Examination of Henry Smith

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Depositions of witnesses taken before the right honorable the Lords Justices and Councell, and produced by Sir John Netervil Knight
23 May 1641
<h> Henry Smith of Dowth in the Countie of Meath weaver aged about 60 yeares beeing duly sworne and examjned saith that the Rebells as neere as the examinant remembers sate downe about Drogheda about November Allh a llantide was twelvemonth, and were said to bee in number five or six thowsande, and that Sir John Netervill <i> did then severall times send one of his servants named Christopher Dungan to see if Sir John might passe at Ouldbridge t he and the said over the river in some place neere ouldbridge, and that the said Sir John <k> himself assayed once in his own person to trye if hee could passe over the river in some place neere Ouldbridge that soe hee might departe from his howse at dowth to Drogheda and saith that Sir John did then take on him an

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<L> an other mans cloake, soe to disguise himself that hee might not bee knowen, Hee further saith that in the time of the seege of Drogheda one hundred of the Rebells came to the towne of Dowth, as before Christmas, some of the chief of them beeing of the Neiles, and that <m> the court gate of Sir John Netervills howse beeing then attended by the a boy in the absence of the porter, about 40 of the said Rebells in the evening thrust in at the Gate, and soe entred into the said Sir Johns howse, some of them with their swords drawen, and the as the examinant heard f or the examinant soone after passed through the hall, & sawe some of their swords drawen laid on the cupboarde in the hall was not then at the gate but on the <n> topp of the Castle, and hee saith that when Sir John Nettervill beeing then in his chamber in the said howse heard that the Rebells were entred into his howse hee was in a great chafe & greev ed & vexed & was angry with the porter & railed at him betooke himself to his chamber, He saith also that some of them said Rebells suppt there <O> that that night, & fowre some of them lodged there that night; and saith that they suppt & lodged there against the said Sir Johns will, for hee saith hee sawe the said Sir John vexed & greived at

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<p> at it, and therfore hee takes it on his conscience that it was against the said Sir Johns will, Hee saith hee knoweth not who suppt there that night with the Rebells and that the examinant soone after their coming to the house went to the topp of the Castle where hee continued during their stay in the <q> howse. Hee saith alsoe that afterwards at an other time and as hee remembers thincks before Christmas also aforesaid some 16 or 20 of the Rebells came by chance into the said Sir Johns said house at dowth the said Sir John beeing then in the house, and there they staid about 2 howres and had victualls <r> and soe departed. Hee further saith that during the time of the seege of Drogheda hee heard the said Sir John severall times say that hee wished hee were at Drogheda or Dublin, or somwher from <s> amongst the Rebells. And hee heard the

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the said Sir John saye a few dayes after the seege of Drogheda was raised that hee heard that the <t> Earle of Ormond was at Garristowne, and that the said Sir John was resolved to goe and render himself to his lordship whatsoever became of it, and that accordingly the said Sir John <v> tooke one of his men with him and two horses, and soe swome their horses over the river, and went over themselves in curroghes and soe went (as the examinant heard) to Garristowne to the Earle of Ormond <w> Hee saith further that about 3 weeks after the comittall of Sir John Netervill to the Castle of Dublin, he heard one Cornelius Moran servant to Sir John Netervill say that hee the said Cornelius was examined before Sir Robert Meredith, and said that the said Sir Robert did threaten to rack the said Cornelius, and that hee would make him a handfull longer
Henry [mark] Smithes marke
Turn 3 Leaves
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<x> longer if hee di would not confesse the truith
Henry [mark] Smithes marke
Jo: Borlase
Hen: Tichborne
Ric: Bolton Canc
Ormonde
Roscomon.
Edw: Brabazon
Cha: Lambart
Ad: Loftus
W: Parsons
Gerrard Lowther