Deposition of Anthony Heatcote

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Anthony Heatcote late of Inchecronan in the County of Clare Esquire being duely sworne & examined before vs by vertue of his Maiesties Comission vnder the broade seale of this kingdome to vs & others directed beareing date &c touching the losses robberies & spoiles susteined by the Brittish protestants within this kingdome of Ireland deposeth & saith That aboute the one & Twentieth day of January 1641 & since the begining of the present Rebellion in this kingdome he was robbed & forceably dispoiled of his goods & Chattles vzt in houshould stuffe lynnen woollen Corne Cowes horses sheepe swine debts & enterests of leases to the value of Two thousand sixtie seaven pounds & Thireteene shillinges or therabouts
This Examinat being further examined deposeth & saith That aboute the time aboue mentioned & especially vppon the foure & Twentieth day of January 1641 aforesaid Therlagh o Brien of Tullamore in the said County <A> Esquire in the day time came vppon this Examinats land (being Munday aboute Two of the Clocke in the afternoone in a Rebellious & hostile maner & seized vppon this Examinats Cattle (for the greater parte) & drove them away This deponent further saith that seeing noe remedy, whereby this examinat may escape the fury of the said Country Rebells, & to preserue his goods he was forced to deliuer ouer a considerable parte of his personall estate into the hands and <B> trust of Collonell Dermod o Bryen of Dromore in the said County Esquire who is since run into actuall Rebellion, & what is soe deliuered into his hands is not likely to bee recouered by this Examinat vntill a setlement in this kingdome This deponent saith That before his Comeing away from his dwelling house presumeing vppon the loyalty & honesty <C> of Cahill o Rowghan of Souagh in the said County gent & Teig o Rowghan of the same his sonn this examinat left with them the said Cahill & Teig in their Custody in Cattle and other goods for his this deponents vse to the value of one & Thirtie pounds Hee further saith That aboute the time aboue mencioned this examinat being noe longer admitted without danger of his life to liue in those partes, he Comitted into the care & custody <D> of Richard Grady of Cloneene in the said County gent, soe much of his Catle & other goods as amounted to the value of Thirteene pounds sterling The deponent
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<A> Likewise saith That aboute the time aforesaid ffrances mc Nemara of Downe in the said County gent forceably drove & carryed away a certaine parcell of this deponents Cattle and likewise one Maylin mc Brody of Ballyhogan in the said County gent was entrusted by this deponent with some parte of his goods which hitherto he detaineth to the value of Twenty nyne pounds and is not likely to be restored to this Examinat vntill a settlement in this kingdome The deponent further <B> saith that one of this Examinats neighbours Hugh o Grady ffitz James of SraghneGallon in the said County gent was entrusted by this examinat with a Gelding price eight pounds besides the beneffitt of a farme which this deponent had from him which he now detaineth in his owne hands worth to this Examinat eight pounds Coibus annis aboue the rent reserued before theis times, haueing yett vnexpired in the said T earme ffarme Ten yeeres lease or therabouts And the said Hugh o Grady stands likewise indebted into this Examinat together with Teig o Bryen of Dromore Esquire in the some of fforty pounds or therabouts, which by meanes of the present Rebellion in this kingdome is become desperat The deponent lastly saith That vppon Sunday aboute Twelue a clock at night (being the 13th day of March 1641 aforesaid this <C> examinats Castle of Inchecronan aforesaid was beseidged by Roger o Shaghnesy alias Gilleduffe o Shaghnesy of Diserte in the said County gent William oge o Shaghnesy of in the said of Galway gent John Lester Capteine sonn to Capteine Lester John oge Reagh mc Nemara of Ballinekelly in the said County of Clare gent and others of their followers & continued seidge to this examinats Castle for seaven dayes, vntill vppon Intilliegence sent by this deponent to the right honourable the Earle of Thomond by a messen g er slipped downe by a rope at night out of one of the Castles windowe s) his Lordshipp came in person to releeue the said Castle & vppon that march killed seuerall of the rebells that beseidged the said Castle, Wherevppon the beseidgers scattered And others of the Country gent vndertooke to his Lordshipp that this deponent & the rest of the protestants in his Castle should
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liue there securely butt soone after especially vpon the 21th of March aforesaid being Munday (his lordshipp vppon the 19th day haueing retreated home to Bunratty) this examinat is credibly informed that the said besiedgers or some of them murthered the vndernamed protestants vzt Christopher Hebditch William Abbot Robert Hart Richard Adams Anthony Davis John Holland Robert Blinkensebb Robert Twisden & others to the number in all of eleaven persons besides an ould woman aged foure score yeeres who was not onely murthered but alsoe hurled downe dead into the logh neere this deponents Castle And after this examinat with the rest of the protestants left aliue in his said Castle had Quarter to come away, yet one Peeter Newman an Englishman notwithstanding the said Quarter was afterwards cruelly murthered by some of the said beseidgers as he credibly beleeueth This Examinat alsoe saith that one Margrett Adams (the wife of the aboue mencioned Richard Adams) goeing vppon a Convoy to Ballyaly Castle in the said County within 3 dayes after the murthering of her said husband & the rest, shee was sett vppon in the high way by some of the said convey & others of Owny oge o Loghlins followers & there barbarously murthered <but> first they made a diligent search aboute her body for mony as their custome was & to that purpose with their skines cut of all the haire of her head to see whether shee had any siluer in the same & after shee was dead her corps was left in the high way as this deponent is informed He alsoe saith That vppon the 25th day of March 1642 aforesaid Richard Blagraue Gouldsmith an English protestant takeing his <A> Journy from Dromore (the said Collonell Dermod ô Bryens house) towards Lymrick was within three miles to the said house sett vppon by some of the Country people & there barbarously murthered notwithstanding that he had one of the said Bryens servants sent alonge with him for his safeguard but whether the said Collonell Bryens man had a hand in the said murther or noe, or what were the particullar names of the murtherers this examinat cannot certainely tell And further he deposeth not
Anthony Heathcotte
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Jurat coram nobis
16o Marcy 1646
Hen: Clogher
Hen: Brereton

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Anthony Heathcote
Com Clare
Jurat Marty 16 1646

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