Deposition of Richard Parsons
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Richard Parsons minister of the viccarige of Drong & Lerra in the dioces of Kilmore and County of Cavan sworne and examined deposeth and saith That in the begining of the present Rebellion vizt the xxiijth of October 1641 and since and hee this deponent was forceibly expelled his 2 farmes of Lerra & Cornegall & from his the proffitts of the viccaridg aforesaid & then and since was ro b bed of his goodes & chattells consisting of Cattle horses Mares sheepe Corne hay fewell improvements [ ] ready money howsholdstuff a library of books & other goods and chattells of the value (with the proffits of his church meanes since incurred,) of CClxx li. & above, by the Rebells Phillipp <a> Mc Ennestall Bradie of Lissatawon nere Lerra gent Shane Shane mc Owen ô Rely foster brother to Phillip mc Hugh Mc Shane ô Rely a Colonell Shane mc Connine of nere Greaghnadusson in the same County of Cavan Thomas ô Rely of Greaghnadusson aforesaid gent Edmund ô Gowen of Cornegall aforesaid farmer, Margrett ny Mulmore Rely spinster the daughter of one Mulmore ô Rely that now claymeth the Castle of Turlavin nere Rakanny Rakanny and divers others that were meere strangers vnto him this deponent, And this deponent haveing a wife and 3 children: & neither being admitted (nor in deed knowing how to forsake & gett out of the Cuntrie & being by them hated not only as a minister, but (as the Rebells themselues confessed) becawse he was an Englishman) hee was inforced to fly and remove from place to place to shun their cruelty when they sent any Ruffians to looke after his liffe, (as some of his neighbors (formerly beholding to him) would from tyme to tyme give him notice, of his danger yet such misery & affliccion were incident vnto and followed those escapes that oftentymes hee lay out in boggs mountaines and feilds in frost snow and raine to hyde & shelter himself from danger, Being sometimes pursued all the night Long by such as he is perswaded would haue Killed if the had
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found him In which kinde of posture and state he contynued for one yere and a halfe, which he could not possibly have done soe long but that his this deponents wiffe was an Irish woman and a kinn to the said Phillip mc Hugh mc Shane ô Rely and his brother mother: Howbeit the Comon Rebells becawse she was a Protestant bore extreame hatred vnto her & would (as some of them sayd) kill her but for her kinred sake And this deponent further saith That in and dureing the tyme of his this deponents miserable stay in those parts hee observed & knew this passage & proseedings of the Rebells hereafter mencioned vizt first that the plott (which he conceiveth to be long since layd amongst the fr Jesuits friers Moncks & popish preists) was about three yeres before it brake out (as Onemc Donnell, whoe was brother to the cheefe Captaine Mc Donnell that was expelled by the Scotts out of Antrim & that came from thence into the said County of Cavan and divers other s of the Irish often publiquely protested & told this deponent have seuerall tymes confessed vnto him this deponent) Comunicated and <b> disclosed by o Rely their popish primate of all Ireland and the Jesuits friers Monckes and Seminary Preists vnto all the Irish popish nobility throughout the whole Kingdome of Ireland (some few only excepted) whoe were sworne by their said Romish Clergie to keepe their said plott secrett and not to give any intelligence thereof vnto the English vntill they the irish had effected their designes, which were as followeth ffirst they had resolved & agreed amongst themselues to seise into their possession, the goodes and Armes of all thEnglish, whoe were scattered here and there in Villages vnwalled townes & places vnfenced, to strip them naked, And to murther those to whom they bore any gra grudg formerly and to banish or imprison the rest Secondly they resolued with those <A> said Armes to assault and take into their possession all his Maiesties Citties walled townes Castles and fortresses throughout the whole Realme, and to shake off, and roote out thEnglish gouernment & their very Lawes Customes habitt language, the protestant Religion, And the whole race linage posterity seed and memoriall both of the English & Scottish nations out of Ireland, and afterwards to make a King of their owne, And then to be ruled by such statute & Lawes as they themselues should enact
