Examination of Edward Dowdall
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The Examination of Edward Dowdall of Moncktowne in the Countie of Meath Esquire taken the xiiio day of March 1641 Before mee Sir Robert Meredith knight Chancellor of his Maiesties Court of Exchequer & one of his Maiesties Justices of the Peace for the Countie of Meath By direction of the right honnorable the Lords Justices & Councell. sa
Who beeing sworne & Examined saith that hee this Examinant beeing robbed of his Cattle Sir Christopher Bellew of the Castletowne in the Countie of Louth knight heard of itt & sent vnto him this Examinant word that if hee would meete the said Sir Christopher Bellew att Dowanstowne att neare Duleeke att be eing the house of one Bartholomew Moore the re hee the said Sir Christopher Bellew doubted not but to he should procure for the Examinant restitution of soe many of the said Cattle as were not killed Therevpon thes examinant went repaired vnto the said Moores house at Dowanstowne where But not findeing the partie there there who had robbed him of his Cattle hee this Examinant tooke leave of the said Sir Christopher Bellew But att his takeing going vnto horse hee this Examinant was called back by Collonell Roger Moore who together with Collonell Hugh Birne Captaine Arthur ffox two of the Lord of Slanes Brothers a brother of the Lord
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of Lowthes a brother of Sir Christopher Bellewes Stephen Dowdall of Gallstowne & a Bishopp of the mcMahownes were then in the said house, & wher{e} after hee the Examinant had staied aboute [ ] continued for the sp ace of an houre, the Examinant went went departed thence to his owne house together with his sonne and heare Appar ent Lawrance Dowdall and Patrick Cusack of Garratston who accompanied him the Examinant from his house of Monckstowne vnto the said Dowanstowne aforesaid And saith that the tyme of his thes Examinants going vnto the said Towne of Dowanstowne (where hee litle not expecteing to finde such a Company of Rebells) there was eyther the next day or two dayes after the Slaughter of the English Souldiers att the Bridge of Gillyantowne And this Examinant further saith that abou{t} three or ffoure dayes after that there issued a warrant being directed from the Lord of Gormanstowne vnto the Sheriffe of the Countie for a Gennerall meeteing of all the Countrey att Duleeke But the place of the said meeteing was afterwards changed vnto the hill of Croftie where all the Lords & Gentry mett accordinglie as namelie vidz t the Earle of ffingall the Lord of Gormanston the Lord of Slane the Lord of Lowth the Lord Dunsany the Lord of Trimblestowne the Lord Netterfeild And of the Gentry there were the n present Sir Richard Barnwall Sir Christopher
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Bellew Patrick Barnwell of Kilbrew Nicholas Darcy of Plattin James Bath of Athcarne Garrat Aylmer the Lawyer Cusack of Garraldston William Malone of Lysmullin Sedgrave of Killeglon Cusack of Staffordston Lynch of the Knock Lynam of Adamston Lawrance Dowdall of Athlumney Nicholas Dowdall of Browneston thes Examinants brother & thes Examinant himselfe with a multitude of others to the number of about 1000 persons att least whose names his this Examinant cannot for the at present call to minde And saith that after after about 2 or 3 howres spent vpon the said hill by the the said Lords & Gentrie aforesaid had spent two o r three houres vpon the said hill there came towards them Coll mcMahowne Phillip Reley Hugh boy Reley Collonell Roger Moore Collonell Hugh Birne & Captaine ffox waited on attended with a guard of Musketteires And this Examinant likewise saith that as soone as the said parties drew neare vnto the said hill The Lords & Gentry of the Pale ridde towards them And the Lord of Gormanston beeing one of the ffirst spake vnto them on th is w is e & demaunded of them why & for what reason they came soe with armes into the Pale wherevnto which Roger Moore made present answeare that the Grounds of theire soe comeing thither & takeing vpp of Armes were onely for the freedom & liberty of theire consciences the maintenance
