Deposition of Josua George

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Josua George Late of Togher in the Queenes County gent being duely sworne & examined before vs by vertue of a Comission to vs & others directed vnder the broade seale of this kingdome beareing date at Dublin &c. deposeth & saith That aboute the Last of November 1641 & seuerall times since the beginning of the present Rebellion in this kingdome he lost & was robbed of his goodes & chatles vizt Corne Catle & houshould stuffe to the value of Two hundred fiftie pounds or therabouts, besides the losse of the beneffitt of his freehould=estate in the said County, worth Communibus annis before this Rebellion fourescore pounds a yeere, which the deponent is not likely to enioy vntill a settlement in this kingdome.
The deponent being further examined saith That about the time aboue mencioned <A> fflorence ffitz Patricke of Castletowne in the said County Esquire, accompanyed with Andreas ffitz Patrick of Burres in the said County gent, both Comanders in cheefe of a hundred men or therabouts, came with force & armes vppon this Examinats Land of Togher aforesaid & thence droue away aboue three score cowes & oxen of this deponents & soone after seuerall of the said fflorence his followers & souldiers (as they pretended) in like hostill maner carryed away this deponents stood=mares to the number of nyne or Ten his swine, & about a doozen cowes more that were left him by the former rebells: The deponent further saith That one and his wife liueing before the Rebellion at Mountrath in the said County was forced for his better safety to remoue from thence to Castletowne aforesaid presumeing there to bee protected by the said fflorence ffitz Patrick & continued at Castletowne aforesaid for a season, but finding the times very dangerous for any Brittish or protestants to liue in the Country, he procured the said fflorence his passe for himselfe & his wife to come to Mary=Borough, who notwithstanding the said passe was assaulted in the highway, & there together with his said wife cruelly murthered, & that (as it is generally supposed) by some of the said fflorence his owne followers. This examinat further deposeth That aboute the begining of March 1641 the said fflorence ffitz Patricke accompanyed with 2 or 3 hundred men or therabouts, in the day time entred one of Sir Gilberts houses neere adioyneing to the forte of Leix, & there killed an English woman, & presently hanged fiue or six other protestants their names he doth not remember. The deponent being further examined saith That the fforte of Leix aboute 8ber Last beinge <B> taken by Owen Roe O Neale & his Army then, or soone after this examinat amonge others remoued from thence to the Castle of Catherlogh & there continued

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Till such time as a siedge was threatened against the said Castle & this deponent haueing the charge of a wife & seaven children & being formerly destroyed by the Rebells, he was noe way able to endure the brunt of a second siedge, wherevppon he addressed himself for his Journy to this Cittie & feareing to bee pilladged or stripped by the way he procured Major Harmonds lettre to Capteine Gerrald ffitz Gerrald alias Gerrald Croue, Governor of Castledermot, entreateing his favour to grante this examinat & Two other protestants families that were in Company with him, a Convoy to the English Quarters, which after much entreaty of Mrs Mathewes his Excellencyes sister then at <A> Castledermot was granted, & one Corporall Gose with foure or fiue other Troopers was Comanded to Convey the deponent & the rest to Kilcullen bridge but noe sooner was the said ffitz Gerralds back turned, but the said Corporall & the rest would not stirr till this examinat & his company did covenat to giue him fifteene shillinges for his paines, the one halfe whereof was payed in hand, & the other halfe at their Journyes end, & therevppon they sett forward, & by the way this examinat did obserue that some of his said Convoy rid out of the way to Blackrath, & others tooke vpp fellowes to ride behinde them in soe much that the deponent suspected their treachery, which proued plaine at last, last for noe sooner were they come within a Quarter of a mile to kilcullen but those fellowes that came alonge with the Convey in the high way, & others to the number of sixteene Comanded by one Rushell, sett vppon this examinat & his Company & treacherously robbed them of all they had, in their carriadges as linnen woollen bedding & houshould stuffe besides some Catle & one Gelding of this deponents, & not therewith Contented most barborously stripped this examinant & his Company man, woman & child, of their weareing apparell <B> the said Corporall Gose & his Troopers not as much as lifting vpp their hands against them, And further he cannot depose.
Joshua George
Jurat coram nobis
11o May 1647
Hen: Clogher
Hen: Brereton

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The examination of Josua George taken 11o May 1647
Queenes County