Deposition of Richard Ryves

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The Examination of Sergeant Major Richard Ryves taken before vs his Maiesties Commissioners etc this 21 of March 1643
Who beeing duly sworne & examined saith that on Saturday the 23 of October 1641 beeing at Belturbet in the County of Cavan where he commaunded Sir John Borlases troope troope he about 11 of the clock at noone he heard of some rising in the country: and by such as repaired thither out of the neighbour countys he was certainly informed of the like doings in the adjoining County of Fermanagh, & of the murther of Mr Arthur Champion & others: whereupon he gott together as many of his troope as he could, & finding the Inhabitants of Belturbet not forward to put themselves into a posture of defence, but resolued to deliver the towne to Philip McHugh o Rely who vndertooke theire Protection, he this Examinant marched on Sunday in the afternoone to Cavan where he staid that night: & hearing that the passage by Virginia was intercepted by 500 Irish gathered thereabouts <R i ves> this deponent tooke his way through Westmeath towards Dublin that night lying in the fields. On Twesday the 26 of October as he went towards Ardbraccan neere Navan in the County of Meath he vnderstood that the country was up in Aremes & the English inhabitants of Meath pilalaged by the Inhabitants of the County of Meath & meeting the Rebells driving of sheepe taken from the English he made stay of them, killing two of the Rebells & taking five or six prisoners whom he carried to Ardbraccan to and finding them to be Sir William Hills tenants & househould servants, & they alleadge [ ] that they were imployed by the said Sir William Hill to gather his rents, this examinant dismissed them. All these were the inhabitants of that County, one only excepted who was an Vlster man as I as the deponent perceaued by his habit From Arbraccan this deponent sent to knowe the pleasure of the state, who commaunded him to quarter at Arbraccan from whence about five or six dayes after beeing moved with the complaints of the pilleged English he went out with a party of horss & in a towne belonging to the said Sir William Hill & neere vnto his house he found some goodes belonging to the English & tooke prisoners those in whose custody they were found, two of them beeing Sir William Hills servants who had beene before taken and released by this Examinant concerning whose release, the eldest sonne of <A> the said Sir William Hill discoursing with this deponent at Arbraccan aforesaid that he demaunded of this examinant the reason why he would so incense the country seeing all the Parts of Ireland were resolved to take armes, or wordes to that effect. The English generally in the County of Meath were robbed as aforesaid, particularly this Examinant remembreth Mr Palmes of Fianstowne, Mr Aldersee & Mr Jeromy Aldersee Alexander neere Kells

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<134> Kells & Mr Richard Ball, all in the said County of Meath. This Examinant further saith that soone after he had received commaund from the Lords for staying at Arbraccan he also received an order to forbeare making inroads into the Country vntill after ten dayes within which time the Inhabitants of the Pale promised to make restitution of the Englishmens goodes, but upon information by this deponent given to the Lords that they minded nothing lesse, they se lords sent him a Commission for Martiall Lawe to hang such as should be found pillaging. The time that this Examinant staid at Arbraccan was 3 weekes or thereabouts, & was commanded thence to Dublin when the Cavan Rebells were comming into Meath
Richard Ryues
Jurat 25 Martij 1644
Hen: Jones
Edw: Pigott

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The examinacion of Sergent Maior Richard Ryves
Intw
County of Meath
26 Octo

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