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The Examination of John Smith of St Johnstowne in the Countie of Longford. yeoman, taken the xxixth daie of June 1642 Before mee Chancellor of his Maiesties Court of Exchequer By direction of the right honnorable the Lordes Justices & Councell.
Who beeing sworne & Examined, saith, that after hee this Examinant was robbed att the said Towne of St Johnstowne by the rebells & beeing desirous to repaire vnto the Cyttie of Dublin, hee this Examinant together with annother English man in his Companie one William Parsons, within three miles of Mullingarr were besett and pursued by certaine Rebells who tooke the said William Parsons and were readie to haue hanged him But this Examinant ouer running the said Rebells mett with one Collogh mc Goghogan of Rathconnell whoe vpon relation made by him this Examinant of the distresse his said Companion William Parsons was in, hee the said mc Goghogan went forthwith with him this Examinant & releiued the said Parsons out of the said Rebells handes who otherwise had hanged him And this Examinant further saith that about Candlemas last there was a Gennerall meeteing att Mullingare aforesaid where by agreement of the gentlemen
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of the Countie of WestMeath Robert Nugent of Carlestowne was appointed Gennerall of the fforces of the said Countie, & likewise saith that att the same tyme a Councell att warr was ordayned & the parties ensueing were of the said Councell vizt vizt Old Captaine Tirrell & his sonne Thomas Tirrell Thomas Tirrell the Lawyer, Sir James Dillon Robert Dillon of Kenyngstowne Andrew Nugent of Donnore Donore Walter Nugent of Rathhaspeck John Hop Secretarie of the said Councell Conley mc Coghegan of Kilbeggan & his brother Brian Oge mc Goghegan Conner mc Goghegan Prior of Mullingar Peter Nugent a ffranciscan ffryer & one Relie who was tearmed the Primate sate with the said Councell three or ffoure tymes And this Examinant saith that vpon the going of the Lord Lisle & Sir Charles Coote vnto the releife of the Ladie Offaily & other places there was a Messenger sent vnto the Portreiue of the said Towne of Mullingarr, (as hee this Examinant vnderstood from the said Portreiue & seuerall others of the said Towne) from Sir Luke ffitz Gerrald knight, by whom the said Sir Luke gaue the said Towne notice of the comeing of the English fforces that waie & advised them to looke vnto themselues which message was very kindlie receiued & much speach therevpon passed amongst the Inhabitants of the said Towne
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how greatlie they were bound vnto the said Sir Luke for his adverticement But soone after the said English fforces not comeing thither according vnto Expectation some of the Inhabitants of the aforesaid Towne of Mullingarr vpon discourse betweene themselues said that Sir Luke had abused them, others said noe, his message shewed his care of them And this Examinant alsoe saith that about a weeke before the going forth of the kings Army vnder the conduct of the right honnorable the Earle of Ormond towards Athlone, hee this Examinant beeing in company of certaine of the Rebells Souldiers, saw a young man who was servant vnto the Gouernour of the Countie of WestMeath draw a Letter out of his Pockett, & after some discourse declare that the said Letter was written vnto the the Gouernour aforesaid by Sir Luke ffitz Gerrald knight, & the said partie did then in the heareing of him this Examinant and the rest of the Company read the said Letter The contents whereof were that the Earle of Ormond was vpon his going into the Countrie from Dublin with seaven thousand ffoot & one thousand or ffifte{ne} hundred horse seaven ffeild Peices two battering Peices & two hundred Waggons, & that as the repor{t} went his Lordshipp & the said fforces were to goe for Kilkenny But itt was rather to bee supposed that his Lordship would goe vnto Killcock, & from thence<118>

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vnto Clonard Bridge & soe vnto the releife of Athlone Yet whether they would take the waie of Castle Jurdan & soe to Kilbeggan or by Mullingar itt was not yet knowne, but desired the said Gouernour to haue his men in a readinesse & to send for the Relies & the fferralls & to write vnto all well affected gentlemen to come vnto theire assistance And this Examinant beleiues that the said partie who soe produced the said Letter as aforesaid was sent by his said Mr to shew the same vnto some gentlemen of the Rebells And further saith that soone after Sir Oliver Tute knight Edward Tute & Andrew Tute whoe formerlie had not declared themselues formerlie assembled fforces And the said Andrew Tute went in cheife of all the said Tutes fforces vnto the Bridge of Ballinecorr there to giue opposition vnto the kings Army And this Examinant likewise saith that hee was present att a Gennerall meeteing in the said Towne of Mullingarr when there was read publiquelie att the Sessions house doore by one John ffitz-Williams in the heareing of ffoure or fiue hundred persons a coppie of a Letter from the Lord of Gormanstowne, & other the Lordes of the Pale vnto the Earle of WestMeath the contents of which Letter was that the Towne of Drogheda had beene long beseidged & was not to bee won without good strength & therefore desired to bee assisted from
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the Countie of Westmeath with a thousand Armed men att which tyme there was alsoe read by the said ffitzwilliam out of the said Paper the said Earle of Westmeath his answeare therevnto in effect following vizt this his Lordshipp the said Earle of West Meath had receiued a Letter from the Lordes of the Pale desireing theire aide the coppie whereof hee had heerewith sent them that they might consider thereof wherevpon the whole assembly cryed out that they shold haue aide & that euerie one would goe in person rather then faile And lastlie this Examinant saith that by the report of the said Countie Sir Thomas Nugent & Allexander Hopp were gone vnto Gallwaie for the buying & provideing of Powder for the fforces of the said Countie

Rob MeredithJohn Smith

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