Deposition of Robert Shepley, Thomas Mitchell, George Walter, Laurance Mulhann

Date: 1643-05-16

Identifier: 814254r157

County: King's Co

Deposition Type: Dublin Original

Nature of Deposition: Killing, Robbery, Imprisonment

Deposition Transcription:

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<Com. Regis [ ]> Robert Shepley of Birre alias Parsonstowne in the kinges County Clerke vicar of the same Towne and Rector of kinnitty in the said County Thomas Mitchell of Birre aforesaid Schoolemaster of the free Schoole there George Walter of the same Clothier & Lawrence Malham of the same Gent being duely sworne & examined depose as followeth:
I n primis these deponents say That they haue knowen and seen 4 seuerall Campes or Companies about the Towne & Castle of Birre showinge and musteringe themselues in Armes from time to time, for the space of one whole yeare and a quarter or thereabouts which said Campes were comonly called by the names of Molloys Campe Coghlans Campe, Carrolls Campe, and the Ormonders Campe, consistinge of a great number within view of the said Towne, sometimes in seuerall Companies sometimes in a full body to the number of about 5 or 6 hundreth at a time, and sometimes about a Thowsand as these deponents verily beleiue,
Item these deponents also say , That they haue credibly heard of a lettre sent by Art Molloy Esquire vnto William Parsons of Birr aforesaid Esquire willinge him to deliuer & yeild vpp the Castle of Birre vnto him the said Art Molloy to his Maiesties vse (as he pretended) about December 1641.
Item these deponents further say That they also e haue credibly heard and knowne, that the Campe of the Molloy’s did in Christmas 1641 traiterously murder and kill neere Dowras in the said Kings County Capt. Robert Smith esquireJohnson Clerke and Roberte Baxter Clerke, Israel Holmested gent. Roberte Hall John Robinson Junior Thomas Wrey one of Mr. Johnsons sonnes, and a man of the said mr Johnsons whose names these deponents know not, one Teiga servaunt to the said Capt: Smith and one Robert Ward with divers others of the said Capt. Smithes Tennants to the number of about 28 persons whose names are well knowne to Mrs Grace Smith now in Dublin, beinge the Relict of the said Capt. Smith
Item these Deponents also say That they haue knowne & oft times seen, 4: seuerall Campes from time to time, both ioyntly & seuerally layinge seuerall Ambushes to kill our men, & to take & steale away our Cattle, which they haue often times done, And also
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these deponents were spectators when all or most parte of the Campes <B> as it was generally reported, fired all the Towne of Birre (except a few poore English Cabbins) neere the Castle, And it was commonly reported that John Coghlan esquire was a Cheif actor therein.
Item these deponents further say, That they haue alsoe knowne & seen 7 poore women killed by the Ormonders Campe, as they were goinge to get some Corne for their releif, & divers poore people killed in time of haruest, almost dayly whose names are register d recorded, as these deponents thinke with Capt. William Parsons esquire.
Item these Deponents also say, That they haue alsoe knowne & seen the firinge of Clonaghill Castle by the greatest parte of the Campes of the Molloys Coghlans and Carrolls where 3 or 4 of that said garrison were then & there burned to death, vizt one Christopher Harrison with his wife & sonne, & one other man, And they haue hath also heard by some others of that Garrison, who were then taken prisoners <C> & after ransomed, that John Carroll of Leape esquire John Carroll of Clonliske esquire & Teig Carroll of Rathmore esquire were there present with many other prime Gentleman & ffreeholders and the same day & night following they assaulted the Castle of Ballindarragh.
Item these deponents say That they haue alsoe knowne & seen Richard Butler gent in open action of Rebellion, And haue also seene knowne & credibly heard that John Heywood of Crinkhill gent with his wife children & family beinge English protestants papists haue familiarly interteined the Rebells & their Campes & haue had frequent recourse vnto them & the said Heywood hath bin permitted to enioy his goods & Cattle quietly, duringe the Rebellion, when all the English Protestants surroundinge him haue bin robbed stripped & dispoyled of all they had.
Item these deponents further say, That they haue seen & obserued the Earle of Castlehauen Sir James Dillon knight Sir Roberte Talbott knight Art Molloy Esquire John Coghlan Esquire John Carroll of Clonliske esquire John Carroll Junior John Carroll of Leape esquire: Teig Carroll of Rathmore esquire Donnell Carroll of
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<E> Ballamoneen esquire Nicholas Herbert Junior esquire: James kenedy of Ballingarrah gent. Donnell mcArt Molloy gent. John Molloy gent. James Coghlan gent. Charles Carroll gent. Robert Tywe gent. and about the number of 2 thowsands more, as was then Coniectured) and many other Gentlemen & ffreeholders & others whose names these deponents had not then th time to obserue, all of them at the siege of Birre which were attendinge Preston att our cominge from Birre vpon quarter.
And further the said Mr. Robert Shepley, deposeth & saith that he saw there also present at that siege
<ff> John Carroll of Modriney gent. Stephen McEgan of Lisleagh gent. John McEgan of brother to the said Stephen from whom he this deponent receiued a lettre formerly concerninge this deponents goods & Cattle where they were promising that he should haue them againe vpon demaund And he also saw Donnogh Kenedy of Carrigeen gent. Daniel kenedy of Annah gent Donnogh kenedy of Lackein gent. Bryan Hogan of Lealagh gent: James Kenedy of Ballingarrah gent. John kenedy of Annagh gent. Hugh Higgin of the same, William Butler of Bally Comann gent. Walter Butler of the same gent. Thomas Butler of the same gent. Richard Butler of Tinnilogh gent. & William Skelton of kinittye all being at the said siege, And the said Skelton further told this deponent that he was the first man that entred into the Castle of Clonaghill aforesaid as he [want] vauntingly told this deponent affirmed
Robert Shepley
Tho: Mitchell
George [mark] Walter his marke
Lawrance Mulhann

Deponent Fullname: Robert Shepley, Thomas Mitchell, George Walter, Lawrence Malham

Deponent Gender: Male, Male, Neutral, Neutral

Deponent Occupation: Vicar, Schoolmaster,

Deponent County of Residence: Kings County,

Mentioned Non-Deponent Fullnames: * Moloy, * Coghlans, * Carrolls, Art Molloy, Teig *, John Coghlan, John Carroll, John Carroll, Teig Carroll, Richard Butler, John Heywood, Earle of Castlehauen, James Dillon, Robert Talbott, Art Molloy, John Coghlan, John Carroll, John Carroll Junior, John Carroll, Teig Carroll, Donnell Carroll, Nicholas Herbert, James kenedy, Donnell mcArt Molloy, John Molloy, James Coghlan, Charles Carroll, Robert Tywe, John Carroll, Stephen McEgan, John McEgan, Donnogh Kenedy, Daniel kenedy, Donnogh kenedy, Bryan Hogan, James Kenedy, John kenedy, Hugh Higgin, William Butler, Walter Butler, Thomas Butler, Richard Butler, William Skelton, William Parsons, Grace Smith, * Ormonders, Robert Smith, * Johnson, Robert Baxter, Israel Holmsted, Robert Hall, John Robinson, Thomas Wrey, Christopher Harrison

Mentioned Non-Deponent Roles: Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Mentioned, Mentioned, Mentioned, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim