Examination of Edward Dowdall

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(Note: An earlier draft of this examination is at fols 44r-52v.)
The Examination of Edward Dowdall of Moncketowne in the Countie of Meath Esquire taken the xvith day of March 1641 Before mee Sir Robert Meredith knight Chancellor of his Maiesties Court of Exchequer By direction of the right honnorable the Lords Justices & Councell.
<E> Who beeing sworne & Examined, vnto so & sworn vnto soe much of the Examination as concerneth others saith, beeing robbed of his Cattle, by Sir Christopher Bellew of the Castletowne in the Countie of Louth knight heard of itt & sent him this Examinant word that if hee would meete the said Sir Christopher att Dowanstowne neare Duleeke att the house of one Bartholomew Moore, hee the said Sir Christopher doubted not, but hee should procure for this Examinant, the restitution of soe manie of the said Cattle as <F> were not killed Wherevpon hee this Examinant went vnto the said Moores house att Dowanstowne: But not findeing the partie there who had robbed him of his said Cattle, this Examinant tooke leaue of the said Sir Christopher Bellew. But att his takeing horse hee was called back againe, by Collonell Roger Moore who (together with Colonell <G> Hugh Birne, Captaine Arthur ffox, two of the Lord of Slaines Brothers, a Brother of the Lord of Lowthes, a brother of Sir Christopher Bellewes, Stephen Dowdall of Gallestowne & a Bishopp of the mcMahownes) were

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<M> hee this Examinant cannot for the present call to minde And after about two or three houres spent vpon the said hill by the Lords & Gentrie aforesaid there came towards them Coll mcMahowne, Phillipp ô Relie, hugh Boy Relie, Collonell Roger Moore, Collonell hugh Birne, & Captaine ffox, attended with a guard of Musketeires. And as soone as the said parties drew neare vnto the said hill, the said Lords & Gentrie of the Pale ridd <N> towards them, & the Lord of Gormanstowne beeing one of the ffirst ranck spake vnto them & demaunded, why, & for what reason they soe came with armes into the Pale. vnto which Roger Moore made present answeare that the Grounds of theire comeing thither & takeing vpp of armes, were, for the freedome & libertie of theire consciences, the maintenance of his Maiesties Prerogatiue (in which they <O> vnderstood hee was abridged), & for the makeing the Subiects of this Kingdome as free as those of England were. Vpon which answeare soe made the said Lord of Gormanstowne desired to vnderstand truelie & ffaithfullie, whether these were not pretenses, and not the true groundes, & likewise whether they had not some private end es of theire owne, which beeing by all denied, & in sinceritie professed, his Lordship (the said Lord of Gormanstowne) then replyed, seeing those bee your true <P> endes, wee will ioyne with you therein vnto which course all agreed And therevpon itt was then publiquelie and generallie published & declared, that whosoeuer should denie & refuse to ioyne in the same & likewise to assist

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<Q> assist them therin would accompt him as an Enemie, & to theire vtmost power labour his destruction After which Aagreement soe made as aforesaid, there issued annother warrant from the said Lord of Gormanstowne vnto the Sheriffe of Countie of Meath, to summon all the Lordes & Gentrie of <x> Meath to bee att the hill of Tarrogh about a weeke after and accordinglie there mett att the said hill aforesaid, the Earle of ffingall, the Lord of Gormanston, the Lord of Slaine, the Lordes of Trimbleston, Dunsanie & Netterfeild, & of the Gentrie, Sir Richard Barnewall knight, Patrick Barnwall of <R> Kilbrew, Sedgraue of Killeglan, Nicholas Pluncket the Lawyer, Garratt Aylmer the Lawyer, Richard Berford the Lawyer, Valerian Wesley, Sir Luke ffitz Garrald, Sir William Hill, Sir Thomas Nugent, Bath of Athcarne, Darcie of Plattin, Linch of the knock, Malone of Lisinullie Nicholas Dowdall of Brownestowne & this Examinant himselfe, with multitude of others whose names hee this Examinant cannot call to minde. And the work of that <S> daie was, first, to make answeare to a summons by Proclamation made from the State for the calling of the Lordes vnto Dublin, which said answeare was brought readie drawne by the Lord of Gormanston & presented by his Lordship, pervsed by the aforesaid Councell at Law, and soe signed by the said Lordes; The next worke was to plott & assesse Beeues and Cowes for Prouision of <T> the Army, then beseidgeing of Drogheda which was agreed to bee after the rate of a Beefe, and halfe a Barrell of Corne a daie for euerie hundred men, The next thing done

