Deposition of Lawrence Hooper

Date: 1643-05-31

Identifier: 820312r260

County: Waterford

Deposition Type: Bysse

Nature of Deposition: Apostacy, Captivity, Desecration, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Stripping, Words

Commissioners: James Wallis, Thomas Elwell

Deposition Transcription:

fol. 312r

1539
Lawrence Hooper late of the Cittie of Waterford glover (an Irish protestant) duely examined and sworne vpon oath before vs by vertue of his Maisties Comissio n to vs and others directed (beareing date th e 5th day of March &c ) concerneing the losses robberies and spoiles since this rebellion comit ted vpon the Brittish & protest ants in the Province of Munster &c as alsoe diuers other particulars by vertue of the said Comi ssion to be enquired after , tend ing to the discouery of this presente rebellion in Ireland deposeth and saith
That aboute the first of December 1641 this examinat went from Duncanon fforte (where he was a souldier vnder the Comand of the lord Esmond) to the Cittie of Waterford aforesaid to ffetch off some goods he left there to the value of eight and fortie pounds at which time the said goods were forceably taken away from him by capteine Richard ffitz Harris of in the County of Wexford gentleman, Milo fitz Harris of in the said County gentleman & Michell Langhane of Aldridg in the said County gen, accompanied with three hundred men in armes, whoe came thither from the County of Wexford aforesaid, This examinat further informeth that And soone after this deponent was robbed of his said goods as aforesaid and especially aboute Candlemas then followeing the vndernamed persons to wit William Woodlock sheriff of the said Cittie John Bayly merchant, George Skiddy of the same merchant, Alexander leonard of the same merchant, John Skiddy of the same merchant, William Devereux of the same merchant, John Lombard of the same merchant gentleman, Symon Strong of the same merchant, Thomas Strong of the same merchant, alias Thomas Roe Strong, and diuers others of the Citizens & Inhabitants of Waterford afores{aid} began with force & armes to stripp and robb all the protestants there, vnder collo{r} of searching for armes and amunition, The deponent furth{er} declareth And that soone after the pilladging of the protestants ther{e &} especially aboute Whitsuntide 1642 then ensueing the said parties la{st} mencioned (among others) in a most vnchristiam & barbarou{s} maner began to digg vp the graues where protestants were fo{rmerly}

fol. 312v

1540
buryed in caused them to be digged to make gunpow{der} as alsoe it was giuen out aboute the time last mencioned by one Patricke Welsh of the said Cittie mass priest, that they (meaneing the Citizens w[ ] would not haue soe much as the stincke of one of the bones of the heretcikes amonge them, and therefore euer since caused as many protestants as dyed in the said Cittie to be buryed without the gates nere the high way; The deponent saith <B> that the said Welsh to shewe his malice & dispight to the protestants, caused the graues ready made in the Church (for the buryall of one Thomas Heylin clerke & his wife whoe aboute the time last mencioned dyed) to be stopt vp againe; he saith that at the digging of the said graues this examinat obserued that Richard Neylor of the said Cittie Apothecary Peeter Morgan of the same merchant, & one Williams (formerly a protestant but nowe turned papist, an Engineere & Mr of their ordinance) digged vp some corps of protestants (but their names he doth not remember) or at least caused them to be digged vp which corpes had some bones & flesh aboute them & those they with the earth boyled in greate furnishes till they came to furnesses till they extracted saltpeeter, & made [ ] of them gun powder worth three score pounds a weecke or therabouts & continued the same course till they were prouided from Dungarvan & wexford with powder and amunition from beyond seas The deponent being further examined saith That from the begining of December 1641 aforesaid vntill the 13th of this month he was restrained in the Cittie of Waterford aforesaid dureing which time he obserued the particulars followeing namely: That aboute Shroue tide last 1642 the maior & Inhabitants of the said Cittie began to throwe downe the woorks with out St Patrickes and our lady gat, being west & southwest side of the said Cittie, which woorkes were there made the last warrs, since that time & of late they haue beene labouring to scowre the