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of his Maiestie s the Kings Prerogative wherein in which they vnderstood hee was abridged And for the makeing the Subiects of this Kingdome as free as thes e in subiects in the kingdome of England were Vpon which answeare soe made the said Lord of Gormanston desired to vnderstand truely & faithfullie whether these were not pretenses & not the true grounds indeed & likewise whither they had not some private or other end of theire owne which beeing by all denied and sincerely profe sed vpon profession of theire sincer i tie therein his Lordship the said Lord of Gormanston then said them Seeing these bee your true ende wi t h wee alsoe will ioyne with you therein vnto which course all agreed And therevpon itt was publiquelie & generallie published & declared that whoseuer should refuse deny to ioyne in the same with them & assist them heerin therein would bee accompted him for an enemie, & to there vtmoste of theire power the y would labour his destruction And this Examinant further saith that after the said agreement soe made an aforesaid after wich Agreement soe made there issued a warrant from the said Lord of Gormanston vnto the Sheriffe of the Countie of Meath to summon all the Lords & Gentry of Meath to beet att the hill of Tarragh about a weeke after where and <X> accordinglie ther e mett at the said hill The Lord of ffingall the Lord <X> of Gormanston the Lord of Slane & the Lord of Trimbleston the Lord of Dunsany & the Lord of Netterfeild
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And of the Gentrie Sir Richard Barnwall Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew Sedgraue of Killeglon Nicholas Pluncket the Lawyer Garratt Aylmer the lawyer & Richard Berford the Lawyere Valerian Wesley Sir Luke ffitz Gerrald Sir William Hill & Sir Thomas Nugent Bathe of Athcarne Darcie of Plattin Lynch of William the Knock Malone of Lismullin Nicholas Dowdall of Brownestowne & thes Examinant himselfe with a multitude of others whose names hee this Examinant cannot call to minde And the worke of that day was ffirst to make answeare vnto a summons by Proclamation of Parliament made by from the State heere for the Callinge of the said Lords vnto Dublin which answeare was brought readie drawne by the Lord of Gormanston & presented by his Lordship & pervsed by the aforesaid Councell at Law & than soe signed by the said Lords The next worke was to plott & assesse Beeves & Corne for provision of the Army then beseidgeing of Drogheda which was agreed to bee after the proportion Rate of a Beefe & halfe a Barrell of Corne a day for euery hundred men, The next thing done was the declareing of the Lord of Gormanston soe Gennerall of the forces of f ffoote & the Earle of ffingall Gennerall of the horse for the Countie of Meath The next
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work was to giue power to the said Lords & certaine of the Gentrie to nominate Captaines in seuerall Barronies respectiuelie appointed vnto them And likewise to give the said lords & gentry power to rayse Souldiers in euery such Barony to wit eight Souldiers out of th euery Ploughland for the defence of the Countrie And for that purpose the Barrony of Duleeke was assigned vnto the Lord of Gormanston The Barony of Slane vnto the Lord of Slane The Barronie of the Navan & Murgullin vnto the Lord of Trimbleston Lune & Moyfenrogh were assigned vnto Sir Luke ffitzGarrat & Valeryan Wesley Skreene & Dese vnto the Earle of ffingall Ratoth & Dunboyne vnto Sir Richard Barnwall & Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew & the Barrony of Kells & Demyfore vnto the Lord Dunsany And this Examinant beleiues that in euery of the said Baronies seuerall So u Captaines were made & Souldiers raised according to the said agreement which was fortified by warrants from the Lord Gennerall <O> And this Examinant further saith that hee saw one of his Lordshipps warrants directed vnto the Barrony of Skreene whereby the Inhabitants thereof were vpon paine of death Required to furnish forth theire Souldiers after the aforesaid number of eight out
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of euery Ploughland And euerie of the said Ploughlands was to maintaine the eight Souldiers soe to bee put forth by them The next work was the nominateing of certaine Lords & gentlemen out of euery Barronie for thes preventing the disorders of the Countrie who were to meete euery Wednesday weekely att the Church of Taragh for that purpose And saith that the Collectors appointed to rayse the Provisions out of euery such Barrony were the very same parties who att the former Quarter Sessions held for the said Countie were nominated for that vse And likewise in euery Barony some were appointed to ouersee the threshing out of the Protestants Corne As namely Dillon of Riuerstowne was by the Earle of ffingall appointed vnto that service in the Barony of Skreen And this Examinant further saith that some tyme after the comeing of Leivtennant Gennerall Birne with <X> his fforces vnto Killsalchan The Earle of ffingall caused a summons to bee giuen forth that all such as had horse should att a certaine day appointed vpon paine of death & forfeiture of theire horses meete att the hill of Tarragh according to a lyst made of the horse of the said Countie by Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew, Att which place were gathered together
