1641 Depositions

Deposition of Andrew Adaire

Reference: MS 831, fols 174r-178v
County: Mayo
Date: 9/1/1643
Type: Dublin Original
Nature of Deposition: Apostacy, Assault, Captivity, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Rape, Robbery, Stripping, Words

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Andrew Adai
Andrew Adair Late of Magownoghe in the Countie of Mayo Esquire sworne & examined saith That since the begining of the present Rebellion: and by meanes thereof Hee was & still is deprived robbd or otherwise dispoyled of his meanes goodes & chattells vizt Plate Lynnen Pewter Brasse howsholdstuff apparell Cattle horses sheepe Corne debts, Leases, and other personall estate of the value and to his present Losse of One thowsand ffowre hundreth Powndes sterlinge And further sajth That the names of the Rebells that soe Robbed and dispoyled him and the that alsoe Robbed the Rest of the Englishe and Scottish in those parts are theis that follow vizt William Edmond <A> Bourke of Rappoghe in the County of Mayo aforesaid Esquire and his brother William Bourke Richard Rutlige of Bellick with his sonns William & Stephen Rutlige William Morgan gent John Bourke of Castlecan Esquire & his sonn William Bourk: Richard Roe Bourk of Rathroe with his sonn John Bourk Tho: Roe Bourke of Enscoe Walter Kittaghe Bourk of Ardagh ffarragh McDonnell of Clonecastle gent William McAndrew of Santcloghe gent, Hubbert Lynott of Corran gent Edmund & Nicholas Lynott of Dromada Tibbott Reagh Bourk of Cloghen Esquire Walter Bourk of Enogh & his sonne Vllick Bourk all of the Barrony of Tirrowly and County of Mayo: Moyler McJorden of the Barrony of <C> Gallen in the same County gent Patrick ô Dowde of Ballicottle in the County of Sligoe gent, & Charles o Dowde of the same gent, and seuerall others their souldjers assistants Complicees and Confederates whose names he cannott for the present Re b e Remember And <D> further saith he heard Sir James Dillon knight and some of the Tuits (being in Rebellion) say; That the old Irish gaue out that they thancked god They had putt a trick vpon the ould English of the Pale for all the ould tricks they had putt vpon them: meaneing that they the ould Rebells who hadd drawne most them of the Pale with them into this present Rebellion And further saith that the name of the English was soe hatefulle to the Irish. That they would not
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not only kill all they mett {with (if not strangely prev}ented) but would kill all the English breed of Cattle somtyme {jeeringly} saying they would speake English: & therefore they wold kill them And saith that when the preists and fryers did heare of any English slaine They wold call of one another to goe to masse & give thanckes for that newes And further sayth That the 24th of October 1641 The Rebellion began in the Rebellion began in the Countie of Leitrim: And then Collonell <A> owen ô Rourke and Collonell Conn o Rourke and their souldiers by the direccons of Captain Rory Maguire to Collonell o wen ô Rourk by force and armes robbed and dispoyled all the Englishe that were at Sir Charles Cootes Iron workes there to the number of 80 persons or thereabouts of all their goodes and soe went on throughe the whole County robbing and dispoileing the rest of the Englishe wherevpon some few of the English fledd to the garrisons of Jamestowne & Droumrusk for safftie of their Liues: And about one month after twoe of the ô Connors of Sligoe viztbeing brothers and after all the rest of the Papists of that Countie tooke vpp armes alsoe & went into open action of Rebellion & then and there alsoe by force and armes robbed and stripped of their goodes & meanes all the English & Scotts of the same County of Sligoe saveing that some few English & Scotts of that towne did ioyne together & manned the howse of the Ladie Jones, which the jrish Rebell papists haveing beseeged for 6 weeks together, they yeilded vpon quarter to be sent saffe to the garrison of the bojle: & some to Marren manner hamilton but many of those englishe & Scotts that were Masters of families fearing their Liues, were forced to goe to Masse & gott protections from ô Connor of Sligoe to each of them for the better security of their Liues & those poore goodes & clothes that were Left them & to Live in the said towne of Sligoe, which they did for a tyme vizt vntill the 10th of January then next being Thursday Att which tyme 2 or 3 Scottishmen came to the towne about one of the clock & reioyceing
