Deposition of John Widenham

fol. 437r

<symbol> 1747
Lieutenant Collonell John Widenham of Adare in the County of Limerick sworne & examined deposeth & saith: That since th in the begining of the present Rebellion he this deponent Lived at Bunratty in the Countie of Clare, but being then young & the time twelve yeres since he either did not at the first take notice or at least cannott nowe remember what murther or Cruelties were done or comitted by the Rebells in that Countie, Only this deponent saith & too well knoweth that William fforth of Callow Castle in the County of Limerick his gran father was in the first yere of the Rebellion knock off his horse with a stone & then had his throate cutt by one of the name of the Ketts
And this deponant further saith That before the rebellion was begun within <B> the territory of Thomond & whenas some Rebells of other Counties were comen near to that territory six Companies were by Comand of the Lord of Thomond (to whom the deponent was then a Reteyner) raised for defence of the Countrie: All which were Irish souldiers & Irish Comanders saveing him this deponent whoe was appointed an Ensigne vnder Donogh mc Nemarra of Cartlogh the Captain and one John Brigdall since deceased whoe was made Ensigne to one of the O Brians which whose Crissen name he thincks was Conner & was sonn to one of the now Erle of Thomondes vncles which were only English Protestants And this deponent martched with his that company from sixmilebridge to Castlebanck, where he fownd those men Irish souldiers with whom he came to plunder the English they fownd of their Armes & goodes wherevpon this deponent reproved them telling the Lieutenant of the Company by name Phianin Mc Nemarra that he this deponent conceived that it was not the Erle of Thomondes intent to raise those men to plunder the English but to preserve them: he answered he would was to give an accompt for what he did & not hee this deponent Wherevpon this deponent seeing those insolencies made a very narrow escape the next night from them & came to Bunratty to the Erle <C> of Thomond & acquainted him therewith Whoe seemed to be much troubled thereat yet neither went in person nor sent any either horse or foote to represse theis Rebells yet about 2 or three months afterwardes his Lordship raised about fortie horse whereof the deponent was one whoe went abroad into the Country yet
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fol. 437v

1748
yet did not at that time doe any service vpon the enemy And within 2 or three moneths after Castlebanck being beseeged by the Rebells, the Erle of Thomond drew forth what force he could make from Bunratty & raised the seige without the killing of any enemy saveing one of them whom this deponent himself killd for which he was much threatened by the Citizens of Limerick whoe came presently after to Castlebanck to the said Lord of Thomond but what and had some discourse with him but what the deponent knows not And some tyme after in the same yere the Castle of Inshycronan being beseeged by the Irish the said Erle with this deponent & a partie of horse & foote martched thither to the releefe of the same: Where some of the enemy were slayne by the Lord of Thomond, this deponent & the [ ] one William Brigdale & the seige seige raised & the Castle alsoe releeved An But this deponent haveing killd a fosterer of one Dermott ô Brian sonn to the Erle of Thomonds vncle was by the said Dermott threatened to have his throate cutt which forced this deponent to keepe closse till the Lord fforbes came thither with a fleete of shipps & brought a considerable party of England English with him, whoe desired the Erle of Thomond to ioyne with him in distroying <D> of the Irish Rebells of the Country: which his Lordship denied vnles the Lord fforbes would leve a partie with him there to secure him which the Lord fforbes his Comission would not admitt of Wherevpon the Lord fforbes drew off downe the River of Shannon: Vpon which the deponent doubting of his security at Burnatty & not fynding the lord of Thomond willing to prosecute the Rebells, went away to the Lord fforbes & carried with him forty or fifty English men & with the Lord fforbes contynued till he came to Kinsale: And this deponent further saith that dureing the time of his contynuance at Bunratty after the <E> rebellion was begun he sawe & dayly observed the divers of the Irish of the Country frequently to come vnto into the Castle of Bunratty aforesaid & to be conversant with the said Erle: Hee alsoe further saith that he is verely

fol. 438r

1749
<f> perswaded that if the Erle of Thomond hadd in the begining of the Rebellion taken vpp Armes & raised forcs of his owne horse & foote & had summoned together & ioyned his such his forcs with the English & Dutch of the County of Clare That then his Lordship by that way might not onely have awed quelled repelled & quelled all the Rebells of that Countie but have done much good against the other Rebells of Mounster And this deponent well knoweth that his Lordship had not onely good store of horses & Armes of his owen but had sent from the Parliament of England Armes complete Armes for one hundred horse which he this deponent sawe & for five or six hundred foote as this deponent beleeveth but he saw there not Armes for the foote
John Widenham
Deposed vnto 2o Sept
1653
Henry fflower
Ro: Stamael
Will: Kinge

fol. 438v

1750
Lieutenant Collonell Jo: Widenham
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B 12