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& establish: Hee further heard them confesse That becawse it would be very difficult and dangerous to deale both with the vanguishing & destroying of the English & Scottish both together and that they might with more facility effect their purpose against all such of both nations as (at least) were at least in Ireland, They agreed & resolved that in the begining of their actions and designes, they would first falle vpon thEnglish only, & would give out in speeches that their intencion was not at all to touch or meddle with the Scotts inhabiting amongst them, but only with thEnglish) and would (vntill the subversion of the English) declare the Scotts to be their brothers & frendes & the better to obteine beleefe thereof, would make them the fairest and best promisses they could according to that Machiavillian Proverbe Divide et regna Howbeit Whenas they had overcome thEnglish Then they would with all cruelty fall vpon them Scotts and distroy them alsoe, which would be farr more easy vnto them then if they should at the first fall vpon twoe such powerfull nations at once And further they gaue out & considered amongst themselues (as in deed itt it came to passe afterwards) That the Scotts would be the more esily easily perswaded to sitt still and bee spectators in thEnglish tragedy & Irish butchery of them By reason of the late enmitie hatched by the late Broyles and Jarrs betweene those twoe Kingdomes of England, and Scotland Instigated (as they said) by thEnglish vrgeing the Scotts to receive the Ceremonies and goverment of their Church) And this deponent saith That the plott and resolucion aforesaid was really made & intended ffor noe sooner did the plotted Rebellion begin: But the Rebellious
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Irish fell vpon thEnglish in the County of Cavan and demanded their Armes & being demanded the reason they said they had the kings broad seale to show for it, & that their intent was not to dispossesse thEnglish of their lives or goodes but only to take from them their Armes for the securitie of them the Irish in their liberty of Conscience against those that were about to deprive them of their Religion: And the Irish haveing by that false pretence & their subtiltie gotten from many of the English a great quantety of Armes then they & the possession of the towne of Belturbett and all the villages in that County excepting only the Scottishe habitacions, then they fell to open robbing and pillageing the English, & killed and murthered soe many of them as they pleased, But (according to their former plott & resolucion) told the Scotts that they neuer intended any hurt against them: But nor to dispossesse them of any thing but only to roote out thEnglish, which faire speeches & promisses prevailed soe much amongst the Scotts especially the vulgar sort of the said County of Cavan, That they sate still and suffered thEnglish to be robbed spojled and some murthered & none of them did syde or partake with them but that this deponent knoweth of in that County, but only Captain Baily, whoe and his Company of souldjers Howbeit after the takeing of Belturbett, the most of his souldjers (Consisting of meere Irish) run away from him with their Armes to the other Irish Rebells, And then he himself was forced to yeeld and take Quarter, And noe sooner were thEnglish robbed spoiled and ouercomen But then the Irish assaulted and fell vpon the Scotts, and robbed soe
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many of them as were not fled from them to Croaghan or Killargh them and Killed divers of them Scotts <A> within the same County, amongst which Scotts were slaine about six good and rich families dwelling at Currakenie in the Mountaine called Shankilmount & Besides other families (as he hath heard) that dwelled vpon seuerall other poles of Land nere to Currakeine aforesaid: which as the deponent is verely perswaded might haue bin prevented, hadd the Scotts takenng parts & Joined with thEnglish at the first But soe farr seemed they to be transported with the subtill and faire speeches of the Irish and their owne hatred & carelesnes of thEnglish, that they sleighted the English and feared not their owne danger vntill it fell vpon them, And this deponent hath bin credibly informed that soe great was the hetred of the Scotts in the County of ffermanagh and in divers other Counties to thenglish That when any of the English fled vnto them for refuge or succour from those that pursued them for their lives, That those Scotts deliuered them into the hands of the Irish againe whoe sle slew as many of them as were English (other then those that gott into the County of Cavan and were saved by the ô Relies
