Examination of William Purcell

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The Examination of William Purcell taken the xxviith day of December 1642 Before mee Sir Robert Meredith knight one of his Maiesties Justices of the Peace for the Countie of Kildare & Chancellour of his Maiesties Court of Exchequer By direction of the Maiesties most honnorab right honnorable the Lord Justices & Councell.
Who beeing sworne & Examined saith that vpon Tuesdaie last past was seavenight hee this Examinant together with about seaven men more belonging to Sir Arthur Loftus his Companie, set out from the Naas to a place some fiue miles distant from thence, called the Siluer Hills, a mile beyound Ballymore, to see if they could bring a waie such Castle belonging to the Rebells as they vnderstood to bee there which they accordinglie did But vpon theire returne thenc{e} with the aforesaid Catle comeing by Dowdingston two Miles distant from the Naas & within Pistoll shot of the said Towne they espied a Companie of Horsemen which hee this Examinant perceiueing, hee (together with Stephn Hinckley & Mark ffrend two of those who came in company with him this Examinant & the rest from the Naas as aforesaid) hastned the faster on

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before But Thomas Plant Edward Shoole the Trumpeter of Sir Arthur Loftus his Companie & the rest of the Companie would not bee perswaded they were Rebells & soe held on theire vsuall pace keepeing still with the Cattle they brought along with them till vpon a sudden hee the said Plant & the rest with him were soe besett with the Rebells as they could by noe meanes possible saue themselues by flight, And this Examinant together with the aforesaid Stephne Hinckley & Mark ffrend, imediatelie therevpon allighted from theire horses & betooke themselues to a bogg soe as certaine of the Rebells who pursued them likewise, perceiueing they could not come neare him this Examinant & the other two, with theire horse left the pursuite of them & by that meanes hee this Examinant, & the said Hinckley & ffrend got safe to the Naas. And this Examinant alsoe saith that hee (haueing past the aforesaid Bogg) stood vpon a Hill where hee looked back & saw one of the said Rebells strik him the said Plant vpon his cheeke with a sword as alsoe annother of the said Rebells strike the aforesaid Edward Shoole with a Pike, And further saith that

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the parties who soe set vpon him this Examinant & the rest were Captaine Scurlock and his Companie as this Examinant afterwards vnderstood which said Captaine had the same daie taken two of the Lord Calfeilds Souldiers whom hee this Examinant well knew & saw amongst them And this Examinant likewise saith that about foure daies after they the said Plant & the rest were taken by the Rebells as aforesaid, Sir Arthur Loftus his Seriant together with about nine Souldiers in his Companie, (of which number hee this Examinant was one) went towards Dowdingston aforesaid of purpose to see if they could meete with any of the said Captaine Scurlocks men, who they vnderstood kept constantlie thereabouts And vpon theire approach to the said Towne haueing surprised one of theire Scoutes hee told them there were three or ffoure of the said Scurlocks Souldiers in the house of Mr Eustace in the said Towne, vnto which place when hee the said Seriant came, & makeing some enquiry after them, there were three or ffoure of his the said Scurlocks Companie perceiued to haue gott out of the backside of the said house

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who though they the said Seriant and the rest made pursuite after them yet they gott the from them notwithstanding Wherevpon the said Seriant & the rest returning back to the said Mr Eustace his house & questioning Mrs Eustace how she durst entertaine Rebells, some of the Souldiers begining to take some thing from her, she the said Mrs Eustace swore a great oath wishing Captaine Scurlock were there att that present And lastlie this Exam{inant} saith that the aforesaid Mr Eustace his house is a constant receptacle for the Rebells soe as the Souldiers of the Naas can by noe meanes passe that waie without much danger
Rob Meredith