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about the number of threescore horse which said horse the said Earle carried with him vnto Kilsalchan whether by his Lordshipps command hee was attended by Lawrance Dowdall of Athlumney Patrick Sedgrave of Killeglon Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew Sir Richard Barnwall Adam Cusack of Trevett Nicholas Dowdall of Brownestowne him this Examinant & diuerse others whom hee this Examinant cannot now remember, where likewise hee this Examinant saw in Company with the said Earle Hugh Birne the Lievtennant Gennerall Collonell ffitzGarrald of Ballysonan Collonell Lysagh Moore Young Hollywood of Artaine ffleming of Cabraghes eldest sonne & diuerse others And saith that after they had staied there about an houre they parted, the Earle of ffingall leaveing the said horse with the said Birne to committed them to the charge of the said Captaine ffleming And this Examinant further saith that hee was likewise present att annother Generall meeteing appointed by the Lord Gennerall to bee held by the Lords & Gentry aforesaid vpon the hill of Croftie where were the Earle of ffingall the Lord of Gormanston the Lord Netterfeild the Lord of Slane the Lord of Lowth the Lord of Trimbleston Sir Richard Barnwall Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew
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Darcy of Plattin Bath of Athcarne Dowdall of Athlumney Sedgrave of Killeglon Caddle of harbertston Wesley of the Dingan Garratt Aylmer the Lawyer Cusack of Gerraldston & Nicholas Dowdall of Brownestowne him this Examinant and multitude of others whose names hee this Examinant cannot call to minde And saith that of the Northeren Rebells there were then present Sir Phelim ô Neale Coll McMahowne Phillipp & Miles Reley & Captaine ffox And the shipping which were sent with provision from the State heere for releife of the Towne of Drogheda & the Garrison there beeing att that tyme att the harbours mouth & readie to enter in to the said Towne A motion was made by the Lord of Gormanston that they should all contribute vnto the price of a Merchants shipp which then lay in the said harbour, which his Lordship would haue had sunck by that meanes to stopp the comeing in of the said Shipps And to that purpose his Lordship directed the gentlemen to ride downe vnto the sea side to see the same effected but before they could get thither the said Vessells soe loaden with Provisions aforesaid were past into the Towne And this Examinant likewise saith that the Lord of Gormanston
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did afterwards speake vnto the Lords & Gentry then & there present that they should not faile to meete the next day att Plattin which was <X> performed acccordinglie And there the said Lords together with Sir Phelim ô Neale were locked vpp in Councell but what was then concluded vpon hee this Examinant knoweth not And this Examinant beeing demanded whether hee heard of any persons who should bee sent for Armes saith that hee neyther knowes nor heard of any Saue itt beeing reported that certaine Armes were landed att Wexford Patrick Barnwall hee heard was eyther sent or went of [ ] himselfe to make enquirie after them but att his comeing thither found none And alsoe saith that vpon Sunday was seavenight after dinner Roger Moore with about 40 Musketeires came vnto his this Examinants house & there called for meate And before hee had fully dined the Lord of Gormanston with about 20 horse came thither likewise where after about two houres secret conference had betweene his Lordship & the said Moore whether they then parted or noe this Examinant knoweth not
And this Examinant saith that about a month or six weekes since there came vnto his this Examinants house one Valentine
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Browne a ffranciscan ffryer of Gallway pretending kindred vnto his this Examinants daughter in law And this Examinant interrogateing with him touching the reasons of his comeing into those parts The said ffryer made answeare that the cause of his comeing was to observe how matters went in the Countie of Meath as alsoe with an addresse vnto the Lord of Gormanston vnto whom hee went from his this Examinant & from his Lordship vnto the Camp att Drogheda Itt beeing concluded vpon betweene the Lord of Gormanston & the said ffryer (as this Examinant vnderstood afterwards from the said ffryer that what Letters the Lord of Gormanston intended to send by him vnto Connaght should bee sent vnto his this Examinants house which the said ffryer was to take in his way from the Campe vnto Drogheda Connaght And accordinglie within a day or two after the said ffryer returneing vnto his this Examinants house found the said Letters from the Lord of Gormanston directed vnto the Earle of Clanrickard with a flying Seale within a cover vnto the said ffryer The contents of which Letters vnto the said Earle of Clanrickard were a breife declaration of the motiues & progresse of the present warr in those parts ioyned with a request for the said Earles furtherance to the good work in hand which Letter was left open to
