Deposition of J. Bringhurst
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In this discourse (I hoape) it will not seeme vnreasonable or impertinent to revert & take a reviewe of the first beginninges of this com m os io commotion or insurreccion together with the [ ]e d malitious & abhominable practises of the malevolent & wicked acters together with som m e of the roberryes by them committed in the countye of Mayoe before they entred into blowde or (as some of themselves have reported) before they had commission soe to doe: wherein, settinge a parte all the warrants orders & direccions given by the Lo: of Mayo by vertue of a commission to him graunted by the then Lords Justices & cowncell for the suppressinge of the (then feared or begininge rebellyon) in the & for the quiet & peaceible preservacion of all his Maiesties good & loyall subiects then in those parts together with the carryage of the saide Lo: of Mayo there, wi th other passages which I intend in a larger volume (god willinge) together with diuers other occurrents in those parts more amplye to expresse & set forthe whereof I have taken notice in the tyme of my continuence the re in that countye from the first of November 1641 vntill the first of 26th of October 1643 at which tyme I had the happines by reason of the Cessacion [ ] to gett awaye & to take my recowrse to Dublin:
About the tenth daye of december 1641 the Lorde of Mayo notice was given to the Lo: of Mayo that the Barronyes of Costello & Gallen were vpp & in armes & had robbed prayed & spoyled diuers of his Maiesties good & loyall subiects, and alsoe had taken & posessed themselues of the Lo: of Castello his Castle of Castle=More in Costello Wheruppon the Lo: of Mayoe (haveinge latelye beefore (by verue of the Commission afforsaid) raised in that countye sixe companies of foote consistinge of 300 men beesids Captains & other officers Commaunded 15 of those companies the next daye to meete him at Mayo from whence hee marched with them into Costello, where at Belahaughnes hee met Sir Lukas Dillon whoe advised his Lordship to marche throu to Castlemore beeinge a verye badd waye all through woods & boggs & the keshes beinge broken (as then they were) impassable espetially with horse The Lo: of Mayo notwithstandinge resolveinge to goe to Castlemore Sir Lukas lefte him & newes was brought him that the enemie with their whole forces to the number of abowt 500 men had broken before him the bridge of Annagh soe that his horse cowld not passe except hee went 3 miles further to a foarde called Bealacowlecashe a verye daungerous foard & ha r d harde to pass:Whervppon the Lo: of Mayoe sent mee this examinant with beeinge Scowtmaster to the Armye with twoe other horsmen to viewe the waye as alsoe their forces, which this examinant did & gave him certaine notice therof But in the companie of the Lo: of Mayo there marched as volunteers one of the sonnes of Con oge mcJordaine of Ranacappan (where his Lordship intended that night to campe campe Rickard Bowrke fitz David of Partrery & William Reogh mcCostello, whoe vnknowne to vs were of the enemies partie (& findinge the Lo: of Mayoes resolucion to bee either to force his passag{e} or to loose himselfe & his companies) went & passed to & from the enemie & in thende from the enemie were sutors for a proteccion for 3 dayes & then either to submitt & come in or begon owte of there countrey, which proteccion hee by the advise of Sir Henr Bingham & other his captaines graunted them vppon proteccion Condicions onely
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vizt duringe that tyme not to carrye armes & therewith or to comitt anie hostile act or robb praye or spoyle anie of his Maiesties subiects or doe or comitt anie other act whatsoeuer tha against his Maiesties Lawes or tendinge to the breache of his Maiesties peace Vppon receipt of which proteccion sent vnto them (where they stoode in armes to stopp & keepe the passage of the foarde) they presently departed & lefte the foarde to vs without anie stroake stricken wheruppon wee passed ouer & marched <A> that night to Ranacuppan and laye at Con oge mcJordaines where there was greate resorte of people & amongst the rest (as this examinant remembreth) the principall of the order of St Augustine the Gwardian of the Abbye of Bealahawnes twoe sonnes of Con oges thone a Priest thother a fryer with diuers other priests & fryers and manie of the enemie souldiers (whoe opposed us at the forde) Cheife Preists ffryers & that the rest all that night haveinge Conference with our Irishe souldiers (for wee had fewe others except of Sir Henry Binghams companie onely) infected them with treason and rebellyon and wheras that daye they all stoode firme vnto their commaunder or generall and I am verilie perswaded wowlde have fowght vnto death with hime yet the next daye I am perswaded in