Deposition of Richard Swinfenn

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Richard Swinfenn of Meawxstowne in the County of Dublin gent sworne and examined deposeth and saith: That about the vijth of March 1641 The Rebells at Carrickmaine whose names he cannott expresse burned a Reeke of hay of this deponentes worth & expelled and dispoiled him of his farme nere Carrickmayne called Tibberstowne whereby & the losse of his interest there in hee is dampnified 70 li., his howse there being since burned alsoe, And this deponent [ ] in the begining of the Rebellion was at Meauxtowne aforesaid & elswhere f deprived robbed or otherwise despojled & dampnified by in losse of Cattle & other goodes & chattells worth 100 li. at the least; And afterwardes that is to say in or about January 1642 this deponent at Meawxtowne aforesaid was robbd and deprived of more Cowes worth about 40 li. By Richard ffreind Nicholas ffreind and <A> Withers all of dunsinck farmers tennants to the ho: Sir Geo: Wentworth Thomas ffloody of Abbottstowne John Clarke of the Bay: Walter Clench & Richard Strong then both of Cappoge farmers, but the said Richard Strong nowe liveth with his mother at Glesseneven all of the County of Dublin and divers others whose names he cannott expresse which Rebells at the same tyme extreamly wounded him this deponent & run him into the ey with a pyke which blynded him of that ey and left him there for dead & afterwardes bragged & boastd how they hadd killd him, And at the same tyme those Rebells surprized & seised on 4r other En whereof 3 were Englishmen: one called William Allen, & the 4t another was an Irishman named John Browne which John Browne they shott to death, And the three Englishmen they carried to Talbotts of Peirstowne & there hanged them all to death, leaving them vnburied their bodies exposed to doggs w swyne Crowes and Ravenous creatures to be devowred as in deed they were And theis deponente & others fownd their bones there above ground 3 or 4 months after whereon some flesh was still left
And further saith That in harvest 1642 some of the souldjers <B> Comanded by the Rebells Captain ffinglass & by One ffottrell or the one of
<070 li._00_0
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693

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694
them whose names he cannott expresse, did at one Huntstowne in the County of Dublin surprize and murther one Richard Synott of Mauwkestowne aforesaid a protestant, by cutting of his throate
<*> Hee further saith that on ffriday at night next before the Rebells were about to haue taken the Castle of Dublin about fowrscore horsmen lay in Ambush in the way nere vnto Dunbrone the howse of Mr Barnwell in the County of Dublin: but as it seemeth missing of their purpose, they went away from the place as was credibly told to him this deponent by Marg Katherin Warren the wife of Tho: Warren of Silloge yeoman
<+> He also saith That whenas this deponent and the rest that lived at the seuerall howses placs of Maewkstowne: Santry & Dubber, were gone away from thence to Dublin to save their Lives the said Mr <C> James Barnwell of Dunbrone offered to putt divers gentlewomen whoe were wives to some of the cheefe of the Rebells Comanders That if they soe pleased he would putt them into the possession either of Meawxtowne Santry or Dubber (which they pleased) which offer and wordes were spoken by the said Barnwell in the hearing of one Peter Longe whoe is yet Liveing at Dubber, as he the said Peter confidently and certenly affirmed to this deponent And this deponent hath bin told by a notable Rebell by name Peter ffotrell his neighbour, since the Cessacion of Armes: That when hee was in Action amongst the Rebells, he brought seuerall Cattell <D> to Dunbrow and there frequently sold them
Richard Swinfen
Jur 28 July 1645
Hen: Jones
Hen Brereton

<E> And the deponent further saith that about July 1642 the Rebells James Long of Abbottstowne in the County of Dublin gent & Tho: Long his brother with their souldjers & complicees whose names he cannott expresse came in hostile & Rebellious manner to Dubber in the same County And then and there slew and murthered one Patrick Mangan that kept the Cattle of Sir Samuell Mayart knight & of others of the English And that done

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done by force and Armes seazed on and tooke away the same cattle being in number 30 head or thereaboutes: Soe as the said Sir Samuell and the rest of the owners were absolutely deprived of, & lost the same cattell
Richard Swinfen
Jur vt supra 28o Julij 1645
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton

695

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Dublin o
Richard Swinfen Jur
28 Julij 1645
Intw Cf
hand
7 March 1641

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696