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to the end the said ffryer might show the same in his passage vnto the said Earle to whomsoeuer hee pleased And this Examinant further saith that on Thursday was seavenight last hee was desired by a Letter sent him from Lawrance Dowdall that hee this Examinant should meete him the said Lawrance att his house of Athlumney that present day where the said Dowdall intimated Mr Nicholas Pluncket the Lawyer Sir William Hill & a gentleman out of Connaght would likewise bee wherevpon hee this Examinant repayred with speede vnto Athlumney aforesaid whether within few houres after his comeing came the said Nicholas Pluncket Sir William Hill & the Connoght gentleman aforesaid whose hee this Examinant then vnderstood was Oliver Bourk a Dominican ffryer And the said parties beeing retired into a Chamber a part they called him this Examinant vnto them And therevpon the said ffryer opened a bagg & tooke thence certaine papers which were to bee considered of The ffirst Paper conteyned matters referred vnto three seuerall heades or titles. The ffirst of which conteyned the motiues & reasons of the present beeing in Armes of the Natiues of the Countrie Vnder which title seuerall reasons were alleadged which hee this Examinant for the present cannot call to minde The second Title
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(Note: This folio is out of sequence in the original manuscript; it follows folio 47.)
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Expressed the cause & reason of the sudden progresse & spreading of the warr in soe short a tyme & seuerall reasons likewise instanced vnder that Title which this Examinant doth not now remember The third Title conteyned the meanes for appeaseing of the said troubles and setling of the Kingdome againe in Quiet vnder which title were sundry particulers layde downe not now remembred by him this Examinant Now this was the first paper produced The second Paper conteyned a modell for a forme of Goverment which was to bee observed throughout the whole Kingdome dureing the said troubles As much thereof as this Examinant remembers was That in one part of the Kingdome there should bee settled a certaine number who should bee of called the supream Councell & that to them there should bee subordinate other Provinciall Councells & vnder them againe a select Councell in euery Countie the two later to receiue theire power & directions from the former And sundrie other things tending to the perfecting of the said modell were layd down very handsomely in the said Paper And both that & the former paper was most exactly & accurately penned and considered of by some learned in lawes & otherwise The third paper conteyned certaine demands & propositions to bee presented vnto his Maiesty which were very
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Exorbitant And this Examinant demanding of the said ffryer whether those demands were to be exhibited vnto the State heere The said ffryer answeared noe they would goe a higher way to worke ffor the Earle of Clanrickard would vse meanes that they should come vnto the Kings imediate view And this Examinant likewise saith that the next morneing the said ffryer hee this Examinant Mr Nicholas Pluncket Sir William Hill went vnto Mr James Bathes of Athcarne where they were to meete with the Lord of Gormanston where his Lordship (together with the Lord Netterfeild mett accordinglie And where they together with the said Lords & Mr James Bath fell againe to read the said papers Att which tyme likewise there were certaine Letters deliuered by the said ffryer vnto the Lord of Gormanston from the Earle of Clanrickard the contents whereof as farr as hee this Examinant remembers were that hee had receiued theire Lordshipps Letters In answeare whereof hee alleadged that hee was entrusted by his Maiesty with the honnour of Gouerment of the Countie of Gallway which trust hee hoped they would not haue him to deceiue considering hee was not furnished eyther with men or Armes & soe could doe them like service that way And that itt were better for them that hee reserued his creditt still entire with the king
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(Note: This folio is out of sequence in the original manuscript; it follows folio 46.)
