Information of William Pilsworth
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The information of William Pilsworth Clerck
In obedience vnto your honnors Commaunde, I have drawne a breife declaratione (as my memorye can collect) of Som passages which touchinge both my selfe and others in the beginninge of this rebellione: I remember In the first beginninge there were two thinges which hindered my comminge to dublin, one was the great Chardge I had videlicet my wife whith ten children and the smale meanes I hadd to support them heere; togather with the difficultye I conceaved in the Carriadge of them. secondly the hope I conceaved of those fforces which my Lo: and Patron the Earle of Kildare hadd gathered for the safetye of that Countye, by which togather with the happie discoverye of the prodigious plott in this towne I supposed would soon annihilate the trayterous designes of the rebellious enemyes, which proved to the loss of all that ever I had, and the hazard of my life in a most ignomious manner, ffor noe sooner was this rebellio{n} heard of in our parts but presently it hatched a develish broode even birds of the same feather; Striplinges and whipsters that turned gods grace and the kinges mercye into wantones and vnconstancie and turned the edges of the weapons delivered them for the safetye of their Countrye against his sacred Maiestie and Loyall subiects: beinge thervnto strongly invited and threatned by that grand Hellhound Roger Moore of Ballyna: the first that ffollowed in the daunce were Peirse ffitz Gerald of Ballisonan: Eustace of Castellmartinge: Sutton of Typper, William ffitz Gerald of Blackhall and his breethren, Sir John Dongan’s brothers and manny others, soe th{at} on the suddaine all passages betweene mee & Dublin were soe shutt vpp by the enemye that I could in noe wise pass wit{h} such a traine as I hadd; Neither for the space of 3 weeks durst { } my selfe or wife com within our owne doores but secretly & that seldo{m} but Lynge somtimes vnder headges & in woods, somtimes in one poo{r} mans Cabbin or other, but most of all wee were concealed and preserved by on William yorke somtimes an Inkeeper but after {a} Captaine vnder the Commaunde of Eustace of Castellmartin which Eustace hearinge therof sent him a letter (which I read) by one Edmond Eustace that if hee did any longer succour mee or { } hee would make him an example, to all those that should releeve or succour herretiques, and that hee should receave the punishment due to them; and withall commaunded him goe to Kilkock and hew in peeces one George Gouldsmith and his mother (who were his tennants) and cease on their goods an{d} estats for his vse:
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which the said yorke effected only hee tooke not away their Lives; this yorke was a protestant and soe continued a longe time and was always a good frend vnto mee as a requitall and gratitude for that once when hee was arraigned at Naas ffor som ffellonious act, I procured the safetye of his life: After this one William Lightbond Clerck my brother in Law wrote a letter to a daughter of mine that formerly Lived with him, about some goods of his that hee left at Kildare, and writinge of manny thinges hee wrote in the conclusione of his letter that if the forenamed yorke would bringe in William ffitz Gerald of Blackhall his head hee should have his pardon and 300 li. which letter the said ffitz Gerald intercepted and privately Coppied and sent the letter to my house, to and within 4 or 5 dayes the said Yorke was apprehended and soe was my daughter and my selfe & my sonn; my goods taken away <X> before my face by the said ffitz Gerald his rebellious rouges; wee bound and Carried to the place of their randesvous to receave examinatione & executione; heere were 17 Coullers with Commaunders <P> officers and a great number of Barberous rouges thirstinge for our innocent bloud, heere when they could finde nothinge worthey of death ffitz Gerald of Ballisonan beinge Cheife asked mee whither I would vppon savinge my life goe with them to Mass, I answered I would not save the boddy to destroy the soule whervppon ffitz Gerald of Blackhale swore a great oath that I should hang; and truly I hadd there vndoubtedly suffered hadd not god shewed his wonted wonderfull deliverance, for beinge on the gallows and they revilingly sayinge preach there: a preist whom I never saw before made a Longe speech in my behalfe saynge that my father whoe lived for longe amongst them did not deserve his Child should bee soe miserably vsed and that this & the like blouddye vnhumane acts was it that did and would in a greater measure draw gods vengeance on them; and in that place cursed those that would have a hand in my bloud whervppon I was brought downe and asked if I hadd any to bayle mee and bringe mee to the next randesvous: one Walsh and St Michaell answered, and were bound for mee, and brought mee to 4 severall randesvous: this Walsh was and is a Notable Rebell and soe is St Michaell: At Length Wogan of Rathcoffie was bound for mee that I should bee forthcomminge at two days warninge, and soe I was sent to my house with two rouges to gaurd mee who were still waytinge on mee vntill I was re{le}eved, when the Armye came to those parts to Ro take in Rathcoffie: this Wogan was my speciall frend and sent mee all manner of rel{ei}fe and cam often vnto mee to write to my brother Golburne to procure his safetye if hee
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Came in, only this I saw there were a great number of pickes made in his house which as I heard were sent either to the Lo of ffingale or Gormanstowne: often times hee hee tould mee that the Irish would bring in a fforaine Natione if the English would not Lay downe Armes & yeald to their demaunds: I saw him likewise my selfe at a Councell of warr as they termed it when I was releast <X> In the middest of my troubles I sent for my brother Tho: Pilsworth who came but would not bee bound for mee and gave mee noe assistance but said that I must doe as all did and that if I did goe to Mass all would doe well, hee wrote a letter to his brother in=law one Oliver Wogan the beginninge wherof was in these words, deere brother, thankes bee vnto god that soe faire an opportunitye is proffered for puttinge in executione my long intended purposs; his man came once vnto mee with a Cote and a side of backon of whom I enquired manny thinges, and amongst the rest in what state Byrt was, who answered that it was well manned with 8 Musketeirs & six picke and that they would keepe it from all the English in Ireland, I tould him I hoped his mr John Pilsworth my Nephew was not of that minde hee saide hee was and that Roger Moore was with his master and my brother told mee hee hadd the happines that as to ride two whole miles in the said Moors Companye and had much conference with him, which hee would not tell mee, only hee tould mee that the said Moore hadd given directions publiquely that noe man should wronge mee either in boddye or goods: but it was not observed: those that manned Byrt were taken in the house by our Armye & hanged: Theire are manny in those partes who were blouddye prosecutors of the servants of Christ Jesus whom I finde not indicted nor mentione made of them, & who were at the blouddye massacre and destruction at Maynoth of which I hearinge before hand sent a messenger the day before hand to mr Vowells the Chaplaine theire, & desired him to bee on his & their keepinge: theire are perhapps other thinges which as I remember I will enforme your honnor, endinge at this time with the names of such Wicked Rouges as I finde not as yett indicted:
James ffittz Gerald of Blackhall Capt:Lewis Dempsie of Barbestowne Captaine
John ffittz Gerald of the sameHugh & John O Neale of Clonlurrye
Rich: ffittz Gerald of LovetowneRich: Byrt of Crynstowne
George Walsh of Painstowne:Oliver Wogan of Downinges Capt
James Preston of Grangemore.Tho: Wogan of the same Capt
Mathew Aylmer of BallykenanMauris ffitz Gerald of the Grages Capt
William Yorke of Kilkock:William Walsh of Ballimacell
James Balffe of MeglareEdward ffitz Gerald of Timachoe
Markes Hussey of Rodanstowne:Edward Long of Stablerstowne
<I am readye at any time to affirme whatsoever is heerin mentioned:
William Pilsworth rector Parson of Donada:
Rob Meredith>
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