Deposition of James Stevenson

Date: 1643-04-20

Identifier: 831048r059

County: Leitrim, Sligo & Mayo

Deposition Type: Dublin Original

Nature of Deposition: Arson, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Words, Lost By Debts

Commissioners: Henry Brereton, John Watson

Deposition Transcription:

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James Stevenson Parson of the Parrish of Kiltaughork within the Countie of Leitrim sworne and examined deposeth and saith. That since the begining of the presente Rebellion and by meanes thereof: He was deprived & robbed of by the Rebells his goods chattells & meanes Consisting of beasts Cattle horses mares sheepe Corne hay houshouldstuff fewell due debts arreres of rent, & other thinges, & that hee had his dwelling howse & 14 more more thatched howses burnt: In all of the value, and to his present losse of Eight hundreth twenty six pownds ster, And besids hee is like to be depriued of and loose the future proffits of his Church meanes: & other his owne Lands (worth Cxxx li. per annum) vntill a peace be established: And further saith that the the names of the Cheif f Rebells that soe diverse of whom robbed him this deponent and that alsoe robbed divers other protestants are theis that follow vizt <A:> Conn mcDonnell o Rork, whom they called the Rebells called their Colonell & his sonn Teige o Rorke Edmond Galla mcGran a ld Granald & Captain Geffrey oge McGranald a Captain Henry McWilliam oge Reinolds a Captain all of the Countie of Leitrim: which said Re bells above mencioned took the deponents Cowes or most of t heis And theis following tooke the rest of his Cowes & his horses Corne householdstuff & sheepe: vizt Teige Mc <B> Anaw of Muntirkenny a freeholder, Cormack mcPhelim mcGranald a freeholder in the Barrony of Leitrim Ire Reinolds of Seabegg Captain, and a freeholder in the barrony of Leitrim, Teige o Rhoddy of ffenah called amongst the Rebells the Kinges Attorney: whoe was accompted a cheefe instrument in this Rebellion Geffrey o Rork of the Barrony of Carrickgallan a freehoulder Edmund mcTurloghe Mirgah mcGranald a freehoulder within the Barrony of Leitrim <C> Cahir mcDonnell oge mcGranald a freeholder in the Barrony of Moyhill Teage Boy McGilhowly of kiltaughork Pat: o fflin n Turlaghe Mc Teage o flin Turlogh mcTernon a farmer: Rory oge McKeon & william mcKeon farmers within the Barrony of Leitrim: alsoe John Birchall Patricke ô Miskeilly alias Griskin Brian o Sheridenn & other the howshold servants of Mr Humfrey Reinolds of Loghscurr: And said to some of this Deponents people That if they had him this deponent there, they wold cutt of his head, (as they afterwards told him) Divers of which servants the said Mr Reinolds imployed & sent with messages afterwards to Jamestown and Drumrusky as Sir Georg Saint George informed this deponent, And <D> further saith That Owen o Rorke of Drumahaire was called a Colonell & is a prime Rebell Owen oge o Rork his sonne a Captain Brian Ballock ô Rork
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<A> o Rorke a freeholder there Mullmurry McTernan a freehoulder there Gerald McAnaw of Munterkenny being cheefe of the sept Hugh mcBrian o Rorke of Munterkennye aforesaid Captain & freeholder And indeed all the natives that within the County of Leitrim aforesaid (except such as lived in the garrisons of Jamestowne Drumrusk Mannerhamilton & Newtowne both freeholders and others are held by this deponent to bee Rebells. And further saith That the cheefe Rebells in the Countie of Roscomon that molested & tirranized over the protestants att Jamestowne and Drumrusky were Brian o Birne of Dongan, a Captain and freeholder, Whoe being first <B><symbol> implojed by the Lord President of Connaght as a Captain in his maiesties service did notwithstanding Joine with Conn o Rorke a Cheefe Rebell in the County of Leitrim & the rest of the sept of the ô Birns and turned Rebell, and with him Laughlin McWilliam o Birne nowe of Kilmore a Captain whoe was the first that betrayed Mris King at Kilmore howse: This howse or Castle of Kilmore was kept by Mris Grace King the late wiffe of the late Bishop of Elfin: which was thus betrayed vizt The said Laughlin mcWilliam o Birne (whoe was imployed to collect some monies plotted in the County to manteine some souldiers <I> that were newly levied by Captain ô Birne & Captain ô Conner Roe soe <symbol> made Captains by the said Lord President) pretended great kindnes to Mris King and about 9 or tenn dayes before Christmas came to the gate, and takeing one Mr Cutler, called att the gats which was opened and