Deposition of Etheldred and Ellenor Scowerfeild

fol. 371r

577
Etheldred Scouerfeild Late of Coolenaferagh in the Queens Countie gent and Ellenor his wife sworne and examined depose and say: That about the xxvth of November 1641 They the deponents with his wiffe and their Eight children liveing at the place aforesaid and being well seated and accomodated with all thinges fitt for their Livelihood & subsistance & seeing that many of their protestant neighbors were robbed & stripped by the papists Rebells They theis deponents with their children takeing with them some small provition of vyandes armes and howsholdgoods deserted and suddenly fled from forsooke their habitacion & fled to the Lord of Elyes howse Mounstereven: where they left stayed defended and releeved themselues & others: & as they conceive did noe noe little good in defending the said howse with the armes and Amunition they brought with them But averr and say That by meanes of the Rebellion and they being forced from their said habitacion They had their dwelling howse too and a new malt howse and 17 or 18 howses or tenements more there wasted and consumed by the Rebells By meanes whereof and of their Corne cattle hay, horses housholdgoods sheepe goats swynes pullen plate lynen and other their goods & chattells and the value of their interest of and in their farme whereof then and there they were forceibly depriued of and lost them they were dampnified & dispoyled of the value of 14 [ ] 20 li. ster at the least: And say further <A> that the Rebell Captain Henry Dempsy brother to the lord of Clanmalero that now is was one of the cheef Rebells that tooke away their Cattle and goods and lived in their howse vntill it was burned and cawsed the deponents tennants to atturne unto them him wherein he received noe little assistance by the rest of the name and sept of the dempsys And theis deponents stayd and contynued at Munstereven for one yere and aboue vntill their provition was spent and they with their children were exposed to such want That they hazarded their Liues very much to come away But before theyr departure hence came away the said howse of Mounstereven was often tymes attempted and besieged
<1412 li. & 20 li. In toto 1442 li.>

fol. 371v

578
<A> beseiged by Lishagh lord of Clanmalery aforesaid and by the said Captain Henry Dempsy, Barnaby Dempsy of Knockardnagurr in the Queens County Esquire (a Justice of the Peace) Captaine James ffergus of Tinnekilly in the Queens County Esquire Michaell Jones sonn in law to the old lord of Clanmalery (though hee was formerly servant to the lord of Ely deceased) John McLawrence a most base and arch Rebell and formerly alsoe servant to the Lord of Ely, and from whom he receiued many noble Curtesies: and many others of the irish tennants of Mountstereven aforesaid that held farmes under the Lord of Clanmalery Elye And theis deponents further say that they flying at the length to Dublin and by hope of their frends takeing and keeping a howse of entertainement there, were notwithstanding their former Losses enforced from tyme to tyme to lodg and keepe souldjers by eight in number for a good space together & somtymes lesse & to lend money pretended to be for manteinance of his Maiesties Army amounting in all to 20 li. at least, & to beare other charges which haue growne soe havy vpon them that they are not able to subsist without releefe from their frends: their howsrent being great & the tymes inevitably troblesome and dangerous almost euery day ministring new occasion of greefe losse unto them especially by being cheated ofen deceived & robbed by souldjers (as in deed too comonly happeneth to others their poore (& like them) op pressed oppressed protestant neighbors within the Citty of Dublin aforesaid
Etheldred Scowerfeild
Signum [mark] predicte Elenor
<Jur 5o Apr 1644 Dr J Mr. B.
Hen: Jones Hen: Brereton>

Queens County 168
Etherdred Scowerfeild
Jur 5o Apr 1644
Intw
hand Cf
in no. & before L. Eyles owne ten. & servants