Examination of James Dalton

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The examinacion of James Dalton of Wexford merchant aged about thirtie yeares taken vpon oath on the behalfe of the Comonwealth Concerning Patricke ffrench of Wexford Alderman deceased vpon the Interrogatoryes annexed to the Comission of enquiry
<To the 1st Interr> The examinant deposeth & saith that he well knew the said Patricke ffrench & knoweth that the said Patricke did Liue in Wexford in the Irish quarters in the first yeare & the whole tyme of the <b> Rebellyon & did not thence remooue into the english quarters as the deponent beleiues hee might haue done as well as Sir the english dwelling in Wexford did His cause of knowledge is for that deponent was an Inhabitant in Wexford in the time of the warre
<To the 2d inter> Hee cannot depose
<To the 3d inter> The deponent saith he verily beleiues that the said Patricke did paie his share of publicque leuyes as this deponent and others of the towne did & the deponent is rather induced to beleiue the <c> same for that the deponent hath seen the said Patrickes name in the cesse roll for seauerall yeares of the warre
<To the 4th Interr> He cannot depose
<To the 5th inter> The deponent saith that about seaven yeares since <d> the said Deponent did see the said Patricke personallie present at the towne hall in the towne of Wexford among the Aldermen & townsemen at a meeting by them had, for what end the said meeting was the examinant doth not know
<To the 6th Inter> The deponent saith that the said Patricke was elected by the townesmen to bee goe to Kilkenny to act as a <e> burges or member of the generall assemblys in behalfe of the towne His cause of knowledge is for that the deponent heard the same from the Inhabitants of the said towne
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<To the 7th & 8th inter> Hee cannot depose
<To the 9th inter> The deponent saith that the said Patricke was an Alderman in the said towne of Wexford & was alsoe collector of the Custome or excize of the porte of Wexford in or about the yeare 1645 <f> The cause of the deponents knowledge is for that the deponent hath seen the said Patricke to act in the Capacity of collector by signing cocquets and receiuing monyes this in
<To the 10th inter> Hee deposeth & saith that the said Patr had two sons by name Nicholas and Thomas, with whom the deponent was well acquainted, & by his being <g> frequently in their Companyes vnderstood by them that the said Nicholas was a pyrate in the frigot called the ffrancis whereof was Commander Captaine Deorane & that Thomas was and serued in another man of warre (whose name the deponent doth not remember) by both which men of warre much plunder of the was brought into Wexford taken from the english & that afterwardes the said Thomas was slayne in the man of warre at a fight as the deponent heard by relacion of the said Nicholas & the Company of the man of warre wherein the said Thomas was killed as aforesaid. And that the said Patricke & Nicholas were in the towne of Wexford when the same was beseiged & taken by the Lord generall Cromwells Armie And further saith that the said Nicholas had the title & was vsually called Captaine in the deponents audience, the said Nicholas being as the deponent credibly heard Captain or Comander of a small frigott or man or warre in the time of the rebellyon for the Irish against the english about some eight yeares since
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And saith that he credibly heard & is very Confident that the said Nicholas went from Wexford after the storming thereof to Duncannon forte then <h> maintained by the Irish in opposicion to the english, & there & then acted as a gunner of which this deponent was informed by Mathew Rochford who was in the said forte of Duncannon at that tyme
<To the 11:12 & 13th inter> Hee cannott depose and further saith not
James Dalton
Sworne before vs the 18th of January 1653
William Woodwarde
John Walker

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3: Patrick French