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was, the declareing of the Lord of Gormanstowne Gennerall <V> of the fforces of ffoote, & the Earle of ffingall Gennerall of the horse, for the Countie of Meath. The next worke was to giue power vnto the said Lordes & certaine of the Gentrie, to nominate Captaines in the seuerall Barronies respectiuelie appointed vnto them And likewise to give the said Lordes & gentlemen power to raise Souldiers in euerie such Barronie, after the number of eight <W> Souldiers out of a Ploughland, for the defence of the Countrie, & accordinglie the Barronie of Duleeke was assigned vnto the Lord of Gormanston, The Barronie of Slaine vnto the Lord of Slaine, The Barronie of the Navan & Murgallyn vnto the Lord of Trimblestown, Lune & Moyfennogh were assigned vnto Sir Luke ffitzGarrald & Valerian Wesley, Skreene & Dease vnto the Earle of ffingall, Ratoath & Dunboyne <X> vnto Sir Richard Barnewall & Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew, Kells & Demyfore vnto the Lord of Dunsany. And as this Examinant beleiues, in euery of the said Barronies seuerall Captaines were made & appointed, & Souldiers raised according vnto the said agreement, which was fortified by warrants from the Lord Gennerall. One of which warrants directed vnto the Barrony of Skreene hee this Examinant saw, whereby the Inhabitants thereof <Y> were required vpon paine of Death to send and furnish forth theire Souldiers, after the aforesaid rule of eight out of euerie ploughLand And every Ploughland was

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to maintaine the eight Souldiers soe to bee sent forth by <Z> them. The next worke was the nominateing of certaine Lordes & gentlemen out of euery Barronie, for the preventing of the disorders of the Countrie, of the Countrie who were to meete euery Wensdaie, weekelie, att the Church of Taragh. And this Examinant saith that the Collectors appointed to raise the Prouisions out of euery Barrony, were the very same parties who were appointed <A> att the former Quarter Sessions, by the said Countie, And likewise in euery Barony some were appointed to ouersee the threshing out of the Protestants Corne. And in the Barronie of Skreene, Dillon of Riverstowne and others, were appointed vnto that service by the Earle of ffingall. And this Examinant further saith that some tyme after the comeing of Leivtennant Generall Birne with fforces vnto Killsolchan: The Earle of ffingall caused a Summons to bee given forth, that all such as had <B> horse, should att a daie appointed meete att the hill of Tarragh according vnto a List made of the horse of the said Countie, by Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew, & his Lordships warrant required performance thereof vpon paine of Death, & alsoe forfetiture of theire horses. Wherevppon att the tyme lymitted there were gathered together about threescore horse, att the place aforesaid, which said horse the said Earle carried vnto Killsalchan <C> whether alsoe (by his Lordships command hee) the said Earle was attended by Lawrance Dowdall of Athlumney,

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<D> Paterick Sedgraue of Killeglan, Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew, Sir Richard Barnwall, Adam Cusack of Trevett, Nicholas Dowdall of Brownestowne, him this Examinant & diuerse others who hee cannot remember, where likewise hee this Examinant in companie with the said Earle, Hugh Birne the Lievtennant Genneral, Collonell ffitz Garrald of Ballysonan, Collonell Lisagh Moore, Young Hollywood of Artayne, ffleming of <E> Cabraghes eldest sonne, & diuerse others, & saith that after they had continued att the said Towne of Kilsalchan for for about the space of an houre, they parted thence, the said Earle of ffingall leaveing the said horse with the said Birne, who appointed them to bee commanded by the said Captaine ffleming. And this Examinant alsoe saith that hee was present att annother Gennerall <F> meeteing of the aforesaid Lordes & gentrie, appointed by the saidLord Generall, to bee held att the said hill of Croftie, where likewise were the Earle of ffingall, the Lord of Gormanstowne, the Lord Netterfeild, the Lord of Slaine, the Lord of Lowth, the Lord of Trimblestowne, Sir Richard Barnewall knight, Paterick Barnwell of Kilbrew, Darcy of Plattin, Bath of Athcarne, Dowdall of Athlumney, Sedgraue of <G> Killeglon, Cadle of harbertstowne, Wesley of the Dingan, Garrot Aylmer the Lawyer, Cusack of Garrattstowne, Nicholas Dowdall of Brownestowne him this Examinant, and a multitude of others whom

