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lEELAND IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
OR
THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1641-2.
/DA
OWLL LIBRARY f) 1.-7
BOSTON COLLEGE
/
.;^^' a
CONTENTS
THE SECOND VOLUME.
DEPOSITION S-con(zm<ed
Massacre of Protestant Colonists at Suhvle — continued .
English Cattle tried in Court, and Allowed Benefit of Clergy .......
Massacre of Protestant Colonists at Ardglass
,, at aohalon .....
The Murder of the Rev. Mr. Montgomery .
Deposition of Dean Bartley's Servant .
Massacre of Protestant Colonists at Silver Mines
,, AT CaSHEL .....
Murders of Children in Caulow . . . .
Massacre of Protestant Colonists near Kilkenny, and at Ross .......
Desecration of Protestants' Graves in Kino's County
Massacres of Protestant Colonists in King's County .
Mangling of the Corpses of Protestants in Kilkenny
Deposition of Barnady Dunne, Esq., of Brittas
Desecration of Protestants' Graves in Kildare
Murder of Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson at Mountrath
Massacre of more than a Hundred Protestant Colonists in the Church at Loughoall ....
Massacre of Protestant Colonists at Rathkeale
Deposition or Dame Barbara Brown, Ancestress of the Earl or Kenmare ......
Mabsacre of Protestant Colonists in Clare
6-7 12 20 28 36 37 40 51
53-61 69 70
75-78 80 84 90
91 93-96
9§ 99
VI
CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
DErOSITIONS-coni/nwcfZ page
Deposition of Lady Harms, Widow of Sir Thomas Harris, and Mother of Sir Edward Denny of Tralee Castlb
Massacre op Protestant Colonists at Killarney
SiEOE OF Trai-be Castlb . . . . .
Massacre of Protestant Colonists near Newmarket
,, near Maoroou .....
,, AT COOLE ......
,, AT CaPPOQUIN .....
The Case of Henry O'Neil of Glasdromin
EECORDS OF THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE . Trial of Sir Puelim O'Neil ....
Trial of Lord Mobuerry ..... Case of Colonel MacSweeny .... Trial of Vicar General Edmund O'Reilly .
List op Examinations takhn against Captain Santhy or Sankey
for Murder of an Irishman .... Letter of Capt. Stopford on behalf op Lieut.-Gen. O'Farrel List of Persons Tried in High Court and Verdicts . Order of Cromwell respecting the Widow and Orphans oi'
TiRLOGH O'ByRNB . . .
Order op Fleetwood, Corbet and Jones on the Petition of Daniel O'Haoan .....
Letters of Cromwell on behalf of James Barry and Tibbot Roche .......
Letter Concerning Lord Muskerry and Col. Callaghan
Catholio Accounts of the Massacres at Silver Mines, Fethard Cashel, and Shrule .....
APPENDIX
Examination of Dkrmot Ogk ..... Petition of Wexford Irish against Plantations The Commissioners' Report on the Wexford Plantations Project for tub Plantation of Longford .
Arguments of the Longford Irish against Plantations Artioles and Conditions of the Longford Plantation
102 105 107-121 122 137 139 141 144
171
181 192 205 219
230 231 232
230
237
238 239
240
257 2G3 266
270 281 283
CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. vii
AVrE^mX—continucd p^ou
MKMoniAL OF Grievances of thu Lonoford Irish . . . 293
The King's Irish Wards . . . . . . . 300
Letter of the Lords Justices on tub Plantations of Ely O'Carrol,
Leitrim, and the MaoCoghlan'b Country . . . 303
Selections from Documents Concernino Phklim O'Byrne . . 306
The Established Church in Ulster ..... 324
Discourse Concerning the Settlement of the Natives in Ulster 327
Letter of Lords Justices on the Irish Parliament and Army,
12th of May, 1641 . . . . . . . 332
Letter of Sir W. Parsons on Poynino's Act, 12th July, 1641 . 334
Irish Privy Council to Vane, 30th June, 1641 . . . 336
Parsons to Vane on Parliament and Graces, 8th August, 1641 . 339
Relation of the Plotting of the Rebellion dy Lord Maguire . 341
Relation of the Same by a Franciscan Friar . . , 355
Sir W. Cole to the Lords Justices, IItu Oct., 1041 . . . 359
The Lords Justices to the Lord Lieutenant, 25tii Oct., 1641 . 361
Examination of Owen O'Connolly . . . . . 367
Examination of Hugh MacMahon ..... 308
Declaration of Dean Kerr . . . . . . 370
Brodie's Note on the Royal Commission to Sir Phelim O'Neil . 373
Outbreak of the Rebellion in the County Cork from a Con- temporary Anonymous MS. . . . . . .• 379
Outbreak of the Rebellion in Kerry from the MS. Autobio- graphy OF the Rev. Dkvereux Spratt .... 384
ADDENDA :
Examination of Rev. George Creichtoun . . . . 388
Extracts from Cromwellian Council Books .... 397
Examination of Nicholas Simpson, M.P. . . . . 398
Letter of Dr. Ingram, F.T.C.D., on the O'Byrne Depositions in
THE College Library ...... 405
Note on Depositions and Fascimiles . . . . . 407
FACSIMII-E 7'o /ace par/e 141.
THE IRISH MASSACRES OE IGll.
DEPOSITIONS
(co}itinucd) .
CXVIII.
The Examination of James Lynch concerning the murders committed at Shrule, taken Nov. 23rd, 1G52.
Saith, that on Friday night the convoy that was with the Engliah lay with them at one Bourke's of Kinlough's, within a mile of Shrule, and the next day towards evening came to Shrule the Lord of Mayo and his son, then Sir Theobald Bourke, now Lord of Mayo, being with them ; the said Lord of Mayo then demanded the castle of Shrule from this examt.'s brother, Pierse Lynch, who answered that one of the Lord Clanricarde's houses being already surprised, he would let none into the castle without the said Lord Clanricarde's orders, upon which answer the said Lord of Mayo, with the English and their convoy, went to one Eobert Lambert's house in the town of Shrule {illegible) the castle side of the bridge, and there lay that night, and the next morning a brother of this examt.'s, William Jjynch, beuag a friar, went forth of the castle in his liabit, but this examt. nor any of those in the castle durst (not) stir forth, in regard that they had denied the said Lord of Mayo entrance. And being at dinner, a sentinel upon the top of the castle called to them and told them of the murder. This examt. further saith, that Mr. Beu- cannon's son was killed m the arms of his, this examt.'s, brother William, but he luioweth not the murderers. After the murder was committed this examt. observed the old Lord of Mayo with one Henry Brinkhurst {sic) and two horsemen more whom he knows not riding towards the church, where they halted, and within a quarter of an hour after he saw the young Lord of Mayo ride from the other side of the bridge and follow his father ; but where the said young Lord was or what he did in the murder this deponent
VOL. II. B
2 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1G41.
kiioweth not. He likewise saw one Edmund Bourke of Cloughans with a sword drawn, in whose company was one Kedagh Feinne and his son, with two of the Clooneanodas [sic], one of whom told him, this examt., the next morning, when he desired their assistance in burying the corpses, that it was enough (trouble) for him to kill them, and not to bury them. He likewise saw one Eichard Burke {■illegible) Hugh 0' (illegible) living near Tobberkedagh, and one of his sons, and he saw in the morning Major Browne, and Andrew Browne his brother, but whether they went out of town before or after the murder this examt. knoweth not. He likewise observed Ulick Bourko and William Bourke his brother to be tlioro, James Mao Eneas MacDonnell [torn) now at Castle Hacket, Hugh O'Duynane, who, as this examt. heard, showed gold rings belonging to the English (torn).
Note.
The rest of this examination is so torn or faded as to be quite indecipherable ; but he was again examined on the 14th of April, 1653, and further said that * Eichard MacTibbot (Burke) of the barony of Kilmaine was the person who murdered Mr. Gilbert, when he was flying from Shrule to Cong, under the protection of Friar William Lynch, his (the examt. 's) brother.' The friar made the following deposition on the 28rd of April, 1658, from which it would appear that Mr. Gilbert was not killed before he reached Cong. This discrepancy in the evidence of two Catholic witnesses, brothers, shows the extreme difficulty the Cromwellian Commissioners had to contend with in their effoi'ts to ascertain the truth, and how indefatigable and impartial those efforts were.
CXIX.
William Lynch Fitzpeter, of Galway, Franciscan friar, aged forty years, being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists, and examined, deposeth that he, the said deponent, came into Shrewle to see his father, then residing in the castle at Shrewle, the night before the murder was committed, and that on the day the said murder was committed, the said deponent, being a Franciscan friar, came out of the said castle, when the murder was acting on the bridge of Shrewle aforesaid, to shelter some of the British, and that one Beuchannon's {sic) son was twice or thrice, at least, forcibly taken out of this deponent's arms. And this deponent further saith, that the murderers, whom this deponent, being a stranger.
DEPOSITIONS. 0
knew not, threatened to kill this deponent if he let not the son of the said Buchannon go, and that the son of the said Buchannon was forcibly taken out of this deponent's arms, and murdered. And further saith, that Mr. Gilbert, his wife and children were sent by the said deponent unto the house of Mr. Kobert Lambert of Shrewle, and were there sheltered until midnight (after the said murder was committed) under beds. At which time this deponent, with his two foster brothers, Edmund MacGilloroman, yet living in Shrewl, and William MacGilloroman, deceased, came with horses of Peter Lynch's, this deponent's father, and conveyed the said Mr. Gilbert, with his wife and two children, unto Fryar's Island, on the lands of Moyne, where they stayed twenty-four hours, expecting the conve- nieucy of this deponent to carry them towards Cong ; the said wife and childi-en of Mr. Gilbert the said deponent left in the said island, until a better conveniency might be assured for their safe convey- ance thence. And on Wednesday after the murder, he, this depo- nent, went with the said Mr. Gilbert out of the island towards Cong, and about a quarter of a mile from the island there appeared out of an ambush Donogh O'Kennie and Eichard McTibbot, who, as this deponent hath been informed, had waited for this deponent's coming along with the said Mr. Gilbert all that morning. And the said Donogh McKennie and Eichard McTibbot, after saluting this deponent, came up with a firelock, which was in the hand of the said Donogh, unto whom this deponent cried, that they should not draw any blood from the said Mr. Gilbert, the said Donogh being a follower of this deponent's father, whereupon the said Donogh and Eichard came up with the said firelock, unto whom this deponent again said to abstain from meddling with the said Mr. Gilbert, and this deponent endeavoured as much as in him lay to preserve the person of the said Mr. Gilbert from the said Donogh and Eichard, yet, notwithstanding the said deponent's entreaties and endeavours to defend the said Mr. Gilbert, the said Donogh came with his fire- lock to shoot him through; whereupon this deponent took hold of the said firelock, so as the shot was thereby diverted from the body of the said Mr. Gilbert, and only pierced his skin, and grazed his arm, who immediately fell, and then the said Donogh and Eichard stripped the said Mr. Gilbert of his clothes, and what he had about him, leaving him so stript with this deponent, who took his foster-brother's mantle, and put the same about him, and carried him, the said Ur. Gilbert, along unto Mr. Andrew Lynch's, at Ballymacgibbori, which Andrew relieved the said Mr, Gilbert with
4 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1041.
clothes, and then the said Andrew and this examinant conveyed the said Mr, Gilbert safe to Cong. And further saith not.
William Lynch FitzPeter. Taken before me, RoBT. Ormsby.
cxx.
Thomas Johnson, Vicar of Tullagh and Killycomen, in the county of Mayo, sworn and examined, saith, that on or about the 10th of November, 1641, after the present insurrection and rebellion was begun, divers rebels of the baronies of Costello and Gallen in the county of Mayo, whose names he knoweth not, in forcible and rebellious manner came and broke into this deponent's house, at Ballynow, in the same county, and then and there rebelhously and by force and arms, seized on, took, and carried away this deponent's household goods, books, and all things they pleased, which they found, and so departed away. And the next morning those, or some other rebels, not known to him, forcibly also at the same place took and carried away all his cows and young cattle, two horses, and his sheep, all worth fifty pounds, and above. And then or soon after, one Malachi, the titulary Archbishop of Tuam, seized on this deponent's church living, and took upon him to give and confer it on one Eiver O'Conaghan, a popish priest, who thereupon entered thereunto, and received the profits thereof ever since, worth 80Z. per annum, a year's profit being now lost. And this deponent himself, having fled for safety of his life to Castlebar, being Sir Henry Bingham's castle in the same county, and staying there until about Candlemas in that year, 1641, the said Henry Bingham at that time, upon certain terms, and articles, betwixt liim and Miles, Lord of Mayo, delivered the castle aforesaid to him, the said Lord of Mayo, to keep for him during the rebellion, there being at that time and for a month before a siege maintained against that castle by the arch- rebel, Edmund Bourke of Braskagh (sic), in the barony of Owles, gent., at which time of the delivery of the said castle, he the said Miles, Lord of Mayo, undertook to convey the said Sir Henry Bing- ham, and all the English and Scottish in the castle, with their clothes, unto the fort of Galway. And, thereupon, they coming the first day to Ballinacarragh, in the same county, a town belonging to the Lord of Mayo, this deponent there fell sick and was forced to turn back again, and in his return to Castlebar he was set on and
DEPOSITIONS. O
surprised by one MurrowO'IIargan [sic) a rebel, who was a plough- man to Patrick Harte, gent., who stripped this deponent of all his clothes, and in that state he came to Castlebar, aforesaid. But fearing to stay there, this deponent fled to the house of Walter Bourke of Tyrloghe, Esq., who gave him not only clothes, but kept and defended him against the rebels, although the Popish priests and friars laboured to have him put to death. And as to the said Sir Henry Bingham, he went to the town of Neale, where he stayed for some time. But as for the rest of the English and Scottish that went along with the said Lord of Mayo, which w^ere about fourscore or upwards, whereof the Lord Bishop of Killalla was one, and eight Protestant ministers besides, the said Lord of Mayo and his company brought them all along to the bridge of Shrule, where a great number of the rebels of the county of Mayo and the county of Galway met them, and then and there assaulted and set upon them (they being all without weapons, and not suffered to take away any from Castlebar aforesaid), and slaughtered and murdered the most part of those English and Scots, and amongst the rest six of those ministers, the Bishop being shrewdly wounded, and but two of the ministers escap- ing. And the said Lord of Mayo's company flying- to the rebels, and he and his son Sir Theobald Bourke also flying away, left those they conveyed to the usage and mercy of the rebels ; the ministers' names then slain being Dean Farges (sic) of Killala, Mr. Corbett, Mr. Bingham, Mr. Barnard, Mr. Rowledge (sic) and the Bishop of Killala's chaplain, whose name he, this examt., cannot express.
And further saith, that the rebels in the barony of Costello and Gallen, in the said county of Mayo, in mere hatred and derision of the English and their very cattle, and in contempt and derision of the Eng- lish law, did ordinarily and commonly prefer, or seem to prefer, bills of indictment, and brought the English breed of cattle to be tried by juries, and having in their fashion arraigned these cattle, their scorn- fid judges, then sitting amongst them, would say (of the cattle in the dock), ' They look as if they could siieah English! give them the hook and see if they can read; pronouncmg the words ' Legit aut non ' to the jury. And then, because these English cattle stood mute and did not read, the Irish judges would pronounce sentence of death against them, and so they were committed and put to slaughtering. And this deponent further saith, that in the time he stayed with, and was protected by, the said Walter Bourke, the young priests and friars demanded of Stephen Lynch, prior of Strade, in this de- ponent's own hearing, if it was not lawful to kill this deponent,
6 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1011.
because he would not turn to mass, which prior answered that it was as lawful to kill them as to kill a sheep or a dog. And divers of the Irish rebellious soldiers then told this deponent to his face, that were it not for fear of offending the said Walter Bourgh, they would make no more conscience or care of killing him than they would do of a pig or a sheep. And the said Walter Bourgh (sic) being threatened to have his house burned over his head, and to be pillaged of his goods, if he kept this deponent any longer, he gave him a pass under his hand to take to the Earl of Clanricarde at Loughrea, which brought him thither accordingly in safety, where, as otherwise without God's miraculous delivery, he could not, as he is verily persuaded, have escaped murdering. And this deponent ever after that time lived by the noble and free charity of that good Earl, until of late that his Lordship sent him and divers other Protestants away with a convoy. And this deponent further saith, that one of those rebelhous murderers aforesaid, named Kedagh Roe MacJames Clandonnell, boasted at his return from Shrule that he had killed with his own hands four of the Protestants, namely, Mr. Barnard, commissary ; Mr. Corbett, minister ; Edward Jones, and Mr. Smith, a merchant. And in triumph of that his villany, the said Kedagh brought their blood upon his hands, arms, and weapons to Ballinacarragh aforesaid, sixteen miles distant from Shrule, and being advised to wash his hands, arms, and weapons of that blood, he answered, with an oath, that he would not wash off the English blood until he came to Aheedrinay (sic) to Eory Oge's house. And this deponent saw the said Kedagh afterwards wear a suit of clothes he knew to be Mr. Barnard's, the same whi"?!! he wore when he parted from this deponent at Ballincarragh aforesaid.
And further this examt. saith, that after the massacre at Shrule, he, this deponent, having a daughter blind of both eyes, who went to seek relief up and down the parish of Turloglv, where he had been vicar, with a little boy that led her, also this deponent's child, these two poor children of his being met on the highway by one Manus MacJames, brother to the before-mentioned Kedagh, that bloody rebel, knowing them to be this deponent's children, took the boy and tied him to a tree and there left him, and the poor girl, weeping and in great fear, almost starved with cold, when and where he is persuaded they had both perished, had not one Donnell O'Duggan by accident come that way, who, knowing the children, loosed the boy from the tree and sent them both away.
And this deponent also saith, that while he was at Turlogh
DEPOSITIONS. 7
aforesaid, in Mr. Walter Bourgh's house, divers friars of the order of !St. Doininick in their white habits, knowing this deponent to have been vicar of that parish, and that he would not turn to mass, per- suaded one Tirlogh Duffe, footman to the said Walter Bourgh, to set up two cars to hang this deponent on, but he refused, and certifying to his said master the same, the master sharply reproved those friars. And he gave warnmg to all his tenants to relieve this de- poneiit and suffer none to hurt him, which they accordingly per- formed, and so by God's great mercy and providence his life was saved, and he was sent with the pass to the noble Earl of Clanri- carde, as aforesaid. And this deponent further saith, that he heard divers of the soldiers at Mr. Walter Bourke's house earnestly protest and say that they heard that Sir Charles Coote had given them some overthrow, and that they were preparing to go against Castle Coote ; that the titulary Archbishop of Tuam, Malachi Keely (sic), had assured them all that they need not fear, for that the English should not have power to fight against them, but should be de- livered mto their hands, so as they (the Irish) might cut their (the English) throats, or kill them at their pleasure. And that they should have the Holy Ghost to say mass unto them thrice before they went into battle.
Thomas Johnson, Jurat, lith Jan. 1643, Vicar of Turlogh aud Killycomcn.
Hen. Jones.
Hen. Brebeton.
Note.
Mrs. Fargy, or Varges (the name is as usual spelt in various ways in the deposition), widow of the Dean of Killala, sworn before the Commissioners on the 19th of October, 1642, confirmed much of the contents of the foregoing depositions. She says that, beside the Bishop and the Dean and six other clergymen, there were about fifty-five Protestants, amongst them her father, ' John Beucannon, Esq.,' and that all the men in this party, except the Bishop and two of the clergymen, were murdered at Shrewle bridge. Several women were also murdered, two of them being enceinte ; all the rest were stripped naked, and the examt. ' knew not what became of them.' She further swore that she often heard the rebels say that they meant to ' root out all the English and Scottish because they had gotten all from them {the Irish) by their courts and assizes.' Walter Bourke, who sheltered Mr. Johnson, was also examined on oath before Sir Robert Meredith, Avhen he swore as follows : —
8 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1011.
" This examt. saith, that such was the hatred of the English by the Irish, in the county of Mayo, that they could not endure to see a beast of English breed live amongst them, and not only destroyed those cattle, but with all derision and scoffing carriage used to bring a book before the cow or sheep of English breed, that they had taken from the English, and ask it whether it could read, and in case they were disposed at that time to spare the cow or sheep, one of them answered it could read, and bade that its appearances (recognisances) should be entered ; but if they (the Irish) were otherwise disposed, they killed it. In conclusion, he saith they left not a beast living that they took from an English Protestant." This treatment of the unfortunate English cows was a double satirical punishment of their owners and ' their courts and assizes.' So late as 1688, three rebels and cattle-stealers were allowed at a Wicklow assizes to plead the old exemption of punishment, under ' the benefit of clergy ; ' but two of them being returned by the ordi- nary ' non legit ' were hung ; the third, and most guilty, it was said, escaped. Corbet, the minister murdered at Shrule, was the author of some severe pamphlets against the Covenanters and the Jesuits, whom he charged with being in a confederacy against the king and the Church of England. He was said to have been assisted in those writings by Maxwell, Bishop of Killala, also a high churchman. Baillie says that Maxwell ' received a warning from heaven, as dis- tinct and loud as any used to be given on earth, to reclaim him from his errors, for with his eyes he did see that miserable man John Corbet, who took upon him the shame of penning a rabble of contu- melious lies against his mother church, hewed in pieces in the very arms of his poor wife ; the prelate himself, in the meantime, was stricken down and left with many wounds as dead, by the hand of the Irish, with whom he had been too familiar' {Vindication of the Church of Scotland, p. 2), Corbet had been a Presbyterian minister in Scotland, but adopting Episcopalianism Wentworth gave him a valuable living in the diocese of Killala, displacing Adair, the low church bishop of that see, and putting Maxwell in his place. The latter was a learned and able prelate, but a violent persecutor of the Presbyterians. He died in Dublin in 1G46, ' quite worn out and spent,' says Ware, 'with the miseries of the times.' An immense number of depositions were taken respecting the massa- cres in Sligo and Mayo. Andrew Adah', of Magowney, in the latter county, Esq., swore that he believed above six hundred Protestants had been murdered in Mayo and Sligo by the rebels, and that he ob- served one John Eeynolds, who had murdered Mr. Traftbrd, minister
DEPOSITIONS. 9
at Longford Castle {v. Deposition of Mrs. Trafford, p. 849, vol. i.), to tremble most fearfully when he heard that minister's name men- tioned. Thomas Hewitt, of Belcarron in Mayo, swore that the Irish had often told him that they had drowned between two and three hundred Protestants in the river of Moyne, within ten miles of Strade, taking them out in boats on the river and throwing them into it. Whether this was all vain and wicked boasting, or a true relation of crimes they had actually committed, it is hard to say. The mixture of superstitious devotion and bloodthirstiness in the rebels is curiously shown in the deposition of another witness, the widow of Michael Darby, gentleman, of the Creaght in Roscommon, who swore that her husband, ' having died of fatigue and cold while he served against the Irish, she and her father-in-law, Mr. Corshead, a minister, went into the castle of Elphin, then held by Bishop Tilson, which was besieged by the rebels.' She goes on to say that when the besiegers ' saw that they could not prevail, but that many of their party were slain, then they would say and confess that God fought for the besieged. Howbeit, such was their foolish supersti- tion, that those besiegers would blame one another for breaking the stone font in St. Mary's church at Elphin, where, they said, St. Patrick had left the print of his knee, and for other abusing of that church, being our Lady's church, and they said therefore God was against them.' A tolerably well-known passage in the writings of Erasmus, in which he describes a ' religious ' of his ac- quaintance planning an atrocious murder, and after praying for its success, 'purely and piously,' assassinating his victim, occurs to one when reading these and other similar annals of Irish crime.