fol. 313r

1541
Trenches the outside & on the Inside they haue beene casting vp a rampier against the wall He alsoe declareth that And was credibly informed, dureing his restrainte and stay at Waterford as aforesaid, that the Inhabitants of the said Cittie (by directions from Collonell Aylward cheefe Comander of the forces within the said Cittie as alsoe by direction of some Spaniards haue made Two Trenches in the bowleing greene against a weake place in the wall of the said Cittie, an{d} a third trench in the lane, neere the wall of the bowleing greene, In which three Trenches, they haue layed a Trayne of powder, and haue couered the said Trenche{s} with hurdles and peeces of Timber, and greene soiles vpon the place in the bowling greene & earth in the lane lik{e} to the rest of the ground adiacent, this particular is related to this examinat by William Tozer formerly a protestant & others whoe sawe the woorke don in sorte as it is declared.
This examinat further informeth That the said Cittie of Waterford hath a thousand armed men & boyes within the same their maner is, that when any alarm is vp, or any Intelligence of the Inglish forces to be neere at hand, that then they appointed a masse priest in the head of euery company and another in the reare to encouradg{e} & aduise [ ] them to persist in their rebellious courses; He alsoe saith that dureing his aboade at Waterford aforesaid & especially aboute Easter last he heard Patrick Welsh of the same merchant, Andrewe Wise of the same merchant, Nicholas Garraldine of the same merchant, Andrew Mo{r}gan of the same merchant, John Grant, George & Joh{n} Skiddy aforesaid merchants seuerally say, that they (meane{ing} the Irish rebells) will neuer yeeld as long as they haue breath in their bodyes vnles they may haue the priul{edge}

fol. 313v

1542
And benefit of Churches, & that noe English protestant may haue any gouernment in this kingdome, onely that they may haue trade and trafficke with them & that the English protestants be confined to exercise their relligion in privat houses, as the Irish haue beene forced to doe heertofore
He further declareth that aboute three weeckes before Easter last was Twelue month, Peeter fflabin of the said Cittie [ ] butcher (an English protestant) was condem<D>ned to dye by Collonell Wale in of Waterford aforesaid in the said County gentleman and [ ] afterwards hanged, at the signe of the mermaide in the said Cittie whoe might haue beene saued (as this examinat is giuen to vnderstand) if he had turned papist, whoe was accused by Richard Gall - - - & other gentlemen of that County for killing one Ga[ ] Galle a rebell, Of which he was conceaued to be guiltles in regard the said rebell was taken and wounded before by another and afterwards hanged by directions from the late, lord President of Munster This examinat further deposeth That aboute the begining of December last he being then at Waterford aforesaid, he was presente, when some of the Contry people there, were curseing the people of Imokelly in the Countie of Corke, because they did not assist the rest of the rebells in this Insurrection, wherevpon one Bayly an Irish papist & one of the Inhabitants of Waterford aforesaid, made answeare, If we (quoth he) could bring our forces thither they would all Joine with vs, and soe would all the Irish at youghall likewise He likewise saith, That ffrances Powell of Waterford aforesaid smith, formerly an English protestant, but since this rebellion turned papist & is Imployed aboute the

fol. 314r

1543
makeing of gunns for the rebells and Citizens there, likewise John Saunders of the same plumber [who since] this rebellion turned papist is Imployed aboute the makeing of bullets in the said Cittie, alsoe John Collins of the said Cittie sadler (formerly an English protestant but since this rebellion turned papist) is Imployed about the makeing of greate Troope sadles to and for the vse of the rebells in the said <E> Cittie This examinat further declareth That aboute the 18th day of March last, & the same day, that the battle was fought at Rosse by the marques of Ormond, one of the Contry pepople called Edmond Boy runing to Waterford from the said battle with newes was presentely brought before Thomas White nowe mayor of the said Cittie, & for relateing the said ouerthrow{e} caused him to be comitted, intending to hange him the nexte day, of purpose (as this deponent conceaueth) not with standing the truth of the said battle, to encouradge the Inhabitants of the said Cittie & others to persist in their rebellious courses for (quoth he) this relation comeing to the heering of our men it will breake the very harts of them, He alsoe informeth saith That aboute the begining of Aprill last this deponent obserued at Waterford afore{said} that Mathewe Grant of the same Alderman, Thomas Wadding Esquire Recorder of the said Cittie, are appoint{ed} by the Comon Councell of the same to be ouerseers of a mint house lately erected in the said Cittie, & to see newe coyne stamped by one John (his Christian surname he knowe{s} not) whoe is thervnto appointed) & to that purpose they caused three stampes to be made, one for coyneing of halfe crownes another for pences & thother for halfe pences This examinat further saith that dure{ing} his Comittall at Waterford aforesiad he s[ ] heard t{he}