the said Laughlin came in with 5 men more & soe did shutt the gates and kept out divers of the people that were gone out to giue hay to the Cattle. And therevpon the said Laughlin shott of a peece and gave notice to his consorts that were secrett nere the howse lying in ambush: And presently of them, there <C> came Conn o Rork cheefe Rebell of the County of Leitrim and great store of Rebells with him and Dowaltaghe o Hanlie another prime Rebell in that countie, and store of other Rebells with him As alsoe Captain Brian ô Birne, whoe had beene made Capten as aforesaid by the said Lord President) and the said Captain Brian with his new levied companied came thither alsoe, and soe amongst <d> them devided the spoyle But the said Laughlin mcWilliam o Birne had the greater part: & kept the howse ever since They robbed & stript the said Mris kinge and left her and her children nothing but a few ould clothes And soe they used Mr Georg Cutler and Mr John Cutler, their
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wives and Children with the rest of the English that were there of all which, one Mr Parker and divers others that were then there informed this deponent when they came to Jamstowne presently after it, And the Rebells hereafter named alsoe exercised much crueltie vpon this deponent & the other protestants his neighbours at Jamestowne and Drumrusky vizt the whole sept of the ô Birns that lived out of garrisons within the territory of Terry Rowne and Dowaltaghe ô Hanly a freehoulder & a most tirranous Rebell William o Mulloy a freeholder and Captain in the County of Roscomon & then high Sheriff there And Tumultagh oge mcDermitt a freeholder and now a Captain of Rebells and keepes the Castle of Cambo with a multitude of other Rebells; whose names this deponent perfectly <symbol> knoweth not And further saith that there have beene killed & distroied by the Rebellious irish within the Comity of Leitrim since the xxvth of October 1641: theis protestant persons following vizt & some papists alsoe a yong child Isabell Stevenson daughter to one Archbold Stevenson Whoe being left a fostering with one Hugh McAran there came in one of the irish Keirns & inquired whose child it was & they tould him It was a scotish mans Chyld: wherevpon that Keirne tooke the child by the heeles, and run to the dore, and bett out the braines of it against a tree: Of which horrid act, his fellow Rebells seemeing to be ashamed Conn o Rork their Colonell for colouring of the fact cawsed him to bee apprehended And he being taken the said Teige o Roddy the p retend e d Kings Atturney wrote a letter to our cheefe Comander of our garrison at Jamestowne: wherein he signified the fact aforesaid & desired that some guard mighte bee sent out of the towne & they would deliuer the murtherer to our handes (which Letter this deponent redd: But our Comander knowing their perfidious dealing & fearing that there should bee some ambush Layd to intrapp those that went out, returned them this Answere That in respect they had power (as they pretended) to kill: & save whom they pleased that therefore: that therefore they might deale with the murtherer as he deserved: Notwithstanding the Rebells dismissed the murtherer: Soe that it seemed the Rebells by that plott intended only to have caught and insnared more of us if they could: & ment not to punish the offender aforesaid: as appeared soone after ffor they catched one Richard doble, as he went to bring hay with him to his Cattle: & him they hanged And they alsoe suprised one Tho: McGranald: whoe goeing abroad to bring a
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a Child of Sergeant Olivers from the nurse, the Rebells hanged him: notwithstanding he was one of their owne nation but he went to the protestant Church and had Lived amongst the English: which was (without doubt) the cawse of their quarrell to him: About the same tyme it being about the xxvjth of ffebr 1641 they the Rebells surprised one Elizabeth Priggott goeing betwixt Carrick Drumruff & Jamestowne with letters & hanged her alsoe: And further saith that soone after the begininge of the Rebellion the Rebells made Justics of peace amongst <A> themselues vizt Teage Mcffardoroghe McGranald a freehoulder they made for one: And Morrogh oge McGranald they made for another & they made divers other Justics: And fferdoroghe McGeffrey Boy they made sherriff: And theis Justics sent out their warrants & ordered thinges in the Countie as they thought fitting And soe when they surprised any of our <B> garrisons, they called a Jurie. And then the said Teige ô Rhoddy of