<B: c>And this deponent further saith that the parties that Committed the said murthers vpon the Scotts at Currekeine aforesaid and the places thereabouts were Shane mc Morrice Mc Tally of in the parrish of Drong gentleman, Laughlin Mc Phelim Brady of Cormaghan in the parish aforesaid gent both of the said County of Cavan Tho: ô Hinisen of the same parish farmer Cahell ô Dermott of Cornalowbe & divers others of the same parrish, whose names he knoweth not as the said Cahell ô dermott (whoe had bin formerly the deponents servant) confidently
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Confidently averred vnto and told it vnto him this deponent which slaughter was Committed about the Later end of January <A> 1641And this deponent further saith That about the 14th of January aforesaid 1641 about fifty English protestants were drowned at one tyme at the bridg of Belturbett by one of the name of the ô Relyes that was then Captain or Comander there of the towne of Belturbett and his souldjersAnd quickly after the begining of the Rebellion there were murthered in the parrish of Lowie in the said County of Cavan twoe of the name of the Hovyes <d> that were protestants by Knogher Mc Shane gadera ô Rely foster brother to Thomas Burrowes of stradone gentleman <B> (a very bloody Rebell)And at Snewdlagh in the same County one Abraham James of Newtowne in the ber quickly after the Rebellion was begun being mett with by a a number of Rebellious Irish and haveing a purse of mony of about Lx li. about him, and refuseing to deliuer it willingly Those Irish or one of them then and there struck off his head with a sword, And there were divers other murthers Comitted & exercised vpon and against the English att Butlers bridge & divers other places within the said County at seuerall times but the names of them soe killed or of the parties murtheres he cannott relate, And this deponent hath beene credibly told by one Mr [ ] and informed about 3 yeres or above before the Rebellion broke out aswell by Nicholas Cooke whoe was baker to Sir Phelim ô Neile knight, as Mr Michaell Allen of Shannock in the County of ffermanagh Esquire, George Cooke of Lisseagny for in the County of Cavan farmer, and Mr Doctor Tate and divers others That the then intended Plott for this present Rebellion was discouered to the then Lord deputy Wentworth [ ] then
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the cheefe gouernor of the Kingdome of Ireland by one that was servant vnto the said Sir Phelim ô Neile, And that therevpon the popish & titulary Primate of Ireland was apprehended and imprisoned at Dublin But after procured such favor that he was inlarged & sett out at Libertie and noe further enquiry was made after the same that he heard of vntill such tyme as the fyre of that wicked designe burst out into a flame which otherwise as he conceiveth might haue bin prevented, & thereby the lives of many poore Innocent protestants save might have been saved That thereby were murthered and taken away, besides the now Common Calamity & wasting & dispoileing of the Kingdom prevented, And this deponent further saith That soone after the begining of the present Rebellion he did not only heare one <d d> Turlogh Mc Enestall Brady of Tillnegarbott nere Lara aforesaid gent and Phillip mc Enestall Brady his nephew but many other of the Irish Rebells publickly say: That they would have a new King and Lawes of their owne, and would from thenceforth never be subject to any English gouernement Some would say that ô Neill that was in spaine should be their King, other s And ffarrell mc Morris mc Tally of Dungannon gentleman affirmed that Dublin was taken and that the Lord Maguire was crowned King of Ireland, Many of them whoe were the deponents neighbors especially those of the names of the Mackphillips wishing that they had the head King of England amongst them that they might be revendged vpon him for sending souldjers against them that had formerly professed themselves to be his souldjers: but saith that after his Maiesty had as aforesaid sent souldjers to suppresse them then they said they were the Queens souldjers, And he further saith that about 5 weeks before the said