CXXI.
Egbert Nesbitt, being of the age of twenty years, or thereabouts, being duly sworn upon the Holy Evangelist and examined, saith, that he lived with his father, Eobert Nesbitt, in Ardnaglass, within the barony of Tiroragh {sic) and county of Sligo, at the beginning of the rebellion, and that the said Eobert, with his wife and five small children, were constrained to continue in the same place for a year and a half, or thereabouts, after the said rebellion began, until about the month of ]\Iay, in the year 1G43, at which time this deponent saith there came a company of Ulster men to the said town of Ard- naglas, commanded by one Captain MacSweyne, who (during the time of their abode this deponent saith) they were hired (sic) by the MacSwcynes of Ardnaglas to murder his father, his mother, and
10 THE IRISII MASSACRES OF lG-11.
their cliildren ; whereupon, on a Saturday at night, these murderers came to this deponent's father's house and quartered there all night, and did dress a heef for their supper, which Boger MacSwyne of Ardnaglas had given them as a part of their hire ; and on the Sun- day morning the aforesaid murderers bound this deponent's father, Robert Nesbitt the elder, and in the meantime this deponent's mother went to tlie said Roger MacSwyne's house, and told him that they had bound her husband and intended to murder them all, and prayed him for God's sake to save them ; whereunto the said Roger replied that what was to be done was by his command, for he had given orders to them, and commanded her to depart, adding withal that, if they (his men) did not kill the thieves, as he named them, that he would do it himself ; notwithstanding which answer this deponent's mother came back to the house where her husband was bound, and immediately they tied the said deponent's mother, Emmeline Nesbitt, with ropes of hair, and drew them all, to wit, the father, mother, and five children, to the place where they in- tended to act the murder, and before they came to the place this deponent, with his two sisters, Helen and Mary, shrunk back out of the way, and hid themselves. The rest were led on to the slaughter, when they murdered the father, and also the mother by ... . she being then great with child, and threw a young child, newly weaned, into the river. Whereupon, the eldest son, whose name was John, fled away (being then sixteen years or thereabouts) until he met with one Owen O'Dowd, now living in Ardnaglas, unto whom he addressed himself, and told him that the Ulster men had killed his father and mother, and prayed him to save his life, unto whom the said Owen replied that he would, and yet he brought him back to the murderers, and delivered him unto their hands, who killed him. And this deponent, being further examined, saith, that Roger Mac- Swyne, Edmund McSwyne, Alexander McSwyne, Roger McSwyne Fitz Alexander, Hugh McSwyne, and divers others, were all of them contrivers and assistants of the murderers in the fact ; and, further, he, this deponent, saith that they, the said McSwynes, were always jealous that the said persons should escape into the English quarters, and discover their actions, which was the cause they mur- dered them after so long a time. And further this deponent saith not, but that one George Evans, now living near Donegal, can testify to what this deponent hath saith.
Robert Nesbitt + Being jyresent, 16th June, 1653,
Chables Gore.
DEPOSITIONS. 1 1
CXXII.
Egbert Lydford, of the abbey of Boyle {illegible) in Major King's house, being duly sworn and examined, saith, that at the breaking out of the rebellion in 1G41, he lived at Shrone, in the county of SHgo, and soon after Candlemas in that year Sir Eobert Hannay, with his lady, children, and many of the British nation who had lost their substance by the rebels, little surviving but their lives, were, by a convoy of the county Mayo, from whence they came, brought towards Ardnaglas, but the said convoy being sur- prised by the means of Eoger Oge MacSweyne of Ardnaglas, and his brother Brian MacSweyne, the most of those distressed people fell into the enemies' hands, and were murdered ; but this examt. more particularly saw one Connor MacNamee pulling a pretty youth of those prisoners, who, being brought within twenty yards of the place where this examt. was then hiding himself, near the church of Skreine, and took him (the youth) by the hair of the head with one hand, and with the other hand cut his, the said youth's, throat, by stabbing him through the same several times with an Irish skean, and then seeing a poor churl accidentally pass by, caused him to drag the said corpse to an open grave in the said church- yard, and there to bury it. And when he, this deponent, had so done, he saw the said Connor follow an old British man, who carried a young child in his arms, and driving the old man before him out of this exanit.'s sight, to murder him, as this examt. verily believes, but what was done with the old man this examt. knoweth not. He, this deponent, further saith, that there were three of the number of those British at the same time hanged by the inhabitants of the comitry thereabouts, which one Owen MacEdmunds, living there, perceiving, and that the said Connor, with other wicked persons, were saying that they would pass from Ardnaglas to the Skreine, where this deponent lived, there to kill all British mhabitants, did hastily run to this deponent to advertise him what he (Owen) hath heard spoken, and to put this deponent upon his guard against the said rebels' approach thither, which he did the best he might by hiding himself up and down the country. This examt. further saith, that one Thomas Coote and his wife, and one Thomas Carurie {sic), and two Enghshmen were soon after that time murdered at {illegible) by Hugh O'Connor, son of Tiegue O'Connor of Sligo, Esquire, de- ceased, and his brother, Cathal O'Connor, and that Tiegue O'Connor
12 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF lOU.
of Sligo, Esquire, and the said Hugli and Cathal O'Connor, brethren, went together into the baronry of Tireragh, with many idle persons calhng themselves soldiers, following them, a little while after the murder at Sligo was committed ; and the first night they all lay at Ardnaglas, and from thence went forward into the barony, and within four or five days returned back and lay at {illegible) aforesaid, when and where the said murder was committed, but whether the said Tiegue O'Connor of Sligo, the eldest brother of the three, was there at the instant doing of the same, this examt. cannot tell. This examt. further saith, that Eobert Nesbitt and his wife, a British couple, and inhabitants of Ardnaglass, were soon after that time stabbed and murdered, but by whom this examt, doth not know, the said woman being great with child, and this examt. heard that when she was killed ... as was commonly reported in the country,
and further saith not.
Egbert Lydford, Takeyi hefore me, RoBT. Parke.
CXXIII.
The Examination of Editha Gardiner of Portumna, aged about tioenty-five years, xoife to Bichard Gardiner, one of my Lord President's troop, December 18th, 1662.
Being examined upon oath, saith, that in the beginning of the war, her husband, Richard Gardiner, with his two brothers, Mat- thew and Archibald Gardiner, and Mr. Walker, and Mr. Shauld, ministers, with others, were besieged in the steeple of Roserke Abbey, in the barony of Tyrawly, for three quarters of a year, by the Barretts, and others of the enemy in that country ; being so long besieged they sent to Mr. Edmund Burke of Rappagh, to deliver the place to him, if he would give them a safe convoy for this examt., her mother, Mr. "Walker, and his man, to Abbey Boyle in the county of Roscommon, it being an English garrison, her husband and some others that were in the steeple being to remain there with Mr. Burke's people ; whereupon Edmund Burke of Rappagh came and received the place, and sent his brother Richard Burke, a friar, and six soldiers to convey them, two of whom left them at Ardnaree, and the friar, and the other four went on with them to Ballyjordan, where they broke their fast. And when they were going from them after breakfast, the said Friar Richard Burke bid them go the shortest way unto Lough Cuiltoge, over a bog, and he would meet
DEPOSITIONS. ] 3
them, and sent lour soldiers of Edmund Bourke along with them, and about half an hour after they were gone out of the town where they broke their fast, about seven or eight of the town's people followed them, and fell upon Mr. Walker and his man, and killed them ; and being demanded whether the four soldiers who were to convey them did offer to prevent the killing of them, she saith they did not, and she further saith, that, before the town's people came to them, the said guard fell upon this examt. and her mother, and stript them to the skin, saying, they (the guard) had as well do it as others, and when this examt.'s mother saw the people commg, she had some small linen and a gold ring, which she gave to the soldiers, and asked them to take her and this examt. aside and save their lives. Being exammed Avhether she knew any of her convoy, she saith that she knew none but Eichard Burke, the Friar, and one Gilduffe, and being asked whether the said Edmund Burke did punish any of the soldiers, she saith she doth not know, and saith that the soldiers told Mr. Burke and her husband that they (Mr. Walker and his man) were killed. And after Mr. Walker and his man were killed, this examt. and her mother went to Bally- cottle, to this examt.'s father-in-law, where they remained, and afterwards her mother was murdered, going between Ballimote and the Boyle, but by whom she doth not know, and this examt. went to Eoserke, and stayed there with her husband, till the Lord Presi- dent came into the country, with a party for their relief. And this examt. being demanded if she knew anything of the murder that was committed between the Moyne and Killaly, saith that she heard that one James Dexter did instigate the people to murder them, in regard that some of the British had gone away in his boat.
Taken before vie the day
and year above written, Cha. Coote.
Note.
Editha Gardiner's husband swore to the same effect, stating how the rebels had burned the town and forced the English to retreat into the church tower, or steeple (tower), and that he had heard, that when James Dexter's boat was stolen by three Scotchmen Avho escaped in it to Ulster, he (Dexter), and some Irishmen, gathered all the rest of the Scotchmen of that neighbourhood, and drowned them in the sea and the river at Moyne.
14 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1011.
CXXIV. ■ Julian Johnson, the relict of John Johnson, clerk, preacher of God's word, parson of Athenry, Donmore, in the county of Galway, sworn and examined, saith, that since the present rebellion began in this kingdom, a little before Christmas, 1641, her husband, then alive, and she, were robbed and despoiled of their means, goods, and chattels, to their loss of 1,655Z. sterling, by, and by the means of, the Lord Clanmorris, and his soldiers, who at first in a fawning and seemly fair manner, as a man seeming to partake with the Et. Hon. Earl of Clanricarde, came into her house, and by his promises of loyalty to his Majesty, and love to her husband, was kindly enter- tained by them, but when he, by information, had discovered and searched out where all their goods were, he then discovered his former dissimulation and treachery, and deprived them of all their said goods to the value aforesaid. But before that time, viz. about the beginning of November, 1641, her said husband and she were forcibly robbed at Oorrindely, in the county Leitrim, and thereabouts, of goods worth 760Z. by the treacherous rebel Owen McQuillen, then bailiff and receiver of rents, and others whose names she can- not express. And afterwards her said husband and she, forsaking both those counties for safety, retired to the island called the Inch in the King's County, to the house of Capt. Robert Smith, and stayed there about five weeks, and then her said husband and her eldest son, and one Mr. Baxter, a minister, and the said Captain Smith, and twenty more Protestants of their company, being all slain in a skirmish by the sept of the O'Molloys, and their soldiers, she, this deponent, was robbed at the same Captain's house of goods and chattels worth 241Z. more. And then and there the said Captain Smith's wife was also robbed of all her goods, and she and this deponent, after several days' restraint with those rebels, were con- strained to eat and drink with those that murdered their husbands. And saith, that Paul O'Molloy, a friar, was the principal man in that slaughter and robbery, who quickly after that skirmish, in a tri- umphant rejoicing way, said, ' It was brave sport ' to see the young men, meaning some of the young Englishmen, then slain, defending themselves, ' their eyes hxirningin their heads.' And saith also, that the rebels robbed her of her clothes, and that that friar, though often entreated, would give her none of her clothes again, because, as he said, and as was indeed true, because she was a minister's wife.
DEPOSITIONS. 15
And then all the Protestants were turned out of the island, stripped of all they had, and denied any of their meat and provision, which the rebels had surprised, almost surfeited themselves on, and had then thrown on a dunghill. And saith that, although this deponent and the said Captain Smith's wife escaped away, and lived, yet the rest, being in all about one hundred and forty, being turned out without their clothes, died of hunger or starving. And this de- ponent, after her removal from the island, being brought to one John McFarrell's house, sho heard some one of the cruel rebel soldiers then and there boast and brag of the brave sport he and others had, in setting on fire the straw with which a stripped Englishwoman had tied about her, and how bravely he said, ' the fire made the English jade wince.' And this deponent afterwards endured many miseries coming to Dublin, where she now is in great want and misery, her former sufferings being too many to be related, and she charged with nine small children, who for a year have been maintained by the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Clanricard, Captain Chidley Coote, and Captain Parsons, out of their mere worthy bounty and charity.
Julian Johnson. J7(.rat. Sth Feb. 1643,
Henry Jones. Hen. Brereton.
CXXV.
Ralph Lambart, late of tlie town of Gal way, gent., sworn and examined, deposeth that he was robbed and despoiled of leases, goods, and chattels, worth 401^., and upwards, at the beginning of this rebellion. And further saith, that himself and his family, with many other pillaged Protestants, repaired for refuge to Loughrea and Portumna. And saith that one Hugh Langridge, a house- carpenter, being a servant of the late and present Earl of Clanri- carde for twenty-eight years, and a dweller in Loughrea, about July, 1G42, had occasion to go to the woods to cut timber about five miles from home, taking with him his son of the age of fifteen years, and lodging in an empty house one night in a scattered small village, there came five men and broke in upon them both asleep, the chief of these men being one Rowland Bourke, formerly a soldier in the said Earl's foot company, but who, through some misdemeanours, was cashiered ; they first bound the said Hugh with his son, and then led them forth in their shirts, a quarter of a mile, and then bound
16 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1041.
them to two trees about twenty yards asunder, and then began to cut, hew, and stab them, as long as they perceived any life in them, the said Rowland with his sword, and another with the said Hugh's own axe, and the rest with darts and skeans ; tlie father received seventeen wounds, and the son nine, and as soon as the malefactors had ended their said mischief, they forthwith returned back to the said house, to pillage further the said Hugh's tools and victuals, and in a while the said Hugh, being a strong-hearted old man, began to revive, and asked his son if lie were living, who answered that he was so wounded that he coiild not tell whether he would recover or not, for his head was almost cut open, but his throat had escaped. The father replied he feared he never could recover, for that he had received a stroke under his ribs with his own axe, and that his bowels were coming through it, but he desired his son if he (the father) should die, to commend him to his wife and other children, and to report of his usage, and so, commending himself and his family to Almighty God by an earnest prayer, he began to sing a psalm, and by that time the cruel rebels returning from the house, the said Eowland Bourke said, ' Are you singing ? then Til sing with you ! ' and struck him on his head with his sword, so as his brains did appear, as this deponent hath seen, within three days after, when the corpse was brought into the town, but the youth was cured at the Earl's charge, who did keep him some time. Also this deponent saith, that about July, 1642, there was a poor old minister named Mr. Korbett, living in the time of peace within four miles of Loughrea, but in the troubles he remained at Loughrea, for relief and safety as the rest did, yet in expectation of kindness from his former parishioners, he went towards his parish, and by the way had his head cut off by two young cowboys, one of whom was apprehended by Captain Thomas Leicester, who should have him hanged for that murder, but that one of Captain Burke's sol- diers then being on the mainguard, let him out of the stocks, and this deponent heard that prisoner say, when he was demanded why he murdered so harmless a person, that he thought it a good service to God, seeing that Mr. Korbett was an Englishman, and especially because he was a minister. Moreover, this deponent saith that he had a son at nurse with one that dwelt at Clancannon, upon the Bourke's land, so that this deponent could not send for him, it being January, 1G41, and the child was beaten by one of Hubert Buie Bourke's soldiers, so that it died in three days after. This deponent further saith that, about February, 1G42, there was
DEPOSITIONS. ] 7
a cruel murder committed at tlio abbey of Jjoylo, by Charles McDermott.one of the great McDermott's sons, and his men, who one night came into the said town of Boyle, and there murdered many persons, amongst them this deponent's sister and her child, and her Jnisband, William Stewart, were there slain, as this deponent hath been credibly informed by both English and Irish. . . . And further saith, that he heard it credibly reported, that about December, 1G41, one Con O'Bourke of the county of Leitrim, then a new made colonel, did produce a supposed commission from his Majesty, under the broad seal, wherein full power was given to the Irish to banish all tho English, and despoil them of all their goods, but this deponent hath been credibly informed by some of the Irish, that the said broad seal was the seal of a patent for lands that the said colonel had gotten at Moliill, when he took it from Mr. Henry Crofton, and that he, the said Con, or his son, did forge the said commission to the said seal.
Ralph Lambeet. Jurat, dth July, 1G45, Coram Hen. Jones.
Hen. Breketon.
CXXVI.
Colonel Fuancis Taafe, being duly sworn and examined, doposcth and saith, that he knew Charles O'Connor and Hugh O'Connor, the brothers of O'Connor Sligo, and he heard of a horrid murder committed in Sligo upon Mr. Stewart, William Walsh, and divers others, wherein the said Charles and Hugh were principal actors. He further saith, that Major-General Lucas Taafe and this examt. did, with five hundred men, apprehend the said persons and brought them prisoners to Ballinafad in order to try them for the said murder, where they were kept prisoners for a long time (bat the certain time ho doth not remember), during which time he believed the said Major-General Taafe sent to such as had the chief authority in this province, desiring that the said parties might be brought to a trial, and at length, finding it very inconvenient to continue there any longer in that place, the said Major-General caused them to be conveyed to Castle Coote, to the intent they might be there brought to justice, as he believes, whore Lieut. -Gen. Bourke there was with an army, who then commanded in chief both in the army besieging that place, and in the whole province where the said Charles and Hugh were left prisoners, and were within a week set at liberty, but by what means or by what order he knoweth not. He further saith,
VOL. II. c
18 TTIK IRISH MASSxVCRES OF 1(541.
that about a twelvemonth ago lie saw the said Hugh O'Connor come into the Lord Clanricard's army near Bally shannon, and dis- cover himself to his lordship and desired that ho might be ques- tioned for the aforesaid murder, who promised and engaged that so soon as he got into Ballyshannon he would have the said Hugh hanged, which was prevented by the sudden approach of the English army, and the said Hugh is now in actual rebellion, not daring to come in because of the murders, as this examt. is informed.
Francis Taafe. Taken before us ISth of May, 1653, Charles Coote. Walter Carwardine.
Note.
The deponent Colonel Francis Taafe was the fourth son of the first Viscount Taafe by his wife, the daughter of Lord Dillon, and having gone abroad after the Cromwellian Settlement, and married an Italian lady, he died at Naples leaving a son Charles. The elder brother of Colonel Taafe, Major-General Lucas Taafe, married, first, Elizabeth Stephenson of Dunmoylan, county Limerick, by whom he had a daughter ; and secondly, Annabella, daughter of Captain Thomas Spring {v. Deposition CLXXXVI.) of Kerry, by whom he had a son, Christopher, who married and left issue a son, Abel Taafe of Tipperary, living in the early part of the last century.
CXXVII.
Margaret Kelly, of Dundalk, in the county of Louth, widow, aged forty years or thereabouts, taken the 24th of June, 1654, being duly sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, that on or about the 23rd of October, 1641, this examt., then living at Carrickm across, in the county of Monaghan, did there and then see Patrick MacEdmund MacMahon, Patrick MacToole MacMahon, where they now live she heard not, Toole MacEward now in the county of Do\vn, Patrick MacCollo Eoe MacMahon, Hugh Bander (sic) O'Collan, and Patrick O'Lerdy {sic), all three prisoners, now in Dundalk gaol, and several other rebels whose names this examt. remembereth not. She saith that the said rebels did then and there seize on the several English inhabitants and Protestants of the town of Carrickmacross, and amongst them seized on John Jackson, George Gedden, and Tiiomas Alsdersly, and committed and kept
DISPOSITIONS. 1 9
tliein prisoners in the said town, until the 1st of Jimuary, 1G41,
and then the said rebels having erected a gallows near to the Castle
of Carrickmacross, this deponent did see the said Patrick MacCollo
Eoe MacMahon, Hugh Rander O'Collon, Patrick Lerdy, Patrick
MacEdmund MacMahon, Patrick MacToole MacMahon, and Toole
MacEward, and several other rebels aforesaid, carrying the said
John Jackson, George Gedden, and Thomas Aldersly, to the said
gallows, and the said rebels being come to the gallows she did then
see them ready to hang the said Jackson, Gedden, and Aldersly,
and this examt. having gone a little way into the said town, and
returning immediately, did as she Avas passing by see the said
Jackson, Gedden, and Aldersly hanging dead upon the said gallows,
and the said Patrick MacCollo Roe MacMahon, Hugh Eander
O'Collon, Patrick O'Lerdy, Patrick MacEward MacMahon, Patrick
MacToole MacMahon, and the said Toole MacEward standing at
the said gallows among the other rebels, aiding and assisting at the
hanging of the said Jackson, Gedden, and Aldersley. This examt.
further saith, that about a month or six weeks after the 1st of
January aforesaid this examt. did see the said Hugh Rander
O'Collon and Toole MacEward present, and assisting other rebels
at Carrickmacross aforesaid at the hanging of Mr. Russell and his
wife, whose Christian names deponent remembereth not, and further
saith not.
