Examination of Garratt Aylmer
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The Examinacion of Garratt Aylmer of Balrath in the County ofEsquire taken the xiiii th day of March 1641 Before me Chancellor of his Maiesties Court of Exchequer By direction of the right honorable the Lords Justices & Councell
Who being Examined, & sworne vnto so much of the Examinacion as concerneth others, saith, That vpon the begininge of the Seidge of Drogheda, as he this Examinant vnderstood (hee himselfe beeing at that time in the Cittie of Dublin all the Lords & many of the Gentrie of the County of Meath, with some of the cheife of the Northerne Rebells, mett att the hill of Croftie neare vnto Drogheda, where they the said Lordes & Gentrie entred into agreements with the said Northern Rebells, as this Examinant was enformed, And wher{e} likewise (as this Examinant alsoe heard) Luke Neterfield was present & appeared to bee verie forward in the busines: Soon after the said Lords and Gentrie namelie the Earle of ffingall, the Lord of Gormanstowne, The Lord Trimblestown, the Lord of Dunsanie, the Lord of Netterfeild, the Lord of Slain, Sir Richard Barnewall Baronet, Sir William Hill Patricke Barnwall of Kilbrew, Nicholas Plunckett the Lawyer, Richard Birford the Lawyer, Wesley of the Dingan, Linch of the Knock, Lynam of Adamstowne, Darcie of Plattin, Bath of Athcarne, Sir Thomas Nugent Baronet, & this Examinant himselfe, Dowdall of Monckstown Dowdall of Brownestowne, Malone of Lismullin, & in truth all or most of the Gentrie of the said Countie, appeared att the Hill of Tarragh, being summoned thither by the Sheriffe, by vertue of a direction giuen him in that behalfe by the said Lord of Gormonstowne as this Examinant remembers. And the first worke of that meetinge was to give an answeare to a Proclamation touching the said Lordes theire coming unto Dublin, to conferr with the state, which answeare was brought unto the said meeteing, readie drawn, by the Lord of Gormanston & so was agreed on with very little alteracion. The next worke of that day, as this Examinant remembers was to provide victualls for the Northerne Rebells, that so the spoile of the said County might be prevented. The third thing was to nominate a Governor (who was the Lord of Or mond Gormanstowne) & Councell to advise with him, concerning the good and defence of the said County, the names of the said Councell were Sir Richard Barnewall, Sir Luke Fitz{gerald} { } Wesly of the Dingan
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Darcy of Plattin, James Bath of Athcarne, James ffleming of Stahullmocke, Vncle unto the Lord of Slaine, Sir William Hill, Sir Thomas Nugent (who was then present), Edward Dowdall of Munckstown, In summe two or three out of every Barony, & all the Lords or any three of them, who by appointment were to meet at the said Hill of Tarragh every Wednesday weekely. And this Examinant further saith that the said Nicholas Plunket Richard Beriford and this Examinant himselfe, were appointed to be assisting to the said Councell in matters of Law, if any did arise, At the next meeting (at which time this Examinant was absent) the worke, as this Examinant vnderstood, was to appoint Captaines out of euery Barony; and by agreement the Lord of ffingall the Lord of Trimlestowne, the Lord of Dunsay Dunsany & the Lord of Slaine had euery of them a Barony assigned, and power giuen them to nominate so many Captaines as they thought fitt out of the Baronies respectively assigned vnto them, And accordingly the Lord of Gormanstowne, appointed out of the Barony of Duleeke, where he this Examinant dwelt four Captaines, namely James Bath of Athcarne, Cadle of Harbertstowne his eldest son Christopher Darcy third sonn vnto Darcy of Plattin & James Aylmer of Dullerstowne, The Earl of ffingall likewise appointed for Captaines out of the Barony of Skreen, a brother of his own, Patricke Cusacke of Garratstowne & Lawrence Dowdall of Athlumney; The like power was also giuen vnto Sir Richard Barnewall and Patricke Barnewall for appointment of the Captaines in the Barronys of Rathoth & Dunboyne; The same power was also given as he conceiues unto Hugh Hussey, sonne & heire unto Hussey Baron of Galtrim & Hussey of Mulhussey for the nominating of Captaines in the Barony of Dease, the like power was given unto Sir Luke fitz Gerrald & Wesley of the Dingan in the Barony either of Lune or Moyfenrogh, the rest he doth not remember, The next worke was for the raiseing of Companies for the said Captaines, & to that purpose euery plough=land in the whole Barony of Skreen was to set forth eight men which to this Examinants knowledge { }
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performed, in the said Barany of Skreen, and the proporcion of Victu{all} allotted, for the maintenance of the Souldiers was a beefe & halfe a barrell of Corne euery day for euery hundred throughout the County. And in like sort for the Northerne Rebells in the Barony of Duleeke the Collectors were Bartholomew Moore of Dowanstwne & Caddle of Harbertstowne who was likewise Marshall and claimed one beefe in euery score for his fees, and the manner of the collecting of the said provisions was by Warrant from the Lord of Gormanstowne vnto the Sheriffe of the County, and the Sherriffes Warrant thereupon issued vnto the Collectors; and the provisions so by them given unto the said Marshall were by him to be conveyed unto the Army. At another meeting about a month since at the said Hill of Tarragh, where he this Examinant (by appointment of the Sheriffe) was And where the Lords of ffingall & Gormanstowne were present with Sir Luke fitz Gerrald as he remembers; It was then propounded by the said Earl of ffingall, that horse should be raised through out the whole County; and for that purpose Patricke Barnewall of Kilbrew & Wesly of the Dingan, with one out of euery Barony in the County were appointed for the makeing up of a List of horse; and out of the Barony of Duleeke he this Examinant was to furnish one, Darcy of Plattin two Bath of Athcarne two, and so respectively as euery one was esteemed able. And soon after at Tarragh the Lord of ffingall caused a proclamacion to be made that upon paine of death euery man throughout the said County who was named in the afore mencioned List should be ready with his horses at a certaine day, vpon which day the parties faileing so to come. His Lordship then issued a Warrant under his hand requireing them to meet againe (vpon paine of death) at Tarragh the Saturday following, And accordingly he this Examinant sent a horseman & horses to waite on his Lordship for the defence of the Country, which said horse & horse man were absent from this Examinant about a
