Deposition of Edward Aston

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Thomas Edward Aston of Kilbarrie in the Countie of Waterford Esquire sworne & examined sayth That since the begining of this present Rebellion and by meanes thereof: Captain Thos Aston Esquire his father since deceased Hee hath beene & is expelled from deprived & dispojled of the possession Rentes and proffitts of his farmes meanes & other goodes and Chattells at Kilbarry Allenekaine the Crooke and Collin in the Countie of Waterford & at Polmontan in the Countie of Catherlaghe of the value & to his present losse of three thowsand seventie <3076 li.> six Powndes Powndes ster And that he this deponent being his eldest sonn is like to be depriued of and loose the future proffittes of the [ ] farme of Kilbarry & 2 mylnes therevnto belonging whereof he hath a lease for 32 yerees in being or thereaboutes And worth worth Clxxviij li. per annum & of the Crooke aforesaid whereof <268 li. per annum> he hath a leasse for 17 yeres in being or thereabouts worth 60 li. per annum & of the other farme called the Collin whereof he hath a lease for ten yeres yet in being worth 30 li. per annum: Soe as his losses from henceforth of his said farmes & liveings amount to twoe hundreth sixtie eight Powndes per annum: And further saith that the said Thomas Aston his father on or about the xvijth of July last was sent with 2 or 3 shipps and about 100 land souldiers from the fort of duncannon to Redmondes Castle of the hooke to surprise (if they could that castle, And saith That his said father and those souldiers landed nere the Castle with 2 sm small peecs of ordinance: But before the Castle was attempted This deponentes said father by former direccon from the lord Esmond, sent 2 men to the said Castle to know of the said Redmond would come & yeild him self to him the said Lord Esmond: & soe not to have his Castle assaulted vpon deliuerie of which message to the said Redmond he he answered that if [ ] Captain Aston did come he shold be welcomed yet soe as he should not enter to the Castle but by force but feele their entertainement or to that effect with which answere those Messingers endeavouring to returne thone of them was then and there shott dead throughe the head of which & the answere the said other Messinger bringing newes the said Captaine Aston and his Company therevpon Martched vnto & assaulted the Castle for the space of 6 hores howres & made divers great shotts & other shotts against the same But a great fogg or mist falling suddenly & the enemyes out of the Cuntrie (lying nere all that day vndiscourered) being very many & strong suddenly fell vpon the said Captain and his souldjers (the souldiers being dispersed about the Castle) and fynding the enemy (mixt amongst them) to be very many most of them fledd away suddenly towardes the shipps & left the said Captain Aston and livetenant Esmond & the cheef viijt pikemen Th{e said} Captain and pikemen being all slaine in the place and the said Captains head carried to { }

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as a trophy of their victory and from thence to Wexford And the said lieutena{nt} & 12 more being taken prisoners were all hanged at or neere Ballihack And further saith That vpon the vijth of ffebr 1641 Peirce Butler <A> Colonell and John Colclough Captain sent 6 of their souldjers or thereabouts to the land of Tyntreene to take away the garrans belonging to the Castle of Tyntrine, which were then at work vpon the fallowes within shott of the said Castle; which 6 souldjers according to their direccons assaulted the plowmen & vnharnessed the horses & drove them away where vpon the deponent being Captain of the said Castl{e} with three horsmen more & eight foote men sallied forth to rescue the said horses from the enemy In pursuite whereof (not above a flightes shoote from the plowe, In the hollow betweene twoe highe waies, and a little out of the sight of the Castle The Captain with the other 3 horsmen & some of his footemen that made best speed vpon a sudden were assajled by 40 or 50 of the enemy whoe with the Colonell and Captain Colcloughe lay in a Closse ambuscado, and made divers shottes as alsoe thrustes with pykes; by one or more of which shotts William Hatch one of the souldjers was mortally wounded in his left flanck and left arme, of which woundes within ffive daies after he died They likewise tooke one Robert Stafford Prisoner the other 6 fled to the Castle without harme The Captain with the other three horsmen being further ingaged in the Ambuscado were forced to fly for their lives: Haveing noe other way left open but vyolently to breake through the enemy whoe made as many shotts on all sides of them as tyme and their provision would giue them leave But throughe the miraculous protection of the almighty neither horse nor man hurt, but came by another way to the Castle: And the enemy seeing they were defeated of their enterprice which was to have taken and killed the deponent with the rest that were with him and soe consequently to have gotten the Castle They went away and left the garrans, which the deponent againe recouered And on the 12th of ffebr we solempnized the buriall of the said <B> William Hatch, and vpon the xjth of ffebr Colonell Cavenaghe alias Dermant mc Dowlen (a gran Rebell) sent above One hundreth or 120 of his men to thrash Mr Griffins Corne at the salt Mills Hee likewise cawsed a guard to be kept in a knock of ffurrs over against the salt mylnes on the other side of the water
<{M}r Watson {Mr} Aldrich {M}r Brereton>
Edw Aston
Jur 15o Decembr 1642
{H}en: Breretom Joh Watson
Will: Aldrich
437
[Verte fol]

<Waterford Edward Aston Jur 15 Dec 1642 Intw>