Margaket Kelly.
Taken and deposed before me the day and year aforesaid, Thomas Dongan.
cxxvni.
Anne Moobb, of Portfreany, in the county Down, aged fifty years or thereabouts, duly sworn and examined, saith, that at the begin- ning of the rebellion she and her husband, Edward Moore, lived in the parish of Ballydowney, and they removed from their own house (when all the goods they had therein were taken away by the Irish party) to the house of Phihp Kelly, bemg a neighbour of their own, where they tarried one night, and the next morning this examt. 's husband went into one John Porter's hard by to hear what news there was, and at his coming into the said Porter's house he was seized upon by Callo McKnogher and others, whose names slie remembers not, to about the number of six persons, when he, her-
c 2
20 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF IGll.
said husband, was taken a little way and killed by tliem. And the cause of this examt.'s knowledge is that she chanced to look out of the said Philip Kelly's house towards John Porter's, when she saw the said Callo and the others carrying her husband by the said Porter's house ; upon which she hasted after them as fast as she could, but before she could come unto them her said liusband was killed and the Irish had left him full of wounds. And she further saith, that the saw the corpse of one Hugh Wild, who was murdered at the same time, by the same party. And she saw his entrails coming forth of his body ; and she did hear among the Irish, while she was their prisoner, that one Pat Oge O'Hoolihan was amongst them that committed these murders. And further saith not.
Ann + Moore. Jurat. 13 Matj, 1653, Edwabd Conway. Geo. Kawdon. Note,
John Porter, sworn, confirmed the above in all particulars, adding that Art O'Huolihan, a priest, was amongst the party that committed these murders.
CXXIX.
Edward Wilson, of Lattmarkmurphy, in the parish of Augh {illegible), in the barony of Dungannon, county of Tyrone, gent., being duly sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, that in the beginning of the present rebellion, and by means thereof, to wit on the 28rd of October last, he was robbed or otherwise despoiled of his goods and chattels worth 870^., by, or by the means of, Shane Oge MacCanna {sic) of the barony of Truagh, county of Monaghan, gent,, Toole MacCanna and his brother Cuconnaght MacCanna, Patrick MacCanna and his brother, and several of the septs of the Mac- Cannas. And this deponent saith, that there was murdered at Aghalon aforesaid, by the rebels, men, women, and children, to the number of one hundred persons or thereabouts, some whereof they killed with swords, others they hanged, others they shot to death, others they hung up by the arms, and with their swords did hack them, to see how many blows they could endure before they died, and others they knocked on the head with hatchets. And further this deponent saith, that he heard it credibly reported by men of credit that the rebels of that county publicly said that the king of England should no longer be tlieir king, saying further.
DEPOSITIONS. 2 1
• Hang him, the roijiic ! he has been too long our king already ! ' and they said the king of Spain should be their king, and they drank his health in the house of a Scotchman they had mur- dered. And further saith, that he hath also heard it credibly reported that at other times the rebels said Sir Phehm O'Neil
should be their king.
Edwabd Wilson.
Jurat. IQth October, 1742,
Coram John Watson.
Wm. Aldiucii.
cxxx.
The said Edwakd Wilson, of Lattmarkmurphy, in the parish of Aghalon, in the barony of Dungannon, being duly sworn and ex- amined, on behalf of Robert Rowan, a little child, son to James Rowan, late of Magharnahaly, in the county of Armagh, gent., mur- dered by the rebels, deposeth and saith, that the said James Rowan before the rebellion began was worth and had in estates, lands, leases, ready money in his house, and money owing him by men now in actual rebelHon, and in other goods and chattels to the value of 2,000Z. and above ; and having such an estate as aforesaid, was, since the rebellion began and by means thereof, expelled from, deprived,, robbed, or otherwise despoiled of all his moans and estate aforesaid, and after half a year's imprisonment was himself murdered in prison. And his wife and four small children, going towards Clannaboys for safety of their lives, were all most cruelly murdered by the rebels on the highway, to wit, the mother was knocked on the head, being great with child, and two of her children were hanged over their mother's shoulder before they murdered her, and the other two children were laiocked on the head and so killed ; and at the same time and place four of her servants were also murdered by the rebels. And saith, that the rebels that robbed the said James Rowan aforesaid were the inhabitants of the Newry. But the names of those rebels that committed the aforesaid murders, nor their places of present abode, this deponent knoweth not. And that the estate of the said James Rowan aforesaid, by the death of his wife and her other children, of right belongeth to the said Robert Rowan.
his Jurat, nth October, 1642, Edward + Wilson.
Wm. Aldeich. mark
John Watson.
22 TllK IRISH MASSACRES OF lOll.
Note.
John Henderson, gent., sworn on the 2ncl of May, 1G53, before Colonel George Kawdon, deposed that he and about forty other Protestants were imprisoned at Armagh in the spring of 1641, by order of Tirlogh Roe O'Neil, that he looked out one morning of a window in the back of the gaol, and saw ' James Rowan, an inhabi- tant of Newry, brought thither by one Walter Bodley, Hugh Modder MacCadden {sic), and Neil O'Mallan, with others whose names he knoweth not, and there murdered by them.' Henderson further swore that Mr. Griffin, curate of Armagh, William Cammoge, and others to the number of about twenty, were all taken away from Armagh to Munolly, about twenty-four miles distant, and all mur- dered except Cammoge, who escaped and told him the fate of the rest, and that thirty-six persons were drowned or murdered by the rebels at the ToUwater.
CXXXI.
The examination of Humphrey Stewart, taken before me, this 8rd day of May, 1653, being aged forty years or thereabouts, who being duly examined and sworn, saith, that the next day after the town of Lisnogarvey was burnt by Sir Phelim O'Neil, and his army returning home scattered, this examt, coming down to the Tollwater the same day saw Joseph Hanley, his wife, and their children, cast into the Tollwater, with one Plenry Taylor, son of William Taylor, and there drowned by Donnell O'Neill McCann, David McVeagh, Edmund Roe MacEIevay, and Neil O'Doven, whereupon this examt. was glad to fly back into the woods for shelter and there hid himself. And as for the drowning at Portadown, he, this examt., saith, that he and one James Jackson being at plow for Mr. Jones, about Lammas last, there came to them wlion they were ploughing one Toole Oge McToole dubh MacCann, and they falling into discoiirse about the great murders committed at Porta- donne, this examt. charged the said Toole with being one of them that committed them, to which the said Toole answered, that he did nothing but what he had command for ; for that Toole McRory liad the command of many men and him amongst the rest, and that he commanded them not to suff"er any of the British nation to pass over the bridge, without money and some of their clothes, and this examt. saith, he heard there wore drowned by the said
DEPOSlTIOiNS. 23
men about seven score men, women, cantl cliildren, among whom were AVilliam Taylor, Avith four or five cliildren, Alexander Rose, with six or seven children, John Jackson and his wife, Edward Eaton, James Rumbold, and very many more of this examt.'s neighbours, but this examt. knoweth not the names of those that were at the said drowning, but heard from many it was done by the command of the said Toole McRory McCann, and further saith not.
Geo. Rawugn. Humphrey Stewart +
CXXXII.
John Hickman, late of Tinakeertagh, in the parish of Armagh, county of Cavan, yeoman, sworn and examined, saith, that in the beginning of the present rebellion, viz. about the 24th of October, 1041, he, this deponent, was deprived, robbed, or oihorwise despoiled of his lands of inheritance, worth 48/. yearly, and is like to lose the future profits thereof, mitil a peace be established, and of goods and chattels worth IIGZ. more. And also this deponent's house was taken up by the rebels, Hugh O'Reily, gent., of Drumnaloe, and Hugh McDonough Malmore O'Reilly of Ardlough, in the same county, Owen O'Gowen of Cordnashure, who forcibly took from this deponent his horse and stripped his father-in-law and his wife of their clothes. And further saith, that when this deponent and his wife and children intended to come away from the rebels, one Donnell O'Leary, his brother-in-law, who is an Irishman and yet a Protestant, being not allowed to come away with them, took this deponent into his own house, and there kept him for about one year together, during which time the rebels sent them word and threatened them all with death, if they would not go to mass. And the rebels forcibly took from his said brother-in-law, Donnell O'Leary, the possession rents and profits of his land, and some of his goods, and promised to restore all unto him if he would forsake the Protestant religion and go to mass. And further saith, that Avhilst he was so kept at his said brother-in-law's house, he and his brother-in-law drew cut of the river of Lough Erne the corpses of six persons that the rebels had formerly drowned, which corpses they buried. And this deponent observed that although those corpses had lain long in the water, yet they were not torn, iior eaten by the fish, nor devoured, but their skins were whole. And further saith, that since those persons and other Protestants were drowned in that river, which is called Lough Erne river, this
24 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1G41.
deponent liatli heard divers of the rebels complain that they could not get bream, pike, or other fish in that river, since the English were drowned there, as formerly they had done, and they used to say that they (the Irish) thought all the fish and the English had gone away together.
John + Hickman. Jurat. IQth Feb. 1G42, Randal Adams. Will. Aldeich.
CXXXIII. ^
Randall Adams, clerk, duly sworn, saith, that about the 1st of November, 1641, being in company with some of the chief gentle- men of Westmeath, near the place of his and their residence, he heard some of the said gentlemen profess and say to some friars then in their company, that they, the friars and their fellows, were the cause of this great and mischievous rebellion, and showed to their face what little, and indeed no cause they had to have begun so many foul abominable actions ; as first, generally they enjoyed the highest benefits the kingdom could aftbrd, and that none even of the best and greatest, all things considered, could be so fully made partakers of them, the benefits aforesaid, than they were, and for further convincing them of their damnable villainy, they instanced, in very many particulars at first, the great freedom they had in religion without control, and that they, the friars, had generally the best horses, clothes, meats, drinks, and all provisions, delightful or useful, as none others had, or could hope to have, the like on such cheap and easy terms, for they had all without care or cost of their own, and many other privileges, beyond any of their own function either regular or secular, through the Christian world ; and therefore those gentlemen most bitterly cursed them, the friars, to their teeth, saying they hoped God Avould bring that vengeance home to them which they, by their wicked plots, laboured so wickedly to bring on others. The gentlemen before named that spoke these very same words were Sir Phelim Tuite, Knt. and Baronet, Edward Tuite, Esq., justice of the peace, and Andrew Tuite, Esq., justice of the peace.
Randall Adams. Jurat, August 22ncl, 1G42,
John Watson. Wm. Aldrich. Hen. Bkeueton.
DEPOSITIONS. 25
CXXXIV.
The Examination of Christopher Hampton, taken before me, by direction of the Bight Honourable the Lords Justices and Council, this 11th of December, 1G41.
The said Hampton, being sworn by the clerk of the Council, saith, that he and divers others coming ashore on the 5th of the present at the Skerries, within ten miles of this city, one called Father Malone, with many 4iccompanying of hun, laid hands upon this examt. and the rest, and stripped them of all they had, and likewise entered into the ship, and rifled and took away what was there, which being done, the said Malone sent this examt. and the other passengers by a warrant under his hand, from constable to constable, to Eogcr Moore, colonel in the army. According to the warrant of the said Malone, this examt. being brought before Mr. Eoger Moore, he after some time let this examt. and the rest go free and at large. This examt. further saith, that at the same place and time there was present at the Church of Duleek, in consulta- tion, sundry of the Lords of the Pale, namely the Lord of Gormans- town, the Lord Netterville, the Lord of Slane, the Lord Louth, the Lord of Iveagh, the rest were miknown to this examt.
Egbert Meredith. Note.
Was this Father Malone the provincial of the Jesuits before mentioned {v. ante, p. 88G) or a parish priest in Wicklow ? This outrage was committed on the day that Sir Charles Coote was sent from Dublin into Wicklow, and six days later another English bark was pkuidered in the same neighbourhood, as appears by the next deposition.
cxxxv.
The Examination of David Powell, taken before me. Sir John Temple, Ent., December lith, 1G41.
David Powell, one of the inhabitants of Clontarf, saith, that a bark belonging to Philip Norrice, of Liverpool, ran aground near Clontarf on the 11th of December, that some dwellers of {sic) Eahenny, to the number of fourteen, came and pillaged the said bark, and took away all the best commodities that Avere then in her.
26 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1G41.
and that when one Evers and a miller came to liclp to save tlie goods, they fell xipon them and womided the miller to death, and caused Evers, for fear of losing his life, to tm-n Papist. On the 14th of December the inhabitants of Clontarf, chiefly fishermen, came and took away out of the said bark such coals and salt and ropes as were left in the said barque and carried them to their houses. And saith further, that FitzSimmons of Eahenny, gent., was amongst those at Rahenny that pillaged the bark all night. And saith further, that there came some of the rebels on the 12th of December to Clontarf, and that they came to the house of this examt., finding no other English in the town, and rifled all he had, and said they would set fire to his house if he would not leave it, and that they would not leave an Englishman dwelling upon the land, and they
said they would go from thence to Howth,
{Unsig7ied.) J. Temple.
Note.
The above deposition appears to be a copy of a lost original.
CXXXVI.
Joseph Smithson, minister and preacher of God's Word in the parish of Clonskerme [sic), in the county of Dublin, and barony of Eathdown, being duly sworn and examined, deposeth, that in December last, upon {illegible) day at night, he was robbed in house- hold goods to the value of 40Z. ; in hay, 50^. ; in {illegible) 21. ; in bills and bonds, 101. ; in the loss of his glebe lands and garden, 5/. ; in divers hens, geese, ducks, pigs, and turkeys, 18s. ; offerings and other duties, 51. And that his wife was that night taken prisoner in her own house at Dean's Grange, county Dublin, by the servant of Richard Rochfort of the same parish, in the county of Dublin, gent., viz. Phelim Malone and John Carrick of {illegible), and others whose names are James Goodman of Ballinley, Alexander Rochfort and Patrick Sherman of the Kill, all of the parish and county aforesaid, and being so taken in her own house, her apron pulled off and herself dragged out by the hair of her head, she was then pinioned and set upon her own horse, her clothes plucked from her, and they drove her horse through bogs to one Mr. William Wolver- ston, of Stillorgan, in the said county. Esquire, who gave command to the rebels to hang her but not upon his land. Afterwards she was carried, still on horseback, a matter of twenty miles after the same manner. And this deponent further saith, that the said Mr.
DEPOSITIONS. 27
Wolverstoii told him, this deponent, that he would pay no more
tithes but to the mass priest. And this deponent is like to be
deprived of the same tithes which since the rebellion began ]\Ir.
Wolverston hath detained from him. And saith also, that Mr.
Eichard Rochfort, a wilful Papist, kept from this deponent as many
tithe furs as came to 51., and said to this deponent that he kept
them in hopes to see the Protestants buried in them. And this
deponent is like to be deprived of those tithes also due from the said
Rochfort since the rebellion, he peremptory denying to pay them.
And further the said Rochfort did say to one Thomas Frisby, that
if he would get him Mr. Smithson and his wife he would shoot
them to pieces with his pistol. And further this deponent saith,
that he credibly heard that the robbers that took away his wife
were of the council of {illegible) the said William Woolverston
aforesaid, and of one Patrick Coleman, Nicholas Farrell, Daniel
McQuin, Nicholas Rochfort, and William Taylor, of Stillorgan,
being all Papists and rebels, as he considereth. And this examt.
is credibly informed that the said rebels have most barbarously
and cruelly hanged his said wife till she died, and a servant woman
of hers also. And this examt., for fear of the cruelty of the said
Wolverston, Rochford, and the rebels before mentioned, was enforced
to fly from his benefice, with his two sons, whither they dare not
return, but arc deprived of the bench t thereof, being worth yearly
40^., and above, and being as aforesaid robbed of his other goods,
hath no means whereby to maintain himself and his children, but
they are all exposed to great want and misery.
Joseph Smithson.
Jurat, coram nobis, IStJi Jan. lG-11,
Wm. Hitchcock.
Wm. Aldrich.
Note.
In former times Wicklow was well stocked not only with the red- deer which Strafford loved to hunt {v. Introduction, note p. 71), but with otters and other small wild animals, the furs of which were valuable. In a letter to Strafiford, Laud thanks him for a gift of a cloak lined with Irish furs, in which it appears from the above deposi- tion portions of the Established Church tithes were sometimes paid.
CXXXVII.
Denney, the relict of James Montgomeky, clerk, parson of Donnamayne, in the county Monaghan, being duly sworn and
28 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF IGll.
examined, deposeth and saitli, that since tlie beginning of this present rebellion and by means thereof, her said luisband, and she, this deponent, were expelled from, deprived, robbed, or otherwise de- spoiled of their goods and chattels to the value of 703/. And further saith, that the rebels that so robbed and despoiled them were Colonel MacMahon MacBrian, and Patrick MacLaughlin, Colonel MacQuin, Colonel MacArt Ardle MacMahon, and Ewer MacCallan. And she further saith, that on May day last, when the rebels were beaten at Ardee by the English army, they all came to Carriclanacross, and then they killed her, this deponent's, husband, and said they would not leave a minister alive in Ireland, because, as they said, the English army killed all their priests at Ardee. And the chief captains and colonels in the Carrick said they did God good service in killing the ministers. And this deponent saith also, that at Christmas last the rebels most cruelly murdered, at three several times, nineteen Englishmen, and since Christmas killed and drowned, at or near the Carrick, of men, women, and children, to the number of eighty- nine persons. And saith, that the persons that did these murders and cruelties were Colonel MacBrian MacMahon, a chief rebel in Carrickmacross, Ewer MacLoughlin, a rebel bishop who was the chief director and causer of these murders, and Patrick Mac- Loughlin, a colonel also among the rebels. And this deponent further saith, that such was the cruelty of those that murdered her husband, that after they had hanged him up they cut his head from his body and stabbed him with skeans. And that one Friar John, who was one of the principal murderers, took hold of her husband's leg while he was hanging, saying, ' Go tell the devil I sent thee to him for a token.' And the same rebels did commonly say that tlie Protestants were to be all crushed. And this deponent saw one who termed himself to be the priest of Carrickmacross sprinkle water on and christen anew one Francis Williams, of Carrickmacross, and his wife, who were formerly Protestants, but turned to mass, ho further saying they could not be Christians until they were so christened. And the rebels before her husband's death prest him much to turn to mass, but he told them he would die in his own religion.
Denney Montgomery + Jurat, nth November, 1642, John Watson. Eandal Adams.
Wm. Aldricii. Ed. Pigott.
Hen. Brereton.
DErosmoNS. 29
CXXXVIII.
John Joice, Vice-Constable of the Black Castle, of Wicklow, sworn and examined, saitli, that since the beginning of tliis present rebellion, and by means thereof, he was deprived of his goods and chattels hereafter expressed, viz. upon and from his farms of- Greenane and Ballinowle, in the county of Wicklow, and within Wicldow aforesaid, of beasts and cattle worth lOOL, horses worth 801. , sheep worth 26L, neAV tanhouse and bark worth IQOL, in his haggard of corn and hay lOOL, hogs, rents, owing by tenants that are now in rebellion, 15L, by those rebels following, Luke Toole of Castle Kevin, Tiegue Oge Birne of Ballinvallagh, Esquire, an ancient traitor in the time of Queen Elizabeth, Brian Birne of Killnamonagh, gent., Walter Birne of Neuragh, gent., John McBrian Birne of Ballhiater, gent., Luke Birne of Killwanagh, gent., James Birno of TinwilUn, gent., William {illegible) of Ballireagh, Brian McDonogh of IJehanagh, Donogh Commian of Kilnemanagh, gent., Thomas Archbold of Wicklow, gent., Alexander McDonell of the same, gent., John Coghlan of Wicklow, gent., all of the county of Wicklow, Patrick Bane O'Cullen, James McOwen Doyle, Owen Doyle, a butcher, Edmund O'Cleary, Art McShane, Gerrot McShane, Shane O'Cleary, Michael Bassmore, Brian McArt, Edward McBrian, Tirlogh Birne, Nicholas Doyle, Turlogh Doyle, Harry Barnewall, Eichard Barnewall, Patrick McDermot, James Corley, Nicholas McBroder, Henry White and John his son, Tadey Newman, Eichard Hore, Shane McEdward, Thomas White, James White, Wilham Mcllderry, Edward Connell, Shane IMcMurrogh, Edward and Peter White, Fitz Andrew; Eichard Kinn, Edward Duffe, WiUiam McDer- mot, John McDermot, Tiegue O'Cullen, Hugh O'Eonon, Eichard O'Eonon, Laughlin O'Eonon, Patrick and Nicholas O'Eonon, Walter White, Eichard Cottner, Gillernow Cottner, John Toole, William Kearny, James McEichard, Henry Bronocke, James McDermot, Don- nell Eoe Slater, Nicholas ]\IcMurtagh, George Sherlock, Laughlin McTirlagh of the town of Wicklow. And further saith, that Oliver Masterson in the county of Wexford, gent., James Fullam of the city of Dublin, shoemaker, Tiege McDonnell Enos, Tirlagh MacGerald, who are now in actual rebellion, were and are indebted to this depo- nent in several sums amounting to 881. is., and by means of their being in rebellion he hath lost the same.
And this deponent further saith, that Thomas Mullinex, gent., now resting by commission in the castle of Wicklow, told this dcpo-
30 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF KUl.
iient, and so have others whom this deponent gives credit unto hke- wise informed him, that Philip Birne of Barnasoile, in the comity of Wicldow, gent., son-in-law to Mr. Edward Leech of the Grange near Wicklow, was, about seven weeks since, by or by the means of the said Mr. Mullinex, apprehended in Dviblin for partaking with the rebels, and especially for writing a letter to him and this depo- nent for delivering up the castle of Wicklow unto the rebels. And that the said Philip Birne was brought before Sir Cliarles Coote, and there examined and committed, and threatened to be hanged, but how he was enlarged this deponent knoweth not. Howbeit, by some means he hath gotten fi-esh liberty, and at or about the Gth or 7th of April last this deponent received another letter from him, which followeth in these words, \'iz. —
Mr. John Joice. — So it is, though (as) you partly know, I intend to
assault the Oastle of Wicklow, hefore I depart, I do not desire to take the
lives of any Christian, so I desire you and the rest to prepare yourselves
to serve God, so I rest
Yours as you deserve it,
Philip Birne.