my conscience yf wee had had occasion to have vsed their swords Wee showld have had them in our bosomes but noe other waye for the defence of his Maiesties subiects as by the sequell will appear for the next next daye when wee came to Strade in the Barrony of Gallen & haveinge stoode one night there the next daye the souldiers complayned for the meanes promised them from the countrey for 40 dayes onely but the Sherriff retorned answere that the countrey especially the barronye of Kilmaine refused & opposed the poynt & affirmed that by stronge hand aff they wowld rescue or defend their distresses Wheruppon the Lo: of Mayo callinge to him the Captains officers concluded to dismisse disband the Armye & to sende them either to their intended garrisons or to euerye manns home, of which the later they observed for euerye man went where hee pleased and by the next daye at noone were all in oppen accion of rebellyon euerye of them Robbinge preyeinge & spoylinge of his Brit Britishe neighbour throwghowt the countye, nor cowld the Lo: of Mayo (as I ver verilie beeleve assure himself of sixe men that at that tyme would stand in his defence
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(beeinge then a protestant) which caused him not to suffer mee to depart from him <A:> there vppon Thursdaye the 16th of December one Rickard Bowrke mcDavid of Partrey haveinge privatlye laide laide in Ambushe one Miles Bourke mcDavid late lievetenant to Captain John More bothe which but the daye beefore retorned home from the iourney of Collo Costello where they were infected, & directed as is before expred in symbol 31 [fol] 15 <symbol 39 Castlecarra taken & Oliver Bowen seized vppon by Rickard Bowrke & Miles Bowrke with the manner howe it was performed 16 december> with diuers other souldiers with them alsoe newly retorned and the saide Rickard with 4 or 5 persons seene (as is confidently affirmed) (seene) brought affirmed <brought> with them to Castlecarr a (a prisoner bownde), to bee examined by Oliver Bowen Esquire a Justice of peace the master & owner of the saide Castle whoe not mistrustinge the craftye plotts & pollicies of the saide Rickard Bowrke & the rest (with all which, hee himselfe had beene tha t but 2 dayes before a Companion in armes as a voluntier vnder the Lo: of Mayo) admitted them to comme vpp into his castle with their (supposed) prisoner where beeinge noe sooner comme vpp & findeinge the but smale nomber & strength within the Castle for the defence therof, they vnmasked the m their intended mischief & knaverye & suddenly laide houlde & seized vppon the person of the Justice of peace (whoe was nowe a prisoner vnto the supposed prisoner) and suddenly with his other forces (laide in ambushe) entred & surprised the Castle (beeinge verye stronge & not to bee taken or forced but by ordinance, famine, or fraude & made themselves masters therof where they fownde (as is informed) good store of victuall & other provision, wherof they made noe spare soe longe as it wowlde last and afterwards about shroftide lef then next following were conted Contented in spetiall favor to the saide Oliver to turne him forthe to seeke his fortunes with scarcely clothes to cover his nakednes: duringe all which tyme the saide Rickard Bowrke stood vppon his keepinge refuseinge to comme at [ ] the Lo: of Mayo but vppon a proteccion which graunted hee hath seuerall tymes co mme vntill of late; & nowe hee againe & at this present standeth vppon the same termes with the Lo: of Mayo whoe refuseth to give hi m anie proteccion whoe cannot as yet [enforce ] for that th hee hath of late taken 100 head of catle from some of his his ob e dience for the reasons herafter herin expressed neighbours which notwithstandinge his Lordships warrant & commaund hee refuseth to restore wheruppon hee nowe standeth vppon his keepinge from the Lo: of Mayo
<symbol 40 Rickard Bowrke mcDavid of Partrey stands vppon his keeping>
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48 153Who cannot as yet inforce his obedience for the reason s herafter herin expressed
<symbol 41 weddensdaye 15 decem:> The people of Costello protected as afforsaide 13o december vppon the 15th of the same moneth with their whole forces marched to the barronye of kilmaine and notwithstandinge their proteccion or anie provision or Condicion therin Rifled the towne of Kilmaine Robbed all the Englishe therin tooke & drove away [ ] as is reported soe manye in flocks of sheepe of Mr John Ridges t o the number of 5000 with diuer horses cowes & other catle of his & other Englishe men s & from thence went to Cloonecashell from whence they drove & carryed awaye all the sheepe & horses & other catle bellonginge to Sir Henr Bingham barronet amountinge to a greate the nomber of allsoe