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to see some of their Cuntrimen in their owne howses: & better delt withall then others were in the County of Mayo: But about 4 a clock after of the same day: divers bloudie and wicked Scotts Rebells: with force and armes fell vpon those Scotts (soe that that day came vnto the towne) & which as they were walking in the streets and then and there murthered and cutt them to peecs: There letting them lye in defyance and terror to all the rest of those protestants there Englishe & Scotts whoe were there but Lately turned to Masse: Wherevpon the ô Connors <A> of Sligoe with the fathers of their bloudie Church sent direccions to all the English and Scotts Late Converts that had his protecti{on} to goe into the gaole of Sligoe for their better saftie, they being in number thirtie eight persons or thereabouts: which they did some of them being taken out of their sick beds & carried thither & therevpon a guard was sett about vpon the gaole to keepe them there: But that seemeing curtesie was to noe good end for to those poore prisoners, (a Bloudy plott & execucion being resouled resolved vpon against them, by the A bbotts Preists & fryers fathers of <B:> the papists bloudy Church, which they calld they called their Tri an e ll Trent Counsell) & by the said ô Connors & the rest of the Rebells of that County): ffor about 11 of the clock that very night there came in seuerall into the gaole: divers Rebells most barbarous executioners into the gaole Whoe then and there murthered all the English and Scottish there Inforceing <C> the father to Kill the child: & the Child the father and then stripped them all of their clothes: & threw them (wallowing in their blouds) one on the topp of the an other in one great hole where they buried them Like doggs, and reioyceing much in that their bloudie service & actions: And twoe daies after vizt the 14th of I the said month of January 1641 being Saturday: hee this deponent (formerly seised on by the Rebells) was brought to the said gaole Towne of Sligoe, a prisoner where he was kept in great misery & feare for the space of thrie months amongst the ô Rurkes in the Countie of Leatrim & often threatened and to bidden to prepare himself to die yet was by gods greate mercy still from time to tyme preserued And saith that the next day after this deponents comeing a prisoner to Sligoe the some of the Rebells there meeting with an Englishe woman great with
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Chyld within about a fortnight of her time, Layd vyolent hands on her Ripped vp her bellie aliue, threw her and her child into the River of Sligoe where for 3 months after it was observed & generally reported and confessed by the Rebells themselues that noe fishe was gotten: Itt being a River ever formerly knowne to have plentie of Salmon all the dayes of the yere & other fishes: And further sayth <A> that about the last of January 1641 aforesaid the Rebells vizt the Sept of the Haras, McDonnoghes, & one John ô Crean haveing in their custodie tenn men women and children which harde were escapeing out of the County of Mayo, But taken in the Countie of Sligoe hard by Titempele Mr William Craftons howse: and there haveing the poore stript soules half starved, conceived nor resolued of other death for them but made one hole or grave for them all and there buried them all alive, or rather Layd stones and earth vpon them that they were not quite smothered but could not rise of themselues: yet those that did striue to gett out, they would thrust their pikes through then: But the voice of some of those poore half buried persons was heard a day after in the ground stones & r ubbish co ver only covering them and the lowest covered by the vpmost: And the deponent alsoe sayth That aboute <L> the middle of ffebruary 1641: (vpon the yeilding vp of the said Mr Mr William Craftons howse of Titempell there were there twoe ministers murthered by the Rebells: thone of them was called Mr Oliphant a constant preach e ing M inister a scotchman: whom they first stripped then they putt vpp twoe Kars for his execucion place, where for a long time they were with a great multitude singing with derideing voices about him some of the psalmes: and after they they had half hanged him then they cutt him downe and tied his neck to a horses taile and dragged him naked about a quarter of a myle then threw him into a ditch pulled some earth over him and soe there left him as the said Mr Crafton confidently affirmed to this deponent And this deponent further sayth that on the xijth of December 1641 The jrish popish Rebells of the County of Mayo vizt the Sept of the Bourks Barretts McAndrews with the rest went into open action of Rebellion, & with force and arms robbed stripped & dispojled all the Englishe & Scotts within fortie myles: ffor there was noe garrison in that Cuntrie to make defence: But some were forced to fly to a Castle of the lord of Corkes called Bellick in the possession <A> of one Richard Rutledge a papist: whoe when he hadd gotten all the English mens goods within the Castle betrayed all those English to the Enemyes bringing in 2 Rebells for one protestant into the Castle & and joyneing with the Rebells incamped 500 being incamped about them & tould the English he would no longer hould out or protect { } which Castle (if it hadd beene kept) as easily by the English men well armed there it might have been might have preserved sixescore [ ] persons from the sword: And therevpon the English there being forced to imbrace what quart{er} they could gett: vizt to be sent saffe towards the north of Ireland And being admitted to passe away accordingly: they being about sixscore soules: They hadd not gone 2 myles but they were all stript of
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all their clothes in frost and snowe & then & there vizt the 19th of January then next after & the next day (by the plott of the <A> Bourkes vizt Edmund Bourk of Rappoghe & Walter Kittogh Bourke of Ardaghe our Convoy of the County of Mayo and they were all murthered man woman and child by the sept of the McSwynes and ô Dowdes in the Barrony of Tirreragh <C> and County of Sligoe: And further saith That the Invention they hadd and vsed to make them P rotestants confesse their moneys was thus they would first half halfe hang them: and then promissed them liffe if they would tell them where theire mony was pricking them with skeanes and tying them with withes. And this deponent further saith that he obserued one John Reinolds whoe out of a private grudge had barbarously murdered Mr Tho: Trafford minister whoe with others had received quarter at the Castle of Longford) to tremble fearfull so that he cold not eate when he heard the name of mr Trafford spoken of <D> And this deponent further saith that about the xiijth of ffebruary 1641 as this deponent hath been credibly informed Sir Henry Bingham knight, whoe had formerly defended his Castle against the Rebells: at length gott quarter for himself, and went to Masse: And being vpon his conduct with some 80 persons of English and Scottish with him, by the Lord of Mayo their Conductor, vpon a Sunday att the bridge of Shrowle vpon the borders of the Countie <E> of Galloway: though he had sufficient in his company to have rescoued the Protestants from the M urtherers then in his view went the said lord of Mayo goeing there back & Most of those 80 persons were then and there most cruelly murthered by bloudie and barbarous Rebells, But there escaped the Bishop of Killalla: but yet he was by them there most cruelly wounded in the head <E> And saith it was confessed by the Rebells themselues that there went 2 smalle boats from Killalla towards the north with 60 persons in them But they were all taken by the sept of the McSwynes & the ô Boyles and murthered in the County <F> of Downegall: And there have beene murthered by the Rebells in the Counties of Sligoe & Mayo Besi t hem that escaped were above 600: & that very few escaped Besides many murthers that were done that he knoweth not of but by report: But the Rebells accompted him happy and to doe good service to god, that killd an heretick (meaneing a Scott protestant) accompting it noe breach of Conscience to breake their oath to a Protestant: All which this deponent knoweth to be