Which letter this deponent received about the 7th of April afore- said, 1642, which letter was thus endorsed, * To John Joice and the rest in the castle of Wickloiv.' And afterwards this deponent re- ceived a letter from the said Luke Birne, colonel of the rebels, thus directed, viz. ' To my loving and respected friend Mr. John Joice, and the rest of the gentlemen in the castle of Wickloiv, these.'
CoiniTEGUS GENTLEMEN. — It is Dot unknown to men of your litteration {sic) and experience, that it is no perfect point of Christianity that men should, in scorn of other Christians, rather untimely perish hetweeu hope and despair than yield to many well-disposed men of note, as many other gentlemen of your country have done and some to myself, for which they received the benefit of faithful promises faithfully performed to their content in the present, and ever shall, by God's grace subsisting, which gentlemen like (illegible) and quarter of goods and lives shall j'ou receive, with all sufficient security of performance, if it shall please God Almighty to mollify your hearts, no longer to stand in your own light, and to listen with attentive ears to your own good and safe desires, wished by your true and aflectionate friend to do you service ; in expectation of your answer I rest.
Lttke Birne. April 2Gtk, 16J2.
Since which time this deponent received another letter, delivered mito him about the last of April, 1G42, from the said Walter Birne, thus directed, ' To Mr. John Joice and the rest of Jiis company.'
DEPOSITIONS. 31
Mr. John Joice. — Being not otliorwise employed, I am bold to write to you and the rest of my ueigliljours here with you ; we were not wont to be so long in one town, but we drank and made merry together. For my part I am here since the day that Thomas Marcor was killed, who I protest should not be killed if I were present ; in the meantime, I gave way to others to send letters to you, which I know to be no great purpose. But if you were in that mind or in that want whereby that you would leave that place, which I know to be no pleasant place for you, my word should be as (illcqible) as any man's in the country. I will not threaten you, nor tell j'ou of anything that is like to befall you, for I know you would not bolievo it, but I will toll you some news, that you may believe if you please. The English army took the castle of Oarrigmaino on Sunday last, was sinnoige (sic) and killed fourteen men, that were warders there, and many women and children. But there was killed of the English Sir (illegible) the colonel, his lieutenant, five captains, and 200 soldiers. So I rest yours as you are mine,
Walter Birne.
2,th April, 1642.
Notwithstanding which letters, and the often assaults and attempts of the rebels aforesaid, whereby some of the people of the castle perished, the castle was not taken, but the enemy from time to time repulsed by his Majesty's small number of soldiers there. And this deponent further saith, that the rebels ni the town of Wicklow have burned, pulled down, and destroyed 23 of this deponent's houses or tenements in Wicklow, upon one of which this deponent «pent IGOL in buildings, by which burning and spoiling this deponent hath lost to the value of 500/. And this deponent hath afterwards been despoiled by the rebels of corn in the ground worth 40/., and there is now due unto him by one Dudley Birne of Ballinmacshannon, who is now in rebellion carrying arms against his Majesty and his loyal subjects, and therefore this deponent maketh accompt that he shall lose by the same 10/. sterling. And this deponent is also expelled from, deprived and forcibly dispossessed by the rebels of his lands of inheritance lying in the Eanelagli worth 40/. per annum, whereof one year's profit is already lost, and this deponent is like to be deprived of their future profits until a peace be established. So as his present losses by means of the rebellion come to 1,102/. 45. and his future loss to 40/. per annum as aforesaid.
Jurat. Idth AucjJist, 1G42, John Watson. Wm. Aldkich. Hen. Breeeton.
John Joyce {sic).
32 THE IRISH massacres of igii.
Note.
John Joyce held the Black Castle of Wicklow, the ruins of which I believe still remain, for three years after he mailo this deposition, until the rebels, despairing of being able to take it by force or per- suasion, obtained admittance by treachery and sot it on fire, when the brave warder perished in the flames. From Byrne's letter it is evident that Joyce had Kved on good terms with his neighbours in times of peace, but when they went into rebellion he was their stoutest opponent, until the Black Castle became his funeral pyre. (See the trial of his murderers hereafter given.)
CXXXIX.
Edward Deane, late of Oghran, in the county of Wicklow, tanner, sworn, saith, that on or about the firstday of November last he was by the rebels robbed and despoiled of his goods to the value following : of corn worth lOL and above, of beasts, garrons, and sheep worth 1001. , household goods worth above 20Z., leather and bark worth 250Z. , wearing apparel worth lOZ. , in all 380Z. And this deponent and his wife and seven children were expulsed from their house and his farm at Oghran aforesaid, whereof he had a lease fi-om Captain Bryford for 48 years in being under the rent of '61. per annum, his interest therein being worth 1001. And for another lease of 29 years in being of a farm in Tennekilly in the same county, whereof his interest was worth '2.01. at least. And that the parties that so robbed him were Luke Toole of {illegible), ^Yit\nn the county "Wicklow colonel of 500 rebels, Luke Byrne of Killarlonon, in the same county, gent., captain of 100 rebels, John MacBrian, the son of Brian MacPhelim, gent., Turlogh MacIIugh Duffe, lately resident with Mr. Job Ward of Knockreagh and steward of his court, another captain of 100 rebel soldiers, and about 500 others in their company and under their command. And that divers of those rebels said they were the queen's soldiers, and fought for her, and they made a proclamation that all the English men and women that did not depart the country should be hanged, drawn, and quartered in 21 hours, and that the houses of the Irish that kept any English children should be burned. And afterwards the same rebels, or some of them, did murder and hang one Edmund Snape, and Thomas Hanpath, smith, and others, being Enghshmen. And further saith that the rebels about the same time did prey and
DErOSITIONS. 33
despoil the said Captain Byford, Nicholas Bretxiay, Thomas Holman, Clemence Stephens, widow, David Stanhope, Peter Deane, Thomas Walton, James Shuttleworth, and Stephen Sandes, all this de- ponent's neighbours, and English people, and their wives and families, of their goods and clothes. And the rebels burnt two Protestant bibles, and said it was hell fire that burnt, and burnt all this deponent's rescripts, bonds, and leases.
Edward Deane. Jurat. 1th Jan. 1G41, cora nobis,
Roger Puttock.
John Watson.
CXL.
David Koch, of Dublin, labourer, duly sworn upon the Holy Evangelists, deposcth and saith, that at the beginning of the rebel- lion in Ireland he lived with Robert Kennedy, Esq., of Ballygarney, as plowman. And saith, that he did then know John Leeson, shepherd to the Earl of Mcatli, and Nathaniel Snape, sometime servant to Mr. Silvester Kennedy, son to the said Robert Kennedy, and that they were both English Protestants. He further deposeth, that at the beginnnig of the rebellion aforesaid Colonel Luke Toole, of Castle Kevin, in the said county, having the chief command of the rebels there, entered into possession of the house at Ballygarney, belonging to the said Robert Kennedy, Esquire. This deponent further saith, that whilst the said Luke Toole was in the said house he (this deponent) saw the said Nathaniel Snape and John Leeson brought into the said house, as prisoners to the said Luke, by some under his command, but their names he knowcth not. And about a half an hour after he saw the said Nathaniel Snape and John Leeson brought out of the said house, and carried to two thorn- trees, near to the said house, and there hanged until they were dead, and, as some of the soldiers under the said Luke Toole told this examt., the same was done by directions of the said Luke. This deponent further saith, that the said Snape and Leeson were, as he believeth, hung because they were English Protestants, and he saith that after they were dead he did help to bury them. And further he cannot depose,
•David -f Roche. nth Jan. 1G52,
James Donnelan. Dudley Loftus.
Thos. Dongan. Thomas Hooke.
VOL. II. • D
34 THE IRISH MASS ACHES OF 1011.
TJie said David Borke is botmd in 101. to give evidence against Luke Toole for the aforesaid murder in the High Court of Justice at Dublin, the first day of the sitting of that court, and not to depart hence ivithout licoise, dc.
CXLI.
Luke Toole, of Castlekevin, in the county of Wicldow, aged seventy-five years or thereabouts, examined before us, saith, that at the beginning of the rebelhon he was summoned by Hugh McPhehm Byrne, Lieutenant-General of the running army for the Irish, to be at Ballygarny, to join with others of the Irish army there, to give opposition to Sir Charles Coote, who about that time with a party of the English army marched into the county Wiek- low. He saith, that he being come to Ballygarney, found Phelim McRedmond Byrne, who commanded in chief over this examt., and the rest of the party at Ballygarney. He further saith, that he coming in and entering into the said town of Ballygarney, there was a man hanging upon a bush near the house of Ballygarney, at which his horse started, and upon inquiry he, this deponent, was told by some of the soldiers there that the man was a sheplierd, but to whom he, this deponent, cannot now remember, nor doth he know the man's name, nor whether he were English and Protestant. He saith that he did not give any order for the hanging of the said shepherd, or any other person at Ballygarney, neither doth he know of any other that gave an order for the hanging of any one there, nor doth he know of any other man that was hanged there. He saith he doth not know of any Englishman or Protestant being brought into the said house at Ballygarny, before him, this de- ponent, or any other person, he, this deponent, and the rest of his party having gone away early the next morning, after his coming there as aforesaid, to meet the said Sir Charles Cooto. Ho furtlior saith that ho neither saw or knew John Leeson or Nathaniel Snape.
Lu. Toole, ^Ith Jan. 1G52, James Donnellan. Thos. Hooke.
Isaac Dobbon. Dudley Loftus.
Thos. Donqan.
DErOSITIONS. 35
CXLII.
Elizabeth Leeson, late of Delgany, in the county of Wicklow, widow, sworn, deposetli and saith, that since the beginning of the present rebelHon, viz. about a month before Christmas last, her late husband, John Lisson {sic), late of Delgany aforesaid, was hanged at Ballygarney, in the county of Wicklow, by Morgan McEdmund and Brian of the Killory in the said county, and Brian Fynn of the Doune in the said county, yeoman, as this examt. was informed, and as they both confessed afterwards to this examt. herself. And further saith, that ever since her said husband's death she lived with John Walshe of Killenargy, with whom her said husband formerly lived, and that about three weeks before Easter the said Morgan McEdmmid and Brian Fynn, with two others, whose names she knoweth not, came to the said John Walsh's house, he and his wife being absent, and from thence violently took her to Ballygarney, in the said county, to one Captain Toole, a commander of the rebels, and to George Hacket, then marshal there, who threatened to hang this examt., except she could procure security to be true to the Irish army, and thereupon sent her to Arklow gaol, where she had been committed in a most miserable manner, but that one of their commanders there, whose name she knoweth not, took pity on her and let her go abroad, by means whereof she escaped, and coming to Dublin was several times on the way threatened to be hanged by the rebels, and at Bolton Hill, in the said county, upon Monday in Easter week, several rebels, whose names she knoweth not, took her and put a rope about her neck and tied her up to a gallows, until she was almost hanged, but afterwards took her down and said she should not be hanged but shot to death, which the said rebels would have done, but that their chief commander sent her away, after he had sworn her not to go near the English army. And she further saith, that before her said husband was hanged as aforesaid, they were robbed of cows, horses, household goods, provisions and clothes, besides clothes which she had to leave at Mr. Walsh's house, when she was taken away from thence, to the value in all of 561., all which were taken from her by the said Morgan ]\IcEdmund, Brian MacFinn, and Philip O'Eeilly, near about the Killory aforesaid, and others whose names she knoweth not.
Elizabeth Lisson (sic). Jurat. 21st April, 1642,
William Hitchcock.
William Aldkich. v 2
36 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF IGJl.
CXLIII.
George Twelly, sworn and examined, saitli, tliat at the beginning of the rebelhon, and about a quarter of a year before, he served Dean Bartley, of Truaglitown, in the county of Monaghan, and that on the rising of the rebellion one Neil MacCannan possessed himself of the Dean's house, and took him prisoner, together with about fifty or three score English and Scots, men, women, and children, all of the said Dean's family and tenants, and about a month after, he, the said Neil MacCannan, conveyed the said Dean to Enniskillen, and promised to protect the servants and the rest of the said family and tenants with him at Truaglitown, which he ac- cordingly did for the space of three-quarters of a year, about which time Sir Phelim O'Neil and many more rebels in his company came to Truaglitown, to make merry, as this examt. then surmised, who perceiving so many English and Scots there, he, the said Sir Phelim, uttered words to this effect in English ; ' Cozen {sic) Neil MacCan- nan, I wonder you keep so many English and Scots about your house.' ' Why,' said MacCannan, ' they he poor servants of the Dean's and I keep them under myself, you need not fear what they can do, poor things, they had rather have a hit of meat than to do any mis- cJiicf against you or I.' Sir Phelim replied, ' I desire that you make away with them, for they may do mischief hereafter, if their army should he near us, and any escape from you.' Then said MacCannan, * J have kept them. Sir Phelim, so long, that I am loath to see them suffer death noiv.' Sir Phelim hastily made answer again, * Plague on them I ' or some such reviling words, ' set out all your guards, and let me see afire made for them hefore I go hence I ' ' No I ' said MacCannan, ' Ituill not,' and thereupon some difference about it seemed to arise betwixt them, and Sir Phelim told MacCannan that he might be assisting at his own death in keeping these servants alive, and MacCannan then said, that not- withstanding that, he would protect them, and did so accordingly. That this discourse, or the substance of it, this examt. was ear- witness of himself, being one of the servants of the said Dean, when he was a prisoner under the aforesaid MacCannan, And further
saith not.
George Twelly. Taken hefore us [illegihle], 1G52, R. Tigiie. R. Ryeves.
DEroSlTlONS. 37
CXLIV.
Anne Shebring, late wife of John Slierring, of the territory of Ormond, at the Silver Works, in the county of Tipperary, aged about twenty-fivG years, sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, that about Candlemas was two years ago, the said John Sherring, her then husband, going from his farm which he held from Mr. John Kennedy, Esq., near to the Silver Mines, one Hugh Kennedy, one of the brothers of the said John, a cruel rebel, with a great number of Irish rebel soldiers, then and there forcibly assaulted and set upon her said husband, and upon one John Brooke, William Loughlin, and eighteen more English Protestant men, and about ten women and four children in their company, and then and there first stripped them of their clothes, and then with stones, pole-axes, skeans, swords, pikes, darts, and other weapons most barbarously murdered and massacred them all ; in the time of which massacre a most loud and fearful noise and storm of thunder and lightning, Avind, hailstones, and rain began, the time being on a Sabbath day, about an hour before night, the former part of that day being all very fair. But that thunder, lightning, and tempest happening suddenly soon after the massacre began, much affrighted and terrified this deponent and many others, insomuch that those very murderers themselves confessed it to be a sign of God's anger, and a threatening of them for their cruelty, yet it restrained them not, but they per- sisted in their bloody acts till they had murdered her husband and the rest of these Protestants, and had hacked, hewed, slashed, stabbed, and so massacred them that they were all cut to pieces, her husband for his part having thirty grievous wounds then and there given him, some near or through his heart, some mortal wounds in his head, some in his belly, and in cither arm four wounds, and the rest in his back, logs, thighs, and neck. And that murder done, those barbarous rebels tied withes about the necks of those mur- dered and drew them out of the refining mill, where they slew them and threw them all or most of them into a deep hole, formerly made, one upon another, so that none of those men, women, and children escaped death ; liowbeit, one Thomas Laddell, a Scotchman, and Thomas Wallop, who then and there received many grievous wounds and had been left on the ground for dead, crawled up, after the rebels were gone away, and with much difficulty escaped with their lives. And further saith, that such was God's judgment, upon the
38 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1G41.
said Hugh Kennedy, for that bloody act, that he fell into a most desperate madness and distraction, and could not rest day nor night, yet coveting to do more mischief on the English, but being pre- vented and denied to do it, he about a week after drowned himself in the next river to the Silver Works. But his barbarous and wicked soldiers went on in their wickedness, and afterwards bragged how they had killed a minister and his wife and four children near the city of Limerick. And this deponent is too well assured that those and other Irish rebels in that part of the country executed and committed a great number of bloody murders, robberies, and outrages, against the persons and goods of the Protestants, so as very few escaped with their lives, and none at all saved their goods. And further saith, that all the Popish gentry in the country there- abouts, especially all those of the septs and names of the O'Brians, the Coghlans, and the Kennedys, were all actors in the present re- bellion against his Majesty, and either acted or assisted in murders, robberies, cruelties, and rebellions aforesaid. And she further saith, that by means of the said rebellion her said husband and she were in Ormond aforesaid, about Candlemas 1G41, robbed and stripped of goods to the value of lOOL at the least. And that the said John Kennedy, being their landlord, was the man that so deprived them thereof, and the other rebels stripped her.
Anna + Sherring. Jurat, coram nobis, 10th Feb. 1643,
Hen. Jones.
Hen. Brereton.
Note.
Several depositions were taken about the murders at the Silver Mines. Amongst others William Timms, gentleman, sworn before Jones, Brereton, and Aldrich, on the 26th of May, 164.5, deposed, that he was made prisoner by the Irish and that he and his wife and children were robbed and stripped. He confirmed Mrs. Sherring's statement as to the murders and the mangling of the unburied corpses, and he goes on to relate how either through inability or disinclination to punish the murderers, they as usual escaped serious punishment.
'After the cessation proclaimed in October, 1643, this de- ponent coming from Cork to Sir George Hamilton's house, where he had sent his wife and children before him, he stayed there and at the Silver Mines until about the 14th of January, 1644,
DEPOSITIONS. 39
wlien there came directions from the Supreme Council at Kilkenny unto the said John Kemiedy of Dounally, to apprehend and bring into prison the persons of all those that committed the said murders at the Silver Mines. Whereupon the said John Kennedy apprehended and carried to prison all the known murderers saving his brother Hugh, who had before that time drowned himself, and one Hugh O'Coghy, who was servant to himself, the said John Kennedy, which said Coghy, whether to prevent some confession and discovery of hia said master's wicked acts, or to preserve him, the said Coghy, to act more mischief, this deponent cannot tell, he, the said John Kennedy, did not or would not apprehend, but rather sent or suffered him to go away, and stay mitil the danger was passed over, amongst a wicked company of priests and friars. And when the other persons so apprehended and imprisoned for that foul massacre aforesaid had been imprisoned for some time, and slightly questioned for the fact, then they were either suffered to escape, or set at liberty and so came home again. And then the said Coghy returned home unto his said master's house, where he was entertained and harboured as formerly, served and attended his master, and for anything this deponent knoweth to the contrary he doth so still, without being punished for his wicked acts.' Another witness, John Powell, sworn and exammed on the 15th of July, 1G45, confirmed the truth of Mrs. Sherring's and Mr. Timms' depositions, adding that when John Clark was mur- dered at the Silver Mines, his wife flung herself on her knees before Hugh Keimedy crying out, ' I have but a shilling left, but I ivill give it to you to save my child I ' on which he took the child by the legs, ' dashed out its brains against the stones, and then his followers ripped up the woman, who was great with child, and murdered her with the rest.' {MS. Depositions, Tipperary, T.C.D. p. 407.) See the royalists' and Catholics' account of the massacres at Cashel and Silver Mines and the fate of the murderers hereafter given.
40 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1011.
CXLV.
GiLBEET Johnston, late of the town of Casliel, parish of Cashel, within the county of Tipperary, husbandman, duly sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, that about the 1st of January last, 1641 (0. S.), this deponent was robbed and forcibly despoiled of his goods, &c., to the value of 32Z., part consisting of debts due to him by Papists now in actual rebeUion, as Philip O'Dwyer of [illegible), and James Butler of Ballynahinch, in the county afore- said. And further saith, that about the same time this deponent and divers other English and Protestants betook themselves for their safeguard into the city of Cashel, yet the mayor of the city, James Sail, and the corporation of the same admitted the under- named persons with forces and arms to enter the same, namely Philip O'Dwyer aforesaid, Charles O'Dwyer, James Butler of Ballynahinch aforesaid, they being accompanied by five hundred or six hundred men, and having entered the said city, in a most rebellious and inhuman manner they stripped the most part of three hundred persons there, men, women, and children, Enghsh Protestants. This deponent further saith, that at that time he and to the number of forty more, young and old, in one company, being all stripped as aforesaid, by the direction of the said parties were in one flock stark naked driven to one of the gates of the city, and then and there in a most barbarous manner, before they could get out of the gate the said parties and their followers and servants murdered John Linsay, clerk, Thomas Charleton of Cashel, sadler, Mr. Carr, a schoolmaster of Cashel, and this deponent was dangerously wounded in his head, arms, and thighs, and was left for dead amongst the corpses under the gate, where he lay from four o'clock in the forenoon until four in the afternoon, during which time, it being then frosty weather, this deponent's body, after he came to himself, was frozen to the ground with his own blood, and the blood of those that were killed close by him, so that he had much to do to loose himself from the ground. After this while, and during the time that the murders and stripping were com- mitted, the said Philip O'Dwyer {toni) stood in a window at the said mayor's house, perceiving what was done. And after this deponent recovered himself, m the way going to {illegible) was apprehended by some of the said party's company, as he believeth, and commanded to stand to a post, where they shot several shots
DEl'OSITIONS. 41
at him, to wrest a confession out of liim where his money was, being before robbed and stripped of all that he had. Yet God miraculously rescued him from them.
About the 3rd of January, aforesaid, this deponent, his wife, and children went to Golden Castle, in the same county, to save their lives, where two hundred persons, young and old, English and Protestants, got themselves in for fear of the rebels, and were afterwards closely besieged by Pierce Butler of Banslia, and divers others of the gentlemen of that county, till towards Easter following, the besieged having no relief for a long while, but a little oatmeal and water, divers of them died, and at length the provisions being spent, the survivors ventured to steal away by night, and coming in the way towards the English quarters, in a place hard by Closhguire, in the said county, were assaulted by the rebels, who then and there cruelly murdered some of them, some others they hanged ; this was in or about Easter last, the names of those that were so murdered this deponent partly knoweth, namely James Hook of Golden, aforesaid, tanner, George CrafFord and Jane his wife, who was great with child, which child they took up and tossed upon a pike, Anthony Patten of Ballygriffin, miller, and his wife, James Guthrie of Ballygriffin, yeoman, and the names of the rest he knoweth not, or doth not remember. He also saith, that the said parties being come away from Golden Castle, the wife of George Miller being then left sick, as soon as the rebels entered, they dragged her out of bed by the legs down stairs, till
they knocked out her brains.