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this Examinant cannot call to minde And saith that of <H> the Northeren Rebells there were then alsoe there, Sir Phelim ô Neale, Coll McMahowne, Phillipp & Myles ô Relie, & Captaine ffox, & the shipping which came for the releefe of Drogheda beeing then att the harbours m o u t h mouth, & readie to come in with Provisions from the State heere, for the said Towne & the Garrison there. A motion was made by the <J> Lord of Gormanstowne, thatt they should all contribute vnto the prise of a Merchants shipp, which then lay in the aforesaid harbour, & his Lordship would then haue to bee sunck, to give stopp vnto the comeing in of the Shipping which brought the said releife. And for that purpose his Lordship directed the gentlemen to ride downe <K> vnto the Sea side, to haue the same performed. But before they could ride thither, the said Vessells were past into the Towne, And the Lord of Gormanstowne did afterwardes speake vnto the Lordes & Gentrie then present, that they should not faile to meete the next day att Plattyn which acccordingly was performed & there the aforesaid Lordes (with Sir Phelim ô Neale) were locked vpp in Councell; but <L> what was then & there concluded on hee this Examinant knoweth not. And this Examinant beeing demaunded whether hee heard of any persons who were sent for Armes, saith, that hee neyther knowes nor

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<M> heard of any, save onelie a reporte, of Armes, which we{re} said to bee Landed att Wexford, which Patrick Barn{wall} of Kilbrew was sent (or went of himselfe) for, to enquire after, but att his comeing thither found none as hee this Examinant heard. And lastlie this Examinant saith that on Sundaie was Seavenight afte{r} <N> dinner, Roger Moore with about ffortie Musketeir{s} came vnto this Examinants house, & there called for meate, and before hee had fullie dyned the Lord of Gormanstowne likewise came thither with about twen{ty} horse, & there had secret conference together, for the space of two houres or thereabouts and then went away: But whether they then parted or noe hee this <O> Examinant knoweth not x And this Examinant further saith that about a Month or six weekes since there came vnto his house one Valentine 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 partes made answeare that the cause of his comeing thither <P> was to obserue how matters went in the Countie of Meath, & likewise with an addresse vnto the Lord of Gormanstowne, vnto whom hee went from f rom his this Examinants house & soe from his Lordship vnto the Camp att Drogheda Itt beeing concluded on betweene the said Lordes

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Lordes & the said ffryer, (as this Examinant vnderstood afterward from the said ffryer) that what Letters were to be sent by the said Lord of Gormanstowne vnto Connoght should bee first sent vnto his this Examinants house, which the said ffryer intended to take in his waie from the said Camp vnto Connoght And accordinglie within a daie or two after the said ffryer returned vnto this Examinants house where hee receiued Letters sent by the Lord of <R> Gormanstowne aforesaid & directed vnto the Earle of Clanrickard with a flying Seale, & in a couer 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 with a request for the said Earles ffurtherance vnto the work in hand, which said Letter was left open to the end the said ffryer might shew the same in his passage <S> vnto the said Earle to whom hee thought good And this Examinant alsoe saith that on Thursdaie was seavenight Last hee was desired by a Letter sent vnto him this Examinant from Lawrance Dowdall of Athlumey that hee would meet him the said Lawrance att Athlumney aforesaid that present day where the said Dowdall intimated, Mr Nicholas Pluncket the Lawyer, Sir William Hill, & a gentleman out of Connoght would likewise bee Wheerevpon This Examinant repaired <T> with speede vnto the place aforesaid (whether within few houres came the said Nicholas Plunckett Sir William Hill and the said Connoght gentleman aforesaid whose name hee

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hee this Examinant vnderstood to bee Oliver Bourke a <V> Dominican ffryer, & the said parties beeing retired into a Chamber, called this Examinant vnto them, & therevpon the said ffryer opened a bagg and tooke thence some papers which were to bee considered of The ffirst paper conteyned matters vnder three seuerall heades or titles following The ffirst of which was the motiues & reasons of the present takeing of Armes by the <W> 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 expresst the cause and reason of the sudden progresse and spreading of the warr in soe short a tyme with severall reasons likewise instanced vnder that title which hee now remembers not not The Third title declared the meanes for appeaseing of the said troubles and <x> setling of this Kingdome againe in quiett vnder which title alsoe sundrie particulers were laid downe forgot by this Examinant This was the ffirst paper produced. The second paper conteyned a Modell for a forme of Gouerment to bee obserued throughout the whole Kingdome dureing these troubles, as much thereof as this Examinant for the present remembers was, that in <Y> one part of the kingdome there should bee settled a certaine number, & the number was expressed who should bee the Supreame Councell And alsoe that there should bee subordinate, other Provinciall Councells, and vnder

