Deposition of Samuell Franck

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Samuell Franck of Derrineshanaghe in the Queenes C{ountie} farmer sworne and examined deposeth and sayth That sin{ce} the begining of the present Rebellion and by meanes thereof H ee was d epr vizt about the first of November 1641 he this deponent at Derrineshanagh aforesaid was deprived robbed or otherwise dispojled of Cattle horses mares sheepe swine Corne provition howsholdstuff hay and other goodes and Chattells of the value of twoe hundred and fiftie powndes ster By the Rebells Daniell ffitzpatrick of <A> Ballitarsnoghe in the said County Esquire and his Sonn John ffitzpatrick Brian ô Barden alias More, whoe subtilly came into this deponents howse and there being freely entertained tould him this deponent that all the goods of the English were about to bee taken away by a runing army that came out of the north and that they came to defend him this deponent and his said goods: But at the same tyme in steed of a Northeren Army fflorence fitzPatrick of Castletowne in the same County Esquire a grand Rebell with his Companies of Rebellious souldjers amounting to 250 or 300 in number Martched by: Howbeit before they came thither the said Daniell ffitzpatrick John his sonn and Brian ô Bardan alias More (vpon promisse of proteccion Saffe keeping and restoreing of them) had taken away all this deponents cattle horses & sheepe with them <B> And about ffowre dayes after the said fflorence ffitzpatrick & his souldjers tooke away all this deponents howsholdgoodes swyne pullen & provition: this deponents owne servants being Irish men & furnished by him this deponent with armes denying throwing them downe & denying to ayde him becawse (as they said) the said Florence fitzpatrick would hang them: And then this deponent was expelled from his dwelling howse together with his wiffe and children: and some of the said

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fflorence fitz Patricks company tooke possession thereof and of all his Corne hay & other things left; & still kept and deteined the possession thereof vntill Sir Charles Coote about Ester following came and burned the howse: And this deponent and his wiffe and children fledd for saffty of their Liues to the Castle of Burridge Burrowes: But haveing sent to the said Daniel ffitzpatrick John his sonn and Brian ô Bardan alias More for his said goods by them taken away: they only sent vnto him one Cow and a yereling calf saying it was as good for the deponent <symbol> that they as any other hadd his goods for they would be taken from him & soe they deteined all the residue & deprived him thereof & the other Rebells quickly after alsoe robbed him of the said Cow and Calfe: And further saith that aswell all the neighbours protestants of Vpper Ossory in the said County as this deponent and his family betakeing themselues to the said Castle of Burrows to defend themselues were there beseiged by ffitzpatrick <A> Lord of Vpper Ossory the said fflorence ffitzpatrick of Castle towne Esquire Andreas ffitzpatrick of Castle ffleming and Colonell Brian ffitzpatrick of Rathdownagh with about 600 of their rebellious rowte vntill Easter day 1642 And first they in the night surprised the towne of Burrowes: and then layd Contynuall seige to the Castle: and made divers shotts at the C u spikes holes and windowes of the Castle with musketts and fowling peecs yet killd none at all And the Rebells possessing and alsoe keepeing some other of their houldes in certeine thatcht howses which lay nere the Castle & bawne thereof and doeing the Castle much hurt by their shott out of the same: one Robert Holliock smith an english souldjer in the Castle and this deponent fownd out away to burne sett on fyre and burne (as they did, those thatcht howses by cha r putting a good thicknes <symbol> of Lether betwixt their powder & charge & suddenly chardging with redd hott sluggs, dischardged the same against the thatch which flameing all the way burned all those howses and all the Corne there: and then the Rebells forsooke & fledd from that side of the Castle for a weeke or thereabouts: During which time those of the Castle beseiged, sallied out on that deserted