ffenah: whoe tooke vpon him to bee Kinges Atturney gave some forged evidence: And if either they went to Churche, or being Irish) joyned with us it was a cawse & matter sufficient for death All which proceedinges divers that came from the Rebells informed the deponent & others of: About the xxvjth of Aprill 1642: fowre of our men went out to fetch in a Little hay vizt Rise Thomas, William Purchase Donnoghe mcNekelly & James McGranald: But the Rebells haveing Layd an ambush fell on them and murthered three of them in the place; & they haveing catcht James Reinolds hanged him: The same day they shott Hugh o Rely one of our men: (called Hugh Rely) in a skirmish, and there was at the same tyme three of theirs killd as the deponent I heard afterwards: About the Later end of Aprill wee hadd one Owen Hughes shott (as he & others were assaulting the Castle of Kilmore, whoe died about tenn weekes after But a good space before vizt the fowrth of ffebruary 1641 Lieutenant Hugh Kelly and Ensigne Rookesby went out with a Party of
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of about fowerscore foote: who when they had Martched about a myle from the towne of the Rebells assaulted was: They being at the first about 100: But afterwards their number increased to 200 yet, by the well manageing of the skirmish by the said Lieutenant Kelly: The Rebells Lost 300 mo & had slaine three men at the first: And after vpon a second assault the Rebells lost some 3 men more & then fled: which victory (yf it had beene well prosecuted att the time might have broken their strength ever after: The Rebells lost that day twoe pryme officers & Comanders <A> vizt Geffrey oge McGranald & William Gray McGranald But blessed god we lost not a man On the 5th day of August 1642 There went a partie of about 100 men vnder the Comand of livetenant ffulk Rookesby & Sergeant Harrison from the 2 garrisons of Jamestowne & Drumruske: Theis Marched downe mcShanties woodes about 3 myles from Jamestowne But after theis our men had gott their prey of Cowes divers of them fell a pillageing & soe stayd too Long and haveing a badd way home, the Rebells layd ambushes for them And these Rebells being about 400 our men notwithstanding their numbers fought throughe their ambushes: but lost their pray and were forced to take through a deepe ford in a brook nere Anaduffe: where (through their improvidence) many of them wett their powderbaggs & bandeliers & soe were inforced to retreat disorderly to a Castle called Drumsuan Att which tyme those our men Lost theis persons following: John Harrison Sergeant to Sir Georg Sengeorge Cormuck Coan a Corporall to Captain Richard Coote William Shirin Tho: Brookes Owen Priggett John Colelye Edmund Kelly John Colston: Patrick Bragan Robert Andrewes, Duke Thomas, William Branah John Roper Rowland Williams Henry Badurdy Tho: Gardiner: Lieutenant ffulk Rookesby was shott through the belly & recouered: Thomas Valence through the thigh & recouered: Richard Norris through the shoulder & recouered: Tho: ô Corbaran thurst into the back & recouered: The same tyme alsoe John Reinolds gent sonn to mr Humfrey Reinolds was taken prisoner, & kept ever since: And further saith that on the xxiiijth of August 1642, About fortie of our people went out (carelesly) to gett some greene Corne for want of bread & beinge environed with about 300 of the enemy: Theis persons following were cutt of vizt Richard ffensum Tho: Brian John Gerratt Ric Gerrat William Graues: Thomas Allen Jane his wiffe, William Parry George Courtney John Lewcott John Paver Brian o Marchan: Donoghe ô Marchan
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Marchan Cormuck ô Marchan Thomas Miller Dermott ô Gormoyle Edward Strawbery Thomas Tabret George Baker Marmaduke Hesitby John Norris Conoght ô Sheridine and Elizabeth Owens: And about a fortnight after there went about twelve or fowrteene of our people in Cotts on into the water to gett som Corne: And the Enemy came on them vnawares, and they runing into one of the Cottes overturnd it, And soe theis persons following were drowned vizt Cormuck mcKernan (whoe had done good service to the garrison) for one night hee & five more brought in 140 Cowes to our garrison besides many more preys that by his meanes were brought in) John Cottiner Edmund Reinolds & twoe men and five women more were drowned whose names this deponent Knoweth not: On the xvjth of September 1642 Roger Anderson a sickly man gathering wheate on the stubble nere the towne, was murthered by the Rebells
<H B: J: W>
James Stevensone
Jur xxo Aprilis 1643
Hen: Brereton
Joh Watson

