Deposition of John Simpson

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John Simpson late of Killshandrah in the County of Cavan gent, (Lieutenant to Sir ffrancis Hamilton knight and Barronet) aged about 39 yeres: sworne and examined before his Maiesties Commissioners deposeth and saith That he this deponent was with the said Sir ffrancis Hamilton in his Castle of Kyloghe in the same County all the time from the begining of the present Rebellion vntill that the said Sir ffrancis did take quarter from the Rebells which was about the 4th of June 1642 And saith that when hee tooke quarter which was about the same tyme he He this deponent very well remembreth that certeine Articles were made perfected and sworne vnto by Phillip Mc Hugh ô Rely Esquire Phillip mc Mulmore ô Rely Esquire Edmund ô Rely Esquire James Newgent Esquire Richard Ash Esquire <a> Myles Rely Esquire John Kernon gent Hugh Booy o Rely gentleman Charles Mc Gowran gent all Rebells and divers others of the irish gentrymen In and by which Articles those Rebells aforenamed agreed Covenanted and bound themselues that the Castle of the said Sir ffrancis Hamilton: And alsoe the Cast{le} of the said Sir James Craige knight together with the gardens and orchards thereunto belonging should not be broken downe demolished burned or spoiled in any manner whatsoeuer But that they would putt safegards into the Castles for preserving of them and their gardens and orchards: And further saith That 2 men out the said Sir ffrancis his Castle By name William Coozins & Owin Powell did adventure & went themselues to towards Jamstowne in the County of Leitrim to see if Sir Charles Coote or the garrison there could giue those in Sir ffrancis Castle any Releef: Howbei{t} those 2 men were suprised and taken in their way by the Rebells Scowts or watches and hanged vp to death vpon a wyndmillne right opposite against the Castle by the direccion of Myles Rely then sherriff of the County of Cavan, whoe Comanded the forces that did besiedg the said Sir ffrancis Castle, which cruelty was executed about the viijth of May 1642, And imediatly after one Laughlin

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Mc Mester sherr subsherriff of the County of Cavan Did in a scornfull & geereing manner write a letter to him this deponent wishing him to inquire what straglers they had had at the Castle that strayd from the garrison And that in regard this deponent was one of the Coroners of the County that hee should enquire what goods lands or chattells those parties had at the time of their flight, that the sherriff might bee the more able to make vpp his accompts And further saith That about the 18th of May 1642 this deponent sawe one Parker an Englishman hanged vpon a sallow tree nere the said Sir ffrancis Hamiltons Castle, which (as he was credibly informed, was done by direccon of the said Mulmore Rely the high sherriff vnto whom the said Parker hadd formerly bin schoolemaisterAnd further sayth, That there was one Walter Moore and one Owin Brady (whoe went from Sir ffrancis Hamiltons sayd Castle with letters towards Drogheda, But was mett with and seazed on at a Church called Lawy in the County of Cavan and were from thence carried vnto a place called Mullach Brens in the County of Cavan And there was also hanged by the direccion <b> of the said Hugh Bowie Rely, called by the Rebells Lieutenant Colonell And the said Myles Rely assured the deponent that the said Walter More and Owin Brady were hanged by order from the said Hugh Bowie ô Rely & tould him alsoe all the Circumstances how they were taken and hanged
And further saith That he hath heard by divers of good creditt that came out of the County of Cavan since the said 2 Castles were surrendred that the Rebells haue burned and broken downe both those castles respectively belonging to the said Sir ffrancis Hamilton and Sir James Craige contrary to the said Articles & the Rebells solempn oathes taken to performe the same Articles And this deponent further saith That about the Middle of Aprill 1642 one Robert Maclenan a Brittish protestant was murthered nere the Castle of Kylogh by Hugh Mc Mester and Cohonoght Mc Kernan Comanders of Rebells & their souldjers And att other tymes before the tyme last mencioned there were alsoe murthered nere the same Castle one John Simpson a Tanner William Atkin Thomas Grymes Thomas Hatchett George Tompson John Ellett and John Grymes and divers others whose names he cannott expresse, but especially many woemen and children when they went (as hunger & necessity drive them) to gather cutt and eate grasse roots and weeds: soe that none or few that sturrd out could escape: And such was the misery and want of food in that

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Castle before it was surrendred, That the beseiged there were inforced to eate all the horses doggs & catts they could light vpon and alsoe to eat the Cow hydes which had a long tyme Covered their Cabins & had beene otherwise kept in vnsavouryble & vncleane places And this deponent by meanes of this present Rebellion hath bin deprived dispoyled or otherwise hath been dampnified in the losse of his goods chattells & meanes the sume of 100 li. at last least
John Simson
Jur 2o Marcij 1643
Hen: Brereton. Hen: Jones

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Cavan
John Simpson Jur 2o marcij
1643
copied Intw
hand

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[Copy at MS 832, fols83r-84r]