Examination of John Read

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The Examination of John Read Esquire taken the ixth 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 & of his Maiesties privie Councell of this Kingdome. By direction of the right honnorable the Lords Justices & Councell: <concerning the Lords of the Pale>
<K> Who beeing sworne & Examined, saith, that hee this Examinant beeing a dweller with his wife & Children in the Towne of Drogheda, did leave his Children & ffamilie in the said Towne, vpon Thursdaie before the said Towne was besiedged, & with his wife departed thence, vnto the house of Mr Darcie of Plattin, with intention to staie there onelie one weeke, whether alsoe the weeke after came Coll McMahowne, (one of the cheife of the Northeren Rebells) who would <L> not permitt him this Examinant to depart thence, according to his said intention. And about two daies after the said McMahownes comeing thither, there was a meeting betweene the said Coll McMahowne & the Lordes & Gentrie of the Pale, vpon the hill of Croftie, neare vnto Drogheda where hee this Examinant vnderstood agreements were made & concluded on betweene the said Northeren Rebells, & the aforesaid Lordes & Gentrie of the Pale:

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<M> And further saith, that about a weeke after that meeteing there was alsoe annother held betweene the aforesaid Lordes & Gentrie; & the Northeren Rebells, att Duleeke But what was then & there concluded vpon this Examinant knoweth not. But saith that hee this Examinant findeing, that they the said Lordes & Gentrie, had soe ioyned themselues with the Northeren Rebells as aforesaid, did (about the xth of December last) aduise seuerall of them namely, the Lord Netterfeild, Mr Nicholas Darcie of Plattin, & Mr James Bath of Athcarne, to quitt & forsake any confederation, or ioyneing with the said Northeren Rebells, & to applie <N> themselues vnto the king for mercie. And about two daies 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 himselfe, dealt earnestlie <O> with him this Examinant, for the takeing on him the said Place of his Lordshipps Leivtennant Gennerall of the fforces, of the said Countie of Meath. And to enduce this Examinant therevnto, his Lordship vndertooke that the said Place should bee worth vnto him this Examinant, six hundred poundes a yeare; But this Examinant still denied to yeild therevnto. And further saith that about the

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<P> xixth of the said Month of December last, the said Lordes & Gentrie of the Pale, had prepared a draught of a Petition vnto his Maiestie, the heades whereof were, that they had soe taken vpp armes for the libertie of theire religion, the maintenance of his Royall prerogatiue, & the reformation of the present Gouerment of 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, Mr Bath of Athcarne & Mr Weslie of the Dingan, to bee written out by this Examinant, which hee accordinglie did And this <Q> Examinant likewise saith that hee himselfe was to bee imployed, by, & in behalfe of them the aforesaid Lordes & gentrie of the Pale, to present the said Petition vnto his Maiesty, And further saith, there was alsoe to bee presented by him this Examinant, vnto the King & Queenes Maiesties 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 <R> Sir Richard Barnwall of Crickeston, Mr James Bath of Athcarne, & Mr Nicholas Darcie of Plattin. And the said Letters and 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

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<S> by the said Letters, deliuered by this Examinant vnto the Earle of Ormond, the xviith daie of March last past; Which Message soe to bee deliuered vnto his Maiestie as aforesaid, was, that they the said Lordes & Gentrie did in behalfe of themselues and others, make offer to serve 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 hee knoweth not, onelie Mr Patrick <T> 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 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 begining of the said Seidge, 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: <V> That in case hee this Examinant would ioyne with him the said Conn, hee should enioy halfe of the Land, which hee the said Conn could recouer or win, which offer hee this Examinant refused to accept of; And further saith that hee this Examinant, was likewise told by the said Messenger, that the aforesaid Conn was the man, who was imployed vnto the Cardinall of ffrance, to solicite for Armes &

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<W> 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 the Rebells of this Kingdome with Armes. And this Examinant beeing further demanded what hee knew concerning the Lordes of the Pale aforesaid, & theire submitting of themselues to the Kings Mercie, saith, <X> that hee vnderstood by them, that they would submitt, But vpon certaine conditions, & not absolutelie vnto his Maiesties mercie. And lastlie this Examinant saith that Mr Nicholas Darcie of Plattin, told him this Examinant, that the Lord of Gormanston was acquainted with the Plott concerning the present Rebellion, att his Late beeing in England.
Rob Meredith
J: Reade

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