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& State whereby hee might bee able to procure them accesse vpon all necessary addresses vnto his Maiesty which hee would bee very forward to doe vpon all occasions setting forth in the said Letters that the bearer thereof was a man of trust & in good opinion with his Lordship & desireing they should giue credence vnto him in such matters as hee would make knowne vnto them And all that the said ffryer deliuered in his this Examinants heareing was that all the said papers with what they conteyned were considered and approued of in Connaght soe as they might bee gennerally receiued & imbraced in the kingdome desireing theire opinions of them & withall that there might bee an exception of what was vnder the gouerment of the Earle of Clanrickard which was to bee left vnto his Lordshipps owne disposeing by reason his Lordship was the onely man of his Quallitie entrusted with Gouerment in the Kings dominions And this Examinant likewise saith that hee conceived by what was then said vpon debate & reading of the said Papers that they were like to gaine approbation in the Pale And saith that the said Lords parted from the rest And the said Mr Nicholas Pluncket Sir William Hill & the aforesaid ffryer went vnto his this Examinants house where they lay that night And the next day after breakfast
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the said Pluncket & Sir William Hill went as they said vnto the Navan to meete with Mr Richard Berford & the ffryer stayd att his this Examinants house But told them that hee would follow And this Examinant saith that soone after that Roger Moore came to his this Examinants house and after him the Lord of Gormanston, where after private conference had betweene the said ffryer, Moore & the said Lord of Gormanston for the space of two or three houres hee the said ffryer went vnto Atlumney where Nicholas Pluncket & Sir William Hill were againe staying for him And this Examinant saith that hee did not see the answeare which was made & sent back by the said ffryer but is assured that an answeare was made, & by the discourse hee heard conceiueth that itt would bee desired that the Earle of Clanrickard should cause the demands before mentioned to bee presented & offered vnto his Maiesty though they were very large And as far the modell of Gouerment the same the same would bee embraced heere if in the other parts of the kingdome And this Examinant farther saith that besides the Letters which were sent vnto the Earle of Clanrickard there alsoe other Letters sent vnto the Lord Clonmorris & the Lord of Maio which Letters vnto the Lord of Maio were signed by the Lord of Gormanston & the Lord of Netterfeild & the
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(Note: This folio is out of sequence in the original manuscript; it follows folio 45 in the original.)
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other vnto the Clanmorris by the Lord of Slane The contents of which said Letters were the same with those sent vnto the Earle of Clanrickard declareing the reasons of theire takeing vpp of Armes & withall desireing theire assistance in the furtherance of soe good a work And this Examinant alsoe saith that the said Lord of Gormanston & the Lord Netterfeild wrote a late letter vnto the Lord Mountgarrat that hee should repaire vnto them with his fforces And saith that hee this Examinant vnderstood that James Bath reported vnto his brother Nicholas Dowdall that hee heard the Lord of Gormanston say that in case hee could not gaine honnorable tearmes vpon his submission hee would repaire vnto Sir Phelim ô Neale & run the same hazard with him And lastly this Examinant saith that Richard Bealeing kept much with the said Lord of Gormanston.
Rob Meredith
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