Deposition of John Carpenter
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John Carpenter Late Viccar of Ballinakill in the Queens County sworne and examined saith That since the begining of the present Rebellion vizt the xxv th of November 1641 and by meanes thereof Hee this deponent at Ballinekill aforesaid was deprived robbed and dispoyled of his goodes chattells & meanes worth twoe hundred Pownds sterling And this deponent is like to bee deprived of and Loose the future proffits of his Church Liveinges worth fforty powndes per annum vntill a peace be established By the Rebells o w e n And saith that he was dispojled of his goodes by such parties Rebells & observed such passages of and concerning the Rebellion especially at the seige of Ballinekill as hereafter are expressed
And further
1)
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<And further saith That theis> outrages were committed by Brian o dempsie of Knocke digurre in the Queenes County Esquire and Owen O Brinnan durby his sonne, Knoher Lawler Thomas Butler and Peirce his Brother with 2 hundred of Butlers and Brinnans who stripped the wife and Children of the said Carpinter the 25th of Nouember 1641 and tooke away Eight Cowes one heifer one Mare 4 yearelings 2 of 2 yeares old and 2 of a yeere, and all his moueable goods out of his howse at Srahan in the County of Kilkenny.
<The rebell> Brian o dempsie hanged one Teige o Costigan <A> whom Capt Ridgeway had imployed with Letters to Dublin Also he hanged one John Vrrin a Scott who was found with a lettre from Capt ffarrer to Capt Ridgeway <B> He hanged one Tho: Coles with an English woman after she had turned Caco catholick to Masse and had cured a souldier of his who was dangerously shott also he hanged a girl of some 14 yeeres of age with an other that was of Grand child to the said Good Coles wife C ole who was found in the said girles company and going with hir to see her Aunte then ffosterer to 2 of Dempsies children at the knocke; but the Later after she was h u ng vp p was at the intreaty of her vnckle francis Greenwill <C> then in Action of rebellion with the said Dempsy cutt downe and with much difficultie saued bearing the signe of her hanging <And> The said Greenwell shott a woman great with Child of the B [ ] And further saith That Charles Dempsy in a letter which he writ to worshipfull Capt Ridgeway expressed that h e hoped that the English blood should fructifie the Irish Lande There were at the seige of Ballenakill Castle Generall Preston with 4 thowsand foote 5 Maij which was belegured the first of Aprill 1643 and surrendered by force by reason of theire great ordinance, and Granadoes the first of Maye Euisdem Annum
The Earle of Castle Hauen generall of seauen Troope of Horse
The L: Mountgarrett
<D> Ed: Roe alias Butler his sonne
The L: of Ikerry and his sonne
The L: Neuterfeild
The L: of Ossery and his Brother Edward ffitzPatrick
The L: Donbuyn
Sir James Dillon and his Regiment
John Bird of Durrough in Com Kilkenny yeoman
Nicholas Bird of ffreshford in Com predicti yeoman
Thomas Bird of Pasgrane in the sam County seruant
to Mr Byfeild of Pasgrave aforesaid an English Papist
2)
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<On Saturday the first of Aprill 1643> A trumpetter cam from Kilkenny with a lettre from the L: Mountgarrett to Capt Ridgeway sounding a Parley, yet on the sudden our souldiers being cutting of wood in the woods adioyning to the fforge and scattered a Troope of Horsse came vnexpectedly from kilro Hill and fiercely shott on them vnarmed killed a souldier of Capt Rochforts and tooke an other Prisoner, whom they carried away with them to Balliraggett; and still deteind Him.
<On Sunday the second of the same> Being Easter day The Enimy approached the Towne with Eighteene Colors flying being estimated to be aboue 4000 ffoote and seauen Troope of Horsse before Euening prayer incamped themselues between the 2 Coney Berry Hills in the Parke at the East End of the Castle, made vp the gate called the red gate and began to intrench themselues in the ditch next the orchard and were beaten out of them that afternoone by the valiant Lieutenant Brian Ronan an old expert souldier who vnawares salied out vpon them with 20 Musketeres, and sett Mr Alfries kill on fire and retreated without any appearance of harme thanks be to God.
<3o Eiusdem> Ensigne Leagh salied out with 20 Musketeres burned sheuewricks Tannehowse, wherein the Rogues were gotten killed one Capt Madden with an other officer and by his valiant carriage brought from them 13 Musketts with 30 pikes
<Twesday the 4th> The Enimy began to playe with theire small feild peices, whereoff one they planted on the Coney Berry Hill and an other in the lane by the gate going into Nobbs his feild on the Brue howse a stone howse standing within Muskett shott of the Castle, but did no great harme vnto yt for it was strongly intrenched and the water inuironed it round. And this day they having made many shott at the said howse they did no great harme to yt, but a bullet of 8 li. weight falling through the roofe killed one Robinsons daughter, and hurt an other with the splinters which fell from the roofe, and they supposing they had made a breach ran vpon it in great multitudes thinking to haue entred it, but were so feircely and so valiantly repulsed by our souldiers in the howse, that they suddenly be
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betooke them to theire Heeles hauing lost 14 men whom they neuer vouch safed to fetch off and to bury
<A>The same daye Capt Tirrell hauing cast dice for the Leading of the Men that daye made a feirce assault vpon the Towne in which he was most valiantly opposed, and in this skirmish was shott and his h ead cutt off and hanged on the Toppe of the Clerke howse, in this conflict were slaine two Captains and aboue 200 souldiers.
