Deposition of William Hodgson

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<A> William Hodgson late of the Ringsend in the parrish of Donnybrooke Blacksmith sworne and examined deposeth and saith That hee this deponent since the begining of the present Rebellion vizt about Candlemas 1643 This d was att Ringsend aforesaid by meanes of the said Rebellion depriued robbed and dispoiled of howshold goodes his tooles nayles & other goodes and chattells worth at least xx li. And by meanes of the same Rebellion he hath lost and or is in danger to loose in debts the summ of xxvj li & alsoe by the same meanes hee is dampnified xx li. more, & lost by Captain White & in his wages as Armorer v li. And this deponent since the begining of this Rebellion hath been robbed and dispoiled of horses Mares & geldinges which (if he had them nowe) were worth <111 li.> aboue fforty Powndes, And this deponent further saith that whilest he this deponent dwelled att Ringsend and was a tennant to the right honourable the lord of Viscount Meriyong he divers tymes went to the howse of Meriyong aforesaid whilest the Lord & now honour thereof the viscount Lived there And was <A> a smith and workman for his Lordship and for that howse and for twoe of the first yeres of the Rebellion And saith that whilest he was a workman to and had recourse to that howse he very well sawe and observed that very many and great numbers of Rebells resorted vnto and was were entertained at the said howse att Meriyong aswell when the said viscount himself was and his eldest sonn and his ladie & other of the viscountes children were there as when the viscount himself was at Howith: which Rebells that soe resorted thither & were there entertained both in the day & night time were aswell some horsmen and some footemen: Some of which Rebells And further saith that about one time (amongst the rest that this deponent went to the said house of Meryong aforesaid) vizt on a Sabboth day in or about the begining of July 1642 this deponent saw a great number of Rebells there within the same howse drincking & makeing merry: And there being then present with this deponent att the
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same howse his this deponentes wife and one Thomas Hogg and his wife and 3 of his Maiesties souldiers which were billetted at this deponentes howse; one Andrew Birne then servant to the said Lord of Meriyong bade this deponent and the rest in his company to goe home, which this deponent and the rest did, But before they came home, this deponent and the rest of his company espied about threescore Irish Rebells marching after them nere the said howse of Meriyong towardes the Rings end Armed with muskettes pyks & other weopens But a good way before they came to the Rings end they the Rebells perceiving a great number of cattle to be grazing in a park or closse Imediatly went thither & by force drove and tooke away all those cattle, Howbeit some sheepe which were there runing from them towardes the Rings end and those of the kings souldjers that had been with this deponent there endeavored to saue those sheepe but instantly some of the Irish Rebells meeting with them tooke from them <B> their swordes and Cloakes And instantly afterwardes 2 of the said lord of Meriyonges servantes vizt one Charles a tall yong man in a red cloake that comonly rideth abroad with his Lord & one Daniell Dillon who married the widow of one Lyon late of Dublin Potter came both on horsback and sett vpon 2 of those the kings souldjers and gaue one one of them whose name was Cavenagh three great woundes in the head with a sword, Wherevpon one one Robert Hagley this deponentes servant goeing to help the kinges souldjers did soe assist them that they tooke from the said Dillon his dagger & his muskett before he could discharge it, and gave him some woundes: But the said Charles when he had soe wounded the said Cavenagh fled away: But the said Cavenaghs woundes were such that his blood could scarsely be stanched of all the night Soe that he had like to haue bledd to death: And it was a thing very ordinary & Common for the Irish Rebells to frequent, and be entertained and welcomed to the said howse of Meriong: which as this deponent is verely perswaded was an occasion that many of the English mens Cattle were stollen and forceibly taken away nere the Rings end Sininondscourt Baggetrath and other
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placs thereaboutes: And further saith that when the Irish sould Rebells soe as aforesaid robbed the kinges souldiers and when the said Charels - and Dillon the lord viscounts servantes assaulted the said souldjers hee this deponent with his wife were in view of them yet a good distance from them: yet not soe farr off after them but that he plainly sawe wher all that he hath deposed in that behalf and both then and there both sawe and wel knew the said Charles and Daniell Dillon
Signum predicti Willelmi Hodgson [mark]
Jur 4o Julij 1645
Hen: Jones