Testimony of John Morgan

fol. 265r

1617
I John Morgan of Kilkolgan in the County of Galway, doe testefie and declare, in answeare to some questions propounded vnto me, as followeth That the begining of the Rebellion I lived in the Castle of Kilkolgan out of which for many Monthes together I durst not adventer to goe, day, or night, nor admitt any of the Country into the same, onely some particular persons, whome I knewe I might Confide in, of which number was <A> Thomas Burke of Kilcornan whoe was civill & Courteous vnto me, and very much my Assistant in preserving my Cattle (soe long as he coulde) and keeping of the Castle aswell before as since the advance of the Army vnder the Comaund of the Lord Coote, into the County of Galway, and without his assistance I knowe I should very hardly haue beene able to haue held it out, but that at the last vpshott it would haue beene stormed, Plundred, and demollished by a party to that purpose Comaunded by Generall Preston then Gouernor in Galway, during the Lord Cootes Lying before Athlone, in which tyme all that I <B> had left me, abroad, was taken away by a Party out of the County of Clare, but was Rescued and brought backe againe by the said Thomas Burke, and his Troope (not then disbanded) in which Rescue, seuerall on both sides weare desperately wounded
I doe alsoe declare that presently after William Kings Prey <C> was taken by Riccard Burke, Thomas Burke of Anbally, and others Comaunded by them, the said Thomas Burke of Kilcornan Complained thereof, and made knowne the same vnto the Earle of Clanriccard, whoe was much sattisfied with his civillyties aswell vnto my selfe and William King, as others of the poore English, then left in the County, and directed him to continue his care, and to afford his best assistance to our preservacion, the which hee promissed, and for ought euer knowne to me honnestly performed.
That presently after hee had taken the remaineing parte of William <D> Kings Cattle, hee acquainted me therewith, and tould me hee had done it to prevent Clonmorres, (whoe was then mischeefeously bent, and highly incensed against all the English) and that the said Clonmorres had caused the said Cattle to be taken from him againe, which did soe much anger and vex him, that with passion hee protested, if my Lord of Clanriccard would giue him power to levy fforces, hee would recouer them againe, if they weare to be found in any parte of the County, and secure them for the vse of William Kinge

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to whome hee professed a greate deale of affeccion and said that hee had bestowed a Mare vppon him, which hee would make knowne was not ill bestowed, if it might be in his power
I doe further affirme, that my Lord of Clanriccard vppon his Caputillacion haueing kilkolgan assigned vnto him for his Residence during his stay in the Country, at his goeinge away from thence the said Thomas Burke did accompany him, and vppon taking his Leaue I demaunded of him, howe farr he intended to goe, if soe farr as Dublin, onely, or into England, whoe tould me hee was not yett resolued, but whither hee retorned or not, hee had setled a Course for sattisfying william King, although (as hee said) hee neuer made a greate benefitt of the Cattle taken from him.
<E> I doe alsoe declare and affirme that shortly after the Execucion of those English Troopers hanged at the Clarinbridge by Clonmorres I seuerall tymes heard the said Thomas Burke relate that hee was much troubled at that Act and very sory for the death of the men, and more espetially for one of them, by name James Percivall, with whome hee had beene formerly acquainted, and that hee Laboured with Clonmorres the most hee could to forbeare putting them to death, but to haue kepte them Prisoners, which hee refused, and his request being seconded by the wife of Redmond Burke of Kilcornan and his owne Lady, with seuerall other Gentlewoemen that came purposely from kilcornan to be sutors for the same, but weare all refused, wherevppon hee and the rest withdrewe themselues, and went after John ffurlong, whoe vppon the matter was stolen from Clonmorres, and was gone before to the Castle of Kilcornan

That the said Thomas Burke had noe power to hinder or prevent that wicked Act, by fforce, I knowe, and am fully sattisfied, hee not <f> being able to procure one, for seuerall hundreds of the souldiers and followers that Clonmorres could Comaund at that tyme, being then in very greate and high esteeme, and generally followed by all sorts of persons both of the Clergie and Layety, much more aboundantly then the Earle of Clanriccard and all those that sided with him as may appere by what ensues. Not Longe after this horrid act, A Boate wherein weare six or seauen English men out of the ffort then neere Galway (which was then beseidged) whereof one was my Brother in Lawe, bound to the Castle of kilkolgan in expectacion to gett some Releife to carry backe with them to the ffort, and by the way goeing on shore) weare taken, and carryed to k ilkolgan kilcornan Prisoners, which I noe sooner heard of but I sent lettres with all the speede that might be to my Lord of Clanriccard making knowne the same vnto his Lordship and earnestly intreating him to take somme Course or other to saue the Liues of the poore men, which I conceaued to be in eminent daunger, vnto which lettres

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I soone receaued a Comfortable answeare to this effect, that hee <g> had written to Clonmorres concerninge them, and that hee made one noe question but his lettres would prevaile to the saueing of theire Lives, which gaue me much satisfaccion for the present, but the next day newes was brought me, that the poore ne soules weare all, (excepting my Brother in Lawe whoe found a frend that conveyed him from the rest, vnknowne to Clonmorres) weare sent to Athenry and there hanged, and at there being brought to the Place of there Execucion, where neare gathered together (as was reported) thowsands of persons, Clonmorres tooke forth of his pockett my Lo: of Clanriccards lettres and shewed them, called for wyne, and drancke a health to his Lordship and therevppon caused one of the men to be turned of the Ladder, and presently after called for more wyne drancke an other health to Clanriccard, and caused an other to be turned of and hanged, and soe a health vppon the hanging of euery person vntill they weare all executed, as in spight and derission of my Lo: of Clanriccards, and slighting those letrres written by him in theire behalfe, and (as hee himselfe often vttered) in defiance of him, and all that did or would take his parte, and in this mad and raving manner hee continued vntill a feavor tooke him, whereof not Long after hee dyed
This although I was not an Eye or Eare witness of, I doe Confidently beleiue, it haueing beene the Comon and generall Repoart of all, in that tyme when the most of them Little expected to be euer questioned as parties or witnesses, In all which tyme I take it vppon my Conscience that I neuer heard that the said Thomas Burke, was guilty of, or accessary to, the shedding any English blood, This is the trueth of all I knowe concerning him, as to any the points wherevppon I haue beene questioned, which to the best and vttermost of my rememberance I cann cleerely be deposed vnto, and business wherein I am imployed by Comaunds not permitting my owne repaire vnto the Boyle, to which place I haue beene summoned by warrant from the Court of Assizes I thought it fitt to in dischardge of my Conscience, by manifesting the trueth, to Certefie thus much vnder my hand this 18th of June 1653
J: Morgan
This was signed and
acknowledged before
me Robert Clarke

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1620

Mr Morgans certificates