I have been learning about the murder of Hugh McKee and his family at Poagsburn near Boardmills on 9th June 1798, just before the Battle of Saintfield.

Much of this has been from newspapers (thank you, Find My Past), some from a publication, or a copy of it, at the Ulster Historical Foundation and some from records at PRONI.

Today I read the eye witness account of the final day or so of three Presbyterian rebels convicted by a jury of the murder of Hugh McKee and his servant, along (apparently) with several members of Hugh’s family.

The eye witness account is by an unnamed minister or elder who gave succour to them in that time, praying with them, leading songs and reading from scripture. He claimed that the men were victims of a perjurer and were innocent of the crimes and that their last words spoke to this effect.

One would like to think that people about to meet their God would speak the truth; if so then they were indeed innocent. However, we do not know for sure.

I also read another document which listed some men questioned after the Battle of Ballynahinch and they gave testimony about how they were treated and who appeared to be an officer giving orders to others. None of these were McKees but it was still interesting to read of their experiences and to see what the officer taking their statements made of them.