Deposition of Benedicke Claybrooke

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See this deposition cleerer writt in page 452
Benedicke Claybrooke of the Citty of Waterford merchant sworne and examined deposeth Thatt since the begining of present Rebellion, Thatt is to saie aboute the latter end of Nouember 1641 Hee the deponent liued liveing att Ballimaclade aboute towe meles from Waterford was there Robbed depriued and dispoiled of 53 Cowes 3 horses and some household stufe all the all worthe CC li. by the Rebells, allbeitt the then Maior and Justice of the saide Citty of Waterford protected them the best they Could [ ] [ ] parte of them were taiken awaie by one John Poer of Ballikeyney in the County of Waterford whoe <A> Confessed the taikeing of them being the deponents Cowes Sayeing presently after to this deponent att Waterford, thatt if he hee hadd nott a lawfull Commission out of England for the taikeing of them and others Cattell and for doeing what hee and others Irishe did or words to thatt effecte thatt then hee would giue to the deponent towe for euery one of the Cattle thatt hee tooke Butt whoe tooke the Reste of the saide Cattell hee Cannott tell, Onely itt was generally <B> Reported thatt one ffrancis Wyse of the said Citty gent was a notable and prime Robber and taiker of the goods of the Englishe in those partes, And farther saieth thatt by meanes of the present Rebellion hee is and haieth beene farther dampnified by losse of debts plaite and other goods to the value of CCC li more as hee is very well perswaded Soe thatt his whole losse by meanes of this Rebellion Amounteth vnto ffive hundreth pounds
And farther saieth thatt the Maior and Aldermen and the best of the said Citty of Waterford the deponent being forced to repayre thether for his saiftety, did protecte hime and all the Rest of the Englishe for as long [ ] about three months together nott onely from the Common people of the Citty from being spoiled but from others In soe mutche thatt Mr ffrancis Briver then Maior of the Citty was nott onely theatned butt seuerall times in danger to bee killed for taikeing the protestants partes, bothe by the Inhabitants and some others of the Country and soe continued and soe Continued vntill shipping Came to passe vs awaie In all which time there was nott one dropp of protestant blood there spilte, vnto the deponents knowledge Butt Many were Releiued with mony and victualls Inn and aboute the Citty and soone after all the English broughte Inn to the Citty and afterwards manie hundreths distressed Englishe were by the Maior Releiued att the passage 5 miles from Waterford vntill sutche time thatt aboute the month of Januarie 1641 or soone after There Came vnto the saide Citty of waterford seuerall Irishe gent or Commissioners or persons Imployed By the foure seuerall Counties of Kilkenny Wexfford Tipperary and Waterford aforesaide whoe then and there gaue out That they were Imployed by and from there seuerall Counties To taike the said Citty in to there gouernment, And to surprize and take all the goods of the Englishe for the mainetenance of theire warr, That they Called the holy warr of the Confederate Catholiques, Allbeeit Howbeit
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the saide Maior and Counsell would nott permitt them att anie time into the Citty, to parley with them, And when they Came Inn kepte a strong guarde vppon them This deponent being an Inhabitant was permitted to beare Armes with them att thatt time, And therefore and Eye and an Eare wittnes, And thatt att 4 seuerall times the Maior putt them off, sayeing thatt hee would nott permitt anie into the Citty to spoile or to turne out the Englishe protestants Butt putt them off by force, from the Citty walles, both from the Riuer and from the fforte, which wa{s} a greate Comforte vnto vs the protestant Inhabitants vntill the middele of March following or theire about thatt wee Could procure shippeing
And further the deponent saieth these parties that they were Commissioners soe Imployed were theise thatt followe <A> vizt of and for the County of Kilkenny Edmond Buttler Esquire eldest sonn to the Lord Mongarrett, and diuers others of thatt County, whome hee Cannott Name, being the Retenune and Complices of the saide Edmund Buttler, And of the County of Wexford one Mr Brooks of Hoaretowne in that County, a Justice of the peace and a burgis of the Parliamnet and others of his Confederates whome the deponent Cannott name, And of and for the County of Tiperrary Richard Buttler of Kilcash neere Clonmell Esquire and Mr Jeffery Barronn of Clonmell gent and others in theire Company whom{e} hee Cannott name, And of and for the County of Waterford <B> Pore Esquire eldest sonn to the Lord Pore Sir Nicholas Welshe of Clanmore knight, of the saide County and one Mr Sherlocke of Killoore neere waterford, and diuers others of that County whose names hee Cannott expresse
And farther saieth thatt aboute the middle of ffebruarie 1641 the aforesaide Sir Nicholas Welshe knighte with others of the County Came into the Citty of Waterford, and then and there, did Cause one Andrew Montaine merchant and others of <C> the baser sorte, Contrary to the Maiors Consent moste vnlawfully and Tyrannously Caused the deponent and al{l} the familes of the Englishe in the Citty to bee kepte Inn prisone vppon pretence thatt they would Rise and ioyne w{ith} the Lord President of Munster againste them In which prisone this deponent and some others Remained aboue 24 hou{res} and many others vntill they were sent to sea, butt in the meane time Relieued by the Maior of the Citty and att our pr{e}sent Committall Mr James White one of the Aldermen, hadd badd language by some of those Refrectorie fellowes, for demanding some of vs out of the prisone thatt nighte, Butt after thatt those fellowes were sattisffied thatt they the english hadd noe sutch intention the moste parte were Released
And farther the deponent saieth thatt nott long after the Maior and Councell were enioyned by the Countrie to summone vs the english att our their particular dwellings, To bring whatt goods wee hadd
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left into the Citty store house sutche as would, and some others were Constrained to bring Inn theire goods Onely wee were allowed as Competence of wollen and linnen with other necessaries and ffive pounds of Mony for euery party bothe old and young thatt were provided wherevppon for feare of future Imprisonment, and the danger of the Countrys Coming Inn to surprise or att leaste beseege the Citty wee were provided from youghall with a shipe and by one more vessell shipped by the Maior and Aldermen att the Key with sutche provissions as were formerly allowed vs, some went into England some to youghall and some vnto this Citty of dubline, being all affrighted and expelled their former setled habitations, leaveing theire estates and goods as aforesaide
y me, Benedick Claybrooke
Jur 30 Octobr 1645
Hen: Jones
Will: Aldrich
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Mr Christains on the wood key

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{Waterr}ford
Benedict Claybrooke of {the}
City of Waterford
Jur 30 Oct 1645
Intw vlt Nov

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