owte of all which they gave shares or Steages (as they call them) to diuers gentlemen & others their freinds theirabouts dwellinge (as is ref reported) whoe would not bee seene to have a hand in that vngodlye enterprise yet well approved therof and were not onely contented to give informacion vnto them whoe were persons fitt soe to bie dealt withall but alsoe to abett & aide them in that accion, & by that meanes to challenge by due desert (as they pretend) a share of they spoyle or English prey (as they terme it) which they hadd taken & I think e as carelesly all which I thinke was in verye shorte space by them as Careleslye & liberally spent as it was easilye & dishonestlye by them gotten soe that at this daye I thinke fewe of them cannot showe the worthe of vs [ ] therof such is the slipperye qualitie & Condicion of evill gotten goods that it is not permanent or for anie Certaine permanencye for the most part of anie profitt or worthe to the take r To repeate the nomber & names of all the Englishe then or abowt that tyme robbed & spoyled with the manner of their vsage would bee too tedious to recite and although I have a fellowe feelinge of the miseryes & misfortunes of my neighbours yet I my selfe went not shot free or impune but had my share (not of the prey or spoyle spoyle but of the losse or detryment for that vppon ffryday the 17th of december about midd of the night (I beeinge then at Belcarra with the Lo: of Mayo newl lately retorned from the <A> Journey of Costello) there came to my howse at Kilkeraine in the Barronye of Kilmaine twoe of the youngerest sonnes of Anthonie Garvey Esquire a Justice of peace of that countye called Christopher & Anthonie oge Garvey
<symbol 42 2 sonns of Antho: Garvey a Justice of peace Robbed my howse &c. 17o dec>
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<19 A The manner of the robberye at large described> together with one Thomas mcMorrye & diuers others [ ] men and others their confederates & allyes with their followers to the nomber of one hundred & ffortye or therabouts a greate part whereof beeinge men famous for infamye whereof somme of them haveinge escaped the Gallowes e ncouraged by the tyme & their former escapes yet caryed with then some to ken s of their former deser v{ed} punishments beeinge all armed in warlike & hostile or rather [theevishe] & [ ] ous manner with swords skeynes pikes & armes assaulted & broke into my this examinants howse, at Kilkeraine in the county of Mayo (beeinge a grownde howse thatched, & soe noe wayes to bee defended, against such a multitude & inquired for this examinant mee, affirminge that if hee I had beene the r e fownde they would cut mee him in pieces, & theruppon fell to ransackinge & rummanginge the howse, breakeinge vpp my studdye, with all the chests, Trunks, liverye, cabberts, [ ] & other wainskot work (the like wherof they had not seene to their owne fathers howses) & all that night soe co ntinued eateing & drinkinge what provision they fo w nd e and what therof they cowld not carrye with them they broke to peeces, as they did the barrells & the verye dores & dore & windowe fframes pulled the fethers owt of the fether bedds, & filled the likes with pewter brasse & what plate they fownde, & whatsoeuer other thinge was there fownde of what vallewe soeuer the same was as good store of lynnen & other howshould stuff with [ ] money far too much for such i ngratefull guests [ ] which done they pulled downe the verye walled particions tooke the Iron from the windowe leaves & dores [ ] broke the glasse windowes f oare toare the windowes owte of the walls burnt & consumed what evidences or records they fownde of [ ] the kinges & other his Maiesties subiects which weare left e in my custodye & strewd all the fields over with papers leaves of bookes by them torne & feathers and amongst the rest tore and burnt bills & Bonds of this examinants for debts amoun ting to 210 ster: & after all this most bedlamlike furye, findinge my poore wief a sicke gentlewoman whoe had not stired out of her bedd for 4er 5 yeares at the least before nor the n [ ] able to move hand or foote to help her selfe pulled her oute of her bedd threwe her in the flore naked without anie ragg or other thinge to cover her {na}kednes, whereof beeinge lefte in the extremitie of the could of winter shee laye neare deade vntill shee was by her servants carryed vppon a Carr in a K kishe with strawe onely about her vnto the howse of Sir Theobolt Bowrke, my the Lo: of Mayoes sonne by whose charitie and his ladyes