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side of the Castle & fetcht in hay for their Cattle, wood {water} potatoes and other thinges for their present Releefe; and d{ivers} pyckaxes spades shovells & other things which the Rebells had left behynd them: And about a weeke after the Rebells in the night did intrench themselues all the along againe on that side of the Castle formerly by them deserted: and kept that trench and mainteined their shooteing there & on the other side of the Castle & seuerall tymes vpon parlies betwixt the Rebells and Mr Robert <A> Pigott gouernor of the Castle: the said Andreas ffitzpatrick complained & exclaimed that none was soe wronged as he in haveing that Castle soe deteined from him, & to be soe Longe kept out of his Right: saying and threatening that if they did not yeald it vp none shold escape thence nor receive releefe notwithstanding which threats the beseiged still held the Castle & sett the beseigers and att defiance: wherevpon the Rebells provided a great number of scaleing Ladders & made twoe sawes or engins of thick strong timber hollow but muskett shott free: Wherewith to enable them to vndermyne the walls which the beseiged perceiveing Hee this deponnent purpossly to deterr the beseegers from bringing the sawes or engins to the wall framed a peece of lea or sh tooke a wyde pipe of lead from the wall of the Castle, and bynding it about with ropes & a tallowed hydes: made a carriage for it & thereon placed it, and cast bulletts of lead fitt for it Intending to place the same opposite to such place wherevnto these sowes or engins should be brought resolveing to breake holes in the bawne wall where they should place it & there throwgh shoote at their sowes & beat them in peeces as this deponent was Confident they could: Howbeit whenas that pipe was provided like a gun; & fited as aforesaid: One of the souldjers in the Castle, whoe was an irish man escaped & fled from them & his watch by a rope over the wall of the Castle & run to the enemy and tould them what a gun was framed & what this deponent and the rest intended to doe with the same: Wherevpon the Rebells either for

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feare durst not or at least did not bring on their sawes, nor did make any vse of them: Howbeit this deponent and the rest of the souldjers in the Castle being in all about 30 shott by watchfulnes & want of fitting of provision were muche wearyed, and endured a hard seige yet at the Length the <A> great depending which the Rebells haveing taken prisoners one Lieutennant keys and another English man they hanged them both stark naked to death within the view of the Castle and Left their bodies hanging there as a terror to the Castle, yet the next day the souldjers of the Castle sallying out tooke downe their bodies and buried them the next day And in that state and distresse the said Castle remained vntill about Ester 1642 That by gods providence the honorable Sir Charles Coote Colonell came with the English army and releeved the Castle with fresh men some small victualls armes & amunition & removed & drive away the Rebellious beseegers: and soe departed: And afterwards the souldjers of the Castle seuerall tymes sallied out into the Cuntry & tooke some prisoners: whoe confessing where cattle were, those they tooke: & those of the prisoners which would doe noe service they putt to death & seuerall tymes the souldjers of the Castle mett with many ambuscadoes of irish souldjers & sk seuerall hott skirmishes most comonly every second or third day: They still either killing or rowting the enemyes But at length the Cuntrie thereabouts grew soe bare of Corne & Cattle that they could light of little else but horses: at length But afterward s some greene corne appearing they pulld the eares of some part thereof: whereofby they much comforted & releeved themselues But before they hadd gotten any Considerable quantety the Rebells came to beseige them anew: But this deponent and the rest meeting them out of the Castle made all the recistance they could: which the Rebells either fearing or rather as he thincketh perceiving that the Castle hadd gotten releefe of greene corne, retired and retreated back & came not againe of till thend of 3 weeks following In which tyme the Castle souldjers & inhabitants pulled gathered & gott into the Castle a good quantety more

