Deposition of Robert Branthwaite
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1641 Deposition Item Type Metadata
fol. 152r
[Copy at fols 65r-67r]
1047
The Examinacion of Robert Branthwait Esquire one of his Maiesties Justices of peace for the County of Monoghan, & Agent to the Right honorable the Earle of Essex; Lord Chamberlaine of his Maiesties howshould the 30th daie of March 1642
<Whoe> Being Examined touchinge the carriage and demeanour of the Rebells in the said Countie towards my him self and others of the Englishe nation & other thinges in the Com mission mencioned deposeth & I declareth vpon my oath That on Satturday the 23th of october Last betweene eight and nyne of the Clock in the morninge, there came to my Chamber doors in the Castle of Carricke, some fower or fiue men amonge the rest one Peirce ô Brine, whoe beat violently at the doore: being locked, which much amazed me him th is deponent in regard I liued in Authoritie among them, whereupon I caused my seruant Richard ffahye an Irishman to know what the matter was: but they would giue him noe answer, and soe stoode with their weapons drawne before him: he holdinge out a pistoll in his hand as though he would haue shott at them; then I came forth my selfe, and perceiueing one of the Companie to present his peece at me; I retyred back into my Chamber againe, By which tyme Coll mc Brian mc Mahonne came rydeing to the backsyde of the Castle without the Banne which gaue me opportunitie to call to him, and to complaine that I thought some people were about to murther me in my lodginge; whoe therevpon bid me feare noethinge, for I should haue no harme presently after Patrick mc Laghlin mc Mahon one of my Lords bayliffes (and now a Captaine amonge the Rebells) came to my Chamber doore and wished me to open it: which I did, then he told me that all the places of Ireland were that daie vp in Armes for defence of the Catholique Religion: sayeing I must yeild my self a prisoner, Then he went downe with me to the gate where I mett with Mr Richard Blayney whoe was brought prisoner thither out of his owne howse hard by, and there wee stayed a while till Art mc Brian mc Mahonne one of the Captaines brought vs into the Castle, where he sett a guard
<very very>
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guard vpon vs. Aftewards the Lady Blayney and her eldest sonne Mr Edward Blayney, Mr Richard Cope and his wife, Mr Walter Cope Mr Anthonie Cope Mr Nicholas Elcock Mr William Williams, Mris Clotworthie & her daughter, and others whose names I doe not now remember were brought to vs in the vpper roomes of the Castle and the guard strengthened. In that manner wee continued from satturday till mundaie after at which tyme the Lady Blayney and her sonne Mr Richard Cope, Mr Walter Cope, Mr Elcock Mr Richard Blayney, Mr Anthonie Cope and diuerse gentlwoemen then in dureance were all sent to the Castle of Monoghan where they Continued till of late that they were remoued to lodginges in the towne: all of them except Mr Richard Blayney whoe was hanged in the Garden of the Castle there, by warrant from Sir Phelimy Roe ô Neale procured at the instance of Art mc Brian Saunagh mc Mahonn a wicked villaine whoe since dyed mad as I am Credibly informed when we were all putt out of the Castle of Carricke I was removed at my owne request to the howse of one Readmond Boourck an ould seruant to my Lord of Essex where I Continued from the 25th of october till thursdaie the third of this instant March at which tyme I came from thence towards Dublin: And I must needs Confesse that dureing the tyme of my imprisonment I was well intreated by Coll mc Brian whoe suffered me to want neither meat nor other necessaries. Besides Readmond Boorke and his wife were very benificiall to me vpon all occasions; yet for all the fauour which I had from Coll mc Brian and other gentlmen of the Countrie I could not banishe feare from my hart still thinkeing vpon that Maxime of theirs that faith is not to be kept