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Rebellion brake out, he this deponent daily observed such a strang sight in the sky or firmament, That when all clowdes were dispelled and that none could bee seene, T soe as the sunn would cleerely shyne out from the east or sowth That yet at divers howres in the day tyme there would and did plainlie appeare vnto him in the sky or firmament towards the west a thick ruddines or vaile as if the sky had been stayned or died with blood, which Contynueing from day to day he tooke great notice of, and being thereby much amazed & driven into wonder, he did not only from thinck & coniecture, but alsoe for five weeks together that it appeared would tell his ne ighbors familie That some prodigious & bloudy disaster was like to ensue (as in deed it fell out) which strang meteor or sight Ceased not with the begining of the Rebellion but contynued for the space of half a yere after, And further saith That he hath often bin told by divers of the Scottish nation & others that since the Rebells had drowned divers very many protestants in Blackwater a vision or apparition in the shape of a man hath bin constantly seene in the black water aforesaid as seemeing to stand bolt vpright with elevated hands & that (for all the streame is vyolent deepe & swift) yet it doth did not remove but stand stood still there, This is and hath bin a frequent Report & generally beleeved of all men in the county for any thing he knoweth to the Contrary
<ff> And as for wasting and spoiling of Castles him belonging to the protestants he therevnto saith That the Rebells in the County of Cavan burned the Mannor or faire Castles of Croghan & Killashe belonging to Sir James Craig and Sir ffrancis Hamilton in the same County of Cavan
And as to their murthers and Cruelties he saith That he heard it credibly reported That the Rebells in the County of ffermanagh the very first day that the Rebellion broake out murthered and killed all th-English men which they could meete with all, and many women and children in the same County, The like they did in the Counties
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of Monoghan: And that the Rebells in the begining of the Rebellion murthered great numbers of protestants in the seuerall Counties of Armagh Tirone, Downe Londonderry Donagall & generally in all the Counties of the province of Vlster, [ ] (excepting in the Countie of Cavan, where they spared more lives then were spared in other Counties although they robbed all the protestants of their goodes), And that for such many which they kept to be their workmen or slaves, they afterwards murthered them alsoe. Insomuch as great numbers were thereby slaughtered all and the goods of all the protestants seased on and taken by the Irish papists
By credible relacion of the deponents wife & his servants that were natives & of other his gentlemen that were his neighbors all the protestant bookes as bybles and the rest, that were not of the Romish stampe and party were burned in great heapes at the high Crosse of Belturbett, The like they did by in all other places where they fownd any: And as for protestant ministers the most of them were killd & distroyed in all the Counties aforesaid saveing in Cavan for whence they were sent robbed and stript of their clothes (except those that were conveyed along with Sir ffrancis Hamilton and his retinue
The Papists within the Pall (becawse of their distrust of the northeren Irish) were loath to take vpp armes against the Protestants their neighbors & frends: And therefore at the first shewd some little kindnes to the stript English But being solicited and threatened by the northeren Irish (with whom they had a secrett former combynacion for promoteing their Romish Religion) they tooke vpp Armes alsoe, and Joined with the rest in their robberies and Cruelties against the protestants: And then to avoid distrust of the northeren Irish They became more barbarous and cruell then they: as it seemeth little dreameing of the secrett inveterate Mallice that those meere northeren Irish alwaies bore against them for their alliance Kinred and affinity with the other English: ffor noe sooner
