Deposition of Robert Colden

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Robert Colden late viccar of Abiscruell and Curate of Archra[ ] & Rathreagh in the County of longford sworne and examined sayth That since the begining of the present Rebellion and by meanes thereof Hee this deponent was expelled deprived robbed or otherwise dispoyled of his goo the possession and proffitts of his Church Liveings tythes & other his goodes & Chattells of here after mencioned vizt of tythes worth xij li. Howsholdstuff worth xvj li. x s. bookes worth viij li. Apparell of his owne his wiffs & 4 Childrens worth iiij li. 2 horses worth iiij li. & th one yeres value of his Church liveings worth xxxvj li. per annum Soe as his whole presente losses come to Lxxxiiij li. xj s. & this deponent is like to be deprived of & loose the future proffitts of his Church meanes, worth xxxvj li. per annum vntill a peace be setled. And further sayth that the parties that robbed him of his clothes & howsholdstuff were was Teige dillecreese of the parish of <A> Granard Taylor Donnell ô ffarrell of Kilsroule in the County of Longford a Captain of Rebells & the rest of his Company And further saith That James ffarrell of Kilrowre Captain of the Rebells that layd seige to the Castlefforbus: & his Company mett with one James Cambell as he was sent on a Message from the Castle aforesaid towards Keilagh in the County of Cavan and hanged vpp him vpp. & then takeing him down carried him to and before the gate of Castleforbus, and there layd him with a paper vpon his breast, wherein was written words to the effect following: Here is your Messinger that yow sent on your busines: yow may nowe see howe he is served: & if yow send any more Messingers they shalbe serued accordingly: And further saith that one Jonahan Cobbe: lying long sick in his bed after the Rebells <B.> hadd robbed him one Loughlin Bane ffarrell of Carrick in the sayd County Broagmaker & his 2 sonns came vnto the poore sick man at 12 a Clock in the night cutt of his head & threw him into a ditch where he still lyes vnburjed for any thing he knows) And that one John Orr that came towards Castleforbus to informe them of the

fol. 186v

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Longford
Robert Colden Clarke Jur 26
Augustj 1642
Cert fact
hand w
Intr Intw
36

(the following text is upside down)
nere approach of the English army: was by the Rebells seized on & had by them his bowels ript vpp & those his bowells and Carkasse were throwne into the well at Castleforbes wherein of purposse to poison or corrupt the water, wherei{n} the Carkasse li still Lyeth. & those of the Castle drunck of the water thereof & made other vse thereof 3 or 4 dayes before they discouered that it was there, where vpon they in the Castle sunck a new well 14 yards deepe within the Castle for water, but the body lyeth still in the old well as he thincketh vnburjed: And saith that this deponent & the rest in the Castle to the number of 220 held out & defended the same against the Rebells vntill meere hunger & famyne had inforced them to eate vpp after all the Cattle horses swyne sheepe all horses dried graynes old stincking hydes & leather they cold gett: & when that and all other provision fayled them they were necessitated to forsake the Castle & fly goe away to saue their lives: And further saith that Myles Bennett an Englishman was alsoe most cruelly murthered in his bed by one laughlin ffarrell of the parrish of Granard somtymes the sherriffs bailiff & a notorious rebells: after the Rebells had given him a passe & promissed his liffe. & after he by their perswasion had gone to Masse And this deponent further sayth that he heard Richard <A> ffarrall of the Bawne in the said County of Longford Esquire say That the Kinges Maiestie was turned a Romish Catholique
Ro Colden
Jur 26o Augusti
1642
Joh Watson:
Will: Aldrich
Will Aldrich