Deposition of Isabell Smith

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Isabell Smith widdowe (the Relicte of Richard Smith Late of Monny in the Queenes County yeoman deceased) being duely sworne & examined before vs by vertue of a Commission vnder the broade seale of this kingdome to vs and others directed beareing date &c. deposeth & saith That aboute the Later end of 7ber 1646 this examinat lost and was forceably dispo{il}ed of her goodes and chatles vizt houshouldstuffe Corne & Catle to {the} value of one hundred poundes or theraboutes.
The deponent being further examined saith That she and her said husband Liueing at Monny aforesaid (for the space of Thirtie yeeres or theraboutes before this present Rebellion), were from thence forced to fly to the fforte of Leix & there Continued (haueing lost their estates formerly by the Rebells) till Candlemas after the Cessacion of Armes in this kingdome, & then presumeing vppon a settlement of peace, came backe to liue at Monny aforesaid, but the Northerne Rebells (being very malitiously bent against the Protestants) did enforce this examinat, & her said husband to fly the second time, to disarte=Castle where Capteine John Piggott Liued. And soone after especially aboute a forthnight <A> before Michelmas Last, the said Northerne Rebells Comanded by Owen Roe o Neale came with an Army against the said disart castle, & sumoned the same (by a trumpe{t}er) to be giuen into his handes for his Maiesties vse, the man that sumoned the Castle was courteously entertained by the said Piggot, & sent an Answere by him to his generall, that while his head stood on his boddy, he would not deliuer hi{s} Castle into the enemyes handes, & that he held it from his Maiestie, without whose consent or directions noe rebell should possesse his Castle, or wordes to th{at} effecte; And to inable himselfe the better for defence thereof, he enioy{n}ed his servants and souldiers to an oath, or protestacion, to stand close to him which they accordingly did to the death; ffor the enemy haueing besett the said Castle rounde, & fired all the Corne and out houses, the souldiers and servants of the said Piggot, fought manfully & killed diuers of the Rebells, insoemuch that the enemy & the said Piggot were agreed (as this examinat & the rest vnderstood) touching a Quarter & to that purpose one Barnaby Dun Esquire (the said Piggots brother in

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Lawe, after shooteing on both sides was left of) went forth to conclude the said Quarter, the Rebells seeing the Castle=grate open rushed in, & without mercy murthered all, or most parte of the men in the said Castle, six onely excepted who (dureing the massacre) accidentally escaped by getting the Rebells watch=word, amonge the slaine was the Capteine himselfe, his sonn William Piggot, this examinats husband, & Mr Robert Brereton minister, whome they vsed spightfully, ffor after he was dead, they sett his Corpes (all goared in blood) sitting in a chaire, & put a Bible into his handes, Comanding him for to preach; they were not satisfied with the vnnaturall massacre of the said parties, and many more, but barbarously stripped naked the women & Innocent children that were in the said Castle, among whome this examinant (being 67 yeeres ould) was not onely stripped, but greevously wounded in seuerall parties of her boddy, telling her, and the rest of the protestants there, they were but deuills, and that their bedds were made for them in hell; The malice of the said Rebellious enemy was not yet satisfied, for (amonge other cruelties) they murthered the wife of one Thomas Tuite, & the child at her breast, because (as some of them alleadged) she made pittifull moane & lamentacion, ouer the dead Corpes of her husband; And this donn they kepte the dead boddies of those poore Christians vnburryed for certaine dayes, giueing foorth that without a greate ransome (at least fiue poundes a peece) they should neuer be burryed, but there rott aboue ground, but at last by much adoe their corpes were drawen foorth & throwen into ditches, & Capteine Piggot himselfe with a witt aboute his necke was dragged downe staires, & drawne throwe his owne Castle=bawne & afterwards by much entreaty burryed in the next adjoyneing Churchyard. And further she deposeth not.
Isabell [mark] Smithes marke
Jurat coram nobis 9o Junij 1647
Hen: Clogher
Hen: Brereton

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Isabell Smithes examination taken 9o Junij 1647
Queenes County