1641 Depositions

Deposition of John Bigger

Reference: MS 809, fols 245r-247v
County: Dublin
Date: 29/1/1642
Type: Dublin Original
Nature of Deposition: Apostacy, Captivity, Military Action, Robbery, Stripping, Succour, Words

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fol. 245r

(the additions to damaged parts of the text are largely based on the Waring copy)
192
John Bigger of Miltowne in the parish of Don{lavan} Barrony of the vppercross within the county of D{ubl}in Clerke sworne & examined deposeth
That about the 3d of December last, he was forcibly robbed & dispoyled att Miltowne in the parish, county & Barrony as abouesaid, of all his goods & to the value following viz
Inprimis of corne to the value of ..............................................................j li.- 12 s.- 0 d.
It of Cattell to the value of ..............................................................................18 li.-10-0
It of Houshould goods & wearing clothes
of my e owne & my wiues ...............................................................................27 li.-17-0
It of monies due on Bills & bands for
Tythes & other commodities ..............................................................................16-10-0
All amounting to ------------------------ ---------------64 li.- 9 s.- {0 }
It one & dispoiled of his vicorage to be indowed with the
3ds throughout by the Lord ArchBishop of
< [ ] > dublin yearly worth ...........................................................................19 li.- 0- {0}
< [ ] > It i cure worth yearly .........................................................................16 li.- 0- {0}
<In toto 99 li.- 9 s. besides he is lyke to loose his meanes worth 35 li. per annum in futuro vntill a peace be setled> By the hands By meanes of James Woolverstone of Rath=Brann gen{t} captaine of the companie of Rebells, James Comberfourd, gent, Cl{etus} Line gent, fiue sonns of Shane mc William, of the A{rchboulds} <A> of Tucumill, 2, or more of them had lately bein trope{rs in the} kings pay, & had the kings armes about them, Shane {Birne} of Ballycrow, & his son, Walter Wallish, of the same, Red{mond} Grace, & Garrod Grace of ffrianstowne, & many others {of the} same, being seruants, & tenants, vnto James Woll{verstone} all thes beforenamed, are of the Barrony of Balting{las and} county of Wicklow, James Archbould of Balli{lee} Edmond Eustace, of Ballymore Eustace, in the county of Kildare Leutenant {to that} companie, & master of misrule for that night the{re were?} many others which I know not ther names nor place of aboad
And further saith T hat These words or words to this effect were spoken by them [ ] espetially by there Leader for {that} night, Edmond Eustace, be sides many other discources thay had, which I { } of by reason of forced abscence, but to my the deponent himselfe & in presents of many o{thers} of our his companies vizt as followeth, that thay are the kings sQueen{s} Souldiers, to reuenge hir wrongs, & abuses, offered to hir own{e person} hir seruants, & chaplaines, by the councells of Both kingdomes, {continu}=ing still the kings faythfull, & Loyall subiects, & doeing what they {doe by} the Kings consent, & Lysence, which thay can produce vnder his ha{nd and} seale 2ly thes words or words to this purpose & effect tha{t they} giue vs but our owne law for where as there was an acte ma{de by the} Councell of England in the abscence & without the consen{t or} knowleage of the King for the expelling bannishing & p{utting} away of the papists out of {Eng}land & seasing of the goods, {which when} thay had there effected, to haue brought the Like ouer {hither for the} exterpation of the Irish nation, that are papists, theses {consi}=drations, for the difence of the religion, the Queens pers{on and the kings} Licence to take armes haueing the scotts for a presid{ent made them rise They have also} vowed not to leaue an English man {in Ireland The kingdome they will} haue {in their} owne hand{s, lawes of their owne, A deputie of their owne without molestacion or interrupcion of any other nation. 3dly they say they doe it to mainteine the kinges prerogative which is intrenched vpon by the Counsells of both Kingdomes, They making the King a King and noe King at their pleasure, Whereas the King ought by his preregative to be aboe Lawe and }

