Deposition of John Whitman

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John Whitman late Marchant late Soueren of the Navan in the towne and Co unty of Cavan Marchant sworne & examined deposeth and sayth That when the present Rebellion began vizt about the xxiiijth of October 1641 & at seuerall times afterwards: Hee this deponent at Cavan aforesaid was deprived robbed dispoyled or otherwise lost by meanes of the Rebellion his goodes chattells & estate Consisting of the proffitts of his freehold land Corne hay Cattle horses mares fewell Wares Merchandize Howsholdgoods implements of husbandry due debts ready mony Leases & other thinges all of the value of Eight hundred one thowsand pownds <100 li.> ster: And further sayth that the the first party of the Rebells that surprised & seized vpon this deponents howse wares & howsholdgoods & forceibly tooke some part of those <a> wares and howsholdgoodes away were his neighbours Henry Mc Cabe Patrick Ruddy Charles Brady Owin oge Mc InRowe Phillipp ô Brogan William ô Rereton & Shane ô Brogan all of the same towne And after those Rebells hadd begun & act ed that force and robbery: then they were seconded by a great number more of Rebells of the same towne & others whoe then and there forceibly & in Rebellious manner seised on and tooke away most of the rest of his goods & wares that they then and there found, which seaconds & rebellious persons are theis that follow vizt Sha <b> James Ruddy Shane Maltully William mc Cormuck ô Brogan Galluse Roe ô Dullan Cohanagh Gillernew & divers others whose names he cannott now call to mynd And further saith That after the Rebells had robbed and dispojled him this deponent of his goods & estate They gran Rebell Phillip Mullmore o Rely pretend with the

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rest pretended that they hadd a Comission to take away all the Armes & Amunition from the English in the Cuntry & therefore Comanded this deponent to deliuer his, with & this deponent (in obedience to that pretended Comission) did deliuer the arms he hadd to the said Phillip Mullmore o Rely But about a weeke after he the said Phillip came to this deponent (as being as he pretended brought thither by the other Rebells as a prisoner) & then said hee that he was sorry for what he hadd done & that the English were soe miserably vsed, all being taken from them: & noe condicions nor promisses performed with them him by the jrish: & that for his the said Phillips part, he (vpon protestacons of the other Rebells that they had the Kings Comission) had ioyned with them: but then was sorry & repented him for it and Sayeing he would noe further enter meddle with them And that he therefore was taken and kept prisoner by them: And then the said Phillip seeing the deponent stript of his clothes and seemeing to pitty him gave him 5 s. in money: & promissed to doe him what other good he could And yet not long after that is to say after I he hadd intelligence that the 600 of the English forces were overthrowne in their Martch towards Tredarth he tould this deponent, That whereas he had relinquished the other irish formerly becawse he could see noe Comission they had: yet becawse he had notice of the said ouerthrow of the said 600: (which (as he said) must needs bee done by the hand of God & not by man) that all the gentry of the Palle resolued to take vpp armes & goe into open hostility Hee himself therefore resolved to Joine with them and doe as they did: which therevpon

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& afterwards he performed accordingly yet afterwards hee the said Phillip Mulmore ô Rely seemeing for ould acquaintance sake to take some care of the deponent gaue him his proteccion in writeing vnder his hand to stay in Cavan but not to depart thence And althoughe this Deponent stayd amongst them in the Rebells against [ ] his will for a Long tyme yet it was becawse he durst not (for feare of Looseing his Liffe) goe away And although alsoe he had a protection from the said Phillip Mulmore o Rely to stay in saffty at Cavan: soe as he went not away yet many of the base and rude Rebells vizt twoe of the sheredins: & one of the Mc Cabes carried him out of Cavan pretending they had a warrant to Carry him to prison but in the way sett on other Rebells that were disguised purpossly (as this deponent conceiveth) to make him confesse his Money) & oftentymes would they presented their swords skeanes & swords pikes against him somtymes swearing & vowing they would therewith Kill & slay him at other times they would hang him In soe much as the feare & soe as the danger he contynued in seemed to bee equall, & lay very heavy vpon him: yet his sole trust and comfort (for an inlargement, rested vpon God almighty that att Length deliuered him out of those wicked & bloudy hands And further sajth That whilest the deponent soe stayd as a Confynd man within Cavan aforesaid, He observed & sawe That the Rebells Children of that towne most barbarously murthered a poore protestant English Childe there haveing in deed Knockt out its braines with stones And saith alsoe that many times before he gott away hee was greatly solicited attempted and offered to be seduced by divers preists & fryers And <symbol> by a Rebellious Monck whoe was one of the Rebells Co unsell & yet by gen erall report much prone to drunkennes to turne from the protestant Religion and to become a Papist. But whenas the said Monck sawe he could not prevaile Such was his impious & desperate boudnes That he said I would see some of the ministers doe as much for your religion as I dare doe for myne & with that takeing of his hatt & lifting vp his eyes to heaven he said Lord I am here in thy presence If b ouldnes) That hee Invoaked & pr ayed God to show some suddaine I bee not in the right I ask noe mercie att thy handes Judgment vpon him [self ] if he were in the wrong: Nay hee most prophanely

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& blasphemonly [ ] Nay I defy thee if thou dost not show Justice vpon mee bouldly s ayd That hee defyed God to execu te revenge vpon him. yf those positions which he manteined were not true yf I bee not in the right
<Mr W mr P mr A>
John Whitman
Jur xxiiijo Julij 1643
Will: Aldrich
Edw Pigott

Cavan
John Whitman Jur
14o Julij 1643
Intw Cf

[Copy at MS 832, fols 57v-58v]