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with heretiques: for so they account protestants and that I was an Englishe: man which was a mayne fault in me much labour I had to gett a passe from Coll mc Brian whoe was earnest with me to stay still in the Country: assureinge me often by both by worde and Message that if I had a will to stay among them he would make my meanes better then what was giuen me by my Lord of Essex doubtlesse if I had not gott awaie soe opportunely as I did: he would have staid me still in ffarney when he was beaten back from Tredagh, and after perhapps <x> instead of meanes to liue vpon I might haue gott a halter: for I doe much feare that all the poore Englishe which were left aliue in that Countrie are <B> serued with the same sawce. I Diuerse other inhabitants of ffarney men woemen and Children were kept prisoners in seuerall howses of the Towne and had fleshe allowed them to eat, but no bread or drinck and there they remained till the fatall day of Execucion which was on sundaie the seccond of January last, In this Massacre perrished Mr William Williams my Lord of Essex his seneschall Mr Gabriell Williams his brother, Mr Ithell Jones, his brother in Law whoe came newly out of Wales to visitt him, Richard Hollis the manager of Mrs Vshers estate in ffarney John Morrice Clerke to Sir Henry Spotswood Richard [G ] Gates newly come out of England Clerke to Mr Richard Blayney, Myles Powley bayliffe of his husbandry, Edward Crictchley receiuer of Mr Dillons Rents in ffarney, Phillipp ffarley a farmer in Cormoy Richard Taylor <x> shippheard to the Lord Bishop of Cloyne John Jackson a Tayler in Carrick Thomas Aldersey victuler there, Thomas Osburne ouerseer of Mris Vshers sheep, John Hughes a husbandman, Thomas Tran a Scotch pedlar Georg Greene of Magerosse and two or three more whose names I cannott call to mynde. All which were
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were either hanged, stabbed with skeanes or both, and throwne like doggs, into pitts and ditches, But <+> what offence the Rebells found in them I canott well imagin, because they were all of them honest men yet perhapps it was inough to be Englishe and able of body to beare Armes against them if they should haue beene sett at libertie, besides I think they were wearie of giueing soe many of them meat as vnprofitable members to their Comon wealth, Patricke mc Edmond mc Mahonn was Marshall for bussinesse of this nature as I was told but Owen ô Murphy and a number of kernes with him were cheife Actors in this bloody execucion It is reported among some of themselues that the viccar generall Euer mc Mahoune was the Cause of putting these men to death and some haue sayd that his Councell is much followed in all their proceedinges: being indeed as it were an Oracle among then, The poore mens wiues were most of them stript and turned out of towne in cold frosty weat{her} It seemes they were ashamed to kill them; but thought cold and hunger should doe it if not the Cruell people of the Country: dureing the tyme of my imprisonment I had some discourse with Patrick mc Laghlin and others whoe told me their intent was to maintayne the king in his prerogatiue being now in effect no king nor of power to doe anything of himself, the Parliament men of England ruleing all as they list, and that they would haue their owne Religion free with Bushopps and priests of their owne Established in their auntient Liueings without admitting of anie protestants Bishops or minister{s}
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That the kingdome should be gouerned by men of their owne Nation that would take care his Maiesties reuenue should be duely collected and payd from tyme to tyme euer protesting that they would haue no [k ] king; but his Maiestie & that they would be true and loyall subiects to him:
Lastly touching the Earle of Essex his losses, < a > Coll mc Brian mc Mahonne and Patrick mc Edmond mc Mahonne tooke from me while I was prisoner in the Castle a matter of 600 li. or thereabouts. I cannott sett downe the certainty of the somme because part of the money was in baggs vntold. Mr Richard Blayney had likewise 120 li. taken from him at that I was ready to receiue of him for Rent due to his Lordship and these losses were accompanied with others of no smale moment, which I will relate to his Lordship when I come to his presence.
And saith that the People of Carrickmagerosse whoe are hereafter named were good & charitable to the Englishe
Mr Patrick mc Cohoonatt mc Eward of Creemourne whoe dwells now in Mr Blayneyes howse in Carrick.
Readmond Boorke his wife, and familie, seruant to the Earl of Essex
Richard ffahy and his wife, he was my seruant
Richard Taaffe and his wife,
The widdow Caalan & her family,
Brian reagh ô Duffy the Constable & his wife,
Patrick Conoley dwelling vpon the back syde of the Castle,
William Kelly his wife and family,
George Plunckett his wife and family,
Darby Connor and his wife,
George Dollahide his wife and family,
William Clynton his wife and family,
Robert Branthwai{t}
Jur: 30 Mar: 1642
Randall Adams
Roger Puttocke
720 li. ster:
5
fol. 154v
1044