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had the northeren Irish ingaged the Palle papists of the Palle with in their Robberies and cruelties & made them odious to the protestants. but they fell vpon them: and robbed and stripped them out of their goods as fast as they could: fearing least at anie tyme they should revolt vnto the English & being able to give them any Releefe And whenas any of these palle people sh did complaine that to the the northeren Irish that they had robbed or abused them They would answere It were better that they (meaneing the meere northeren Irish, should have it then anie Eng stincking English Churles with great Breeches, And often when as the papists of the Pall fled to the Quarters of the northeren Irish to bee releeved (being stript of their goods) The those northeren Irish would turne them out a doores, and say it were a good deed to kill them for they came about noe other busines But to spie and bring newes to th-English what they were doeing and that their intencions were to betray them: which in deed made some of the papists of the Palle soe desperate, for all their former Rebellious accions) that they Revolted to the English protestants & yeilded to their mercies
Richard Parsons
Jur 24o ffebr 1644
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton
And this deponent being further examined vpon his said oath in further additio{n} to his former examinacion aboue written sayth That the parties hereafter mencion{ed} were in the tyme of his stay amongst them ready and forward Actors in the present Rebellion against his Maiesty & his protestant subjects, and have from tyme to tym{e} borne Armes Joined with and assisted one another and other notorious Rebells in the robbing and spoiling of the protestants in generall and in the murthering and Killing of divers of them within the said County of Cavan and elswhere, and are such as have Comitted
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Comitted perpetrated and done divers other outrages & cruelties & haue bin examples and encouragers of others to doe the like at And saith that althowgh (as he is verely perswaded and partly knoweth that all the Papists in the Countie of Cavan did comitt the like outrages and cruelties yet the most of them he is not able to nominate, Only theis following were (being the Cheefe Comanders Ringleaders & abetters of all the rest) vizt he knoweth very well how to mencion them and doth particularly name them as followeth vizt the said Phillipp mc Hugh mc Shane ô Rely of <f> Ballinecargy in the said County of Cavan a Colonell, and Comander of all the County of Cavan Hugh Boy mc Shane mc Phillip Rely his Lieutenant Colonell, Mulmore mc Hugh mc Shane ô Rely a Captain and brother to the foresaid Phillip, Captaine Phillip Roe ô Rely nere kinsman to the said Phillip the Colonell whoe Comanded the Irish Rebells of Eaughter Terre nere Belturbett Captain Hugh mc Mulmore ô Rely of the Barrony of Sharcock Phillip Edmund mc Mulmore o Rely brother of the foresaid Hugh Mc Mulmore Captain of the Parrish of Dronge vnder the said Colonell, Phillip Owen mc Tirloghe oge Brady Captain of Belturbet, Owin mc Donnell <g> o Rely Captain of the parrish of Lerrah, Owen mc Shane mc Phillip Captain of the parrish of Keyll Patrick Teige mc Patrick Mc Teig Brady the sonn of the said Patrick whoe was late Maior of Droghedah Captain of the Bradies Patrick mc Hemas Brady Captain of the Cavan Shane mc Cahell Bane his companion Cahir mc Nicholas [vel] mac Cahel ô Gowen of the Mullogh Captain, and 3 twoe of his bretheren both Captains of the names of the Gowens Mulmore mc Edmund oflate high sherriff of the Countie of Cavan (the most notorious Rebell amongst them & Lieutenant Colonell to the said Phillip mc Hugh mc Shane o Rely, (after that the said Hughe Buy Mc Shane mc Phillip ô
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<h> o Relie was Casheered from his Comand of Lieutenant Colonell, Phillip mc Mulmore mc Hugh O Connoly & Shane mc Malmore mc Phillip mc Mulmore mc Hugh O Connoly & his brother Miles being all of them Captaines in the Barony of ClynMahon Shane Oge Mc Cahir Mc Shane O Reyly & Mulmore mc Cahir Mc Shane O Reyly his brother both of them Captaines Shane O Reily the sonne of Mulmore Brah O Reily Hugh mc Mulmore O Reily & Shane mc Mulmore O Reily Captaines of the parish of Kell Hugh Oge Mc Phillip mc Shane the Colonels sonne captaine of the Goins & Thirlagh mc Bryan O Chogo Brady Captaine
Richard Parsons Curate of Dronge &
Lerrah vnder Mr Doctor Teate
<Jur vt supra>
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Cavan
Mr Richard Parsons
Jur 24o Febr 1644
ExwIntw
w
[ ] 4 4 :22
TW
[Copy at MS 832, fols 88r-92v]