Deposition of Nicholas Ronan

fol. 447r

1694
Nicholas Ronan of the Citty of Limerick Merchante sworne & examined deposeth & saith That when before the Rebellion began in the north of Ireland he this deponent (being was at London in England) & after he came home heard a report of an Insurrection in the north but did not beleeve the same And about before A the first of Nouember And about Michelmas afterwards 1641 this deponent amongst other Merchants of Limerick, comeing away gott from London gott at Length home to Limerick, & his shipp the barque arrived there alsoe which he fraighted then he heard a report of an insurrection in the north of Ireland but he beleeved it not And saith that the same ship barque being vnladen was within some few dayes after fraighted againe by an English Merchant, howbeit when the same merchant was to take her away hee was therein opposed by or by the meanes <A> of the said Dominick ffanning then Maior of Limrick & his partakers yet at length for some money disbursed & given by him this deponent the same barque was cleered & retourned for England ffrance And soone afterwardes he the said ffanning together with one Doctor Donnell Higgins John White a Burgesse Thomas ffanning yonger sonn of the said Dominick ffanning & the elder sonn of the said Dominick: & divers of the Country whose names this deponent knoweth not fell into open hostilities & imploied divers squadrons of sould Irish souldiers both Citizens & others to robb the English & those that would not partake with him as this deponent was credibly informed, and verely beleeveth: And for this deponent did not nor durst see the same with his owne eyes, nor publiquely to looke into the streets being threatened together with his brother by the said Dominick ffanning that he would leave them before he had done as bare as his hand or to that effect meaneing (as this deponent conceaveth ) to robb them of all their goods becawse they would not partake with him: but blamed him for his vnlawful actions & cruelties And therevpon this deponent and his said brother were inforced for [ ] the summ of viij li which they sent to the said ffanning to take a protection from him for the safetie of themselues & their goods And afterwardes divers of the English being (for safety fled) into the Castle of Limerick & the said ffanning & his complicees haveing against
2

fol. 447v

1695
<B> the wills of this deponent and divers others of the Citizens brought into his & their confederacy within the said Citty one Barry called Generall Barry & divers of the Cuntry souldiers with him They the said Dominick ffanning & Generall Barry and the other parties before named together with Lieutenant generall Purcell & many rude persons both of the Citty & Country assaulted & beseeged the English in the said Castle for three moneths as he remembreth Insomuch as many of the English in the Castle being driven to want of cloths victualls & other provision died of that want And in the tyme of that seige there was as this deponent hath credibly heard & beleeveth an English woman & a Mayde cast off the balle bridge in Limrick into the River & there drowned & he alsoe heard that another English woman was Killed without Mungrid gate by Richard Gerrald a Taylor but what the name of those women were he cannott tell neither knows whoe drowned the woman & Mayde And he alsoe heard that another English man was kild above newgate but what his name was he knows not nor who killd him: but the all the same acts were Comitted at the tyme when the Irish Rebells above named were beseegeing of the said Castle but never heard of And he alsoe heard of divers drowned carcasses floating in the said River, And credibly heard that an Englishman who was a sadler was killed by one Peirs Creagh sonn to to Geo: Creagh gent now within the Citty of Limerick: And one other Englishman by credible report alsoe killed without <C> Thoman gate by one Doctor David White in Limerick who whoe is since gone for spaine which was done about thre or fowre yeres since: which said Doctor David was after questioned for the fact but after released but this deponent heard of noe other person questioned for any of the other Murthers or drowneinges Only he hath been told that where one of the women which was throwne off the bridge came towardes the side & that an Irish roague threw a stone at her & hitt her so as shee was drowned, that the same Roague was after hanged for that fact, but by whome he cannott tell
Nicholas Ronan
Jur vltr Augusti 1653
Ro: Stamael
Tho Waring Will Kinge Henr fflower

fol. 448r

1696

fol. 448v

1697

Nicholas Ronan B 2
for the murthers at Limerick
Lo: Muskery

B2