Deposition of Joseph Cuffe

fol. 449r

1698
Captaine Joseph Cuffe of Mungrett in the County of Limerick sworne & examined deposeth & saith
That on or about the moneth of ffebruary 1641 the Castle of Bellyaley in the County of Clare was beseiged by the forcs of the said County Comanded by Colonell Dermott ô Brian: Captain Conner ô Brian <A> of Luminey Captain Conner ô Brian of Ballymackoodah and divers others of the cheefe freeholders of the County of Clare In the time of which seege severall English men whose names he cannott at present remember) were in and near their Irish Campe murthered And alsoe Tho: Honychurch & John Davies whoe endeavouring to make their escape from the said Castle from the rest of the English were surprized & taken by the Irish Rebells & putt to death And at another time one Bewlan a Protestant an Englishman haveing ventured his liffe by swyming over a great water was alsoe apprehended by the Irish & hanged And this deponent further saith that a little before the Rebellion began within the Countie of Clare: yet after it was begun in the north of Ireland some Companies of the Natives being raised by order or Comand from the <B> Erle of Thomond, The sayd natives soe raised had a warrant from the said Erle as this deponent hath bin enformed & verely beleeveth for seising of such spare Armes as any the English in those parts had & made vse of the same accordingly: which they haveing gotten into their handes presently made vse of them against the English & fell a robbing & stripping of them & those that fledd into Castles were afterwards beseeged there soe long that very many of them died of cold & want as being famished & starved those that survyved (and amongst the rest him this deponent) eating horse flesh & other course food to keepe themselues alive, And at length the said Castle of Ballyaley (whither this deponent was gotten) was enforced to stoope to the want which it could noe longer endure & to bee deliuered vpon quarter vnto theis notorious Rebells vizt Dermott ô Brian of Dromore County of Clare Esquire Connor ô Brian of Ballimacoodah Mahan mc Mohan of Ballinecraggy Conner ô Brian of Limineh Owny ô Loghlen of Mucknish Donogh mc Nemarrah Lieutenant Colonel Tirloe ô Brian of Clonedwayne Donogh mc Nemarrah of Crattalagh & Oliver Delahoyde of Teredagh in the County of Clare Esquire
Brian ô Brian of Aghe r n y in the said County of Clare gentleman & divers others of the cheefe Rebells of the Countie of Clare being freeholders
3

fol. 449v

1699
<C> And this deponent is verely perswaded that if the said Erle of Thomond had taken vpp Armes at the first & had Armed his owne men servants & ioyned with the English in those parts against the Irish that then those rebellious party of the Irish which at the first appeared in Rebellion might very well have beene repressed & subdued & all or the most of the English with their goodes & estatess saved & preserved vnto them
Jos: Cuffe
Deposed vnto 1o Sept
1653
Henry fflower
Will Kinge
Ro: Stamael

fol. 450r

1700

fol. 450v

1701
Captain Joseph Cuff B 3

Erle of Thomond

B3