Deposition of Ann Frere
- Reference: MS 830, fols 032r-033r
- County: Roscommon
- Date: 8/1/1644
- Type: Dublin Original
- Nature of Deposition: Assault, Captivity, Death, Killing, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery
- How to Cite
fol. 32r
235
Ann Frerey the Relict of Doctor Ambrose ffrerey Late of the parrish of Arkarne in the County of Roscomon sworne sworne aged thirtie eight yeres or thereabouts sworne and examined before his Maiesties Commissioners by virtue of his highnes Commission to them directed vnder the great seall of Ireland deposeth and sayth That in the begining of the present Rebellion vizt about the xxvijth of October 1641 This deponent and her said husband (whoe was then alive) were at the howse of Knockviccar in the parrish aforesaid forceibly deprived & dispoyled of their Cattle horses sheepe Corne tythes howsholdgoods Bills of exchang for receipt of mony divers sumes due at dublin & other specialties goods & chattells of the value and to their losse of CCCC li. or above: By a greate number of Rebellious irish souldjers & others Comanded by Patrick <A:> Plunckett ofin the County of Sligoe Esquire one of their Captains fferdinand o Mc Call Mc Dermond Roe of Killronan in the County of Leitrim gentleman another of their Captains William Molley of Heiterheiragh in the County of Roscomon Esquire then high sherriffe of that County & his tenants whose names she cannott expresse. And further saith that this deponent and her said husband and daughter and divers other protestants being beseiged in the howse of Knockviccar aforesaid By the Rebells aforenamed and others from the very begining of the Rebellion for nere a great space, and defending the said Castle on howse against the Rebells, and by reason of that seige many of the protestants being at seuerall tymes necessitated to goe out of the said howse to seeke Releefe theis Rebells that soe beseiged them about the vth of ffebr Marc h 1641 meeting one Phillip Stanley and others of the protestants that went out to gett Corne: & the n nere the same howse forceibly carried him away 2 or 3 myles off & hanged him to death: & shott some one Stephen Bonner throughe the thigh as he was on horsback whoe yet gott away with
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the hurt he had and recouered himself afterwards thereof by the cure & help of the said Doctor ffrere: and one John Bromley was then taken prisoner but after ransomed And they alsoe shott to death in the Mill of Knock Viccar one Henry Badurdagh an a protestant vpon Sct Patricks day 1641 Then afterwards vizt on or about the 4th of May 1642 the Rebells alsoe murthered in view of the said howse, one Robert Pinion first by shooting, and after they most barbarously cutt off his head, & one William Massham was then soe wounded that he died shortly after, And about the xjth of the same month of May: six protestants goeing the Rebells purpossly to intrapp some of the beseeged protestants most cuningly on a sudden mad sett seuerall ould Cabins on fyre & discharged divers shotts about half a myle from Knockviccar aforesaid, and then alsoe sett vpp the irish cry and chased and sent away their cattle into the woods in sight of the said howse, As though the English forces had assaulted and routed them: And by that subtile wyle 6 of the protestants goeing out of the howse of Knockviccar & thincking the English forces had bin comen, they were noe sooner gotten out of the gate, but an Ambush of Rebells suddenly rushed vpon and surprized them all six: And with skeins swords and hatchets most barbarously hackt & cutt them all in peeces & then and there left them aboue ground soe as the very doggs of the howse afterwards brought & carried away towards the howse some of their lymbes & mangled parts of their bodyes cutt off, The names of the parties then and there murthered were theis John Hobbs Peter Eides William Pride Robert East Christopher Nutty & John Crossens, And at the same tyme those wicked villaines soe wounded a protestant woman, with skeins & then trode vpon her belly: that shee died soone after (her daughter being murthered before in the same place) And afterwards that is to say the third of January 1642 (the Rebells whoe had still contynued their seige against the said howse of Knockviccar: Did then and there shoote the said Doctor ffrerey in the topp of his thigh soe dangerously that with
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a gnawd or chattered bullett, that the wound festered & grew to a gangrene & contynued soe that within six dayes after hee died, after he had defended the howse from the Rebells for a whole yere and 2 months
Anne Frere
Jur: 8 Jan: 1643
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton
(endorsement on
fol. 33v
)
Henry Brereton
Henry Jones