true: ffor that he hath beene theire prisoner for 3 monthes & in that tyme hee observed all theis bloudie accions & resolucions amongst them & hee and his wiffe were daily threatened to be executed for Religion <G> And this deponent was credibly tould that seuerall of the Rebells of Phelim o Dowles company [ And Phelim ] ra vished the wiffe of one Sam barb e r R egister of Elfin And saith that when this deponent was sent prisoner from Coll owen o Rourke to Colonell Con o Rourk being 24 myles over the wyld mountains of the Countie of Leitrim the 10th of febr 1641: This deponent haveing gained the favour of his keeper: made him say that he would make muskets
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pistolls which he did say ffor els this deponent had certenly beene putt to death by the way: But at length by meanes of Mr Humfrey Reinolds this deponent escaped away secretly to the garrison of Dromrousk to Sir George Saint George the 10th ffirst of Aprill 1642: ffor which the said Mr Reinolds with his wiffe and Children: were Like to haue suffered death <F> And further saith That on the 15th of March 1641 there came a Rebell and asked an Irish woman If that Chyld she hadd were not an English or a Scotch mans child And she Confessing it was: he said what will you giue mee: and I will ease you of it: she said I should be gladd I were if his father had him: Wherevpon he tooke the child: & seemed to vse it kyndly. But goeing out with it and fynding a block of timber hard by the howse took the child by the heeles: and knocked the childs braines out against the block & there Left it which cruell murther was done <G> nere Jamestowne in the Countie of Leitrim as Colonell Con o Rork & an other Rebells the m selues confessed And this deponent alsoe saith that the 29th of July 1642 there was one William Stewart Agent a gentleman of the troupe of the Boyles being lately comen from Ballentobber where he had done good service, and the night he came home he was telling his wiffe of the ouerthrow the jrish hadd: Att which tyme the enemy came into the towne & hearing what he had said: Came in & cutt griskins or Collops of him aliue: Putt fyre Coales in his mowth: Kept vp his belly & wrapt his intrailes about his neck, and the wrists of his armes & soe left him: which barbarous crueltie was done by long Owen <H> McDermonts sonne & his souldjers: And it hath beene most frequent among the Rebells: that wheresoeuer they gott any english or Scotts they most inhumanly massacred & slew them without mercie spareing none but such as god would not suffer them to putt to death: such is the bloudy Covenant amongst them: And saith that on the xxiiijth of January 1641 there were twoe ministers vizt Mr William Liston and Mr Tho: ffullerton which the Rebells were kept 2 dayes without meat & drinck in frost and snow by Colonell Owen ô Rourk and Brian McDonnogh of the County of Sligoe att the Campe of Mannor Hamilton; & then they murthered them which ministers came (vpon quarter) out of the Castle of Bellick in the Countie of Mayo & were with many others betrayed by Lieutennant <K> Rutledge: And this deponent further sajth That the other Rebells that robbed & spojled divers others of the Brittish within the seuerall Counties of Mayo Sligo Roscomon Letr{im} and Galway are and that Rebelliously haue taken vp armes &
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assisted & aided and Releeved other Rebells are theis <A> that follow vizt Myles Lord viscount Mayo & Sir Tibbott Bourk knighte his sonn & heire apparant David Bourk Esquire the lord of Mayo brother, Tibbott Bourk of Cloghan Esquire another of his brothers Richard Bourk of Partaghe Esquire [neither] of his brother s Sir Thomas Bo urk of Lough maske knight e whoe is now turned fryer Anthony Garvy Esquire John Garvy Esquire Gregory Nollan of Bellinrobe Esquire John Browne of the Neile Esquire Edmond Bourk of Rappogh Esquire Richard Roe Bourk of Rathroe gent John Bourk of Castellecan Esquire Richard Rutlidge of Bellick Esquire Tho Roe Bourk of Enskoe gent William McAndrew of Shanclogh gent Tho Duffe mcJorde{n} gent Mojler mcJorden gent ffarraghe mcDonnell of Clonnekesse <C> gent Walter Bourk & Tibbott Bourk of Carbitt gent, Walter Bourke & Vllick Burk of Enagh gent William Bourke of Tinreaghane