Deposition of Thomas Parnell

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Thomas Parnell of the Cittie of Dublin gouldsmyth sworne and examined deposeth and sayth, That on the xxiijth of Aprill Last past in this present yere 1643 Hee this deponent walking into the feilds nere Saint Cavans Church Dublin and stay in resolving to stay there vntill devine service shold begin at that Church, he was suddenly surprised & taken by the Rebells of the <A> County of Wickloe vizt by Captaine Toole the sonn of Colonell Toole & his Company of Rebellious souldjers & by Captaine Barnard Talbotts Company of souldjers all Rebells, And then & from thence they Carried him away forcibly vpon the bare back of a horse first to Powerscourt & from thence the next day on foote to the Castle of Arklowe: Where he was comitted and lay closse prisoner for six and twenty weekes being often threatened to be putt to death which bred great terrror and feare in him And the said Rebells first robbed stript and dispoyled him of his cloths worth vj li. xiij s. iiij d. at Least: And after they being offered a ransome kept him alive yet soe as he was almost famished & starved for want <130 li. 13 s. 4 d.> of meate & clothes vntill such tyme (which was Long) as releefe was sent him & came to him from his wiffe in Dublin But after those 26 weeks this deponent, for the Ransome and summ of viij li. which he was forced to give to the Constable of the Castle John <B> Coghlan by name, which he (five pownds whereof he said he must give to the Rebells ffrancis Wolleston Captain of that Castle) he this deponent was sett at Liberty yet notwithstanding the Cessation the Rebells would not inlarge him without the said viij li. ransome And besides that sume it cost him and his wiffe for his expencs in prison & in the wayes of his inlargement the summ of xxxvj li. more And besides by meanes of the Rebellion and his said surprisall and imprisonment this deponent is deprived & despojled of the benefite of his trade of a gouldsmith: which before the Rebellion was clerely worth vnto him 40 li. per annum: twoe yeres proffitt whereof he hath already lost, and he is Like to be deprived of the future proffits thereof vntill a peace be established: And this deponent further saith That after the Cessation of Armes was openly proclaimed He this deponent being in prison in the said Castle of Arklow vizt the first of October last Hee this Deponent demanded of the Constable of the Castle why he did not release him according to the Articles of Cessation and his Maiesties proclamation Wherevpon he answered that he had noe order from their County Counsell soe to doe, & therefore
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he would neither release him nor any of the English prisoners which he had there in restraint, This deponent replying is not the kinges proclamation sufficient for you to discharge to without orders from your Counsell he the said John Coghland the Constable there u nto said that he would obey the order from their Counsell before he would obey the kings proclamation often repe or Comand, often repating those contemptuous words: And then the deponent saying that if he (meaneing the deponent himself) had spoken those wordes he should speake treason, the said Coghlan sayd that if this deponent were greeved he might complaine to whom he would for he would make good & answere what he had said before the Lord of Ormond or any other And it was a Common speech amongst the Rebellious souldjers in that Castle after the Cessation was proclaymed that they hoped the warrs would shortly begin againe f notwithstanding the Cessation aforesaid, neither as they sayd did they Regard nor care for the Cessation: but oftentymes vowed that they of the irish would destroy the Citty of Dublin; and once they reported that publiquely that they had burnd & distroyed all the inhabitants & howses of the suburbs of the Citty of Dublin even to the very gats & walls thereof, & most falsly & wickedly often swore that their report to be true, And this deponent hath often heard the said Captain Wolleston & other Rebells say That they could have any ayde or supplyes they pleased of men, mony, armes, & amunition from the pope of Rome and the King of Spaine for rooteing all the English out of Ireland & establishinge the Romish religion there
Tho: Parnell
Jur 7o November 1643
Hen: Jones
Edw Pigott

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{Dublin}
Thomas Parnell Jur
7o Nov: 1643
Intw CfD
hand