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more of the ears of beare Corne, wherewith they made them bread <A> And then quickly after the said fflorence & Andreas ffitzpatrick & about 200 rebellious souldjers with them besids pyoners martched vpp againe to the said Castle and made straiter & closser works and sconces & seige to the said Castle then before & playd & shott against the Castle very much, placing euery night many strong Centrys about the Castle that none might issue out or escape, And Contynued their seidg soe hott and sharpe That this deponent & the rest of the Castle haveing spent their other provition were inforced to eate horses, a dogge, catts, [ ] & Cow hydes without drinck or salt And whenas all (too a weeks provision) was spent: 2 souldjers by the Counsell and advise of this deponent in twylight of the Evening before the Centryes sett, privately issued out of the Castle and as suddenly gott vnto the standing corne growing nere hand: & soe gott creeping through the same to Athy & acquainted Capt John Pigott the gouernor thereof of with their lamentable distresse: whoe sending to Captain Ridgway Sir William Gilbert & some other garrisons, from them they received releefe by about 600 or 700 horse & foote In whose martch Att whose approach A strong partie of the enemy mett them but were beaten and rowted & about 30 or 40 of those enemys slaine: the rest that staid behynd keeping in their sconces vpon the approach of those English fell a cursing & rayling against the English and then run away, haveing first threatened them of the Castle that they would inforce them to eat their owne dung and drinck their owne pisse: if they would not surrender the Castle: Saying it was impossible they should euer be releeued Howbeit before the morning before the approach of those souldjers: 2 base irish Renegadoes the souldjers of the said Captain Pigott runing from their colours by stealth gott into Ossery & gave notice that the English forces were comeing to releeve the Castle of Burrowes For which news or els in expectance of trusty service Sir Morris the said fflorence ffitzpatrick made thone of those <B> Renegadoes by name Davie Broe his gunner of a little feild peece of iron planted at his the said fflorence ffitzpatricks Castle at Castle towne: whither the said Captain Pigott and the rest of the English (after they had releeved the said Castle of

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Burrowes in their returne homewards comein advanceing the said Renegadoe Gunner in discharg of the said feild peec against them hadd his brest or bulk of his body splitt and torne in sunder by the breaking of that peece, which burst asunder: the same Renegados only (as this deponent hath heard it reported) speakeing theis words in Irish vizt Escore ô Ye shin: which signifyeth this is gods Justice: This deponent further saith That all the releef that was then brought them to this deponents knowledge being but about a months provition of salt wheate & cr y malt, and some ammunition: And a supply promissed to bee within 6 weekes: all the souldjers att Burrowes castle saveing 20 were then taken away then and there run away secretly: & none would be left: but that came thither, but all refused to stay: soe as the castle was left only with 20 souldjers & noe more, the defence thereof necessarily requireing at Least 100 souldjers And further sajth That those poore number of souldjers by their daily issueing and sallying out & skirmishing with the Rebells: (they not meeteing with any more releef from the the English; gott in some Corne Cowes horses & sheepe into the Castle sufficient to serue vntill May: Howbeit at allhollantide <A> after 1642 the Rebell Colonell Plunckett with a thowsand souldjers or more martched vpp and satt downe before the said Castle of Burrows & by his drumm demanded poss ession thereof which being deni ed hee r to in the kinges name Saying to some in the Castle that i f the warders held the said Castl e for the king vse he would send more armed men to assist them sent in a note whereby he demanded the Castle in his Maiesties name: offering if they would deliuer it they should haue faire quarter & haue liberty to goe to any other garrison of the English: But orels hee would win it from them or loose all his men: But they distrusting him refused to surrender the Castle, and bade him whereas he likewise demanded that the warders would send out some gentleman to parly with him: They returned him answere they had noe Comission to parly with him: But if he came they would parly with with him about the walls: Soe the drummer departed: & about an hower or twoe after all that rebellious army retired and

