Examination of William Stafford

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The examinacion of William Stafford gent taken on oath on the Comonwealths behalfe concerning Walter Roch of Clonlough in the county of wexford esquire late deceased
<To the 1st interro> The deponent saith that the said Walter the first yeare of warr did liue at Clonclough aforesaid being then in the Irish quarters and did not remoue into the english quarters as the english and <c> protestants liueing neere him did, but could not soe remooue without loss of his estate as the deponent Conceaueth.
<To the 2nd Interro> The deponent saith that the said Walter the said first yeare did betake or remoue himselfe from Clonlough aforesaid into his owne Castle of new <d> castle being a more secure place then Clonlough was the cause of this remoueall the deponent cannot possitiuely auerre.
<To the 3d> The deponent saith that he verely beleiueth that the said Walter did contribute in payment of his <e> proportion of all cesses or leuies then on the country as others of the Country generallye Did.
<To the 4th> The deponent saith that the said Walter did act and abett in the behalfe of the irish cause Irish interest in the warr against the English the said first yeare and saith that the said Walter did surprise <f> and take into his poscession the Castle of Ardcramon belonging to Edward masterson then a protestant and kept by the said Edwards seruants whome the said walter expulsed there out in the said first yeare of the warr
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<To the 5th Interro> That the deponent did frequentlye see the said walter Roch at the publicque meetings of the County councell in the said first yeare of the warr And <g> as this deponent verely beleiueth the said walter was at other generall meetings & assemblies of the Irish in order to the promoting and carying on of the warr against the English the said first yeare
<To the 6th> The deponent knoweth that the said walter was one of the county councell in the said first yeare & <h> that afterwards the said walter as the deponent verely beleiues was one that did joine with others in electing of men out of this county to be of the generall assembly of Ireland
<To the 7th> The examinant saith and is confident that the said Walter did take and subscribe the oath of association as others of his ranke & equallity generally did.
<To the 8th> Hee cannot depose
<To the 9th> He saith that the said walter acted the said first yeare in the nature of knight marshiall <k> for and in this county of wexford being an office of g reat trust and to that end had seuerall Armed men as well horse as foote to attend on him in the execucion of that office.
<To the 10th Interro> The deponent saith that the said Walter in the first yeare had three sonnes vizt Alixander, Redmond and John and that the deponent being plundered or robbed of his cattle that yeare upon search found fowere of his cattle soe plundered in the the possession of the said John Roch And this deponent conceiueth <L> the cause of his plundering to bee by reason this deponent did shelter an english gentlman by name francis Allen from the violence and tirannye of the Irish rebells then in Armes in the County of wexford And the deponent is confident that the said Alixander was brought into Act and did Act.
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As a member of the County councell vpon his fathers assuming on him the knight marshalls place of the County of wexford and further saith that Redmond Roch the other of the said walters sonnes came out of frannce into Irelannd soone after the first yeare of the Rebellion and acted as Captaine of foote for diuerse yeares in the County of wexford in the Irish <m> interest associacion of the confederatt catholicks against the english in which Seruice he the said Redmond dyed during the seuerall Actings of the said Alixander Redmond and John they respectiuely had free access into and corrispondancie and releife from the said Walter their father as this deponent verily beleeveth
<To the 11th> Hee saith that the said walter did surprise the Castle of Ardcramon belonging to Edward Masterson then protestant as the deponent hath more largely declared in his answeres to the 4th interro: And the said Edwards seruaunts thence thence expulsed as the deponent verely beleiues did repaire to their master then dwelling at ffearnes Castle and now lately remoued into & dwelling in in the Queenes County.
<To the 12th> Hee Cannot Depose
<To the 13th> Hee saith that the said walter Roch did in the first yeare execute and hang Lieutenant Esmond & seuerall others of the English partye belonging to the forte of Duncanon then gouerned by the said Lord Esmonde <n> the said Lieutenant and the rest executed by him being taken prisoners neere Redmonds hall at a skirmish between the said Leiutenant and some of the Irish rebells then in Armes at which time and place Captain Asten and seuerall in his companye were killed and drowned the same being Acted the 20th of Julye 1642 or thereabo{uts} as the deponent credibly beleaved heard by the generall relacion of the Country & of Collonell John Deuerux a member of the Irish partye at the skirmish the time and place aforesaid
William Stafford
Sworne before vs the
3d of January 1653
Edward Withey
R: Hussey
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walter Roch Clonlough faire