<The 5th of the same> Anthony Walls howse in the morning being (by the Carelessnes of a souldier, who drying powder a sparke falling into a hatch where the powder was blue vp the end of the howse blue two men sitting in Chaires in to the Garden and did them no other harme
<9no Eiusdem> The Enimy shott three shott among the multitude going to and fro in the castle Court while the Capt was at supper which fell amongst them but did no hurt.
<11 et 12> They brought theire faggotts and Trenches to the North Turrett in the street with purpose to vndermine that and the North East turrett but were countermined by our Men
<13> Three shott were made at the gate howse with 9 li. bullett which fell through the wall and a souldier sitting on the bedside at dinner the bullett broke the beds head but did no other harme thanks be to God
<14> The Enimy hanged 2 of theire owne souldiers in the L: Roberts Meddow the one for mutinizing, the other for saying that they could do no good on the Castle of Ballinakill for God did fight for yt.
<15> The Enimy made no shott at all neither at the Turrett nor Castle, the Guner beinge shott in the eie.
<16> our men salied out at the wickett and fired theire faggotts in the Trench next the street Turret brought in a Rogue aliue who confessed that theire Gunner was shott in the Eie and one of theire Guns was broken.
<18> The Enimy vndermining the Turrett at the East end of the Garden were mett by the Industry of John Cornelius with other skilfull Miners who countermined and meeting them, brake downe theire tymber worke had a skirmish with them vnderground with a
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a small peice and Musketts and pistolls almost the space of two hower killing 2 or 3 of theire Pioneers and thankes be God disppointed them of theire purpose in blowing vs vp.
<19> The Rogues brought a great Lather from the the Pigeon howse at the Mote, and one Lustie Rogue cam with it scaling the wall to looke ouer it to see what workes we had made, but was strucke down by the watch with a stone, and the Lather taken ouer the wall in to the Court.
<29> Euisdem a souldier of Captain Rochfords company was shott in the Arme Looking ouer the East end of the wall out of the Brue howse
<Maye the 4th 1643> The Enimy began to playe with theire great peice of Ordinance from fiue of the clocke in the morneing vntill two in the afternoone without any intermission, onely at the staire case, which was the weakest part of the Castle which they had al most beaten about our Eares, hauing made a very great breach in yt by the fall where of a little boye lying on a Chest on the corner of the staires was hurt in the legge with the Bullett and stones so that he was left behinde The bulletts which this peice did beare were 25 weight
<A> That morning Donnough an old Intelligencer to Capt Ridgeway being putt in good apparrell and entered a souldier in Capt Rochfords Company being sentinell in the hole ran to the Rogues Campe. Thus by theire continuall shooting of Granadoes which is a hallow bullett filled with powder and small Bulletts, which being shott out of a peice like a Morter breaketh in peeces and setteth on fire whatsoeuer combustible matter it encountreth with all, so that one filling on a great Beame on the Gallerye to the Clock howse brake it in twaine and fell vpon the stone of a Murdering hole neere the Toppe of the Castle stayed there and was kept from falling among the people. They shott with theire granadoes other longe fistules or pipes filed with powder and brim stone stopped with leave and pitche at the one end and in the handdle hauing ther little touch holes with Musketts bulletts tyed in little baggs which falling among the Multitude would do much harme yet
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Yet thanks be to God though there fell som in to Castle Court yet they were quenched with the Moist dirt and did not any harme at all by Gods provission In all this Longe and teadious seige there was not fower of our souldiers killed, one onely going one Morning to the view the fortification of the Turrett which was most shott two more being in his company and fore warning them to take heed a shott was suddenly made at the same Turret which cam through a window and the bullett hitting his Arm with violence brake it in peeces so that it was cutt off a little aboue the Elbow and he died within a weeke after. An other of Capt Rochfords souldiers being forewarned of his stubborne and wilfull carriage in his runing vp and downe the court the day before we came awaye was shott who died in the way and was buried at Timoge.
Thus the most wise Captain in a pensiue manner sitting downe and weighing with him self the multitude of people which were thronged together in so streight a Roome which were computed by the Enimy to be 753 Men woemen and children, with Maturer aduise called a parley, sent out two Ensignes his owne and Capt Rochfords with a drum and Letter, protesting that he would not haue the bloud of so many Innocents fall vpon his head, and that if he had been as well stored with valiant and Lustie Men as he was with woemen and children he would not haue surrendred the Castle so Long as one stone would haue lyen vpon an other. At Last in regard of his Manly and stout carriage he had quarter given him by Generall Preston viz Euery officer to haue compleat Armour Musketts and Boundeleres for 60 Men with powder and Bulletts but no pikes nor swords with so much prouision and Cloathes as they could carry about them, but no money nor plate. Thus by Gods speciall Mercye and Goodnes shewed vnto vs we cam to Dublin the month of Maye onely by the Conduction of Prestons boye Drummer not one Man woman nor Child miscarrying by the waye, O That Men would therefore with vs praise the Lord and shew forth the wonders that he doth for the sonnes of Men, Amen
Per me J Carpinter
Jur 26o Maij 1643
John Sterne
Hen: Brereton
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