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martched away quite And about the last xi th of December following Colonell Pr generall Preston with about 1500 of his Rebellious <#> souldjers besett the Castle & playd & shott at the Court gate thereof with twoe feild peeces: and begun to work vnder grownd whose power this deponent and the rest of the water warders being not able to resist In reguard they were but 20: the Castle large and almost all their whole munition spent (as not haveing soe much powder as would defend themselues or offend the enemie one day longer, they were inforced to surrender the Castle vpon quarter to haue goe away & haue their lives mony & clothes: w Wherevpon they surrendred and went away accordingly But contrary to quarter hadd a ll their mony taken from them and all their Clothes: saveing their worst suite or garments And further <A> saith That besids the said generall Preston there were present at that seidge the Erle of Castlehavan: the Lord of Vpper Ossery Tho: Hovenden Esquire fflorence ffitzpatrick Andreas ffitzpatrick Edmund Roe alias Butler brother to the Lord Mountgarrets brother or sonn And divers of the ffitzpatricks of Ossery & many others whom hee cannott name: And further saith that the English which departed the said Castle of Burrowes hadd a Convoy and a drumm to bring them to Dublin And this deponent and his wiffe and children Left as an hostages at Burrows till their saff returne And in that tyme [ ] of this deponents soe being theire an hostage one Smith a Preist now Chapleine to the said generall Preston <B> & whoe as he sayd tould this deponent That in the begining of the Rebellion Hee was apprehended at Dublin & then left out of his pockett [ ] had taken from him 50 li. [ ] peecs of gowld & then imprisoned in the Castle 4 months Where (as he said) he was noe better intreated that Then that he way Lodged and Layd vpon the bare flore in a dungeon dark nere a great heape of the ordure of men which almost poisoned him: & that he hadd noe more meate then a Little browne bread a hering and water for euery day and that at the Length he was inlarged & sent into France: & from thence came as Chapleine with the said Generall Preston: He alsoe tould this deponent that the Parliament of England had proclaimed his Maiesty King Charles to be a traytor, his Queene to bee a whore

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& their children bastardes: And the said Smith the preiste alsoe said vnto this deponent that the king of England had soe much to doe in England: that they asked him neither armes nor amunition but bought it for their mony: nor hadd from him any men or money at all: But that the said Generall Preston and himself, & the rest of the irish that were in ffrance came away from ffrance to help their cuntrimen the irish which were decreed to be cutt off by the puritannical faction And further saith that in that tyme that this deponent remained as an hostage, there were brought to the Castle of the Burrowgh 48 horses all laden with musketts 20 horses more laden with with powder shott Bandeleers and Match and 1000 pykes all brought out of ffrance: which as the Rebells tould him were to bee sent into the County of Lowth & bestowed by the said generall Preston vpon Sir Phelim Ô Neile knight in regard hee had married his daughter, And the said preist said further vnto this deponent theis words If god had beene on your syde you might haue overcomen all this kingdome the last sommer ffor then wee had neither armes nor amunition worth speakeing of And for that Little powder wee had wee paid 25 s. the pound for it, But now we they had haue armes & amunition enough both for horse & foote and hoped to distroy all the english garrisons & be b e by May day at the gates of Dublin And that Owin Roe ô Neile would after the wining of Dublin sale over into England with 40000 men to assist the king against his puritanicall Parliament And this deponent further saith at the Length when the irish Convoy was returned back the said generall Preston did with his owne hands write his warrant or passe in theis words vizt By the Lord Generall of Leinster: Whereas Samuell ffranck: whoe serued the enemy in this place when it was taken: was deteined here as pledg vntill the returne of him whome I sent to conduct the souldjers of this garrison: which were sent to Dublin: whoe is now returned. Therefore I doe freely giue Lycense to the said Samuell to depart hence towards Mariborrough Ordeining all his Maisties officers & loving subiects to permitt the said Samuell to passe with his wiffe and Children to Mariborrough aforesaid without

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without any Lett or molestacion: He Comitting noe act which may bee against the service of our Comon wealth I alsoe require all persons to permitt 6 souldjers to passe & repasse which I haue sent as convoy with the said Samuell towards Maryborroughe aforesaid whoe are to haue meat as they passe and repasse
Dated at Burnes this first of February 1642 J. Preston
As by the said writing warrant or passe: ready to be shewed appeareth: wherevpon this deponent with his wiffe & children came to the next English garrison to Mariborough & thence came to the disart, where he remained a warder ever since: yet gott noe thing but bare meate & drinck twoe of his sonns through want of necessaries as he beleeveth being dead and he his wiffe & 2 daughters now being in great want & distresse
Samuell ffrancke
Jur 6o July 1643
Hen: Brereton
Will: Aldrich

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Exr (45
Queens Countie
Samuel Frank dep:
July 6to 1643

Intw handw