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<Z> them againe a Select Councell in euery Countie, the two later to receiue theire power and directions from the former, & sundry other things (tending vnto the perfecting of the said Modell) were laid downe very handsomelie in the said Paper & both that paper and the ffirst were most exactlie & accuratelie penned and considered of by some Learned in the Lawes and otherwise as he e this Examinant supposeth The third paper made mention of demands & propositions to bee presented vnto his Maiestie which were very <A> exorbitant And this Examinant demanding of the said ffryer whether those propositions were to bee exhibited vnto the State heere or noe hee the said said ffryer made answeare that they would goe a higher waie ffor the Earle of Clanrickard would vse meanes that they should come vnto the Kings immediate view And the next morning the said ffryer Mr Nicholas Plunckett Sir William Hyll and hee this Examinant went vnto Mr James <B> Bathes of Athcarne where they were to meete with the Lord of Gormanston & accordinglie the said Lord of Gormanstowne together with the Lord Netterfield mett att the place appointed where they they said Lordes & Mr James Bath fell againe to reade the said Papers att which tyme alsoe there were Letters deliuered by the aforesaid ffryer from the Earle of Clanrickard to the said Lord of Gormanstowne the contents of which Letters as farr as <C> hee this Examinant remembers were, that hee had receiued their Lordshipps Letters & in answeare thereof hee alleadged that hee was entrusted by his Maiestie with the honnour of

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<D> Gouerment of the Countie of Gallwaie which said trust hee hoped they would not haue him to deceiue considering that hee was not furnished eyther with men or Armes & soe could doe them litle service that way, In regard whereof itt were better for them that hee reserved his creditt still entire with the king & State whereby hee might bee able to procure them accesse vpon all <E> necessarie addresses vnto his Maiesty & the State heere which hee would bee very forward to doe vpon all occasions And withall hee sett forth in the said Letter that the bearer thereof was a man of trust & in good opinion with him & therefore desired they should give credence vnto him in such matters as hee would make knowne vnto them And all that the said ffryer deliuered in his this <F> Examinants heareing, was, that all the said papers with what wi t h they conteyned were considered of and approved of in Connaght soe as they might bee generallie embraced throughout the kingdome & desired theire opinions of them, & withall an exemption of what was vnder the Gouernement of him the said Earle of Clanrickard from any encroachments or violence which was to bee left vnto his Lordshipps owne disposeing according to his Commission & <G> for which the said ffryer alleadged for reason In regard his Lordship was the onelie man of his profession entrusted with Gouerment in the Kings dominions And this Examinant alsoe saith that hee conceiued by what was said vpon debate & readeing of the said Papers that they were like to gaine approbation in the Pale And saith that

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<H> the said Lords Parted from the rest, & the said Mr Nich: Plunckett Sir William Hill & the ffryer went vnto his this Examinants house where they laie the next night day And where after breakefast the said Pluncket & Sir William Hill went that daie as they said vnto the Navan to meete with Mr Richard Birford But the said the ffryer staid att this Examinants house telling them hee would <J> follow after, And soone after that Roger Moore came vnto his this Examinants house and after him the Lord of Gormanstowne, which was vpon the same day of theire meeteing formerlie mentioned in his Examination & vpon private speach then & there had betweene the said ffryer, Roger Moore & the said Lord of Gormanstowne for the space of twoe or three houres, hee the said ffryer went vnto Athlumney where Nicholas Pluncket & Sir William Hill were againe to meete him But this Examinant saith that hee did not see the <K> answeare which was made and sent back by the said ffryer Yet saith he is perswaded assured that that an answeare was returned, & by theire discourses which hee heard, hee conceiuedth Itt would bee desired that the Earle of Clanrickard should cause the demands to bee presented & offered vnto his Maiesty though they were very large And as for the modell of Gouerment the same would bee embraced aswell heere as in other partes of the <L> Kingdome And this Examinant further saith that besides the letters which were sent vnto the Earle of Clanrickard there were alsoe others sent vnto the Lord Clonmorris & the Lord of Maio, which Letters

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<M> vnto the Lord of Maio were signed by the Lord of Gormanstowne & the Lord of Netterfeild, & the other vnto the Lord Clonmorris by the Lord of Slaine & the contents of the said Letters were to the effect of that 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 worke, And this Examinant alsoe saith that the said Lord of Gormantowne & Lord Netterfeild wrote annother letter since vnto <N> the Lord Mountgarret, that hee should repaire vnto them with his fforces And further saith that hee this Examinant vnderstood that James Bath of Athcarne reported vnto his brother Nicholas Dowdall that hee heard the Lord of Gormanston saie that in case th hee could not gaine honnorable Tearmes vpon his submission, hee would repair vnto Sir Phelim ô Neale & runn the same fortune with him.
<O> And lastlie saith that Richard Bealeing kept much with the said Lord of Gormanstowne, And this Examinant further saith that what matters hee hath acknowledged against himselfe in this his Examination hee was compelled therevnto by the terrour & affrightment of the Irish Armie then round about him & by the Example of the cruelties vsed by them against <P> himselfe & other Protestants as alsoe by the menaces & threates of the Lordes of the Countie of Meath who tooke vpon themselues the authoritie to comand

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<Q> & vnder paines of Death to enioyne this Examinant & others to attend theire meeteings & obey theire commandments att theire pleasure.
Rob: Meredith
E.Dowdall