

*Note XX: Besides these thus massacred, there died of the pestilential fever, Mr. Winter of Astra [Ardstraw], minister, Mr. Luke Astrie, minister of Ballykelly, Mr. Farwood, dean of Dromore, Mr. Edward Stanhope, archdeacon, Mr. Edward Livesly.

Besides these ministers, the depositions in Temple and Borlase supply the names of several others who were murdered in Ulster; such as

Mr. Middleton of Castle Balfour

Mr. Morgan Aubrey

Mr. Robison of Caledon

Mr. John Matthew

Mr. Smith and Mr. Birge, in the counties of Armagh, Tyrone and Donegall

Mr. Akin in Donegall

John Mather, admitted to the rectory of Donaghmore in April 1635

Michael Matchett, admitted to the rectory of Kildress and Magherafelt in October 1635

Samuel Hastings, admitted to the rectory of Tullaniskan in April 1650

John Campion, admitted to the rectory of Killowen in December 1628

Christopher Hudson, admitted to the rectory of Desertmartin in February 1640

James Montgomery, admitted to the vicarage of Donaghmore, in Clogher, in February 1631

Hugh Barclay, admitted to the rectory of Carnteel in the diocese of Armagh, in May 1634

Richard Winter, admitted to the rectory of Ardstraw in February 1610

James Baxter, admitted to the rectory of Longfield and Termonamongan in April 1618

*Note: A pamphlet entitled, A Remonstrance of divers remarkable passages concerning the Church and Kingdom of Ireland ; recommended by letters from the Right Honourable the Lords-Justices and Council of Ireland, and presented by Henry Jones, D. D., and agent for the Ministers of the Gospel in that kingdom; to the honourable House of Commons in England. (London, 4to, 1642). This was in consequence of a second commission issued soon after the commissioners had given in and printed their report. It is dated April 6, 1642, and was confined to Ulster. The commissioners specified are Nathaniel Draiton, Daniel Harcourt, William Hammond, Simon Chichester.