Leitrim
James Stevenson deposed
April the 20th 1643
hand w
Intw

It

130

Deponent Fullname: James Stevenson

Deponent Gender: Male

Deponent Occupation: Clergy

Deponent County of Residence: Leitrim

Mentioned Non-Deponent Fullnames: Conn McDonnell o Rork, Teige o Rorke, Edmond Galla McGranald, Geffrey oge McGranald, Henry McWilliam oge Reinolds, Teige McAnaw, Cormack McPhelim McGranald, Ire Reinolds, Teige o Rhoddy, Geffrey o Rork, Edmund McTurloghe, Mirgah McGranald, Cahir McDonnell oge McGranald, Teage Boy McGilhowly, Pat: o fflin, Turlogh McTernon, Rory oge McKeon, William McKeon, John Birchall, Patricke , Brian o Sheridenn, Humfrey Reinolds, Owen o Rorke, Owen oge o Rork, Brian Ballack , Mullmurry McTernan, Gerald McAnaw, Hugh McBrian o Rorke, Brian o Birne, * , Laughlin McWilliam o Birne, Capten , Capten , Dowaltaghe o Hanlie, Terry Rowne, William o Mulloy, Tumultagh oge McDermitt, Teage Mcffardoroghe McGranald, Morrogh oge McGranald, Teige , Geffrey oge McGranald, William Gray McGranald, Humfrey Reinolds, Grace King, Bishop of Elfin, Mr Cutler, Georg Cutler, John Cutler, Isabell Stevenson, Richard doble, Tho: McGranald, Elizabeth Priggott, Rise Thomas, William Purchase, Donnoghe McNekelly, James McGranald, James Reinolds, Hugh Rely, Owen Hughes, Hugh Kelly, Ensigne Rookesby, ffulk Rookesby, Sergeant Harrison, John Harrison, Cormuck Coan, Richard Coote, William Shirin, Tho: Brookes, Owen Priggett, John Colelye, Edmund Kelly, John Colston, : Patrick Bragan, Robert Andrewes, Duke Thomas, William Branah, John Roper, Rowland Williams, Henry Badurdy, Tho: Gardiner, Thomas Valence, Richard Norris, Tho: , Richard ffensum, Tho: Brian, John Gerratt, Richard Gerrat, William Graues, Thomas Allen, Jane Allen, William Parry, George Courtney, John Lewcott, John Paver, Brian o Marchan, Donoghe , Cormuck , Thomas Miller, Dermott , Edward Strawbery, Thomas Tabret, George Baker, Marmaduke Hesitby, John Norris, Conoght , Elizabeth Owens, Cormuck mcKernan, John Cottiner, Edmund Reinolds, fferdoroghe McGeffrey Boy, Morrogh oge McGranald, Archbold Stevenson, Tery Rowne, Mr Parker, Georg Saint George

Mentioned Non-Deponent Roles: Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Rebel, Victim, Victim, Mentioned, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Mentioned, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Victim, Mentioned, Mentioned, Mentioned, Mentioned, Mentioned, Mentioned