Depositions of Walter James & Thomas Atkins

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Walter James late of Newmarket Castle in the barony of Connelloe and within the County of lymerick yeoman (a brittish protestant) duely examined and sworne before vs by vertue of a Comission vnder the broade seale of this kingdome beareing date &c concerneing the losses robberies and spoiles since this rebellion comitted vpon the brittish and protestants within the Province of Munster &c deposeth and saith That aboute the first of Jan 1641 the deponent lost was robbed and forceably dispoiled of his goods & Chattles to the seuerall values followeing vzt worth 80 li. 5 s.
Of cowes and swine to the value of foureteene pounds fifteene shillinges Of househould goods to the value of ten pounds Of corne in stacke to the value of fiue pounds He saith that he was expelled and driuen away from Newmarket aforesaid where he left of corne in ground to the value of six pounds The deponent saith that by meanes of this present rebellion in Ireland he is damnified forty pounds in houses and lands in or neere New Castle markett aforesaid The totall of his losses amounts to foure score pounds fiue shillinges The deponent being further examined deposeth That aboute the 25th day of december 1641 being Christmas diuers families of the English and brittish nation haueing aboute the said time fled to Newcastle aforesaid were from that time forward dayly assaulted and besiedged for the space of seven monthes or theraboutes by foure seuerall garrissons neere and aboute Newcastle aforesiad comanded by the vndernamed persons namely one garrisson at Mohowny comanded by Thomas mc Gibbons of

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the same gentleman consisting of one hundred armed men or therabouts another at Grange in the said County wherof Edmond mc Sihy of Ballyellelane in the said County gentleman was comander <B> in cheefe, another garrisson at Ballyneberny in the said County comanded by Dennis o Bryen of Ballyneberny aforesaid Esquire (formerly a protestant but since this rebellion turned papist) and another at Garryduffe in the said County wherof Bryen mc Sihy of Glannagowne in the said County gentleman was comander in cheef all which places did soe infest the said Towne of Newcastle that dureing the said siedge the said besiedgers comitted seuerally many outradges & acts of hostility against the English in the same vzt Aboute the feast of Whit suntide 1642 this deponent obserued that the said Edmond mc Sihy in a rebellious and hostill maner hanged or caused to be hanged Steven Dans the elder late of Ballnusky in the said County husb: Steven Dans the yonger of the same husb: & Thomas Moore of the same C ooper husband all English protestants whoe went out of the said Castle for to fetch in releefe for the same He likewise took notice that about Easter 1641 that Thomas Sheely of Ballintobber in the said County husbandman & Robert Gough of the same husbandman were <C> hanged by the hands and meanes of Dauid fitz Gerald of BallymcKery in the said County gentleman & his Company He alsoe deposeth that dureing the said siedge and especially aboute Easter aforesaid Two English protestants warders of Newcastle aforesaid were killed by Edmond mc Sihy aboue

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named and his forces namely John Stone late of Ballyvoggan in the said County yeoman smith & William Andrewes of Newcastle aforesaid husbandman vpon friday before Whitesuntide 1642 being the day of the Month of Robert Mudon William Mudon Symon Lane and Alexander Risteene were all of them killd by the Bryen mc Sihy of Glamagowne aforesaid gentleman & his forces The deponent alsoe saith <D> that at seuerall times he sawe and obserued Hatrie Brutnell of Ballygeele in the said County gentleman Nicholas Bayly of Ardryne in the said County shereman John Huntmill of Ballyellilane in the said County blacksmith Beniamen Tye of Harriduffe in the said County husbandman John Gale of Ardagh in the said County husbandman & William Woorth of Glanmore in the said County husb: all English protestants formerly, but since this rebellion turned papist haue banded themselues seuerely in armes against the English in the said Castle, and haue killed and stripped diuers of the said besiedgers with as much enoyeing & malice as the neerest enemy abroade in action; as often as they lighted vpon them Thomas Atkins late of Newcastle aforesaid husbandman this day was produced before vs as a witnes and being examined & sworne vpon <E> the holy Evangelist also deposeth That all the particulars of the other deponents losses are true as alsoe thother passadges in such sorte as he had already declared his cause of knowledge is that hee & thother deponent a long while liueing vpon one land together thereby came to the certaine knoweldge of his estate

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that he verily beleeueth the totall of the said Walter{s} losses doe noe way exceede but rather come shor{t} of what he lost by this rebellion; And likewise this deponent being one of the warders of the said Castle he saw and obserued the other passadges in such sor{te} as the said Walter James hath already declared & further they canot depose
Walter James
Thomas [mark] Atkins marke
Jurat coram nobis
4o Aprilis 1643
Phil: Bisse
Jam: Wallis

Limerick
Walter James his
examination

Reu