Gilbert + Johnston. Jurat, coram nobis, 2Qth Feb. 1G42, Phil. Bisse. Thos. Bettesworth.
CXLVI.
Ellish Meagher, alias Jbanes, sworn and examined, 23rd of August, 1642, saith, that she is aged thirty-three years, and is the wife of Thomas Jeanes, of Captain Perry's troop in the Lieut.- General Cromwell's regiment, and that she was formerly married to Peter Palfrey of Cashel, and that she did nurse a child to Eobert Brown of Cashel, in the year 1641. That at the latter end of December, viz, the 31st of the month, 1641, Philip O'Dwyer of {illegible) entered the town of Cashel, with a number of the Irish
42 THE imsii massacres of kwi.
in arms and plundered all the English and Protestants of the said town, and the next day, the 1st of January, they fell a killing of them, and murdered John Beane, innkeeper, with his hrewer and tapster, whose name she remembereth not, Mr. Ealph Carr, school- master, about eighty years old, Thomas Charleton, commonly called Thomas Sadler, Eichard Lane and his two daughters, John Linsey, Mr. Bannister, minister, a man who was a tyler and his wife great with cliild, John {blank), a glazier's son, about eleven years of age, Peter Murdoch and his child about seven years old, John Anderson, an old woman about eighty years of age, and six more, whose names this examt. remembereth not, but she saw them lie dead. That she herself received eleven wounds, and many other women and children were then and there wounded. That of the murderers of the English, Eichard O'Molony, of Captain Patrick Boyton's company, William Conway, John O'Herrick (stc), Thomas O'Gorman, Eichard and William Fleming, James Minoge and others, were afterwards killed or are since dead, whose names she remembereth not, they being of the town of Cash el, as for others who also acted in those murders and cruelties, she remembereth them not by name, being strangers unto her and she knoweth not who wounded her. That between thirty and forty women and children were then stripped quite naked, and kept in guard together under the upper gate, about three or four hours, and after the gate was opened, they were sent out in frost and snow, naked, and betook themselves to Moyldrom, two miles from Cashel, where they were entertained by James Sail, until about ten days or a fortnight after they were sent for to be returned to Cashel, by Colonel Philip Dwyer aforesaid, then governor of the town, by whom they were committed to prison, where the poor creatures were again stripped of the clothes they had gotten at Moyldrinn, and the plasters that were laid on their wounds were plucked off lest they should be cured. And that while these women and children aforesaid were at Moyldrum, all the English Protestants were cast into a dungeon at Cashel, being in water up to their knees, and that they were sent away afterwards by a convoy to Clonmell, which convoy was commanded by the said Captain Patrick Boyton, and Pierse Boyton, his lieutenant, that three of the said Protestants were by the said convoy killed, by John O'Herick aforesaid, who killed theA and there the aforesaid glazier's son. That some men followed the convoy, especially to kill Edward Bourke, one of the said Protestants, whom they wounded, but he was rescued by Eichard Conway of Cashel, who went with the
DEPOSITIONS. 43
convoy. That she, this examt., did see the said O'Herick afterwards in the company of the said Boytons, and that neither of them did hinder the said persons of their company from kilhng the English in the way aforesaid. This examt. further saith, that one named George {blank), an Englishman, was murdered on the way between Ardmaile and Casliel, but by whom she knoweth not.
Ellish + Meagher. Deposed before us, the day and year above iV7'iUen,
Hen. Jones.
Char. Blount.
CXLVII.
The Examination of Nicholas Sall, of Casliel, taken the 2ith of July, 1G52.
This examt. swoni and examined, saith, he is aged forty-five years or thereabouts, and further saith, that he is an inhabitant of the town of Cashel, and was there resident on the 31st of December, 1641, when Colonel Philip O'Dwyer and his party did enter the said city with about 2,000 men, and that so soon as they entered they began to plunder the English and Protestants, bringing in all their plmider to Mr. Beane's house, which was appointed as a store- house for the said goods. And further saith, that the next morning early they murdered divers English Protestants to the number of fifteen or sixteen ; he further saith, he did not see those persons as they were being murdered, but heard that they were murdered by one James Eoche of Ballygrilfin, the sons of John MacMaglumagh of Crossall, and Edmond MacDonagh and William MacShane. And further saith, that Philip MacThomas O'Dwyer of Moorestown cast a dart at one Mr. Bannister, smiting him in the leg as he was running away to save his life, by which means he came to a stand, and then they murdered him, as this deponent was credibly in- formed, and that William MacPhilip of Ardmaile killed Thomas Sadleir, as he was credibly informed, and further saith not.
Nicholas Sall.
Jurat, coram nobis, Hen. Jones. John Booker.
44 TIIIC IRISH MASSACRES OF KUl.
CXLVIII.
Edmund Spillane, of Cashel, aged about twenty years, deposeth, that he was present when one Conogher MacShane Glas and liia son murdered Mr. Francis Bannister, and took some of his money away.
John Booker. Nath. Willmer. John Hacket, Mayor of Cashel. 28th Aug. 1G52.
CXLIX.
William Power, of Cashell, sworn and examined, saith, that he was at Cashel when Phihp Dwyer and his forces came thither, and that he saw one Thomas Charleton murdered by WiUiam MacPhihp O'Dwyer of Ardmoile, and that he also saw one William J3cano, imikeeper, murdered by James Roche of Griffinstown, and that when he was standing in the street Thomas Brown, cooper, was murdered by the said Eoche, and that he was present when John Dwyer of Knockgorman thrust with a naked sword at Mr. Beane, the innkeeper's ostler, wherewith he wounded him, and further saith not.
CL.
Joan Meagher, of Cashel, aforesaid, aged about thirty-five years, being sworn on the Holy Evangelists, deposeth and saith, that she saw Mr. Bannister and John Linsey murdered by some of the party that came into Cashel, but their names she knoweth not.
CLI.
Ellen IIanrahan, aged sixty years, deposeth, that she did see one William McPhilip of Ardmoile murder Thomas Sadlier, and that she did see four or five of the soldiers of the O'Dwyers murder- ing John Linsey.
DEPOSITIONS, 45
CLII.
Catheeine Hooan, aged fifty years, deposefch, that she saw Mr. Beane and his tapster murdered by some of the soldiers that came into the town, whose names she knoweth not, but was informed by divers of the neiglibours that Phihp MacShane of Kilhiamanagh and his sons were the murderers.
CLIII.
Daniel Bourke, of Cashel, deposeth that he was present when Thomas SadHer and Ealph Carr were murdered, and that Connor FitzJohn Began of Poulvaly and Wilham MacPhihp of Ardmoile woro tho chief actors in these murders. And further saith not.
Note.
The foregoing depositions of Spillane, Power, Meagher, Ellen Ilanrahan, Catherine Hogan, and Daniel Bourke appear to be copies of originals taken before Booker, Willmer, and Hacket, the Mayor of Cashel, for the High Court of Justice in 1652-3. They are all un- signed by deponents.
CLIV.
John IIacket, Mayor of Cashel, duly sworn and examined, the 24th day of August, 1G52, deposeth and saith, that he was an in- habitant of Cashel, and there present when the rebels entered the city aforesaid, being on New Year's Eve, 1G41, and that the chief commander of the Irish party was one Phihp O'Dwyer, a colonel, and with him there entered into the aforesaid town, Tiegue Oge O'Meagher, Douogh O'Dwyer, brother to the said Philip ; Thomas Purcell, brother to the baron of Loghmoe, Philip Magrath of Cluain, in the Ormond ; Philip McThomas O'Dwyer, Philip MacTiegue Eyan of Kippensally, Thomas Eoo Began of Clonulty, Hugh McShane Began of Clonulty, James Eoche of Ballygriffen, the three sons of Daniel MacMahounagh O'Dwyer of Crossall, James Bourke of Scarte, and many others, whom this deponent knoweth not, all of whom began the same day to strip and plunder the English of that city, and cast them into prison, and the next day, being
46 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1011.
New Year's Day, in the morning at the daybreak, they began to wound and murder the said English, killing outright sixteen of them, men and one woman, viz. Ralph Carr, William Beane, John Linsey, Richard Lane, Thomas Charleton, Thomas Browne Cooper, William Manifold, alias Captain Kerog, and his wife, Wil- liam Bean's ostler, whose name this deponent romembereth not, and further saith, that James Roche of Bally griffen, and the three sons of Daniel MacMahounagh O'Dwyer of Crossall, Thomas Roe Ryan, Hugh MacShane Ryan, aforesaid, Brian Carney of Tief- knockan, were the chief actors in the murder of the Protestants afore- said, and further saith, that Edmund McRoas O'DAvyer of Knockgor- man, Owny MacCollum and Thomas McWilliam Dwyer of the same, were then keepers of the magazine, and John Dwyer of Gurtonaske, Philip Magrath of {illegible) in Ormond, Tiegue Oge O'Meagher, Donogh O'Dwyer, Thomas Purcell, Philip MacThomas Dwyer, Philip MacTiegue Ryan, and James Bourke aforesaid, were some of the chief murderers, and further saith, that James Roche aforesaid bragged that he had revenged the death of his wife, by killing two of the English with his own hands, and Philip MacShane being slain by some of Captain Peisley's troop, the son of the said Philip made his brags that he had revenged the death of his father, for that he had killed twice as many of the English in Cashel, and that he had killed Thomas Charleton, for that he, the said Charleton, was one of the troop under the command of Captain Peisley, and that he heard it was he (Charleton) had killed his father. And further
saith not.
John IIaoket,
Deposed before us, the day and Mayor of Cashel.
year first above ivritten, Hen. Jones.
Jo. BOOKEK.
CLV.
DoNATus O'Connor, late of Ardtramon, in the county of Wex- ford, clerk, duly sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, that since the beginning of the present rebellion, viz. a week or there- abouts about All Hallowtide, 1641, this deponent was by the rebels at Ardtramon and Castlebridge in the same county deprived, robbed, and otherwise despoiled of his means, goods, and chattels, to his present loss of 120Z., and of the rents and profits of the church
DEPOSITIONS. 47
livings worth 200Z. yearly, but who they were that so despoiled him he cannot tell, since at that time he had fled for safety of his life to the town of Wexford, where he stayed two days, until his wife, children, and family came to him, and afterwards he and they stayed there until about the 1st of March, subsisting principally on the means they had from friends in the country thereabouts, and then by, or by the means of, Nicholas French, and other priests and friars there, he, this deponent, because he w^as a Protestant minister, was put in prison in a most dark, odious, loathsome dungeon, exceedingly fraught with the ordure of former prisoners imprisoned there, which dungeon indeed hath killed him indeed, as he knoweth, but that God gave him strength and power to survive and overcome that heavy calamity, and yet there the deponent endured restraint until about the 1st of July following, at which time the great God, his sure deliverer, gave him a way to go from thence by the warrant of the Lord Mountgarrett, and the Lord Gormanston, and others of the rebellious council at Killkenny to appear before the said comicil, in which town he stayed for three months longer, viz. July, August, and September, and part of the j)resent month of October, when the rebellious party often endea- voured to seduce or draw him from the Protestant religion to mass and the Popish religion. But he, this deponent, by the help of God continued constant in his true religion as a Protestant, and endured his misery, restrahit, and want, which was very much, with the fitting patience of a true Christian. And Avithin that time he was greatly taxed with malice and plotting against them, the said rebels, especially by one Mr. Hore of Killsallaghan, in the county of Dublin, Esq. (one of their grand council), for writing a letter in his, this deponent's, own blood to his father in England, which letter the rebels intercepted, pen and ink being denied him, and for other acts against them. And whilst this deponent was in restraint in Kil- kenny, he observed by general report that seven heads of Pro- testants, whereof one was that of Mr. Bingham, a minister near Ballinakill, in the Queen's County, were cut off, and brought by the rebels to Kilkenny, where a gentlewoman of the rebels, in her malice, drew out a skean and stabbed the said Mr. Bingham's head through the cheeks. And further saith, that whilst this deponent was at Kilkenny, the great councillor men that sat there, with, for, or amongst the rebels were, first the Lord Mountgarrett, the Lord Gormanston, the Lord Netterville, Sir Edward Butler, Sir Richard Butler, Pierce Butler of Monihore, in the county of Wexford, Esq.,
"48 THE IRISH massacijes of igii.
the said Philip Hore, Eichard Bealing, son-in-law to the said Lord Mountgarrett, David Rowth (sic), titulary Bishop of Ossory, the titulary bishop of Downpatrick, and divers other titulary bishops and abbots whose names he Icnoweth not, and divers Jesuits and friars, and amongst the rest one that called himself Sir Nicholas Shea, who lately, as was generally there reported, came fi'om Eome, and brought with him a great deal of ammunition to Wexford, and that called himself the parson of Callan by jurisdiction from Rome. And another, a Franciscan friar, by naine, as he styled himself, Sir Eichard Synnot, was a rebellious councillor there. And one Nicholas French, a seminary priest, who, being at Wexford, when this deponent was a prisoner there, said, upon controversy concern- ing the jurisdiction of the Church of Ireland, that if Charles, meaning the King's Majesty, were there himself, he would not give him an inch of right over the Church. For that he, meaning the King's Majesty, hath no power over it, or words to that effect. And saith, that the said French and Synnot, being at Wexford in the beginning of the rebellion, when the state of Dublin had sent gunpowder or other provision there, to be transported to Dun- cannon, they undertook to convey it with their assistants, but they, being the chief guides, they carried it to the rebels there, being about two or throe barrels of powder, with shot and match. And further saith, that the rebels from time to time divulged that the cause of their insurrection was, that ten thousand at least of the Protestants in England and Ireland had put their hands to a note to hang all the Papists at their own doors, unless they came to church within a short time afterwards, and so would excuse their rebellion and bloody acts comniittod. And therefore, they alleged, it was time for them to prevent the danger the Puritans intended to do them. And saith, that this deponent was told by an Irish captain, who came lately out of France, that the Romish priests sent from Dublin by the State as banished men, not long after their arrival beyond sea, falsely and publicly divulged, or caused to bo divulged, over France and Spain, that the English had committed divers outrages and cruelties in Ireland upon the Romish Catholics, namely, ripping up women great with child, throwing children into the fire, and other supposed barbarous cruelties, which this deponent is assured the rebel Irish in this kingdom were guilty of, and manually exercised against the Protestants. And further saith, that the rebels frequently protested that the Lords Justices and Council here, and all that took their parts, or the part of the
DEPOSITIONS. 49
Parliament of England, were notorious rebels. And saith, that the rebels have often, in this deponent's hearing, commonly observed that they would not if they might be pardoned, and every one called home to his own living, submit, unless that all the church lands and livings of Ireland were restored to the Eomish Church, and that they might enjoy their religion freely, and that the Protestant religion might be rooted out of the kingdom, and the Church of Rome restored to its ancient jurisdiction, powers, and privileges, within this kingdom of Ireland. And the rebels also publicly and frequently villified the Protestant religion, and all Protestants, and said that the priests formerly banished should return to Ireland. And this deponent hath been credibly and secretly told, that he hath been put to death by the rebels, if they had had a competent luimber of their bishops together, who would have degraded him first, but because they had not he escaped with his life, as they told him, ho having been formerly been a Eomish priest, but the light of truth gave him power to become a Protestant. And this de- ponent did still observe, that the Romish priests and friars did frequently in their sermons and in other ways persuade the rest of the Romish faction to extirpate and root out all the Protestants in the kingdom. And saith, it was generally reported amongst the rebels of Kilkenny that the Pope of Rome had engaged himself to give 50,000^ per annum for the maintaining of the wars ui Ireland, against the Protestants, so long as the said war should continue, and that the rebels expended GO,OOOL more for their colleges and religious houses to that end. And this deponent continued a prisoner at Kilkenny, until within the present month. But then the great God in whom he trusted offered him a way of escape.
DoNATUs O'Connor. Jurat. 28th October, 1GI2, Will. Aldkich.' Hen. BiiEiiETON.
CLVI.
Robert Wadding, of Killstoune, in the county of Carlow, gent., duly sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, that he was robbed and despoiled of his sheep, cows, goods, and chattells by the Bagenals of Dunleckny, the Byrnes, and Nolans, to the value of 2,835Z. 9s. 2d. And this deponent further saith, that coming to Leighlin to make inquiries for his sheep aforesaid, thinking the rebels to have de- parted that town, at the house of one John Carron, this deponent
vol. II. E
50 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF Kill.
was beset by ten or twelve of the rebels, armed with guns, pikes, and skeans drawn, some they held at the deponent's throat, some at his breast and back, and took his money from his pocket, likewise his cloak and hat, and were unbuttoning his doublet, insomuch that he verily thinks they would have stript him naked, but that Owen Garkagh O'Birne in the interim came in and rescued this deponent out of their hands, and procured this deponent his hat and cloak again, whereat they were grieved, but durst not oppose him, he being powerful amongst them, but they swore they would inform against him that he was a protector of Protestants. However, they would not let this deponent go until the said Owen O'Birne made a solemn promise unto them he would not depart with this deponent until he, the said Owen, had delivered him unto the priest to be re- conciled, as they termed it ; who accordingly brought this deponent to the house of Mr. Reynolds, where the priest of that parish, one Butler, was so busied in giving absolution to the poor English Protestant inhabitants thereabouts that this deponent had to wait his leisure, and while he was so attending it, this deponent heard him, the priest, before absolution given, tender to them an oath to this effect, viz, that they should continue true and faithful subjects to the king of England, and should honour and obey him in all matters temporal, and that they should acknowledge the Holy Church of Rome to be the true Church, and the Pope of Rome to be supreme head of the Church of Ireland, and should honour and obey him in all causes spiritual whatsoever. In conclusion, the priest's leisure serving, he came to this deponent, and told him by way of advice that his only course was to go to mass, and to hold with them, and by so doing this deponent should get restitution of all his goods that he had lost, and should live among them and come to great preferment, if not, there would be no living in this country for the deponent, for no Protestants must abide therein. Whereupon this deponent seemed to take time to consider of the matter, and desired a pass to Carlow, where he might have further conference with Sir Matthew Roth concerning the same, which being obtained, this deponent missed of going to Father Matthew Roth, and betook himself to the Castle of Carlow, where the English kept in hold, until he had the opportunity of coming to this city.
Egbert Wadding. Jiirat. nth March, IQU,
Roger Puttock.
John Sterne.
DEPOSITIONS. 51
CLVII.
Anne Hill, wife of Arthur Hill of Hacketstown aforesaid in the county of Carlow, sworn and examined, deposeth, that about the 7th day of November last she lost from Hacketstown aforesaid three cows worth six pounds, robbed from her by the hand of Pierce Grace of Bordkillmore, in the county of Wicklow, as she is credibly in- formed, who is now in rebellion, and who, accompanied by one Maurice Bane, alias Birne, and others, this deponent divers times since the beginning of the rebellion saw in Hacketstown, rifling the houses of Protestants, among others robbing the house of John Watson, Archdeacon of Leighlin. And this deponent further saitli, that she lost from the lands of Killerlonagh, in the county Wicklow, a mare worth 3^. ster., but by which of the said rebels she knoweth not. And further saitli, that the said Maurice Banc, alias Birne, of (illegible) in the said county of Wicklow, with certain other rebels of the said county under the command of Luke Birne, robbed and despoiled her of household goods to the value of 80/., and of 205. in money, and drove her with her four small children from her house and grounds Avhich she held in Hacketstown aforesaid, worth 301., and took away from her hay worth 30s. and of household provisions worth 71. 10s. And she further saitli, that as she was coming to Dublin, through the lands of Bordkillmore, in the said county of Wicklow, she was assaulted by Mortogh Ewy (sic) of Hacketstown aforesaid, and one William of Killolonagh, in the parish of Kiltegan, county of Wicklow, accompanied with about nine or ten more, who pulled off her back a young child of about a year and a quarter old, and threw it on the ground and trod on it so that it died, and stripped herself and her four small children naked, threatening to kill her and drown them. And through the cold contracted by such usage her other tlirce children are since dead.
Anne Hill + Jurat. April llth, 1G41,
John Watson.
Wm. Aldrich.
CLVni.
