Deposition of John Clarke

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John Clarke of Knockbrack in Ossery in the Queens County gent sworne & examined deposeth and sayth That since the begining of the present Rebellion and by vizt in or about the month of November 1641 & since hee this deponent was forceibly deprived robbed or otherwise dispoiled of his howshold goods arreres of rents proffitts & benefite of his farmes ready money & other goods worth at least 538 li. ster five hundred thirty <538 li.> eight pownds And this deponent In November aforesaid sold his leas of knockbrack and att his Corne hay Cattle horses sheepe swyne pullen & other goods at kn there for the Anuyty or Rent of 40 li. per annum for 10 yeres <500 li.> to be paid vnto him yerely after the present Warrs ended, <In toto 1038 li.> by one Augustin Costigan of Ballimoy in the Queens County aforesaid gent, which yerely summe the said Augustin promissed & agreed before witnesses to pay accordingly yerely according to his promis s e & agreement The leas and other goods being worth to be sould five hundred powndes more which yerely summe this deponent is affrayd hee shall Loose and be deprived of, becawse (as the said Augustin Costigan reporteth he hath been robbed & dispoyled by the Rebells soe as he is not able to make satisfaccion, And further saith That in June last when the treaty of Cessation of arms was in agitacion this deponent vpon comand attending the right honorable the Lord Marquesse of Ormond at the Naas was at his returne towards Dublin together with one Mr <& & &> Thomas Sanister & fferdinando Powell surprized and taken prisoners by the Rebells vizt by Charles Clondonnell <A> & Dudley Clondonnell of the Clondonnells Cuntrie in the County of Wickloe & others of the names of the Clondonnells and by Charles Hetherington & Edward Hetherington late of Rathcoole in the County of Dublin gent Phillipp

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ffitzwilliams & Garrett ffitzwilliams ofneere Tallogh <B> in the County of Dublin gent & one Scurlock yonger brother to the arch Rebell Captain Scurlock & one Murtogh Bane Birne (since apprehended & hanged) to death & some others whose names hee cannott expresse which Rebells deteined them prisoners for xvj dayes vntill they exacted Ransoms from them (often tymes threatening to hang them (if they did not quickly procure and pay their ransoms, And saith that then this deponent paid for his ransome xxviij li. & spent at least xx s. & lost soe much more with 30 s. paid for half of the ransome of the said Powell) that it then cost him in all 38 li. ster, which is formerly accompted for & comprehended in the said losse of 538 li., And then it cost the said Mr Somister for his & the other half of the said Powells Ransome, charges & the horse which was taken from him att that tyme xxx & other things worth 40 li. at Least, And this deponent further sayth: That hee hath bin credibly informed by one Mr John Lightborne Cleark the minister at Naas that divers Rebells about Kildare soone after the begining of the Rebellion, shott with their guns in both the thighes an a protestant that was a parrish Clark nere Kildare aforesaid, and afterwards those Rebells made and digged a deepe hole in the grownd, wherein they sett vp him vpright on his feete and rammed and filled vpp the hole with earth: which reached vpp to the poore wounded mans head, which only they left above the ground, his armes shoulders and all the rest of the Lower partes of his bodie being rammed in the earth soe fast that hee could not stirr them Where & in which state & posture they left the poore wounded man there: Where hee stayd vntill hee pyned Languished away & dyed And the said Mr Lightborne alsoe tould this deponent, that the principall Rebell or actor of that inhumane cruelty

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was afterwards apprehended by the English and brought to the Naas & there imprisoned, But this deponent hath since been credibly tould by divers persons. That Sir Arthur <C> Loftus knight for some mo n e y released and sett at Liberty that Rebell, soe as hee is gotten away.
John Clerke
Jur 24o October 1643 coram
Randall Adams
Edw: Pigott

Mr. Arch: Colborne nere the pond in brides Alley

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Queens Countie o
Mr John Clarke Jur
24 Oct 1643
v oyd
Intw C.f.
hand In Nov

Ex
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