gent Mojller Barrett Bourk off ffarroe gent Perce Barrat of Bellessikerry gent: Richard mcShane mcPhilipine of Crosmalene gent Walter Bourke of Torlagh Esquire Tibbott Bourk of Corran Esquire Vllick Bourk of Adergoll <D> gent Edmond Lynott Hubert Lynott & Nicholas Lynott of Dromada Edmund and William Lynott of Kilcon ffrancis Cormuck of Envare Esquire Richard Cormuck of Crosse Esquire Edmund Kelly of Balligoan gent with the rest of that sept, all of them of the County of Mayo: And of the County of Sligoe theis <E> persons following: John Lord viscount Taaff since deceased Luke Taaffe Esquire his sonn ffrancis Taafe another of his sonns Andrew ô Crean and John ô Crean of Annagh Esquire Teige ô Higgan of Dughorne Esquire ffarrell ô Gara of of Mughigary Esquire Owen McDermont of Dromdoe Esquire & his eldest sonn, Patrick Plunkett of Macree <ff> Esquire Teage ô Connor of Sligoe Esquire James Begg of ffrench of Grangbegg Esquire David ô Dowde of Castleconnor Esquire Charles ô Dowd of Bellicottell Esquire David ô Dowde of Lacken gent Myles ô Dowd gent Brian mc Donnagh of Collonny Esquire Henry mcDonnoghe of Clonny Castle Esquire fferrall mcDonnogh of Ramullen gent Mulmurry m{c}Swyne of Tindergoe gent Rory mcSwyne of Donnoghey g{ent}
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<A> Edmond mcSwyne of Ardeneglasse gent Teige Reagh ô Dowde of Eska gent William ô Dowde of Escae gent All of the County of Sligoe a ffrancis Birt of Brickloe Esquire all of the said County of Sligoe. And of the Countie of Roscomon theis Rebells followinge vizt Sir Luke Dillon of Loughlin knighte William Mulloy of Woughterriraghe & Croghan Esquire Robert Mulloy of Esquire Daniell ô Birne and Laghline ô Birne both of Kilmore gent ffelim mcDowell of Mointagh Esquire Alexander Newgent Esquire Brian ô Birne of Dangan Esquire [ ] Tirloghe <C> McDermott of Carrick Esquire Charles ô Connor Roe with his sonne Teige of Ballenefad Esquire Charles ô Connor Donn Esquire with his sonn, Hugh ô Connor whome the Rebells generally call prince of Connaght And they called the said Charles President of Connaght, both being of Ballentobber Charles McDermott ofTummultagh mcDermott gentleman all of the County of Rosco{mon}. And of the County of Leitrim <D> theis Rebells that follow vizt Colonell Con o Rourk Colonell Owen ô Rourk Brian Ballagh ô Rourk gent Hughe o Rowrk gent William Reinolds gent Henry Reinolds gent Ere mcRory Reinolds gent all of the County of Leitrim And of the Countie of Galway theis Rebells following by the relation of the Rebells of the Countie of Leatrim to this deponent vizt Sir Tho: Blake of Galway Esquire Knight Patrick Darcie <E:> of Galway Esquire a Counsellor at Lawe Richard Darcy of Ballentobber Esquire in the County of Mayo Walter Blake of Gallway Esquire William Linch fitz Andrew of Shancloghe merchant of Galway Sir Dominick Browne of Galway knighte Sir Richard Blake of Galway knighte: Andrew Darcie of Galway Esquire Andrew ô Garvie of Gallway Esquire & Andrew Bodkin of Galway Merchant: And this deponent further saith That vpon a report that there was an act of Parliament in England that all the Irish shold be inforced to goe to the Church: the said Brian mcDonnogh <ff:> of the County of Sligoe said theis words I hope before it be long that this hand of myne (stretching it out) should ere long squeeze the bloud out of the harts of many hundreths of the Englishe And this deponent obserued & hard them say that it was the full Resolucion of all the said Rebells that they would roote out all the English and scotts out of Ireland: and then have all their owne cheefe governors
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Judges Justics & greate officers to be of the meere jrishe: & that in & to bee gouerned by their owne Lawes: further saying why shold not they have it soe in Scotland Ireland aswell as the Scotts hadd it in Scotland or to that effect
An: Adaire
Jur 9o January 1642
Joh Watson
Will: Aldrich
Hen: Brereton

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Mayo
Andrew Adaire Jur 9o
Jan: 1642
Ex
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w

Andrew Adair depos
Jan: 9o 1642

Cert fact n{ }
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Henry Brereton
John Watson
William Aldrich

Trinity College Dublin