Dame Ann Butler, wife unto Sir Thomas Butler, of Kathhelin, in the county of Carlow, knight, and baronet, duly sworn and ex- amined, deposeth and saith, that about St. Patrick's Day last and since she was robbed and deprived of her lands, rents, goods and
B 2
52 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 10(1.
chattels, to the value following, by means of this rebellion, in sheep, cows, oxen, young cattle and old, in breeding mares, saddle mares, horses and other cattle, to the present loss of 1,542/. at least. In corn in the haggard, the house, and the ground, which by means of this rebellion she utterly despaireth to have any profit by, to the loss of 1,412L In household goods, provision, and furni- ture necessary for a house 832Z. 5s. 4.d. In plate 200/. at least, in rents due from those that are rebels and from others that are un- done by the rebellion 750/., and more. Money lent to Mr. John Thompson, who by means of this rebellion is utterly disenabled to pay lOOZ. Houses burnt, wasted, and depopulated 70/., so as this deponent's losses by this rebellion amount to the sum of 4,90G/. 5s. id. And this deponent further deposeth, that the parties that so robbed and despoiled her were Sir Morgan Kavenagh of Clonmullin, in the county of Carlow ; and Walter Bagenal of Dunleckny, Walter Butler of Polestown, living in the county Kilkenny, Thomas Daniels of Killeghan, the son of Oliver Costae, a captain of the rebels, Ambrose Plunkett of {illegible), James Allen of Linkerstoune, Turlogh Brian of {illegible), all these being freeholders, living in the county of Carlow ; Tybot and Walter Butler of Tully, sons to James Butler of Tully, in the county Carlow, who besieged this deponent's house, with about six or seven hundred men, and in the dead of night burnt the outer gate of her house, and at length with great violence did approach and undermine the said house, so as this deponent, her husband, and family were constrained to desire quarter, and had only their lives promised. And after the rebels had in this violent way entered, she and her husband, not being able in any way to resist, the rebels set strict guard over them, and brought them from their said dwelling unto the castle of Leighlinbridge, where they kept herself, her husband, and children for two weeks, and from thence conveyed them under a strict guard to the town of Kilkenny. And there they were brought before the Lord of Mountgarret, when Walter Bagenal and James Butler, brother to the Lord Mountgarret, did use all means possible to move the said Lord to put them all to death, alleging that they were rank Puritan Protestants, and desperately provoking in these words, saying, ' tJicre is but one ivay, we or they,' meaning' Papist or Protestant must perish, to which malicious provocation the said Lord Mountgarret would not hearken. And this deponent further deposeth, that Walter Bagnall, with his rebellious company, appre- hended Richard Lake, an English Protestant, and his servant, with
DErOSITIONS. 53
liis wife and four children, and one Eicliard Taylor of Leiglilin- bridge, his wife and children, Samuel Halter of the same, his wife and children, an Englishwoman called Jones, and her daughter, and as she was credibly informed by Dorothy Eeinolds, who had several times been witness of these lamentable particulars, that they violently compelled another Englishwoman, who was newly delivered of two children in one birth in her great pain and siclmess, to rise from her bed and took the mfant that was alive, and dashed out its brains against the stones and afterwards threw him into the river Barrow. And this deponent one day having a pioco of salmon for dinner, Mr. Brian Cavenagh's wife being with her, she refused to eat any part of the salmon, and being asked the reason, she said she could never again eat any fish that came out of the Barrow, because she had seen twenty-three Protestants and other carcases taken up out of it. And this deponent saith, that Sir Edward Butler did credibly inform her, that James Butler of Tenahinch had hanged and put to death all the English that were at Goran, and thereabouts, Jane Jones, servant to this deponent, going to their execution, and as she conceived they were about the number of thirty-five, and she was told by Elizabeth Humes that they were all executed. And further saith, that being in restraint and having intelligence that some of her own cattle were brought thither by Walter Bagenal, she petitioned, being in great extremity, the Lord Mountgarett to procure her some of her own cattle for her relief, whereupon he recommended her unto the mayor and corporation of Kilkenny, who concluded that because she and her family were Protestants and would not turn to mass, they should have no relief.
Ann Butler. Jurat. 1th Sept. 1G42, Fban. Pigott. John Watson.
CLIX.
Sir Edward BuTLEB,'Knt., aged sixty-six or thereabouts, being duly sworn and examined, saith, that about the 1st of May, 1642, there came a company of James Butler of {illegible) and his servants with others, armed, into the town of Graigue in the county of Kilkenny, to search, as this examt. was informed, for his tenants, then in- habiting the town, being English men and women, and there they seized upon the bodies of John Stone, his wife and son, Walter
54 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF lOJl.
Sliirly, witli others whose names he rememhereth not, who they carried out of the town and hanged, some of them upon the lands of {illegible) near Graigue ; tlie rest were carried furtlier hy Gibbon Fore- stal, Garrett Forestal, Donogh 0' {illegible) now in Connaught, whither he went with his master James Butler, and others whose names he rememhereth not. And this examt. is confident that James Butler was then at home in his house, but he doth not certainly know whether Colonel Bagenal's wife was there or not, but saith that she doth frequent the place and continue there sometimes two months or thereabouts. He further saith, that soon afterwards he heard that Morris Kelly with others brought divers English prisoners from Gowran to Graigue, amongst whom was Henry White, tenant to this examt., at which time there was there Edmund Butler, Sir Walter Butler, Captain Shortall, and Captain John Butler, this examt. 's son, and this examt. hearing that these prisoners were so carried away, he sent his servant Andrew Barlow to use his utmost endea- vour to save Henry White, by reason he was his, examt. 's, tenant, who so prevailed with Colonel Edmund Butler, then commanding in chief, that he got off the said White, and the rest, as lie heard, were conveyed to Boss, and near to that place put to death, as he was informed ; and that the said Kelly did convey them to Graigue, and thence to the gates of Boss, and that he, this examt., sent his said servant and another to mediate to save their lives. Being demanded what he knoweth of the death of Richard Lake, he saith he heard he was hanged, and further saith not.
Edward Butler, Knt. Taken on the IBth August, 1G52, before us,
Hen. Jones. . Hen. Stamer.
CLX.
Sarah Francis, alias Boulger, aged thirty-six years or there- abouts, duly sworn and examined, saith, that she lived at the Graigue at the beginning of the rebellion, and continued there five or six years after. That she is the daughter of Barnaby Boulger of the Graigue, and was formerly married to Walter Shirley of the Graigue, who by his trade was a carver and joiner. That he, her said hus- band Walter Shirley, did work with James Butler of Tennahinch near the Graigue, and made up a gate for his house at Tennahinch. That there then lived at the Graigue of English, John Stone, Robert Pyne, William Stone, one John, servant to the said John Stone,
DEPOSITIONS. 55
Zacliary Pyne, a child of about a year and a half old, Joseph Valenthie married to the examt.'s sister Katharine, and Walter Shirley her husband, as before mentioned, Margaret Stone, wife of John Stone, Margaret their daughter, then wife to Thomas White of Goran, Barbara Pyne, wife of the said Kobert Pyne, and others whom she, this examt., remembereth not. That Walter Bagenal, Esq., now called Colonel Bagenal, was at Tennahinch about the beginning of May, 1G42, where Avas also his wife, and Colonel Edmund Butler was there also. And this examt.'s Imsband did make some pistol and carbine stocks for Colonel Bagenal and others, he being promised thereupon a protection to live quietly in the country. And the said Shirley, this examt.'s husband, having finished his work and brought it home, obtained from the said Bagenal fifteen shillings for it, and a protection under the said jliagenal's hand for his quiet living in the place. But before her said husband could recross the bridge of Graigue on his way to his house, he was followed by one fi-om Tennahinch to deliver back the pass he had received, which he refusing to do he was brought back to Tennahinch house, where it was taken from him, but by whom this examt. remembereth not. The same day James Butler of Tennahinch and the said Colonel Edmund Butler went from that place on horseback ; this deponent did see them going, but did not know that Colonel Bagenal was with them. The same night about midnight Dermot O'Donoglme and Connor More, servants of James Butler aforesaid, knocked at this examt.'s house, and she opening the door, they entered and took away her husband, and the examt. going forth found all the rest of the English taken out of their houses and carried over the bridge of the Graigue by James Butler's followers. That this examt., fearing some mischief to her husband, went to Ballyogan to her landlord Sir Edward Butler, living about a mile from the Graigue, to desire his assistance for preserving her husband. That returning with a paper signed by the said Sir Edward Butler, those persons in whose hands her husband was, seehig her commg with the paper, hanged her husband forthwith, and cut him down when he was so hanged before she, tliough making all haste, could come to him ; that a little Avay from thence they did also hang Joseph Valentine aforesaid, this examt.'s brother in-law, his wife, this examt.'s sister, being then present, who came along with this examt. from Ballyogan aforesaid, and overtook her husband before he was hanged. Being demanded who of the Irish were present at these executions and driving away of the English, she said that
56 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1041.
she saw Garret Codd, Gibbon Forestall, and about ten more that she knoweth not the names of. She further saith, that Jolm, the afore- said servant of John Stone, was also lianged on the same tree that her husband was hanged on and at the same time, and that John Stone and the rest of the English were carried towards Ross, and by the way murdered. She further saith, that the same day towards evening, William Stone, son of Jolm Stone, working at the river on a ship for Sir Charles Coote, was brought to the Graigue and hanged on the same tree that her husband was hanged on. And that one . . . Bennett of Ross came riding thither post to save William Stone if he could, but could not prevail by reason of Mrs. Ellen Butler, who tlien lived in the house of James Butler of Tennahinch aforesaid, and opposed his saving said Stone. That this examt. did that day see the said Bennett on horseback bareheaded, and that she was told by others that he had neither cloak, band, or hat on, through riding in haste to save the said William Stone. She further saith, that she hath heard that Gerard Codd, Gibbon Forestal, and a servant of Henry Bagenal's were present at the exe- cution of the said Stone.
Saeaii Francis + Deposed before us, IGth October, 1G52,
Thomas Herbert.
Hen. Jones.
Thomas WiijSOn,
Note,
James Butler of Tennahinch, mentioned in the foregoing deposi- tions, was the younger brother of Lord Mountgarrett, who was the father of three sons, viz. Edmund Roe, his heir; Edward of Urling- ford, whose examination is hereafter given, executed in 1G53, like Bagenal, for his share in the murders at Kilkenny in 1641-3 ; Richard, also a captain in the Irish army in those years. Carte's abstract of the missing portion of the Plunhet MSS. which Mr. Prendergast copied for Colonel Plunket Dunne [v. ante, p. 107, note) gives the following account of Bagenal's conduct, but it is shown to be wholly untrustworthy on the vital point of his guilt by the documents here printed for the first time : —
" When Colonel Bagenal," says Carte's MS., " was by the Supreme Council made governor of the county Carlow, Mr. James Butler of Tennahinch, brother to the Lord Mountgarrett, was competitor with him for the place, and missing his aim,
DEPOSITIONS. 57
■ advised him to write a warrant to put William Stone to death. Bagenal, just then turned of thirty (Butler about sixty), ordered it. Butler advised the wife of the man who had Bagenal's order to keep it carefully for preventing future danger. Bagenal when a hostage ten years after was arraigned for this and other murders in Lady Butler's deposition, who was summoned to give witness against him, though the whole story was but hearsay from one Dorothy Eeinolds, wife to a native of the country, enemy to Bagonal, on account of his estate. Nor does she charge Bagenal with the murder of the tliirty-fivo, and in her ovidonco she deposed nothing of consequence against him at his trial, so that he had been acquitted, if they had not arraigned the wife of the man, as egging Bagenal thereto, who by his order executed Stone. She (this woman) heroically sent for a friend of Bagenal's and told liim, * Sir, your friend Colonel Bagenal will be tried for the death of Stone, and I am imprisoned for it, all they aim at from me is, to get the warrant my husband had for his (Stone's) execution, thereby to charge Bagenal. Here, take the warrant, carry it to Colonel Bagenal, my life is not worthy to be saved where he is in danger, if he thinks it will injure him let him burn it, I'll leave myself to God, if it will do him no hurt, bring it to me again.' Bagenal after perusing it returned it. It was thus ;
' Whereas proof is made before me that William Stone, a late convert, hath lately and often resorted to the garrison of Dmi- cannon with intelligence as a spy. These are therefore to re- quire you to apprehend the said William Stone and him so appre- hended to hang till he be dead,'
or words to this purpose. Bagnal though a hostage was tried and
put to death at Kilkenny, though he apprehended no guilt either
on evidence of the warrant or rather his own confession, and yet
so ill an opinion of their sentence {sic) that they sent in vain to
Leighlin Bridge for intelligence of Sir John Temple's thirty-five
murdered persons. As to Sir John Temple's charges against
Bagenal of designs agamst Lady Butler, &c., they needed only
to have left them to the rabble and it had been done." {Carte
Papers, Bodleian Library, pp. 418 et seq.)
The original pages of the Plunket MSS. of which the above
professes to be an abstract have long been lost or destroyed, so
that we have no means of testing its accuracy. But whether the
abstract be true or false the account it gives of Bagenal's conduct
58 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1011.
and tlie charges on which he was condemned and executed is, as I have said, shown hy Lady Biitler's deposition to be wholly untrust- worthy. Plunket probably, and Carte certainly, were too blinded by party prejudice to aclmowledge, what they must both have well known, that no prisoner in the High Court of Justice was ever found guilty of murder and executed for it, when he could bring reasonable proof that the death of the person laid to his charge occurred in open war, or that such person, man or woman, was adjudged by the rules of such war a spy, and had been seized and sentenced to death while acting in that capacity. A prisoner in the High Court, like Lord Muskerry, as will be seen hereafter, was tried separately for each murder of which he was accused. When he could prove that one of these, say, four or five murders charged against him was really a case of sentence of death against a spy, he was pronounced not guilty of that charge and then the rest were heard in turn, and if they were proved to have been murders of persons who had never acted as spies, but lived peaceably and were unarmed, the prisoner was pronounced guilty of murder and executed accordingly, although he had been cleared of the guilt of the spy's death. Carte's theory, which he would have us to take for truth, that the finding of the warrant with the woman whose husband had hung William Stone would have secured the condemnation of Bagenal, and saved her and her husband, and that she acted ' heroically ' in sending it to him, is untenable. The production of such a warrant as Carte gives would have almost certainly procured a verdict of ' not guilty ' for Bagenal, the woman, and her husband, inasmuch as it distinctly states that Stone was regularly employed as a spy against the Irish army. The warrant which is in the books of depositions in Trinity College differs somewhat from Carte's copy and is as follows : —
" Whereas proofs have been made before me that Mr. William Stone {illegible) is a spy and hath of late resorted to Duncannon, and that he would be a guide to the enemy to distress the country and the inhabitants thereof, this order is given to apprehend the body of the said William Stone, and having so apprehended him to hang him, for which this shall be your warrant. Dated at Tennahinch, May 2nd, 1642.
" Walter Bagenal."
It was often difficult to ascertain whether the person killed had been really acting as a spy between the hostile armies. Prisoners brought before the High Court endeavoured sometimes to prove by
DEPOSITIONS. 59
perjury that their victims were spies (knowing the result would be a verdict of ' not guilty') when in fact they were nothing of the kind, but inoffensive men and women, endeavouring to live in peace, or to escape to Dublin or England. Some of the rebels, as we have seen {v. Depositions IV. : XXII.), put a very wide inter- pretation on the word spy and murdered or wished to murder those poor fugitives, lost they should ' carry news to England ' or the English army. The judges in 1652-4 had no easy task to ascertain the truth in such cases, but the prisoners were allowed to make the best defence they could, and call witnesses on their behalf. If William Stone had never been hung, it is probable that Bagenal would have been condemned on the evidence of Lady Butler, who swore positively that he had urged Lord Mountgarret to murder her and her husband. She may have been too willing to listen to rumours, and may have been deceived by Dorothy Eeynolds and Jane Jones, but she was an eye-witness and an ear- witness of what she relates about Bagenal and James Butler, and no impartial per- son will reject her testimony. Taken in] connection with the de- positions of Mrs. Shirley, Morris Kelly, and others, the evidence was quite enough to condemn Bagenal. Carte's observations on her deposition are alike incomprehensible and absurd. The following letter from Lady Butler to her brother-in-law, Brian Cavenagh, son of Sir Morgan Cavenagh, is amongst the MSS. in Trinity College. Lady Butler and Mrs. Brian Cavenagh were the daughters of Sir Thomas Colclough of Tintern. The spelling of this letter, bad as it is, is quite as good as that of many ladies of rank in both islands between IGOO and 1780 :—
" To my loveing brother, Bryan Cavenagh, Esq.
" Dkati BiiOTiiER, — I am hartily groavcd for the troblo yow are in, and do condoale with yow, as being one that hath felt it. And now I was told by Bryan MacWilliam who came from the county Carlow, that they will preasently apprend yow and com- mitt yow to the Black Castle of Loughlin. Yow do not know what may befall yow in it and I do think it is the saffer way for yow to come hither, where my Lord of Mountgarret is, who I hope will use yow no wors than he hath used us ; but he hath been earnestly presed to take away my life by your unkle James and Bagenal, but I thank God he refused it. So God grant yow may find the same favor at his hands but yow must instantly heaste
60 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1G41.
away. Thus beseecbing tbe Ahnigbty God to direct yow to the beste and to grant yow favor amongst them first,
" Yovir trewly lovemg sister, " Ann Butler."
Brian Cavenagh's mother was tlie sister of Lord Mountgarret and of James Butler of Tennahineh. From her marriage with Sir Morgan Cavenagh (chief of the Slught Dermot) descends the present Art MacMurrogh Cavenagh of Borris House, Carlow, formerly M.P. for Wexford.
CLXI.
Elizabeth Ennis, alias Harris, aged fifty years or thereabouts, sworn and examined, saith, that she laiew Edward Butler of Urling- ford, second son to the late Lord Mountgarret, two years before the rebellion began, and about a week after Easter, in the year 1G42, this deponent with several others, to the number of eighteen men, women, and children, were carried from Freshford to Ballyraggett, by a company of foot soldiers, whom this deponent doth verily believe were commanded by Captain Edward Butler aforesaid, who was then in Ballyraggett, commander m chief of the castle and company, and upon the application of Mr. Clerk and Mr. Byfield, both of Parkscrone, English Papists, prevailed with the said Captain Edward Butler to spare the life of this deponent, and one Anne Deals, and this deponent's husband, who was horse-rider to the said Edward Butler's father ; and this deponent was told by Mr. Clarke and Mr. Byfield aforesaid that the said Edward Butler told them that if he hanged his father's horse-rider, his father would hang him ; whereupon the said horse-rider was saved, with his wife and children, and being demanded by whose order the five English Protestants who were then in prison in Ballyraggett with her, this examt., were put to death, she saith, that the said Clarke and Byfield told her that it was by Captain Edward Butler's order, and she further saith, that she knoweth that the said Captain Edward Butler durst not come into his father's, the late Lord Mountgarret's sight, for his hanging of the said five persons.
Elizabeth + Ennis. Sworn before us, the 5th Feb. 1G52, EiCHD. Stephens. (illegible) Evans.
DEPOSITIONS. 61
This examt. being furtlior asked whether the aforesaid five persons were hanged, were thrown into a pit, and buried before they were dead, she saith that she often heard from several persons of credit that said they saw it, that they saw the persons that were so hanged, as they lay in the pit, throw back the earth with their hands upon the enemy, the persons that suffered thus being two men, two women, and a boy.
CLXII.
Anne Bradford, aged about thirty years or thereabouts, duly sworn and examined, saith, that she was born in Gowran, in the county of Kilkenny, but descended from English parents, and that she living in Gowran, with her parents, at the beginning of the rebellion, that Walter Butler of Polestoune and Pierce Butler, son to Sir Edward Butler, came to Gowran, and the places there adjacent, and seized upon and took all the English inhabitants they could find, and gathering them together put them into prison in Gowran, where they continued a fortnight or thereabouts, and afterwards took them and pretended to send them with a convoy to Ross, and bound them two and three together, and that Morris Kelly of Gowran aforesaid, being ensign to Captain Pierce Butler, commanded the said convoy, who conveyed them within a musket shot of Ross, and there left them, who were in number about thirty or forty, young and old, as she thinks, viz. Thomas "White, this examt. 's brother, her husband's father, mother, and sister, James Bromfield, and his wife and three children, Arthur Scott and his wife, one Thurston and divers others, whose names she remem- bereth not. And saith, that after the convoy had left there, the said Kelly went into Ross and presently after there came out of the town of Ross seven or eight persons, with swords and batts in their hands, and did drive them all below Ross for a mile to a woodside, and there they murdered all these English, except this examt. 's husband's sister, and her four children, but who these murderers were or their names she knoweth not.
Anne f Bradford.
August , 1652, examined before us, Hen. Jones. Jo. Stamer.
G2 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1041.
CLXIII.
The Examination of Morris Kelly, of Gowran, taTcen before us this [blank) day of August, 1652.
This examt. saitli, that at the time of phmdoring, when the rebellion first broke out, and he came out of [illegible] and was in Gowran, and when Captain Pierce Butler raised his foot company he was made ensign of it against his will, as he now allegeth, and saith that about eight or nine weeks after he was made ensign, the rendezvous being at Tennahinch, near the Graigue, he repaired thither and then divers Englisli people, viz. Erasmus Bradliold, James Blomfield, Arthur Scott, with divers others, men, women, and children, to the number of 134 persons as he remembereth, being then prisoners, brought from Gowran to Graigue, were de- livered to this examt. by Colonel Edmund Butler, Major Kobert Shortall, Captain Pierce Butler, and Sir Walter Butler, and James Butler of Tennahinch, who were all present together, and saith that Colonel Edmund Butler, then commanding in chief, com- manded this examt. and gave him orders to receive the said English into his charge, and to convey them to Boss, which he did, and delivered the said order to Captain James Duffe, who there had the command of a company of foot, according to the directions thereof, which said Duffe was by the said orders commanded to convey them to Duncannon ; but what the said Duffe did therein this examt. knoweth not, but said that at the first he refused to receive the said orders, but afterwards he took them ; and this examt. saith he left the English prisoners at the gate of Boss, and at his return in three days he heard that they were murdered, but by whom he knoweth not. And further saith, that he received the said prisoners bound, yet notwithstanding when he was marched out of the commander's sight he unbound them.
The examt. being demanded why he did strike Alexander Bradford and threaten that neither he nor any of his generation should be living within a month, he denied that he struck the said Bradford, or used any such threatening language. He further saith, that after he heard that the English who were committed to his charge, whom he safely conveyed to Ross, and left there, were murdered, he laid down his arms and never bore arms after. Examined before us, Morrish Kelly.
Hen. Jones. John Stamer.
DEroSITIONS.
CLXIV.
The Examination of Edmund Scott, of Balliraggctt, gent., aged forty years or thereabouts, sivorn and examined saith.
That in the beginning of the rebellion he lived under Edmund Butler, Esq., who was elder brother of Edward Butler of Urlingford, Esq., and living in the town of Ballyraggett ; in the year 1641 [sic) there was brought six or seven English Protestants, from Freshford to Ballyraggett, by the said Edward Butler and his company, and this deponent saith that there was a little boy amongst the prisoners about sixteen years of age, that was going to be hanged, and the mother of the said child, whose name this deponent knoweth not, earnestly besought this deponent to beg for her son's life, where- upon this deponent went presently to his own house, where the said Edward Butler then was, and desired him that he would be pleased to give the said boy's life to this examt., and that he would keep him to be his servant, whereupon the said Edward Butler said that he should have the boy, and sent a token to the Marshal by this examt., that was then executmg the prisoners, but before this deponent could return to the place of execution the boy was hanged, and this examt., being asked what commander was then in the town of Ballyraggett, at that time, saith he knew or hoard of no other but the said Edward Butler. And further saith not.