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fortnight, and were by his Lordship appointed to be under the Command of one Captaine ffleming sonn unto Thomas ffleming of Cabragh in the County of Cavan as this Examinant understood. And being demanded whether he was present at any meeting had between the said Lords & the Gentry of the Pale, and the Northerne Rebells, answered that at the time when the shipping went first into the harbour of Drogheda for the Reliefe of that towne there being a generall cry about the Country & the Beacons lighted he went towards the hill of Crofty & there he saw Sir Phelim O Neale Philip O Relye, Miles Relye & others Chiefe of the said Northerne Rebells in consultacion on horse backe with the Lord of Gormanstowne, Lord of Slaine & the Lord of Lowth, whereupon he this Examinant returned home to his house, and the Lord of Gormanstowne the Lord of Slaine with Sir Phelim O Neal went unto Slaine. And that night he this Examinant hearing of much shooting about Drogheda went the next morning unto Plattin, and there he understood that there was a breach made vpon the wall of Drogheda, and that some of the Irish Army had entred in and were beaten backe againe, whereupon he this Examinant returned to his owne house whether the Earl of ffingall came that night with two of his brothers & very near twenty horse, And the next morning, the said Earl procured him this Examinant to waite on him to Plattin, to learne newes, where he saw the Lord of Slaine the Lord of Gormanstowne & the Lord Neterfield, Wesly of the Dingan Bath of Athcarne, Darcy of Plattin & sundry others of the Gentry of the Country; And also Sir Phelim O Neale Philip Rely Miles Rely, Coll mc Bryan & seuerall others of the Irish Rebells, At which time it was agreed on by the said Lords & Irish aforesaid that Sir Phelim o Neale should be Governor of the fforces about Drogheda, and about a weeke after that there issued Summons form the Sheriffe of the
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County that all persons within the Barony of Duleeke between the age of sixteen & threescore should meet at Duleeke aforesaid on a certaine day, where accordingly he this Examinant was present at the time limitted; but no full number appearing they were dismissed by the Lord of Gormanstown for that time; And since (by another Summons from the Lord of Gormanstowne) all the Inhabitants of the said County (upon paine of death) were required to bring eight of their ablest men out of euery ploughland with their best furniture to the hill of Ardchaffe whether he this Examinant went also & there found the Lord of Gormanstown the Lord Neterfield & James Bath of Athcarne but few brought any men along with them save Patricke Barnewall of Kilbrew who brought near vpon a hundred persons within a mile of the said place, and Cusacke of Garnetstowne about a dozen & thereupon they were dismissed, And this Examinant being demanded on what pretence the said Lords and Gentry aforesaid haue taken up armes saith that he heard by report they were for the liberty of their Religion, for maintenance of the King’s perogative & freedome of the Subjects, as they of England are, And being further demanded whether he saw Talbott the preist at any of the meetings aforesaid or knew whether he the said Talbott was sent for Armes into fforreigne parts, for answer saith that he saw the said priest at the first meeting at Tarragh but knowes nothing of his sending for armes, yet saith that he vnderstood that Patricke Barnewall of Kilbrew was sent vnto Wexford for Armes which were reported to be landed there and further saith that at his coming from this { } the { }
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of the Siedge of Drogheda, he found in his house the Lord of Lowth, Collonell Birne, Collonell Moore & Edmond Rely with about threescore armed men in their Company, & likewise saith that another time there came unto his house the said Collonell Moore Collonell Birne & Collonell Philip O Rely with at least fourty Musketeires to attend on them; At another time Collonell Moore came unto his this Examinants house with about thirty Musketeires waiting on him during which time the Irish Campe lay within two miles of his this Examinants house, & were euery day robbing & takeing away his own & neighbours goods & were Masters of their houses, & this Examinant further saith that the reasons of his repairing to the said meetings were for that he was threatned by the said Lords to haue his house burnt and head cutt off if he failed to attend the said Lords at the meetings aforesaid And saith that such of his neighbours that were English who were robbed & spoiled of their goods as namely Mr Finch of Duleeke & one Mr Gavane were so robbed and spoiled by some of the Inhabitants of the said County of Meath, & this Examinant further saith that he credibly heard the Lord of Gormanstown & other of the said Lords wrote Letters into Mounster vnto the Lord Mountgarret & others there, & likewise to some in Connaught to procure their assistance in joineing with them in the busines they then had in hand
Ga: Aylmer
Robert Meredith
Exam: p J
Copiae verae Exw Valetinu Savadge
Deput [Clim] Corone
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