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<20> shee was hath euer sithence beene preserved relieved an kept alive although shee is sithence deade as this examinant verilie thinketh by their vsage aforsaid beeinge at her bruisinge thither such a spectacle of miserye as would have moved the harte of anie turke or Jewe much more a Christian to compassion espetially consideringe the barbarous vsage of her whoe had euer beene bothe Charitable & helpfull sente all her poore neighbours & others & others & to somme of th e acters whoe either by from hir owne hands or at her owne charges or bothe have receaved helpes bothe in Phisick & Chirurgerye besids feedinge their bodyes without anie charge vnto them as [ ] theise wicked barbarous & crewell people them selves cannot denye & is most manifest vnto the countrey, whoe for the most part seeme to bee verye sorrowfull for the same in this & their vsage of anie whoe neuer gave any of them anie kinde the of distaste (except they were malefactors brought before him mee beeinge a iustice of peace to bee dealt with all acordinge to Justice which I thinke (cannot by anie person bee denyed but they have alwaye had from mee without favou r or partiallitie or corrupcion But theise inhumane actors of this wicked & notorious fact not herwith contented besides the breakinge of a hand mill or or malt mill { } Stocks standinge without the grate for the Iron{ } vppon my English e tenants whoe haveinge my litle r{ } their hands tooke from them all their cowes { } money & howshould stuff All which was formerlye distrained for my rents in arreare & a{ } with all their apparell as they { } done from my owne nephewes & servants leav{ } naked & then with the helpe & assistance of the vndernamed persons who { } drove awaye my plowe & an{ } studd of horses gueldings & mares Cowes & sheepe to the vallue of 50{0 } the worthe of one groate that they c ould { } which cowes sheepe & studd with my 34 greate b ookes besides b ookes & some { } when { }
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Then persons of the barronye of Kilmaine that and soe as I am informed Joyned & shared with them of { } Clanmorris in the Robberye of this deponent as afforsaide [ ] & th{ } after they of Clanmorris had left my howse came in & carryed awaye wh{at} they of Clanmorras cowld not carrye & had left behinde them which they as bedsteads tables formes { } Leives tubbs wainscot & other wodden commodities [ ] and after they had alsoe sh{ } <A> Cattle with they divided as afforsaide whose [ ] a r es names as is informed Are William Bowrke Edmund B{owrke} greate murtherer at Shrowell Miles Bowrke B Vllick Bowrke { } theise are of the sonnes of John Bowrke of Cloghans Esquire deceased Tibbot Reagh of { } <B> fferriagh o Higgin a priest of Shrowell John Kennavan John Lynch { } tennants Tibbot mcMoyler Edmund Vnhy mcJohnn John Reagh { } his sonne, alsoe Tibbot mcMoyler Dorrogh Barret John Reagh { } Charles of Cnocknagehie Richard mcTibbot Rickard Bo{ } Rorye O fflyn Annabla Ny Jonack Redmond mcJohn boye { } And this examinant howldinge by lease from the See of twam the Castletowne & 2 { } of the Land of Kilkeraine for the terme of manie yeares yet to come and haveing { } & posessed the same for the space of 26 yeares last past before this rebelly{on} anie lawfull claime challenge or contradiccion of the vndernamed persons or { } whatsoever & alsoe of 2 other quarters of land of Iland More, Beal{ } others parcells there neare adioyninge all which were hee alsoe h{e}ld {a lease for } <C> yeares yet to comme, presentlye after which Roberrye of this deponent as afforsaide one Miles Bowrke beeinge lately comme into the lands of Kilkeranie as tenant vnto this examinant together with Rorye o fflyn Annabla Ny Jonack Redmond mcJohn boye Sonaugh Barret & her sonne Vlick boye mc Richard William o Hallynan John o Hallynan Moyler Duff & Redmond mcMoyler Duff and others their assistants by the abettinge settinge on and nowe stileinge himselfe (not titularye but absolute Archbishop of Tuame, a grea{t} gether & principall actor in this wicked rebellyon) and of his lievetenant { } by and the [ ] cherye & consent of the saide Miles Bowrke this deponents tennant in this tyme of rebellyon vppon [ ] the saide ferm{ } beeinge formerlye worthe yearelye vnto him (over & above the rents the { } somme of 60 li. ster per annum and onelye vppon pretence that they are the auncien{ } this examinant heareth) and the profitts therof hath have taken vpp for [ ] { } past to their owne vses the profitts of which the saide lands of which ouer & above the rent, reserved amoun{ } of one hundred & twentye pownds ster beesids the profits of this { } yeare { } by [ ] { } saide { } [ ] { }
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This deponent saithe that hee verylye beleveth that his dammages herby vppon the whole matter sustained as afforsaid together with the decayeinge & ry ruyninge of his dwellinge howse & other necessarye howses and tenements vppon the land spoylinge of his orchards & gardens cannot in all amount vnto less then Eleven hundred pownds ster wherof he wherin hee humblye prayeth speedye redress the and restitucion of his howse & lands
J. Bringhurst
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