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1544
Maior diuers times say, That they (meaneing the Irish <f> rebells) had his Maiesties Comission for what they did, & the said Maior doth noe lesse in practise shewe the same, his cause of knowledge appeareth ffor aboute Chrsitmas Michelmas last a shipp out of holland belonging to the Prince of Orange, being driuen by a storme to run on ground at the harbour of dungarvan wherin was some mony and goods, but presently the said goods and mony were seized vpon & caryed to Waterford aforesaid, & the men likewise brought thither prisoners, after comeing thither the Mr of the said shipp demanding the said Maior the reason, why his goods were taken from him, haueing neuer don any Iniury to the Irish, the mayor made answeare, that his goods and shipp were seized vpon to and for his Maiesties vse, this confirmeing his words in deemeing the rebells to be his Maiesties subiects, and alsoe pretending they had such a Comission as is already declared
<Stet> This examinat lastly informeth that after very soone after the said battaile of Rosse, generall Preston with his forces, beseidged the Castle of Ballinekill in the Queenes <G> County of [ ] & continued seidge to the same for seven weeckes (being kepte by an English garri s son) but the ward of the said Castle at last brought to greate extremity yeelded the same vpon quarter of their liues, their apparell <Stet> and a certaine parte of their goods and to that purpose a convey promissed and sent with them to Athy; yeet notwithstanding, all the people in the said Castle (excepting three or foure that escaped on horse backe) were most tray<{S}tet>terously and after an Inhumane maner in the high way (all before dissamed) assaulted & murthered by Hugh mc Phellim Byrne (a Collonell among the rebells) & his company

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1545
They were all in number aboute fiue hundred soules men women & children The depon ents cause of knowledge heerin is that he was credibly informe d of the <Stet> same by the Citizens of Waterford some Comenting that such a massacre was soe perfidiously don by the enemy; others co m me n d ing the same, the onely thing that induceth this examinat <Stet> to beleeue the certainty of the said murther is, that he sawe diuers suites of apparell, belonging to the said parties soe murthered, sould afterwards in the open market at Waterford before this examinats comeing away & further he deposeth not
Lawrence [mark] Hoopers
marke
Jurat coram nobis
vltimo May 1643
Jam: Wallis
Thomas Ellwell
See this Deposition
before p. 1120

fol. 315v

1546
Lawrence Hoopers examination
Waterford
Reu
184

Deponent Fullname: Lawrence Hooper

Deponent Gender: Male

Deponent Occupation: Glover

Deponent County of Residence: Waterford

Mentioned Non-Deponent Fullnames: marques of Ormond, lord President of Munster, his Maiestie, Richard ffitz Harris, Milo fitz Harris, Michell Langhane, William Woodlock, John Bayly, George Skiddy, Alexander leonard, John Skiddy, William Devereux, John Lombard, Symon Strong, Thomas Strong, Patricke Welsh, Richard Neylor, Peeter Morgan, * Williams, Collonell Aylward, Andrewe Wise, Nicholas Garraldine, Andrew Morgan, John Grant, Collonell Wale, * Galle, ffrances Powell, * Bayly, John Saunders, John Collins, Thomas White, Mathewe Grant, Thomas Wadding, John *, Hugh mc Phellim Byrne, Thomas Heylin, Prince of Orange, Edmond Boy, Peeter fflabin, generall Preston, William Tozer

Mentioned Non-Deponent Roles: Mentioned, Mentioned, Mentioned, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Mentioned, Mentioned, Witness, Victim, Rebel, Witness