Testimony of William King

fol. 267r

1621
I william king of newcastle in the County of Gallway doe Testifie that at the begining of the Rebellion in this land the greatest parte of <A> my Catle both Cowes sheepe & horses weare taken away from me by Rickard Burk of Derinalaghna & Thomas Burke of Anbally and seuerall others vnder thire Commaund
And that Immediatly after thire soe taking away the said Catle, Thomas Burke of Kilcornan came vnto the Castle of orannore, wheere I then Liued, and towld me that he was sent by order from my Lo: of Clanrickard to secure the said Catle for the Earle of Clanrickards his rent, and My good, which he indeuered to the best of his power, both by threats and perswations but cowld not preuayle.
I was also informed by Seuerall of my tennants, [ ] , that weare the n present at the taking away of my Catle that the said Thomas Burke did stopp the Catle vpon the Bridge & there kepte them for a time vntill he was ouer powerd & the Catle forcte from him, & that at that time the said Thomas was proferd share of the said Catle to suffer the rest to goe quietly with them, which he refused to accept of, and towlde them that he was directted by b the the Lo: of Clanrickard to secure my Catle for the vse aforesaid, and there vpon as I was informd went vnto the Earle and made knowne the plunders and whoe sent his letres by his senscall John Lennan as the said Lennan shortly after made knowne vnto me, to haue the said Catle restored, but nither Neither the letrs nor his perswations cowld take effect, And for 4 or 5 montsh <B> after I durst not sturre from the Castle, but still vpon my keepeing, in which time Thomas Burke came often to see me and was admitted into the Castle whoe very freindly promisd to secure the remaynder of my Catle the best he cowld
And that morning the Troopers came from the ffort with diricttions to publish a sessation in the Cuntrey, at thire returne back from Clarinbridge [ ] they cam to the Castle of orannore wheare I Entertaynd them and desird them to dine with me, while dinner was making redie Newes was brought that my Catle was taken away

fol. 267v

1622

fol. 268r

1623
Whearevpon two of the horsemen & my selfe followed after them intending if we cowld, to resqew them or at least <C> to know by whome they weare taken, we weare not goone aboue halfe a mile when we saw, the Catle a good distance from vs, and mett with sum Cuntrey people, that towld vs that Thomas Burk & others with him tooke the said Catle whearevpon we returned back to the Castle & ther dinde, & spent som time in discowrse abowte an howre or rather more then they tooke leaue & departed, and Immediately after thire departure one one Thomas Wide Wright, one of the said horsemen, came postinge back to the Castle & desird admittance into the Castle, And that Clenmoris with a partie of horse, was neere the Castle & that the rest that weare with him weare with the said Clenmoris, but for his parte he <D> durst not trust him, he perciueing him to be in A rage presenly newes was browght that they weare taken prissoners Caried to [ ] A clarinebridge wheare they weare all Executed, But John ffurlonge. Itt was Commonly reported that Redmond Burk and his Brother Thomas preserueed the said furlonge
I doe furthe declare I sawe not Thomas Burke after that time nither cowld I Conveniently send vnto him vntill my returne from England & the first time I cald vnto the said Thomas Burke, for An Accoumpt & satisfaction for my Catle, he towld me they weare taken from him presently after they Came into his posession, yett he said he would leaue the difference to be desided by two In different men which he hath donn, This being the trewth, and nothing more, to the best of my remembrance, as I am and shalbe redie at any time to testifie vpon othe, And not now being able to trauell to the Boyle vnto which place I am Summond by Commaund I Certifie this 187th June 1653
William King
This was sighned & acknowldg
before me Robert Clarke

fol. 268v

1624

Extracted

declaracions on the behalfe
of Tho: Burke
18 June 1653