Edmund Scott. Taken before us, 31si Jan. 1G52,
EiCH. Stephens.
Aethur Bell.
CLXV.
The Examination of Edward Butler, of Urlingford, Esquire, in the county of Kilkenny, taken before Colonel Thomas Herbert and Bobert Doily, Esquire, members of the High Court of Justice sitting at Dublin,
Who saith, that he hath lived at Urlingford in the county Kilkenny for twenty years past or thereabouts, and that he is the second son of the late Lord Mountgarrett, and that his eldest brother is called Edmund. And being demanded if he Avas in that party of GOO or 700 horse and foot, which his brother commanded, and
64 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1011.
fought with, against four score Englishmen in the year 1G42, a little before Michaelmas near to Ballinakill, in the county Kilkenny, at which time that Irish party killed amongst others Lieutenant Gilbert, Ensign Alfrey, Mr. Thomas Bingham, a minister, Eobert Graves, Eichard Bentley, and others whose heads as a trophy of that victory were sent to be set up at Kilkenny, a piper playing before them ; he, the examt., saith he was not in that fight, but at his own house at Urlingford, about ten miles from Ballinakill, but heai'd of the Englishmen that were then killed, and that his cousin Walter Butler was also killed there, and he, this examt., was at the burial of the said Walter Butler the next day, his brother Edmund was also at that burial. Being further demanded if he had not the command of a foot company that year, or the year after, he said that he had such command that year, and that so soon as that fight aforesaid was ended, he laid down his command, and was not in arms since, but continued at his aforesaid dwelling-house at Urlingford, and hath not since meddled with any military employ- ment.
Being demanded if he was governor of Ballyraggett in the year 1G42, and if any of his foot soldiers were quartered there, he saith he never was governor there, nor did any of his foot live in that place to his knowledge, but he confessed that he was in the town of Ballyraggett about Easter after the rebellion broke out, and in one Edmund Scott's house there. Being demanded if he saw any English people brought prisoners into Ballyraggett at the time he was there in Scott's house, he saith he did not that night hear anything of them, but that next morning, being the next day of his coming thither, he was told by Mrs. Scott, wife to Edmund Scott, that there were some prisoners then going to execution, and she earnestly desired this examt. to save their lives if he could, and that thereupon he went in person to the place where the marshal's man was hanging them, and he did see three hanged, an old man, an old woman, and a boy, and that he saved all the rest who otherwise had been hanged, all having ropes about their necks, that he was so troubled at it, that he called the marshal's (Cantwell's) men rogues, and demanding of them by whose order they hanged these prisoners, they could not show any order in writing for the fact, but alleged it was by the provost marshal Cantwell's order. Being demanded if there were not five hanged at that time, he said ho saw but three, nor did he hear of any more being executed of that company.
DErOSITIONS. C5
Being questioned if upon Mrs. Scott's begging the boy's life, he did not give the said Scott a token by which the marshal should deliver the boy to Mr. Scott, he said he is assured Mr. Scott never did ask such a ring of him, nor did he, the examt., give him any token to have the boy delivered to him or any other. Being de- manded if Mrs. Scott did desire him to save one Anne Trout, alias Deals, who was going to execution and was one of those brought from Freshford to Ballyraggett, he said that Mrs. Scott did not name any one to him in particular, but in general words coming hastily into his chamber betimes in the morning, she told him that some English people were going to be hanged, and desired him to use the best means he could to save them, and he thereupon presently went to the place of execution, with his sword in his hand, and did save all that were not put to death, as he hath already declared. Being also demanded if Mrs. Scott did not entreat him to save the life of a poor Scotch woman who was then to be hanged with the others, and if he did not send his man with her to the guard near the gallows, he, this examt., saith, that he did save that poor Scotch woman, whose name is Kincade, wife to a corporal in the Earl of Ormond's regiment, and to that end went thither in person, denymg that he sent his man thither, but remenibereth that Mrs. Scott, and he thinks her husband, also went with him to the said place of execution. Being demanded if Mrs. Scott went upon her knees to beg from him the lives of those poor English people, he saith not, nor any other person did so, as he remenibereth. Being demanded if he knew Mr. Bifield and Mr. Clerk, he said he did know them, and that they lived at Parkscrone, half a mile from Ballyraggett. Being questioned further if these two gentlemen did not intercede to him for the saving Elizabeth Ennis, alias Harris, and her husband, who was ambler or rider to his father, and were likewise then to be executed, he, this examt., saith, that he well remembers they were led to execution with the English before mentioned, and that he then saved their lives also. But remembereth not that they spoke with him before Mrs. Scott and he went together to the place of execution, but well remembers that he saw them and the said Bifield and Clarke in town that day. Being questioned if at his apprehension by Sergeant Williams and Jeremy Weaver he did not desire them to shoot him, being sure that he should be hanged if he came to Kilkenny, he said that their usage was so violent and uncivil towards him, taking from him his money, jewels, and cloaths, that he confessed in his passion VOL. II. F
GG THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 1041.
he desired tliem to slioot liim, rather than to use him so, but denied that he was afraid of going to Kilkenny, or that there was any Avord spoken of it at that time. Being lastly demanded why, having solemnly engaged himself to the Countess of Ormond to see the poor stripped English safely conveyed from Kilkenny to Waterford, at the first outbreak of the rebellion, he forsook them at Knock- topher, and thereby exposed them to the rage of the bloodthirsty Irish, he, this examt., saith, that he did promise the Countess to secixre those English {illegible) Waterford, and accordingly went with them to Knocktopher and two miles further, and being that cold and snowy day surprised with a quartan ague, he was so ill that he was thence carried in a horse litter to Urlingford, and for a month after was forced to keep his bed, and that if those English received any bad usage afterwards, he could not help it, but denies that those English were plundered that night or had any loss of life or goods while he had charge of them. And further saith not.
Edwakd Butler. Taken before us, 26 Feb. 1G52,
Thos. Herbert.
E. Doily. Note.
The following are also in the Kilkenny volume of depositions.
For y" Lord Pressident of if higli Court of Justice in Dublin,
These, My Lord — I have sent your Lordship the enclosed examina- shuns aganst Mr. Edward Butler, second son to the late Lord Mountgarrett, and I shall only give your Lordshipp my knowledge conserning him. When I had reseived orders from the hands of the parliment to aprehend all such perssons in these ptes, that had bin guilty of sheding the English inoscent blood in the first year of the rebellion, I sent a pty in the night. to cease the sd Butler, but he was not at home, and he, heareing that there was a cesuir of blood guilty persons, he fledd into the boggs and fastnesses out of y® parlement's quarters for his safty, and thaire continewed, untill he was going in a disguise habitt to Spain with some Irish offisers, and was providencialy taken between Thomas- town and Waterford, by some soldiers that knew him of Captain Frank's troop. I shall not ad but reraayne ^ly liord, your Lordshipp's humble servant
D. AXTELL.
DEPOSITIONS. C7
{Enclosiire 1.)
The Examination of Jeremiah Weaver, of Captain John Frank's troop, against Echvard Butler, of Urlingford, Esq., taken before us on oath 31si Jan. 1G52.
This deponent saitb, that when the said Edward Butler was apprehended by him, he made resistance and laid hands on Captain Heygate's sergeant's carbine, and called to some Irish officers there to assist him, saying, ' Will you leave mo so ? ' This doponcnt asked him for arms, he denied to have any but a laiife, but behig searched by me I found a maddeogue or skean with the haft in his hand and the blade in the sheath. The said Edward promised me lOOZ. to run away with him for Spain, and promised to make me a captain there, and he then desired to be shot by me and the others that apprehended him, for he knew that he should be hanged if he were brought to Kilkenny, and further saith he feared nothing but false information.
Jee. Weaver.
Taken before us,
EiCH. Stephens. John IlEyDON.
[Enclosure 2.)
The Examination of Sergeant Egbert Williams, against Edward Butler, son of the Lord Mountgarret.
That the said Edward Butler when he was apprehended laid hands on my carbine. I asked him if his name was Butler, he said it was not, he asked me why I laid hands on him, he being under protection and having his protection in his pocket. Then the said EdAvard Butler desired those Irish officers that were present to assist him, saying, ' Will you leave me thus ? ' I asked him for arms. IIo said ho had not any but a knifo, but being searched by one Joshua Weaver, of Captain Frank's troop, a maddeogue (Irish dagger) was found about Mr. Butler, the haft thereof in his hand and the blade in a sheath. The said Edward Butler desired me and the rest to shoot him, for he said he knew if he were brought to Kilkenny he should be hanged, and further he saith he feared nothing but false information.
Bobert + Williams.
Taken before us,
on oath, dlst Jan. 1G52, EiCHARD Stephens. Wm. IIeydon. f 2
08 THE TRI3II MASSACTES OF 1G41.
CLXVI.
Magdalen Eedmaine, late of Dowry in tlio King's County, widow, the relict of Thomas Eedmaine, who was one of tlie soldiers that were slain with Captain Smith by the rebels, sworn and ex- amined, deposeth and saith, that since the beginning of the present rebellion, viz. on or about the 26th of December, 1641, when her husband was slain, she, this deponent, was deprived, robbed, and despoiled of her goods and chattels, consisting of tanned leather, bark, green leather, corn, cattle, worth llil. 10s. id., by the rebels Costiny Molloy, gent., Art Molloy, Shane O'Farrell, and their ac- complices and soldiers whose names she cannot express. And further saith, that this deponent and divers other Protestants, and amongst them [illegible) widows, after they were all robbed, were also stripped naked, and then they covering themselves in a house with straw, the rebels then and there lighted the straw with fire and threw it amongst them on purpose to burn them, when they had been all burnt or smothered, but that some of the rebels, more piti- ful than the rest, commanded these crueller rebels to forbear, so as they did, yet the rebels kept them (the English) naked in a wild wood from Tuesday till Saturday, in frost and snow, the snow un- melted long lay upon some of them, so as three children died in their arms. And when this deponent and the rest endeavoured to have gone away for refuge to the Birr, the rebels turned them back, saying they should go to Dublin, and when they attempted to go towards Dublin, they (the rebels) hindered them again and said they should go to the Birr, and so tossed and haled them to and fro, yet at length such of these poor stripped people as died not in the hands of the rebels escaped to the Birr, where they were harboured and relieved by one William Parsons, Esq., and yet there died at the Birr, of those poor stripped persons, about forty of men, women, and children. And this deponent and those other stripped people that, survived lived miserably at the Birr aforesaid until they and the rest had quarter to come from thence to Dublin.
Magdalen Eedmaine -f Jurat. 6th March, 1642, John Watson. Wm. Aldrich.
DEPOSITIONS. G9
Note.
It lias been said by not a fewwriters on 1G41, that no massacres or oven niurclors of unarmed persons were committed in Leinster, but such writers must change their opinion after reading the above and many other depositions in the Leinster volumes. Isabel, the widow of Christopher Porter, one of the poor women so mercilessly treated, as Mrs, Eedmaine relates, sworn and examined before the same commissioners, confirmed all she had related of the cruelty of the Leinster Irish.
CLXVII.
Nicholas Walsh, of Harristown, in the King's County, clerk, duly sworn, deposeth, that on the Gth of December, 1641, he was robbed and despoiled of his goods and means worth 888Z., by the hands and means of Henry MacOwen Dempsy, Colonels Donogh, Nicholas and John Dempsy, Brian MacGlashny Dempsy, and others their Icindred and followers. And this deponent further saith, that on the 10th of the said month of December he was robbed of and lost in the castle of Castle Dermot, county Kildare, ready money, plate, rings, jewels, and household goods worth 200L by Pierce FitzGerald of Ballysonan, now a colonel among the rebels, Luke FitzGerald of Molamoy, Ensign Gerald FitzGerald of Castleroe, and their servants. Further he saith, that the graves in the churchyard and church of Harristown were digged up, and the corpses of Pro- testants that were there interred for seven years at least before that time were taken up and their bones and bodies thrown into ditches, and other base places, by the directions of the Vicar-General James McShane Dempsey. And a poor Englishman called Toby Emmet being by the rebels drawn to go to the mass, was on the same day of his reconciliation returning homeward hanged, the rebels them- selves saying that they hanged the English after their reconciling to the Eoman Church, that they may pray for their souls.
Nicholas Walsh. Jurat. Gth Jan. 1642, John Sterne. Wm. Aldrich.
70 THE misTi massacres of un.
CLXVIII.
Richard Taylok, late of the Birr, alias Parsonstowii, in the King's County, shoemaker, sworn and examined, deposeth andsaith, that about All Hallowtide, 1641, the rebellion began about Birr and the country thereabouts, and then this deponent being bound prentice unto and living with one William Remington, an English Protestant, stayed with his said master working at his trade. And saith, that soon after Hollandtide aforesaid, or thereabouts, the murders and cruelties after-mentioned were committed by the rebels, viz. : One Mary Nelson, a Scottish Protestant, was at Craghan, in the county of Tipperary, very near the Birr, assaulted by two rebels, viz. by one William Oge and William Buie of Craghan afore- said, and as she was stoutly defending herself, one Donogh McThomas of the Birr aforesaid, a bloody butcher coming towards her, she conceiving him to be her friend, cried out to him and said, ' For God's sake help vie ! ' whereunto he answered ' / loill help you I ivarrant yoii,' and thereupon coming behind her, he with a beef- axe first knocked her down, and then with the axe cut her in the head and hand, and then with the others gave her thirty wounds, so as then and there she was barbarously murdered. And at the same time and place there were six more Protestant women, viz. Ellen Palmer, and one Mary Taylor, and four others murdered by the three rebels before named, and others to the number of a hun- dred or thereabouts, which seven murdered Protestants were all stripped stark naked and left lying on the ground weltering in their blood in the open air for a day and a night, and then Mr. Parsons, governor of the Birr, made such means that they were sent for and carried there and buried in this deponent's presence. And about the same time was murdered at the Birr one Thomas (illegible), servant to Mr. Heyward, an English Protestant, each of the said so murdered having several wounds. And further saith, that about a quarter of a year after these murders were committed, viz. about Candlemas, 1641, one Edward Garner of the Birr, a tailor, and his wife, being taken from the Birr aforesaid with a convoy towards Dublin, were on the way, at a place called the Island in the King's County about three miles from Birr, murdered by one Turlogh Carroll, now of the Birr aforesaid, and his companions, as they were travelling at niglit a little beyond the convoy, which said Carroll and his wife did then and tlicre strip naked the said Garnet and his wife, saving that they
DErosinoNS. 71
left lier a pair of stockings on her legs, and there they were left lying. And about a week after a Popish priest, called Father Caliir Farrell, coming by with his boy, and being displeased that the woman had her stockings left upon her, said to the boy that he would give him sixpence to pull off ' that English sow's stockings,' which the boy eftsoon performing, found 51. in her stocldngs, which they then carried away, but left the dead bodies there still until the crows and ravenous creatures devoured them.
About Easter, 1G42, one Edward Erwin, late of the Birr, being sent from Birr towards Banaghcr to fetch salt, was met by the way at Dolnagh in the MacCoghlan's country, in the King's County, by some of the Coghlans and their confederates, the soldiers of John MacCoghlan, chief of the country, since Imighted as is reported, who carried him thence to Ormond, hard by Timielogh, in the county of Tipperary, where they first half hanged him, and then letting him recover breath, buried him alive in a hole with rubbish and stones, yet so that about a month after the dogs drew the body out of the ground and devoured the flesh.
And this deponent further saitli, that quickly after the time the town and castle of Birr was upon a siege taken from the English by the Irish rebels, viz. about February, 1G42, there was left in and about the town to the mercy of the rebels about seventeen of the children of the English, whose parents were either formerly slain by the rebels or dead, as namely, three children of one Samuel Smith of the Birr, named Euseby, Anne, and Margaret, who, being almost starved with hunger and cold, and denied to come into their father's house by one Eobert Tew that had gotten possession thereof, those three poor children for shelter from the cold crept into an oven in the back yard of their father's house, whither that inhuman rebel, Eobert Tew aforesaid, brought some straw and putting it into the oven with the children set it on fire, so as then he burnt all three in the oven to death. About the same time a young Irish rogue called Adam, son of the said Eobert Tew, with a cudgel knocked on the head and killed another of those fatherless children, that was the daughter of one Patrick Taylor, a Protestant, and that done tied a withe about her legs and drew her up and down, making that good sport and recreation.
In or about the month of February aforesaid, 1G42, two other of those fatherless children, by name Grace Middleton and Anne Middleton, children of John Middleton (who with his wife was for- merly hanged to death at Castletown by John O'Carroll of Clontisk,
72 THE IPJSri MASSACRES OF UMJ.
Esq., and his soldiers), were at Birr aforesaid Icnocked on tlie head and murdered when they came to beg rehef by certain stranger rebels that were said to have come thither out of the Pale, whose names this deponent cannot express. Ilowbeit they are or very lately were dwelling at the town of Birr aforesaid. And the residue of all those fatherless children, save only one, are also murdered or starved to death at or about Birr. All which this deponent knoweth to be true, for that from the very time of the beginning of the rebel- lion until about the 15th of March, 1G44, he was restrained and kept at Birr aforesaid, by and amongst the rebels, to make shoes and boots for them, and then by God's providence he escaped from them one morning when they were at mass. And this deponent saw most of the murdered bodies aforesaid, and might have seen more of them if he durst have gone to them, and at length God delivered him out of their hands, who doubtless else would have murdered him also, wanting not malice to do so.
RiciiARD Taylor + Jiirat. 21si October, 1G45,
Hen. Jones.
Wm. Aldrioh.
CLXIX.
Martha Mosley, the relict of Samuel Mosley, late vicar of Carlow, now deceased, sworn and examined, saith, that about th beginning of November, 1641, when the rebellion was begun at Carlow, her said husband was then alive. And that then he and she, this deponent, were forcibly expelled, deprived of and from the possession of his benefices, or church means, and of their goods and chattels to the value in all of 1,000^,, and above, by Thomas Davells of the Queen's County, Esq., Mr. Wall of Loughlan, in the county of Carlow, Esq., and Eobert Harpole of the Queen's County, Esq., and their soldiers and partakers, whose names she knoweth not. And that this deponent's husband and she, and their four children, and her mother fled from their habitation into the Castle of Carlow, where they remained for about one year, and there en- dured much grief and calamity, insomuch indeed, that she thinketh it was the death of her said husband, and also of her mother. And she further saith, that during the time that she and the rest were in the said castle, viz. betwixt St, Stephen's Day, 1G41, and the week before Easter, the said castle Avas besieged by the said Thomas Davells, Wall, Harpole, and their soldiers, and by Walter Bagenal of
DEPOSITlOiNS. 73
Dunleckny, Esq., and Robert Evers of Cloglinory iu the county of Caiiow, gent., and their soldiers and accomplices, whose names she cannot tell. And saith, that one night, whilst that siege lasted, there was slain and hurt near to the castle and church, to the number of twenty-five, men, women, and children, English Pro- testants, who were most barbarously mangled, hewed, and slashed by the rebels. And one woman who had her hand cut off this de- ponent, by God's assistance, cured, as she did divers others whilst she was there. And amongst the rest she so cured, there was a poor stripped woman, that the night aforesaid was most miserably wounded, and had several great cuts through her skull, and one in her face, who was left for dead, and lay there for twenty-four hours, and at length, by God's great help, recovered her senses, and so much strength that she crawled and came into the castle, being a most miserable object of pity, and although such as saw her despaired of her recovery, yet God, working through such means as this de- ponent used to her, she afterwards very well recovered.
About Whitsuntide, 1G42, one Hugh Everardand Edward Howe, two Protestants, were, within a musket-shot of the castle, both murdered, mangled, and cut to pieces most barbarously by the said Mr, Harpole and his soldiers. The wife of one Jonathan Lyn and her daughter were also surprised by the rebels, as they were gather- ing corn, and were from that place carried to Stapletown wood, where and when those two poor women were hanged up on a tree by the hair of the head all night. And the next morning they were cut down by the rebels, and being found to have life in them, the cruel villains then and there killed them outright. About the latter end of August, 1G42, one Bcnnet Bower went out of the castle to get in corn, and there went with him one Alice Chevening and her little son, and another woman, that had been formerly his servant, all which four about a quarter of a mile from the castle were met by the soldiers of the said Harpole, who then and there took tho said Bower prisoner, murdered the little boy and his mother, and the said other woman, the poor child's head being pitifully mangled and his belly so opened that his bowels fell out, and one of the women's throat being almost cut through, and the other pitifully mangled.
MAIiTHA MOSLEY.
Jurat. 2>dth October, 1G43, Hen. Jones. Hen. Brebeton.
74 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF lOJl.
Note.
Charles Jewell, gent., of Dourigally, in the King's County, swore before Jones and Brereton that of twenty-two families, his near neighbours, in all about one hundred and twenty persons, he believed only his sister and two others survived. The rest were stripped, and in one way or another were murdered by the rebels. He was himself sheltered by one Nicholas White and Brian Molloy, but was beaten and wounded because he refused to go to mass. While he was at White's house, one Ellinor Bycroft and her two children were murdered in that neighbourhood, their bodies being thrown into a hole in a ditch before they were quite dead, and the earth cast over them while they were ' groaning miserably.' He also swore that the rebels read aloud in his presence the commission whicli they said they had received from the King, and showed a broad seal attached to it. It would almost appear that there was more than one of those mysterious real or forged documents in circulation in 1G41. If so they were probably all forgeries.
CLXX.
James Benn, late of the city of Kilkenny, shoemaker, sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, that since the beginning of the present rebellion, that is to say, about the 26th of December, 1041, he, this deponent, at Kilkenny aforesaid, was deprived, robbed, or otherwise despoiled of leather, household stuff, and other things worth 30L by one Mr. Codd, a commander of rebels, who that day came into the said city, and one Bourke and other accomplices and soldiers of or with the said Mr. Codd, whose names this deponent cannot remember ; which said rebels then and there forcibly robbed and pillaged all the Protestants in that part of the city, or suburbs, called tlie Irish town, of their goods. The gates of the city being at that time shut, and some others, especially Eoe Purcell, merchant, then sheriff of the said city, and son-in-law to Patrick Murphy, now mayor of the same city, and liis servants, and others as well Papist inhabitants of the same city, and other devilish rebels of the country that they had called to partake with them, robbed and dispossessed the rest of the Protestants in the city.
