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(Note: fair copy of Reade’s Examination, fols 20r-22v.)
The Examination of John Reade Esquire takene before mee
Who beeing sworne & examined saith, that he this Examinant beeing a dweller with his wife & Children in the Towne of Drogheda, did leaue his Children & ffamily in the said Towne vpon the Thursday before the said Towne was beseidged & with his wife departed thence vnto the howse of Mr Darcie of Plattin with intention to stay there onely one week, Whether the Weeke after Came Collonell McMahowne one of the cheefe of the Northerne Rebells who would not permitt him this Examinant to departe thence according to his said intention And about two daies after the said McMahownes comming thither, there was a meeting beetweene Collonell McMahowne & the Lords & Gentrie of the Pale, vpon the hill of Croftie neare vnto Drogheda where he this Examinant heard some agreements were made & concluded vpon beetwene the Northerne Rebells & the said Lords & Gentry of the Pale And about a Week after that said meeting, there was alsoe another meeting as he Likewise heard, held beetweene the aforesaid Lords & Gentry & the Northerne Rebells at Duleek, But what was {before}

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there Concluded on this Examinant knoweth not But this Examinant finding that the said Lords & Gentry & the Northern Rebells had soe agreed themselues (did aboute the tenth of December last) advice severall of them Namely the Lord Nettervill Mr Nicholas Darcie of Plattin, & Mr James Bathe of Athcarne to quitt & forsake any Confederation ioyning with the said Northerne Rebells and apply themse{lves} to the king for mercie And about two daies after the said meeting at Duleeck he this Examinant received a proposition from the Lord of Gormanstowne by the said Mr Darcie of Plattin for the taking on him the place of Leiutenant Generall of the fforces of the County of Meath vnder his the Lord of Gormanstownes Command which this Examinant denying to doe about the thirteenth of December last the Lord of Gormanston did himselfe deale earnestly with him this Examinant, for the taking vpon the said place of his Lordshipps Leetenant Generall of the forces of the said County of Meath And to enduce this Examinant therein his Lordshipp vndertook that the said place should bee woorth vnto him this Examinant six hundred pounds a yeare, But this Examinant still denied to yeild the{re} vnto And further saith that about the 19th of the said Month of December last, the said Lords & Gentry of the said Pale had prepared a draught of a Petition vnto his Maiesty, the heades whereof were that they had soe t{a}ken up Armes, for the libertie of their Religion the

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the maintenance of his Royall prerogative & the reformation of the present government heere in this Kingdome by a Parliament which Petition was given vnto him this Examinant by the Lord of Gormanston the Lord Neterfeild the Lord of Slane Mr Darcie of Plattin Mr Bathe of Athcarne & Mr Wesley of the Dingan to be written out by this Examinant which he accordingly did, And this Examinant was Likewise to be imployed in behalfe of them the aforesaid Lords & Gentry of the said Pale to present the same vnto his Maiestie And there was alsoe to be presented by him vnto the Kings & Queens Maiestie letters to the said effect of the said Petition which said letters were prepared & signed vnder the hands of the Earle of ffingall the Lord Gormanston the Lord Netterfeild the Lord of Slane Sir Richard Barnwell of Crickestowne Mr James Bathe of Athcarne, & Mr Nichalas Darcie of Plattin. And the said letters & Petition, were in the name of the whole Pale, and further in the said letters his Maiesties residence credence was desired vnto that, Wich he this Examinant should deliver vnto his Maiestie, ffrom the said Lords & Gentrie by word of mouth as appeares by the said letters delivered by this Examinant vnto the Lord Earle of Ormond the 17th day of March last past Wich message soe to be delivered vnto his Maiestie as aforesaid was, that they the Lords & Gentrie aforesaid did in behalfe of themselues and others make offer vnto to serue his Maiestie with there Persons and power at theire owne Charge, when & whersoeuer his Maiestie should Commaund them, And this Examinant being demaunded who vsed to resorte vnto Plattin (saith, that sundrie

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sundry of the Gentlemen of the Pale came thither but theire names he knoweth not, onely Mr Patrick Barnwell of kilbrew, he well remembers to haue seene there 2 or 3 times And this Examinant alsoe saith that about ten daies after the Seidge of Drogheda began he vnderstoode in Publicq discourse from Roger Moore, that they of this kingdome (meaning the Rebells) exspected to Receiue Armes & munition from ffraunce, And that aboute 3 Weekes after the said seidge began, he this Examinant Received a Message (by a Gentleman, of Lowth whose name he is ignorant of) ffrom Con ô Neale brother to Daniell ô Neale, that in case he this Examinant would ioyne with him the said Conn, he should enioy halfe of the Land, he the said Con could recouer or winn Wich offer this Examinant refused, And further saith that he was told by the said Messenger that the said Con was the man who was imployed vnto the Cardinall of ffraunce to Solicite for Armes & munition & Likewise that the said Armes and Amunnition were exspected heere according{ly} And this Examinant alsoe saith that he vnderstood (but by whome he Cannot Call to minde) that one Talbott a Preist was sent beyond the Seas ffor the furnishing the Rebells of this kingdome with Armes And this Examinant being further demaunded what he knew concerning the Lords of the Pale aforesaid And theire submitting themselues to the Kinges mercie Saith that he vnderstood by them that they would submitt but

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but vpon certaine Conditions & not absolutly, vnto his Maiesties mercie And lastly saith that Mr Nicholas Darcie of Plattin as he thinkes told him this Examinant, that the Lord of Gormanston heard something of the Plott Concerning the Present Rebellion, at his Late being in England.
Rob Meredith

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