Deposition of William Hollis

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William Hollis gent nowe one of the traine of Artilerie at Dublin Sworne and examined deposeth and saith: That since the begining of the present Rebellion vizt about the xth of March Last 1642 This deponent being then vnder the Comand of Captain Devaleere & a trooper: Martched with this said Captain & the rest of his troope out of the towne of Swordes in the County territory of ffingall vpon a partie to meete with, & (if possible) to surprise the Slowbegg or small runing army of the Rebells: then very frequent & dangerous to the kinges Lojall subiects in the Cuntrie) And haveing ridd vpp and downe seuerall myles at length this deponent & the re six more by Consent of the rest, ranged over the feilds the next way homewa d homewards (as they conceived) But in their way The Rebells Captain <A> John ffatt Oliver Welsh (a frier) Captain ffinglass & Captain John ffinglasse, Joh ffotterell father Rowen the Preist & other preists in their Company: and divers other Rebells Consisting in all of 100 horse & 15 musketeers or thereabouts (Lying in ambush) suddenly asaulted and sett vpon this deponent & the other six: But 2 of the six rydeing away: this deponent & the other 4 were were surprised still pursued & one of them instantly slaine (after they hadd skirmished with the rebells), & at length they fled into a mylne which the Rebells burned about their heads) soe as they were inforced to stand to the Rebells mercie: & haveing quarter, were brought out: yet this deponent & 2 more of them were carried towards the place of execucion & all threatened to bee hanged, and those twoe vizt William Murphy & Henry Shelton were then and there hanged accordingly: But this deponent earnestly pressing the Rebells for the liffe they promissed him vpon his quarter, Hee with much difficulty escaped death att that tyme: But was stript presently of his clothes money & weapons worth iiij li. at Least, and alsoe of his horse & armes: & then they carried this deponent to Westpalstowne: from thence to another towne called (as he thincketh) the Currogh: Where the Rebells kept a Court of guard all night & this deponent was kept prisoner amongst them: And from thence was carried with them to Kylartareirey
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nere Minowth in the County of Kildare: & from thence was carried a long with the said Welsh, & the rest vpp & downe the County of Kildare into & from theis seuerall townes vizt <B> Cloncurry Kilbride, & into Corckerstowne where one M r. Ailmer Liveth with a great Company of his tennants frends and servants Whoe are all (as this deponent is veryly perswaded) most notorious Rebells (although as is reported) Protected by Captain Sandford or some others; ffor indeed the said Mr Ailmer & his tennants & Inhabitants of that towne ordinarily harbour releeve & entertaine Rebells (the said Walshs his Ancient liveing with his family in that towne): & his Sergeant liveing closse by, And the Cuntry farmers (whose howses are burnd) carried thither frequently their Corne: ffrom whence it & other provision, hath beene Comonly sent to the Rebells army for their releeffe: And the Rebell souldiers are daily & nighty billetted in Corkerstown aforesaid: and in all the other towns aforesaid And from thence this <C> deponent was carried to Scurlockstowne: Where hee observed & saw that the Rebells keept a Court of guard in the howse of one Morrice ffitzgarald In which Court a guard this Deponent was kept prisoner 2 seuerall nights: And from thence this deponent was carried to Dunnadey 6 myles or thereabouts beyond Manowth (: which as the inhabitants report) is protected <D> by the Marquesse of Ormond: And yet the Lady Ailmer & her tennants in that towne doe most frequently harbour entertaine and releeve Rebells vizt the said Captain Welsh <E> Captain Scurlock & one Captain Talbott & their Rebell souldjers alsoe sending Corne & releefe to the Rebells army: and keepeing the gates of the towne open in the day time for the Rebells: But when they heare of any English armie then they shutt the gates & place Centurys vpon the topp of the Ladie Ailmers howse: in show, against the Rebells as both the deponent himself obserued, & as was confessed vnto him by divers of the Rebells themselues: And from thence this deponent was carried prisoner by the Rebells to that and into
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<F> the Island of Allen & to the howse where Morrice ffitzgarrett gent dwelleth: which said ffitzgarrett (being Lord of all or the principall parts of that Island) is (as the inhabitants there confidently report) protected by Sir Arthur Loftus knight Captain and governor of the Naas And the said ffitzgarrett frequently & att his pleasure goeth to and from the Naas: seuerall times sending to the said Sir Arthur Loftus small divers small presents: And in that deed, that whole Island being protected, The Rebells vizt Captain Welsh Captain Scurlogh Captain Talbott and divers other Rebellious persons and their souldiers doe comonly resort vnto & haue free & open harbor & entertainment there And on Ester day Last this deponent being there, sawe a Markett there kept, where alsoe there were a great number of preists & fryers & Masse publiquely said, and the towne where the Market was kept vizt Kilmeige entertained the ne th em at the least 200 Rebell souldjers which keept a Court of guard in a stable closse by the said Morrice ffitzgarrets howse & keepe Centries & haue there cast vpp framed, and finished a great work of earth & sodds: which this deponent Conceiveth to bee Cannon proofe: In And the Rebell Captains Last named have (in this deponents sight) freely and familiarly gone into and out of the said ffitzgarrets howse & have discoursed and consulted with him, Insoemuch as those Captains (as this deponent is verely perswaded) doe Comand all the howse work, & I l e and Island, & all the souldjers there: And when this deponent was brought from thence that is to say on Wednsday or Thursday in Ester weeke, a great number of souldjers were ready to bee sent from thence to ayde the Rebellious irish Army: And from that Island this deponent was carried back to Corkerstowne aforesaid: Where he was in restraint till Sunday sevenight following: & then a party of English from Mynowth comeing through that towne The deponent breake then
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then and there brake seeing them) broake from his keepers the Rebellious souldiers that had him in restraint and from the women in the howse that endeavoured to hold him fast & soe escaped to those English souldjers: And further <G> saith That the said Captain ffottrell weare whoe is now brought to Dublin a prisoner, weareth about him this deponent{s} Coate which was taken from him when he was surprised as aforesaid: And saith alsoe that one George Laiborne alias Labrum: Whoe is now in the Citty of Dublin (an English man) his wiffe being one of the Rebellious Welshes doth ordinarily goe and passe from hence to and amongst the Rebells and had the Rebells passes Amongst whom this deponent saw him at Cloncurry & other places neere Johnstowne: And this deponent was credibly <H> informed by one Richard Condron (one of fryer Welshes souldjers & one of his this deponents keepers) that the said Laiborn alias Labrum hath brought from Dublin ffortie or fifity Pownds worth of wares & goods to the Rebells And that amongst other thinges that hee brought a hatt and a feather to the said frier Welsh which this deponent himself sawe, & hee alsoe brought vnto the Rebells, provition of fruite spice Cheeses wollen cloth sneeseing & other thinges on horses backs: & the deponent saw 3 of those horses & their loads which hee soe brought whilst the deponent was soe in restraint amongst the Rebells But before this deponent gott at liberty divers of the Rebells (in th is deponents his hearing) reported that they heard that the said Laiburne alias Laibrum was apprehended & imprisoned in Dublin: & as they was to be hanged, others said that he was taken & killd or almost killed All of those Rebells expressing great sorrow for the newes
William Hollis
Jur 27o Aprilis 1643 coram
Joh Watson
Hen: Brereton
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