Deposition of William Burley
- Reference: MS 837, fols 029r-029v
- County: Down
- Date: 10/8/1644
- Type: Dublin Original
- Nature of Deposition: Arson, Military Action, Robbery, Words
- How to Cite
fol. 29r
1276
<Serjant Maior> William Burley of Magherhylin one of his Maiesties Justics of the peace & Quorum within the Countie of Downe sworne & examined deposeth & sayth That when the Rebellion began this deponent was lawfully possessed & interressed in an estate of 60 years lease for aboue 60 yeres in being from the Bishopp of Dromore of & in certeine howses townes farmes & tenementes within the said Counties which of Louth Downe & Armaghe whereof the demesnes were well stocked and furnished with Cattle horses mares Coltes sheepe Corne & other thinges of great value & the tenementes & farmes in the handes of tenantes were of the clere yerely value of 500 li. sterling per annum & then this deponent was possessed of howshold goodes plate money woll provition & other th goods & chattells, And being soe possessed and interressed was the xxiij th day of October 1641 forceibly dispossessed deprived and or otherwise dispoyled thereof to his losse & damage of eight thowsand Powndes at least as he is verely perswaded And saith that the parties Rebells that soe robbed and dispoiled him within <a> the said County of Downe were ffargus Magennis of nere Dromore gent Hugh ô Lary of Moiraghe gent & his wife & their family Donnell oge mc Edmund Boy Magennis of the parish of Mackerhelin gent and divers of the septs & names of Magennisss, the Laries & Mckans of the County of Ardmagh of the said County of downe whose Christian names he cannott remember: And further saith That this deponent and his wiffe & children being gone away to shun the danger of the great multitude, seuerall of his servants confidently told him That after he was soe gone away and that the Rebells hadd entered his howse, The wiffe of the said Hugh ô Lary takeing vpon her to order & dispose of the howshold goodes furniture apparell and provition went vp into this deponentes wiffe chamber & seasing on the deponentes wiffes
fol. 29v
12767
apparrell attired and dressed herself in the best of that apparrell and that done came downe into the parlor, called for strong beare & made her servants fetch it and drinck a Confusion to the English doggs and being sett att the upper end of the table in a chaire asked the people whether that chaire apparrell and place did not become her aswell as Mris Burley (meaneing the deponentes wiffe & cont shee and her base Rebellious crew contynued their Revelling carousing and drincking vntill all or most of them were drunck And becawse they fownd some of the hogsheades or barrells of strong beare a little mouldy about the placs where they were corcked vp therefore they concluded that that was ratsbane & therefore they forced & burst open those hogsheads & wasted and lett out the beare (which was both wholesome & strong) & like savage or brute people devowred & spojled the provition of viandes & spoiled & defaced the sam howse And at length (vpon the deponentes returne with a party of foote and horse against the Rebells) & doing execucion vpon them) the said Hugh ô Lary & his sept burned this deponents dwelling howse & all the rest of the towne of Magherhilin aforesaid
W Burley
Jurat xo Augusti 1644
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton
Downe
Sargenat Maior Burley
Jur 10 Augusti 1644
Inwt
hand Cf
Henry Brereton
Henry Jones