Deposition of William Cadogan

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The Examinacion of Capt ai n William Cadogan of Gallmuilston in the Com of Meath Esquire taken before vs his Maiesties Commissioners &c. this 16 day of March 1643 who beeing duly sworne and examined saith
That Vpon Saterday 23 Oct 1641 about some two houres before day (I The deponent being then in his lodgeing neere the Castle gate in Dublin) I heard a great noyse in the streete wherevpon I he gott out, and there I was informed by divers, that there was a plott in hand by the Lord Magwire, and Hugh McMahowne and others, to seise vpon the Castle of Dublin and the Cittie, and to kill the English. Herevpon He went in company with others to finde out the Conspirators of whom the said Hugh McMahowne and one Art McMahowne were apprehended by me them and brought before the Lords Justices.
The next [ b ] day being Sonday I he (being accompanied with two servaunts and one Leivetenent Cradocke) went about Three of the Clocke in the afternoone towards the County of Meath, where the litle fortune He had, remayned, and goeing that night vnto Pierstowne, about eight myles from Dublin, He was there told that there was a great Army of the Northerne Irish comeing thither ward towards the Pale and that the Lords and Gent of the County of Meath were to haue a meeting at Ratoth (being some ffiue or sixe Miles distant from Pierstowne aforesaid) the next morning being Monday Wherevpon Hee repaired to Ratoth that morning but there being noe such meeting there He held on my his way towards the towne of the Navan, and within two miles thereof I met with Jerome Alexander esquire a neighbour of hisy ne rydeing with full speed towards Dublin, and asking of him what newes he told hime that they were all vpp in Armes betweene the Navan and the towne of Kells in the said County of Meath, and that the Soueraigne of Kells one <A> Barnaby Rely a merchaunt of Kells, and most of the people of that towne had that morning robd and pillaged him of all his estate whatsoever to the value of Two Thousand pounds at least, and that all Mrs Alderseys goods and Cattle to a great value were likewise taken away and pillaged by the <N> Men of Kells, and that he had escaped with his life very hardly, and flyeing <W> for Dublin, he advised me the deponent not to goe any further on hisy way, for if I he did, He was a lost man. Vpon this they parted, and I the deponent held on hisy way to the Navan, and <M> from theme to Arbrackan the Bishopp of Meathes howse (some two myles from the Navan) and found the people there and divers others of the neighbourhood, all English, in a great fright and terror, and demaunding the reason, Mr Deane Mellch and others told hime that the Country was all vpp in Armes robbing and spoyling of the English, and that he and the rest were flyeing to Dublin, which he and the rest instantly did. But I the deponent retorned vnto the Navan, and went that night vnto the howse of Mr Lawrence Dowdall of Athlumny (who marryed the Earle of ffingalls sister) being the other side of the water, of the River of Boyne when He came to the howse it was long before He could be admitted and when He came in they told hime Mr Dowdall and his wife wer{e} not at home; I he found the Gentlewomen, his sisters exceedingly troubled w{ith} frights

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frights and feares, and askeing the reason they told hime that there was a great Rebellion on foote, and that there was great pillageing and plundering in the Country Stayeing there that night and being lodged on the topp of the howse He came downe vpon the breake of day, and then I found the Gentlewomen and the people of the howse (that were sad over night) exceeding merry, and when He told them that He wondered at their soe soddaine change; the Gentlewomen skipping and leaping vpp and downe; told hime that they had noe reason to be sad <B> for their Cozen Collonell Plunkett (meaning Plunkett that escaped from Dublin the day before who was sonne vnto Sir Christopher Plunkett) had beene there about midnight, and had assured them, there would had noe harme be done, vnto the Irish, onely the Brittish and the protestants were to be pillaged, and expelled the kingdome; and the that he himselfe would be with fifteene Thousand men at the Hill of Tarah in the said County of Meath within eight dayes after, and that he was that morning gone to the Lo: of Lowth. Presently after this discourse one Mrs King an old gentlewoman that lived in the howse whispered hime in the eare and said, if I he loved, hisy owne safety He should get hime away quickly, where vpon He gott mee to horse instantly, and (spending somtyme in the Navan I went afterwards to Arbrackan aforesaid where I he met with Captain Ryves and some of Sir John Borlase his Troope, who did assure hime that in the way as they came the Irish in that very County of Meath were plundering and pillageing of the English. Vpon this He stayed that night at Arbrackan and the next morning I had newes brought hime that hisy owne howse at Gallmoylstowne in the County of Meath was robd, and all I he had taken away being about 3000 li. sheepe ffower hundred head of English Cattle, eight geldings and two stone horses, with some Threescore English Mares and Colts and that Mr Plunkett of Clony=breny, <C> Mr Plunkett of Donnagorran, Mr Plunkett of Newcastle, Mr Plunketts sonne of Castlekerryn and Robert Car y [ ] Punkett and diverse others of the Plunketts being hisy neere neighbours, togeither with hisy Landlord Oliver Balfe, and his sonns with divers others hisy neighbours of the said County of Meath were they that had done it and this afterwards I he found to be true for I he found part of hisy goods in each of the persons aforesaids possession, whereof some part I he recovered from them againe vpon hisy goeing to hisy howse which was tenne myles from Arbrackan, which I he found empty; His goods and Cattle being all taken away
Retorning from thence to Arbrackan vpon ffryday ffolloweing, all the English thereabouts, as by name Mr Stephen Palmes, Mr William Bradly, and most of those that dwelt betweene the Navan and Kells, and towards the hill of ffaghan ffaghan neere Dorranstowne the Lord Ranelaghes howse, came to Arbrackan complayning that they had beene all pillaged and plundered, and that they knewe not what to doe, for that the Irish told them that the Castle of Dublin was taken by them, and that if the English went thither their throats would be cutt. And he I demaunded of them who were the Actors, they told hime (being nothing but <D> what I he knewe before) that Sir William Hill, Betaghes sonne of Moynaltie ffrauncis Hill

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<E> Hill the said Sir William Hills sonne, and who was marryed to the Earle of ffingalls sister. Mape of Maperath and his sonne, Walter Cusacke and many of the Townesmen of Kells, Plunkett of Girley his brother, Barnaby Rely the Sufferaigne of Kells, and John Dowdall were the prime instruments in robbing and takeing away of their goods being all their neighbours and liveing in the said County of Meath.
Vpon Monday followeing I this deponent apprehended the Sofferaigne of Kells, Barnaby Rely and divers others, and haveing betweene Threescore and fowerscore of them in the Gaole of Trym (all the English in those parts being a great number haveing beene robbed and pillaged by the County of Meath people in the first three or fower dayes of the Rebellion) came to hime complayning of their distressed case; and vpon examinacions taken by hime selfe and others of the Justices of peace in those parts, it was confessed by diverse of those that were apprehended that they had received command to robbe and destroye the English, and some of them did confesse that they were commanded soe to doe, by one Mr Arthure ffoxe who lived in <ff> those parts
There was scarce an English man on the further side of the Boyne in the whole County of Meath lest vnpillaged in the first eight or nyne dayes after the 23th of October 1641 and that by the County of Meath men themselves, before any of the Northerne Irish had fallen into the Palle, their Randesvous being then at Cavan and Virginia
Wm: Cadogan
Jurat Martij 16. 1643
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton

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Meath o
The examinacion of Captain Cadogan
18 Marcij 1642
Intw
hand
Intr
25 oct

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