Below , is the The Historical Account , of the Last Hours of My Ancestor Francis Berry (on My Mothers Side) ,. Who was Hanged in Armagh Jail , for the Attempted murder of the Local , Brutal English Landlord M. Chambre. He was Innocent , but Refused to Name His Comrades , who had been Responsible (R.I.P.) The day before his execution, Berry was visited by his mother, uncle and three female cousins. This visit lasted about an hour and a half and when his uncle remarked on Berry’s innocence, Berry replied, ‘don’t mind that matter now, I only wish to think of my soul’.Berry bore his final farewells with great fortitude assuring his relatives he was reconciled to his fate. Although there was not any passionate outburst of grief on the part of his aged mother, it was evident that her agony had dried up her tears. Berry received his last supper at 6.30 p.m. and spent the remainder of the evening in prayer with a light by his bedside. He was visited by the governor at 10.00 p.m. where he found him composed and in prayer. After praying for a time he fell asleep about 1.00 a.m. He rose at 6.00 a.m. and was visited by a priest, the Rev Gallogly. At 10.30 a.m. he was removed to the ante chamber, near the drop. He declined any breakfast and soon after was pinioned by the arms in readiness for the hanging. At 12.00, precisely on Saturday, 7 August 1852, they moved out on to the scaffold erected in front of the prison. Berry’s bearing was firm, he coughed twice as if to clear his throat and in a distinct and audible voice, addressed the crowd. ‘Gentlemen, I beg of ye to pray for my poor soul for I have been a sinner. If ye Roman Catholics took the advice of your clergy, you would not see me and the likes of me here. He then paused; If ye Roman Catholics were advised by your clergy, ye would have little of this work to see. Lord have mercy on my soul’.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 10:15:40 +0000
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