Examination of John Read

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The Examination of John Read Esquire taken the xixth day of March 1641, Before vs Sir Charles Coote knight & Barronet, & Sir Robert Meredith knight Chancellor of his Maiesties Court of Exchequer two of his Maiesties Justices of peace in the Countie of Dublin & of his Maiesties Councell of this Kingdome: By direction of the right honnorable the Lordes Justices & Councell:
Who beeing sworne & Examined, saith, that hee this Examinant beeing a dweller with his wife & Children in the Towne of Drogheda, did leaue his children <16 dec> & ffamilie in the said Towne, vpon the Thursday <24 no> before the said Towne was beseidged, & with his wife departed thence, vnto the house of Mr Darcie of Plattin with intention to stay there onely one weeke whether the weeke after came Coll McMahowne one of the cheif of the Northeren Rebells who would not permitt him this Examinant to depart thence according to his s aid intention And about two daies after the said mcMahownes comeing <4 dec> thither, there was a meeteing betweene the said Coll McMahowne, & the Lordes & Gentrie of the Pale, vpon the hill of Croftie, neare vnto Drogheda, where hee this Examinant vnderst oo d heard some agreements were made & concluded on betweene the Northeren Rebells, & the said Lords & Gentrie of the Pale, <10 dec> & about a weeke after that meeteing, there was

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alsoe annother meeteing as hee likewise heard held betweene the aforesaid Lordes & Gentrie & the Northeren Rebells att Duleeke; But what was there concluded on this Examinant knoweth not: But this Examinant findeing that the said Lordes & Gentrie had soe ioyned themselues with the Northeren Rebells as aforesaid; did (about <10 dec> the xth of December last) advise seuerall of them namely the Lord Netterfeild, Mr Nicholas Darcy of Plattin, & Mr James Bath of Athcarne to quit & forsake any confederation or ioyning with the said Northeren Rebells & applie themselues vnto the king for mercie; And about two daies <12 dec> after the said meeteing att Duleeke, hee this Examinant receiued a proposition from the Lord of Gormanston; by the said Mr Darcie of Plattin for the takeing on him the place of Leivtennant Gennerall of the fforces of the Countie of Meath, vnder his the Lord of Gormanstons command which this Examinant denying to doe, about the xvith of December last, the Lord of Gormanston did himselfe; deale earnestlie with him this Examinant for the takeing on him the said place of his Lordshipps Leivtennant Gennerall of the forces of the said Countie of Meath. And to enduce this Examinant thervnto his Lordship vndertooke, that the said place should bee

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worth vnto him this Examinant six hundred pounds a yeare But this Examinant still denied to yeilde therevnto. And further saith that about the xixth <19 dec> of the said Month of December last, the said Lords & Gentrie of the Pale had agreed prepared a draught of a Petition vnto his Maiesty, the heades whereof were, that they had soe taken vpp Armes, for the Libertie of theire Religion, the maintnance of his Royall prerogatiue, & the Reformation of the present Goverment heere in this Kingdome by a Parliament, which Petition was given vnto him this Examinant by the Lord of Gormanston, the Lord Netterfeild, the Lord of Slane, Mr Darcie of Plattin, Mt Bath of Athcarne, & Mr Wesley of the Dingan, to bee written out by this Examinant, which hee accordinglie did. And this Examinant was likewise to bee imployed by them & in behalfe of them the aforesaid Lordes & Gentrie of the said Pale, to present the same vnto his Maiestie, And there was alsoe to bee presented by him vnto the King & Queenes Maiestie, Letters, to the effect of the said Petition, which said Letters were prepared and signed vnder the handes of the Earle of ffingall, the Lord Gormanston, the Lord Netterfeild, the Lord of Slane, Sir Richard Barnwall of Crickestowne Mr James Bath of Athcarne, & Mr Nicholas Darcie of Plattin. And the said Letters and

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Petition, were in the name of the whole Pale; And further in the said Letters, his Maiesties credence was desired vnto that, which hee this Examinant should deliuer vnto his Maiestie, from the said Lordes & Gentrie by word of Mouth, as appeares by the said Letters delivered by this Examinant vnto the Earle of Ormond; <17 marcij> the 17th day of March last past; Which message soe to bee delivered vnto his Maiestie as aforesaid, was, that they the Lordes & Gentrie aforesaid, did in behalfe of themselues & others make offer to serue his Maiestie with theire persons & power att theire owne charge, when & wheresoeuer his Maiestie should command them. And this Examinant beeing demanded who vsed to resort vnto Plattin, saith, that sundrie of the gentlemen of the Pale came thither But theire names he knoweth not, onelie Mr Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew, hee well remembers to haue seene there two or three tymes. And this Examinant alsoe saith that about ten daies after the Seidge of Drogheda began, hee vnderstood in publique discourse from Roger Moore, that they of this Kingdome (meaneing the Rebells) expected to receiue Armes & Munition from ffrance And that about three weekes after the said Seidge began, hee this Examinant receiued a Message (by a gentleman of Lowth (whose name hee is ignorant of) from Conn ô Neale brother vnto Daniell ô Neale,

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That in case hee this Examinant would ioyne with him the said Conn, hee should enioy halfe of the Land hee the said Conn could recouer or win; which offer this Examinant refused. And further saith that hee was likewise told by the said Messenger, that the said Conn was the man who was imployed vnto the Cardinall of ffrance to solicite for Armes & munition, & likewise that the said Armes & munition were expected heere accordinglie. And this Examinant alsoe saith that hee vnderstood (But by whom hee cannot call to minde) that one Talbot a Preist was sent beyond the Seas, for the furnishing of the Rebells of this Kingdome with Armes. And this Examinant beeing further demanded what hee knew concerning the Lords of the Pale aforesaid, and theire submitting of themselues to the Kinges Mercie, saith that hee vnderstood by them, that they would submitt but vpon certaine conditions, & not absolutelie vnto his Maiesties mercie. And lastlie saith that Mr Nich: Darcie of Plattin as he thinks told him this Examinant that the Lord of Gormanstowne heard something of was acquainted with the Plott concerning the present Rebellion, att his late beeing in England
Rob Meredith

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