And further saith, that one of the rebellious cruel soldiers, about
DEPOSITIONS. 75
Easter, 1G42, did in Kilkenny aforesaid, in this deponent's own sight, most barbarously and wickedly with a sharp skean rip open the belly of a poor English young woman, that fled thither from Castlecomer, for safety, so that her entrails tumbled out, and she received them in her arms, and at the same time stabbed and wounded the mother and brother of the said young woman, and had killed them outright, as this deponent is verily persuaded, but that he sent one Eichard Lawlor, a shoemaker, to rescue them, who carried the two, the mother and son, to one Thomas Archer, then mayor of the city, to whom complaint being made of these outrages, he so far sleightod it, that he turned them scornfully away, so that the villainous rebels of the city, viz. some men, but mostly women and boys there, threw stones on them and dirt m the streets, and pursued and beat them out of the town. But as to the poor young woman, she crawled away with her bowels on her arms, out of the to^vn, and died that night under a hedge. And further saith, that on the Sun- day, in the mornmg next after that this deponent was robbed of his goods, he went to the church of St. Canice to pray, where he saw one Mr. Smith, a Protestant minister, late of Ballynekill, and one Mr. Lemon, a Scottish Protestant, late a schoolmaster in Kilkenny, which Mr. Smith was then and there stark naked, and the said Lemon had only a pair of breeches on, both having been stript in the church, and standing trembling near the altar ; when this de- ponent not being able to relieve them, left them in that poor state. And the same morning the deponent met coming out of the church one Mr. Jones, late minister at Stroncarty, who was stript of almost all his clothes, and had a great wound in his shoulder, given him by the rebels.
And further saith, that w^iilst this deponent remained at Kil- kenny, which was from the beginning of the rebellion until about the 2(;tli day of Juno, IGIB, then ho, this deponent, observed and saw in the houses and shops of Andrew Murphy, James Archdeacon, Pierse Archer, Eobert Tobin, and divers other merchants in the said city, the Protestant bibles and prayer-books torn in pieces, and used as waste paper to wrap up soap, starch, candles, and such wares as they sold. And further saith, that although after they were robbed this deponent and some of the English were suffered to stay at Kilkenny, yet the rebels gave them nothing, but they lived by their hard labour. And when they had gotten anything, it was taken from them, by cesses, presses, and soldiers. And this de- ponent and the rest of the Protestants were often threatened to bo
76 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF 10 J 1.
hanged, so as they stood in fear of their lives till they got away. And further, this deponent hath been credibly told by some of the Eomish and rebellious citizens there, that the titulary Bishop of Cashel and Turlogh Oge O'Neil, brother to the devilish rebel Sir Plielim O'Neil, and the Popish citizens of Kilkenny aforesaid, petitioned and earnestly moved the council at Kilkenny, that all the English Protestants there should be put to death, whereunto one Kichard Lawless, an alderman of the city, in excuse of them answered and said, that the English were all robbed before, and he saw no cause that they should lose their lives. And at divers other times, when it was pressed that the English should be put to death, the Lord Mountgarrett, and his son, Mr. Edmund Butler, and Mr. Philip Purcell, by their strength, means, and occasions prevented it, they being, as the deponent believeth, commanded by God Almighty so to do. And further saith, that the said Sir Phelim O'Neil, about a month or six weeks since, came to Kilkenny (out of the north), where this deponent left him and his lady, and the other grand rebellious councillors.
And further saith, that about a month since, one Captain Chambers being taken prisoner by the rebels, and promised fair quarter, was brought to Kilkenny, when and where the base rebel, Captain Eobert Harpole of Shrule, having begged leave to have him, caused his, the said Harpole's own men to hang the said Captain Chambers upon a gate, and before he was dead they cut off his head and let his body fall to the ground, and cruelly and indecently mangled it. And the stripped body was carried away into a ditch, with the head, and there buried, as this deponent was credibly in- formed by one Brian MacShane, his apprentice, whom he, this ex- amt., sent purposely to see how they used the said Captain Chambers,
not daring to go himself.
James Benn. Jurat. 8rcZ J%dy, 1G43, Wm. Aldkich. Hen. Pigott.
Note.
As I have already said, the fewness, comparatively speaking, of massacres in the province of Leinster was made up for by out- bursts of ferocious bigotry in the destruction of churches, the digging up of Protestants from the graves in which they had rested for months or years, and the casting of their bones into ditches and roads. Nothing can whitewash some of the Roman Catholic clergy from
DEPOSITIONS. 77
the guilt of these outrages. The order of the ' moderate ' Bishop of Ferns respecting the burial of Francis Talbot, given at page 1 55 , vol i. , and the testimony of innumerable witnesses at Kilkenny, Wexford, Carlow, and other Leinster counties, show that the people acted only in accordance with the mandates of their priests, when they profaned the graves of the Protestants. And we have equally good evidence to show that up to the eve of the rebellion those same priests were, even in that intolerant age, treated with courtesy and even kindness by the Protestants of those counties. A somewhat rare edition of Lord Castlehaven's ' Memoirs of the Irish Wars of 1G41,' pubhshed in 1815, contains Lord Anglesey's letter of ob- servations and reflections thereupon, written in 1G80. Of the terms on which the Koman Catholics and Protestants lived in 1G40-1 Lord Anglesey says, ' there never was more miity, friendship, and good agreement, amongst all sorts and degrees, excepting in the standing root of mischief, the difference in religion, than at this time, or more mutual confidence. ... I remember very well the summer before the rebellion, the titular Bishop of Ferns coming on his visitation into the county of Wexford, where I then dwelt, at the request of the Popish priest, I lent most of my silver plate to entertain the said Bishop with, and had it honestly restored.' How this courtesy and tolerance, which, needless to say, would never have been exhibited to a heretic bishop by a Spaniard or Italian in their native countries, in 1040, was repaid by the Bishop of Ferns and his brethren we know. John Mayer, sworn on the 29th of May, before Henry Jones and Henry Brereton, deposed that the rebels of Kilkenny had brought into the town the heads of ' Mr. Alfrey, son of the Lord Lieutenant's comptroller. Lieutenant Gilbert, Mr. Bingham a clergyman, and four others,' which heads they knocked against the stones, cut, slashed, and mangled, and scorched the face of Mr. Bingham. They then placed his head on a pole, and laid a leaf of a book before it, ' scornfully saying lie might ■preach now if he ivoulcl, for his mouth ivas open enough I ' The same witness adds, that the rebels robbed the Protestant churches, broke the pulpits, and made gunpowder in some of them, 'swearing they would turn the bodies of the Protestants out of their graves that had been buried a year before.' Long before Cromwell's soldiers came over to desecrate, as is popularly supposed, the churches, they were desecrated, plundered, and their bibles and service books kicked into the kennel and trampled on by the orthodox Catholics.
78 THE imsn massacres of kmi.
CLXXI.
Ann, wife of Mervin Maudsley, late of the city of Kilkenny, gentleman, duly sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, that since the beginning of the present rebellion, viz. about the 1st day of (illegible) past, her said husband and she were, at Kilkenny afore- said, deprived, robbed, and despoiled of their means, goods, and chattels, consisting of household goods, linen, apparel, beer in the cellar and other things, to the value of 69Z. 15s. ster. And saith, she knoweth not the names of the rebels that so robbed them, but was credibly informed and believes that they were the rebellious soldiers serving under the command of Philip Purcell of Ballifoyle in the county of Kilkenny, Esq., son-in-law to the Lord Mountgarrett and captain of a company of rebels. And about the same time some of the rebels in Kilkenny aforesaid struck and beat a poor English- woman, until she was forced into a ditch, where she died, those barbarous rebels having first ript open and let her child's guts about her heels and most cruelly murdered her, being about sixteen years of age. And further saith, that Joan Smith, this deponent's mother, who dwelt in the house of her, this deponent, was also by the rebels robbed and despoiled of her goods worth 60Z. And further saith, that one (hlanh) Cantwell, provost marshal for the rebels, at or near Kilkenny, and his company hanged seven English- men that they foimd on the way from Ballin [torn], whereof one was a tailor, named Kichard Philips, and they also hanged an Irish- man, because he was in company with these Englishmen. All which eight persons were hanged in the town of Kilkenny, on a house of newly-framed timber. And also the rebels called on the Lord Mountgarrett to have all the English there hanged, he answered, that he would pistol any who made such a request again, for that the English who were left would gladly enough go away and leave the country, if they knew how ; which this deponent knew they would, for the rebellious Irish would still abuse and oppress those English whom they had not slain or banished, and
would commonly call them English dogs.
Ann Maudsley. Jurat. March 28th, 1G43, Hen. Brereton. Wm. Aldrich.
DErOSITIONS, 79
CLXXII.
Ealpii Bulkely, of the town of Carlow, parisli clerk, sworn and examined, saitli, that since the begmning of the present rebelhon, that is to say, in the months of November and December, 1G41, and since, he was robbed and forcibly despoiled of goods and chattels to the value of 231/. by the Irish Papists and rebels, viz. Robert (illegible) of Clownagh in the same county, gent., a captain of rebels since slain in rebellion, Eobert Harpole of Shrewle in the same county, another captain of rebels, Thomas Davells, Esq., of the Queen's County, Edmund Wall of Loughane, and Edward Wall of Ballynakill in the county of Carlow, Esq., another commander of rebels, Walter Bagenal of Dunleclmy, another of their commanders, who at the first, upon his promise of loyalty and to do his Majesty service, procured to himself arms from the stores in Dublin and then most perfidiously and treacherously turned rebel and used those arms against his Majesty and his loyal Protestant subjects, Murtogh Oge {blank) of Castletown, Esq., James Butler of Tully, Esq., Garret {illegible) of Brisholstown (szc), Esq., and generally all the other gentry and commonalty of Irish Papists, within the county of Carlow. . . . And this deponent and many of the English for the safety of their lives fled to the Castle of Carlow, to the number of GOO men, women, and children, many being very poor and having nothing to eat when they came thither. And further saitli, that such was the providence and mercy of God to them in the said castle, to save them from the rebels, that a great flood fell into the river of Carlow aforesaid, about the beginning of December, 1G41, and continued until after Candlemas following, in such a height, that he never saw the like there, where he hath dwelt eighteen years. Insomuch that none could approach the castle but upon a narrow causeway, which they might with difficulty defend. Howbeit the rebels before named and divers others of the country on St. John's Day of Christmas, 1641, while the flood was high, came into the town of Carlow, and took it, and the Irish of the town joined and resorted with them, and set and kept several corps de garde, and hemmed in all those in the castle, so that they could not stir out, so much as to fetch a pail of water, but they were slain. And afterwards, viz. a little after Candlemas, the flood still continuing, those rebels secretly in the night time with cotts, and
80 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF ICll.
on horseback approached unto, and summoned the castle, and laid siege thereunto, and also to the church, and with pickaxes and sledges broke down the church wall, but were repulsed-, and many of them slain, but those of the English that were found out of the castle, these rebels most barbarously murdered, some of them being children, that were slain hanging at the breasts of their poor mothers, and some very old people that could scarcely go. And the said rebels, to their great loss of men, continued the siege until the morning following, but were much aimoyed and hindered by the water, insomuch that when they were quite repulsed, and forced to leave the siege, many of them were put to deep wading and swimming, and some in the cotts slain, wherein that flood and the narrowness of the pavement, afforded to the besieged Protestants not a little relief and advantage. By which repulse these rebels were, as he conceiveth, so deterred, that afterwards they did not attempt to besiege the castle or the church, but yet lying in the town, kept the Protestants in the castle until his Majesty's army did, about Easter following, march thither, and then all that were there besieged went away with the army.
Ralph Bulkely. Jurat. Sth Jan. 1G43,
Hen. Jones.
Hen. Breketon.
CLXxin.
Barnaby Dunne, of Brittas, in the Queen's County, Esquire, being duly sworn and examined, deposeth, that about the end of November, 1G41, and since, he was robbed and deprived of his goods, rents, chattels, and other profits as followeth, by and through the commotions and rebellions begun in that and other parts of the kingdom of Ireland, viz. of corn, sheep, cows, oxen, garrans, and plow harness, which he left as a stock in his lands of Ballyvadock, Rahmore, and part of the lands of Stradbally, held by Robert Robinson, Thomas McCarroll, and Walter Fullam, his farmers, worth 400Z., which stock was taken for the most part, as he credibly heard, by Henry Dempsey, Con Dempsey, Murtagh Dempsey, Failly Dempsey, Rossa and Nicholas Dempsey, William Cosby, otherwise called William Kelly, and others their adlierents. In cows,- mares, sheep, horses, colts, swine taken and stolen from him in Irregan, worth 400Z,, by and through the means of Daniel duna, Arthur and Rory duna, John McWilliam Conraghy, and others, their adherents
DEPOSITIONS. 81
and confedoratcs. In corn and malt at Brittas, and corn in ground, and household furniture and stuff which he is not permitted to pos- sess or move from thence for not joining with these rebels, and because he is a Protestant, worth 300/., of his rents due and payable at Michaelmas, and Easter 400^., and the same for two years to come, 800Z., which he doth not expect to receive by reason of the rebellion and the banishment of his English tenants that he had in Iregan, to the number of twenty and upwards, part of Avhom he was driven to keep and relieve at his house of Brittas, until at length they came with much difficulty to the fort at Maryborough after Easter last, and partly by reason of the wasting, burning, and destroying of his houses, mills, and other improvements that were thereon by this unnatural rebellion. Also the rent of the impro- priate rectory of Iregan for harvest, 1642, worth lOOZ., and is like to lose the future profits thereof (until a peace be established) through the intrigues of Ross Geoghegan, titulary Bishop of Kildare, who doth claim the same, and inhibited the inhabitants of the country by himself and Tiegue Delahunty, priest, to pay this examt. the said rent and the rents and profits of the impropriate rectory of Kilruish and Collier's land, in the said diocese, worth 34/. per an., and is likely to lose the future profits thereof, also of arrears of rents and tithes before the last year, and debts due by persons who are likely to grow desperate, and not be recovered through this rebellion, 400/., also 100/. due on a mortgage or rentcharge on part of the lands of John Carroll of Clonlish in the King's County, Esquire, and the said rentcharge for Michaelmas, 1642, 15/., also a mortgage on the lands of Eory Oge of Banellileg, Daniel cluna of Tinnahinch and John cluna of Coulloghlane, in Iregan, in the Queen's County aforesaid, 100/., of which they intend to deprive him, this examt., being now not amenable to his Majesty's laws, nor he, according to their new ways and laws, capable to partake thereof or recover the same. All which amounteth to the full sum of 2,134/. sterling.
This examt. further saith, that about Christmas, 1641, one Tiegue MacRory Dunne, Avho sometime lived with him, spake to Sybil, wife to this deponent, as she told him this deponent, and as the said Tiegue afterwards confessed, that there was no safety for her life or this deponent's in Iregan, unless they went to mass. Whereupon this deponent discharged the said Tiegue out of his house, and bade him or any of them that were Papists to burn and kill him this deponent, and his wife, and their children, if they, the
. VOL. II. Q
82 THE IRISH MASSACRES OF IGJl.
Papists, could or durst, for that he, this deponent, and his family, would not join in the rebellion, nor change their religion.
He further saith, that one Robert Story, an Englishman that then lived at Mr. Richard Redish's house, affirmed unto him that about that time one Tiegue Delahunty, a mass priest, that lived in Iregan, desired him, the said Robert, to carry a message from him to the said Sybil, which was that if she did not go to mass she must leave Iregan, and go to her father. Sir Robert Pigott.
He also deposeth, that Daniel Dunne of Tomgraney, gent., and Arthur Dunne of Ballynahonne, gent., told him that it was certain that there was some powerful personage in the Irish army in the north that used to sit under a tent cloth or canopy, and that none but prime men or commanders were admitted to his or her presence, some saying it was the young prince, others the queen or the queen mother. And said, that those that begun this commotion gave it out for certain that they had the king's commission to do what they did, and that they were to extirpate or banish all the English and Protestants that would not become Roman Catholics.
He also saith, that Plielim Dunne of Lackamore, and Elinor FitzGerald, wife to Brian McDonnell, told him that the titulary bishop and the priests said they could not consecrnte the churches wherein to celebrate the mass, until the corpses of the Protestants should be removed thereout.
He further saith, that in January last, or February, the fore- named Ross Geoghegan, titulary bishop, came with others to this deponent's house at Brittas where he then was, being sickly, saying that this deponent was one of his charge, and that he was bound to" labour to reduce him to be of the Roman Catholic religion, where- upon divers arguments about religion, the king's prerogative and supremacy, past between them, which this deponent put down in writing, and upon the said Geoghegan's earnestners, this deponent alleged that he was the king's sworn officer, as being a justice of tlio peace and twice a high sheriff, and had sworn the oath of supremacy which he held to be lawful, and he in conscience tried to observe the same ; to whom the said titulary bishop replied that it was an unlawful oath, pretending it might safely be dispensed with, further urging that God would not permit any to have power above his vicar on earth, meaning the Pope. Whereupon this deponent alleged a passage that fell out concerning the King of Hungary being in league with the Turk, who, by the persuasion of a legate from the Pope, violated his oath in breaking that league and joined in battle with the emperor against the Turk. And the Turk having a copy
DEPOSITION,^. 83
of the league and oath taken betwixt them called upon Christ Jesus to avenge Himself upon the perfidious Christian that brake the oath taken in His name, upon which it was observed as remarkable that the Turk gahied the victory against the Christian army.
And further this deponent saitli, that 'about the end of that month of February, one Brendan Conn, a friar, as he heard him to be, came to this deponent, labouring to persuade him from being a Protestant, and to join and subscribe to a writing that he, the friar, had drawn up, the contents whereof, as this deponent remembercth, was to bind himself to join with the undertakers of that commo- tion in their confederation for banishing the English that would not conform to the Eoman Catholic religion, and doing such further acts as the undertakers or rebels would appoint, which this deponent refused to yield unto. During which time some forbearance was shown to this deponent in permitting him and some of his English tenants to remain there, hoping from time to time they would be as they (the rebels) were. And divers messages and threatenings were brought to this deponent from Florence FitzPatrick, Arthur Molloy, and some of the Dempsies, and divers others that if he did not put away his English tenants and servants and become as one of them, they would pull him out by the heels and take all he had. And this deponent, seeing the dangerousness of the time, and perceiving the rebel's evil intentions and cruel dealings with others, and pro- clamations for robbing all Protestants, and to kill them if they would not leave these parts, though the said rebels pretended to be autho- rised by the king to do as they did ; which this deponent bclievetli not, for that his Majesty would surely stand by his Protestant sub- jects, and as soon as he, this examt., got a little cured of his sick- ness, he being altogether unable to suppress or resist them, being one against many thousands, fled unto the house of his father-in- law, Sir Robert Pigott, at Disart, in the month of March last. And saith, that some of his servants in the night time, as they told this deponent, brought unto him to Disart aforesaid, two beeves, twenty- six muttons, some plate, and a little linen, for which he heard Daniel Dunne and his rebellious adherents threatened to hang the said servants, and in a rage wounded one of them. So that they durst not any more come with any relief to this deponent.
Barnaby Dukne. Jitrat. 2,2nd Nov. 1G42,
Cora Wm. Aldrich. Eandal Adahs.
John Watson. Hen. Brereton.
o 2
84 THE IRTSII i\rASSACT!ES OF KJJI.
CLXXIV.
Thomas Huetson (sic), of the town and county of Kildare, an English Protestant, sworn and examined, saith, about a month or three weeks since one John Courtney of Kildare aforesaid, weaver, and IMartin Courtney, his son, Walter White of the same town, labourer, Buonaventure Berry of the same town, the reputed son of WiUiam Berry of the same town a Popish priest, and Thomas Berry of Kildare aforesaid, near kinsman of the said William Berry, and divers other rebels of the Irish, did in the cathedral church of Kildare aforesaid dig up the graves of Dominick Huetson, this deponent's brother, who had been buried about twenty months, and of Christian Huetson, this deponent's grandmother, who had been buried about one week, and took their corpses out of the same graves in the church, and laid them both in a garden, outside the walls of the churchyard, which was done by the council and pro- curement of Ross McGeoghegan, titulary Bishop of Kildare, and James Dempsy, the Popish vicar general, William Berry, priest, Dominick Dempsy, guardian to the friars, who live in Kildare afore- said, James Flanagan of the same, a friar, Brian O'Cormady of the same, friar, and other fiiars, whose names he now remembereth not.' And further saith, that the same William O'Berry {sic) brought this deponent before the said titulary bishop, and informed him that this deponent was looking in the church window Avhen the corpses of the said brother and grandmother were being taken up, and that he writt down the names of those parties that so took them up, and desired to know what must be done with this de- ponent, to which the said Bishop Geoghegan answered that if he found the report to be true, and that this deponent would do any- thing against their Catholic cause, he would imprison and hang him. And further deposeth, that some of the parties above named, with divers others of the town of Kildare, said that they could not sanctify or hallow the said church of Kildare until the heretics' bodies were removed out of it.
Thomas Hewetson. Jurat. 15th Feb. IMl, Roger Puttock. Wm. Aldrich.
Note.
Ralph Walmesly, farmer, of Ballynegulshy near Birr, sworn and e:;amined, deposed to the murder of his mother and- his infant
D]:rosiTioxs. 85
child by an Irishman who was sent to convey them to Birr by Lady Herbert. He also deposed as to several other murders of which he had heard and to the seditious speecliea, drunkenness and profligacy of a friar. But he spoke in high terms of the kindness shown to him by Captain Turlogli Molloy and John McFarrell, gent., of Ballycally in the Queen's County, saying that ' he (this deponent) is confident that the said Molloy and IMcFarrell