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vnquestinable of any & this thay will setle on his head ag{ain} in despite of all the puritaine faction in England & Ire{land} <Decem 5 1641> this day being sonday we The deponent & his company came to Ballibought where we {were} promised safty for a night att a proctors house of mine L{oghlin} mc Cagho, & safe conduct by his meanes to Tallagh{t but} contrary to their expectation we they were ther detayned & d{urst} not shew ourselues out of doors our coming fourth {being} <B> hourely expected by James & Gillernow the sonns of {Ennis} mc William of or nere the Caghos I thinke of the Granagh beg{ } in the parish of Holliwood county of Wicklow & James & Pirce Walish of Ballibough in the county of dublin, thes haueing formerly stript the rest of our companie of all {that they} had leaft & had vowed to doe the like to vs if t{hey} suffered vs to parte with our Liues vnless we would tur{ne to} them & doe as thay did But the deponent and his compan y being forced to goe to the Papist preist insteed of being bringing a cer{tificate} of our reconsciliation as thay terme it we procure{d a} passe from him to bring a copie where of is here {inserted}
John Bigger & John Mundevill haue beine {formerly} robbed of all theire goods & I doe desire that t{hey may} <C> not be spoyled till thay com to Tallaght & this s{hall} continew for 6 days wittness my hand this {16th of} December 1641
Walter fz Ger{ald} Copie
This, in most pontificall manner grauely sitting in his ch{aire he} was pleased to giue vs, with thes words striking his hand on {his breast} well I haue serue the time sayth he when another man w{ould be} esteemed & I not esteemed nor regarded but now my hand {will pass} & I am sought to farr & neere to protect men naming many {that had so} sheued [ ] vnto him.
By vertue of this his warrant the heads of watchfull ad{versaries} being abscent we Leaft that towne thinking to come to Balli{more but were} stayed by the greatness of the water, yet my self by mean{es of one} Bryan mcJames newly fled from vnder the Kings Co{lours from} Drohedagh & com to that towne, being his natiue place, I was n{ot without} much dainger convayed ouer the riuer the horse falling {under} vs 3 times the 3d time vnhorst vs, but god deliuered vs, {we lodged} this night att the Widdow of one Laurance Purcell who {he?} I {mett with} <D> one George Staples who for Latte years had taug{ht the} children of the cheife of the Gentry in the said our parties The deponent haueing b{een} formerly accquainted with him he began to examine asked m{e what} cource I intended to take I tould {him} I could not tell v{ntill he} came to dublin & therfore I desired to haue his concell {and advise} first he whereupon the said Mr Staples began after this manner, you intend to goe {to Dublin} sayth he if yow doe yow must goe speedily for within 2 day{es the Irish armie} wilbe before Dublin so that yow cannot pass {if yow should get soe much favour} as to pass yet when yow com to Dublin yow {will not be admitted to come within the gates And in} the suburbs there {are 6 or 7 score dying daily for want of food soe that there wilbe noe abideing place for yow; If yow intend to goe for England the least child yow haue will not be carried vnder 20s}

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& yow sayth he haue not one penny, if yow should find {soe} much frindship as to pass grates, there are shuch a {multitude} of people that are gon out of this kingdom that England {being} but a small Island & populous of it selfe is not able {to receive} yow, if yow should be rec, there can be noe long continewin{g} <6.> place for yow for the papists are stirring in England, as well as here, the Queene being fled into france for som{e} abuses offered hir owne person hir seruants & chaplaines which indignities the king of ffrance intending to revenge, hath leauied an Armie of 40000 men to invad England & the Cardinall in flanders hath leauyed the Li{ke} number to { }nd { } purposs therfore it wilbe {to no} purpose to goe thither, Lord mr Staples said I what shall <7.> I doe then, if yow stay here said he yow must doe as thay doe & turne to mass, yet thay will not trust yow sayd he feari{ng} Least the King of England should euer be able to bring an army into this country the turnecoat English should Joyne with them & cutt the Irish throats in a night as [ ] the English once did the danes in England therfore whosoeuer of the English should turne to the romish church thay would also compell to take armes, & place him in the front & eminent place of Dainger that so thay might fall & for the time hereafter when thay had gotten the kingdom into the owne hands, which thay mak noe question but to haue in a shorter time, haueing {all the} forts & castles & stronghoulds <8.> in Ireland in ther ow{ne handes saveing} the {Castle of}Dublin & Drohedagh, & these 2 places thay wou{ld not} for many thousand pownds haue gotten for re{asons} knowen vnto themslues) but when thay hade once obta{yned } them & the Kingdome, those English that haue not {fallen} by the sourd, the Holy Church hath so ordered it th{at} thay shalbe cutt of by th e inquisition so that thay will n{ot leave} an English man aliue whose Ancestors haue n{ot been} here for 200 years with many other like words
<In> The time that I the deponent was detayned att Ballibought Sir Henry Belling Lord of that towne came from Dublin to {a} <E> towne of his nere the Nass called Killishee thither {went the} most most of the cheifest of his tennants th to kno{w} what thay should doe att the returne one Edmond {Cullen} of the same towne tould v s the deponent and company that S Mouris Eusta{ce} was to com vp in to the country with a band of me{n and} the he was turnd papist & was to Joyne with the {papists} <9.> & also that the Irish army had word sent them {from Dublin} to com downe to Dublin with all speed & force t{hey could} & that the Erle of Ormound had promised to {give them} the castle & that {they} had as good fr{eindes of the} protestant party {in Dublin, as the protestants themselves had And?} further {sayth not?}
<196
{Jur 29o} Jan: 1641
{coram} John Sterne
William Aldrich
Will: Hitchcock>

fol. 247v

14 John Biggar Comitat
Dublin Jur 29o Jan: 1641
hand
3 dec
discourse
Cert fact

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John Sterne
William Aldrich
William Hitchcock