Deposition of Richard Gibson

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Richard Gibson late of Williamstowne in the County of Catherloghe Esquire one of his Maiesties Justices of the peace of the same County sworne & examined saith That he this deponent was possessed of the seuerall townes of Williamstowne & Lisnevaghe in the same County for the terme of xxvi yeres or thereaboutes yett in being yett in being by leas thereof made unto him him by the [ ] right ho: James Erle of Ormond and Ossery & Eliz his Countesse for which leas he paid a fine of 423 li. 12 s. or thereaboutes vpon part of which this deponent built vpp and repaired a decayed Castle & made a large stone howse adioyneing to it, a large garden & orchard all palled <A> quicksett and double ditched: His charge therein as he conceiveth amounting to 500 li. ster at the least & he hath alsoe beene at greate charges in ditching hedging fenceing and improveing of seuerall tenements vpon the same landes amounting to 40 li. more which lease with the improvementes (in respect he was to hold it Williamst o w ne rent free for the whole terme and for that it the land was nere 1000 acres, and this deponentes <[b]> interest therein was worth one thowsand twoe hundreth powndes sterl as he conceives, And this deponent by himself and his tennantes quietly enioyed & received the proffits of the said Landes (as for divers yeres they hadd done vntill the month of November now last past in or abowt In and before Before which month a great Rebellion arriseing in the Countye of Wickloe and Catherlaghe by the sept of the Birne{s} and their complicees (the like rebellion haveing beene on foote in the north for some tyme before) And the {said} Rebells in those 2 Countys being soe vp in armes by being grow{n} to a greate strength and number haveing deprived a great deal of English protestants: some of life some of goodes and some of both: And although the other English people for safftie of their lives fled away: yet this dep{ponent} stayd at Williamstown his farme aforenamed vntill {all} the english howseholders of Hacketstowne being {the}

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next Market towne were fled away And then becawse the said rebells (as this deponent was informed were comeing vpp nere his howse, against whome noe force nor power in the cuntry was levyed: he this deponent the 14th of November last though very sick fled away alsoe and in 4 dayes came to Dublin by 3 4 or at the most 12 myles a day: where he still languisheth of the same sicknes: And shortly after this deponentes departure which was about the day of November last aforesaid divers of the said Rebells (as this deponentes tenntes that were present tould him) whose names this deponent yet knoweth not came to in hostyle and rebellious manner came to your this deponentes said howse and forcibly tooke and carried away from thence divers of this deponentes howshould goodes
And not long after one Donnell Ryan this deponentes <B> owne servant and footeman with a great Company of other rebells came to this deponentes said howse and ransacked the same and then and at other tymes the said Rebell s forcibly tooke away from the said howse and Land, all this deponentes goodes & chattles concisting of oxen Cowes yong beastes horses mares geldings Colts swyne sheepe powltrie Corne hay 4 muskettes and a fowling peece all the deponentes bookes howshold goodes provition and other goodes & chattles worth in all: And robbed and stript this deponentes children & some of his servantes of their apparell & victualls soe that if god godes providence had not prevented it they had beene all starved, the value of all which goodes & chattells <640 li.-10 s. {}040-00> were and did amount vnto the some of 664 640 li. 10 s. 4 d. or there{aboutes}
And this deponent further saith that over and besides his great charges vpon the said lands this d{eponents} losses of his said goodes soe taken from him and loste besides his charge of liveing here at att Dublin since which it hath cost <40 li. per annum> him 40 li., he this deponent hath beene by the Rebells and this present insurreccion and rebellion from his said howse expelled from his said howse farme & stocke & from the benefite if his place and office <{by} the loosing of > By which farme and stock he hath lost 200 li. per annum whereby he hath lost 300 li. per annum & by looseing of his place 200 li. { per annum more } as he verely beleeveth, this deponentes charges vpon the said landes and the value of his goodes whereof he is soe robbed stript
{Ri Gibson}
{Jur 15o January 1641}
{Hen: Brereton}
{Will: Hitchcocke}

[Cropped: the date and commissioners have been supplied from the copy, MS 812,

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]

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& deprived as aforesaid amounting to the some of
The above named Mary Gibson alsoe sworne and examined saith that the examinacion of Richard Gibson her husband is in all thinges true as she is verely perswaded: And that to her further great losse and greefe her since husband is since dead
<thereaboutes> [relates to text on

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]
<per annum more> [relates to text on

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]
In toto - 1880 li. vlt
400 li. per annum

64

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[ ] [Catherlogh] 7 [ ]
Richard Gibson Esquire
his examinacion
Jur 15o Jan 1641
Com Catherlagh
Intw
14 No

+

65