Deposition of Robert Whitfeild

fol. 209r

Robert Whitfeild late of Whiteswall in the Countie of Kilkenny Esquire sworne and examined deposeth and sayth That in the begining of the present Rebellion vizt about the Last day of November 1641 Hee this deponent at Whitswall aforesaid & placs nere the same was forceibly deprived robbed & dispojled of his goodes, chattells, & estate Consisting of sheepe oxen Cowes yong beastes horses Mares colts plowes harnesse wagons Corne hay plate Rings houshold stuff The leas benefite <A> & proffitt of his farme there, Ready money debts swyne & other things of the value & to his losse of Twoe thowsand Seven hundred twenty five powndes ster: But whoe the parties Rebells were that soe deprived and despoiled him hee cannott tell for that he being appointed Receiver of his Maiesties Rents and revenue within the County of Londonderry was then and about that occasion within the same County of Londonderry which is many myles distant from the County of Kilkenny but conceiveth that one John Brian of Banemore in the said County of Kilkenny this Esquire - - this deponentes landlord of his farme of Whiteswall aforesaid (whoe was & is an Irish papist) was the principall man that deprived and robbed him of the possession of that farme and howshold goods & alsoe of some other of his goodes
And he is the rather is the more confident thereof Because this deponent since the present Sessation of Armes went from Dublin to his said farme of Whiteswall And fownd the said John Brian there possessing and holding the same together with his howse and howshold goods Insoemuch as little was removed for thence But whenas afterwards this deponent demanded some restitucion & sheued the Lord deputies Lieuteantes letter for it to the said John Brian, hee sleighted or in deed rather scorned the said Lord Lieutenant & his letter and this deponent also & would restore nothing all vnto him but said that the deponent had done him Iniury to peticion for that letter & that hee would restore nothing vnto him, nor did he restore anything at all
And this deponent further saith That in the begining of this said Rebellion & by meanes thereof hee this deponent was at Lissagarate & in other placs within the County of Londonderry forceibly deprived robbed and dispojled by the Rebells in that County vnknowne vnto him of his goods & chattells consisting of Cattle Corne hay one gelding 2 mares & due debts and other thinges of the value and to his losse & damage of twoe hundred fowre score & six powndes more
1081

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<hand [ ] for his maiesties losses> more Soe as his whole present losses by meanes of the present Rebellion amount vnto the Sume of three thowsand & eleven pownds ster. And further saith that he this deponent being as aforesaid in the County of Londonderry when the Rebellion begun he there stayed vntill January following 1641 Before which tyme the twelve great proporcions of land within that County (whereof six were within his receipt) were quite depopulated howses burned and layd wast by the Rebells Saveing only the Citty of Londonderry & the towne of Colraine, which said Citty of Londonderry haveing divers howses of good value built and standing without the walls thereof the Citizens (for the more saffty and preservacion of the rest of the Citty) pulled downe and sleighted those buildings & howses: And this deponent further saith that when the Rebellion began his Maiesties rents for the said Citty towns 12 proporcions & the fishings thereof amounted to eight thowsand powndes per annum & above, The which his Maiesty ever since the Rebellion began & for half a yere before hath quite lost and is deprived of And besides his Maiesty by meanes of the present Rebellion is deprived of and hath lost divers great sumes of money for other Arreres of Rents: some due by those that are now since turned Rebells & the rest due by those that are either slaine robbed or disabled by the Rebells to make satisfaccion And this deponent saith That his said M the said kings Maiesty & his freehoulders farmers vnder tennants & late possessers of those 12 proporcions are by the distruccion wasting & spoiling of the howses castles & buildinges lately thereon erected, dampnified and haue lost aboue fforty thowsand powndes ster; And that the Rents and arreres thereof already lost and due to his Maiesty amount to aboue twenty fowre thowsand more powndes more And that the future losse of his Maiesty by reason of the depopulating laying wast burning and displanting of the said twelue proporcions of land, Will & is sure to amount to an intollerable & es inestimable summ: And saith that all the Brittish Protestant tenantes & Inhabitantes of the said 12 proporcions are quite expelled & driven from their habitacons, robbed & dispojled of [ ] their goods & meanes there and the greatest part of them slaine & the rest fled away: & not none escaped but were either slaine or robbed saving the Inhabitants of Londonderry & Colraine aforesaid And that
1082

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their losses were soe many & great that it is that they are in estimable as this deponent is verely perswaded in his conscience, Neither can the murthers robberyes & cruelties exercised vpon and against them by the wicked rebells, bee any way expressed such vast numbers being distroyed by the sword fyre drowning hanging torturing famishing & other miserable deaths and that often by whole numerous familyes that noe former tyme can parralell or bring examples of the like or of any sufferinges of Christians nere the same as this deponent is alsoe verely perswaded in his conscience
And this deponent further saith That ever since the Rebellion began and by meanes thereof he hath bin alsoe expelled & deprived of the possession rents & proffitts of one thowsand seven hundred acres of land parcell of the said proporcions, which he held & formerly paid rent for to his Maiesty, which tendeth to his great detriment and losse, [ ] though he can give noe certaine estimate thereof
Robert Whytfeld
Jur 14 Jan: 1643
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton
1083

fol. 210v

Kilkenny
Robert Whitfeild
Jur 14o Jan:
1643
Intw
Cf
vlt Nov

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