Deposition of Suzan Steele
- Reference: MS 817, fols 213r-216v
- County: Longford
- Date: 14/7/1645
- Type: Dublin Original
- Nature of Deposition: Arson, Assault, Captivity, Death, Killing, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Rape, Robbery, Stripping, Words
- How to Cite
fol. 213r
(77.)
Suzan Steele the relict of William steele of the Callough in the County of Longford gent sworne and examined deposeth and saith that in the begining of the present Rebellion that is to say about the first of November 1641 her said husband (whoe was then alive) and shee, were forceibly deprived and dispoiled at Callough aforesaid of their meanes goods and chattells consisting of Cattle Corne howsholdstuff one Mare and a Colt and other thinges worth about xxxv li. <A.> sterling by the Rebells John mc Knogher ô ffarrell of Callough afore{
1)
fol. 213v
78.
& her said husband and one Daniell Stibbs home to his howse, where they were kept and releeved for about a weeke together, And then one Phelim <A.> Mc ffargus ô ffarrell of Racleene in the County of Longford gent Donnell oge Mc Award of the same gent John mc Knogher o Farrell of Cashelbegg in the same County gentleman John Mc Cullroe of the parrish of Racleene husbandman and his brother whose Crissen name she Knoweth not assisted by divers other Rebells vnknown vnto her came with force and Armes to fformoile in the same County being the howse of the said Mr Browne in the month of May 1642 & forceibly tooke and carried away from thence the persons of this deponents said husband and of the said Daniell stibbs to a wyndmyll about half a myle off and there hanged them both on that wyndmille, And by credible report they then and there cutt downe the said Daniell Stibbs before his he was dead and dashed his braines out against: the Stayes of the mill, and then they buried them both in a ditch in a hole out of which (as she hath heard) some Rebells after tooke her husband & stripped him out of his shirt wherein he was buried <B.> And further saith that the Rebells afore and murtherers last named & their said Assistants did the very day next before they hanged her said husband, hang vpon the said mill Agnes the wife of Henry Mead of the Callough aforesaid and att that tyme those Rebells standing in a Rownd ring placed in the middle thereof him the said Henry Mead & sporting themselues with his distruction drew their swords & skeanes, and first one stabbed with his sword or weapen at the said Henry Mead, & he flying from him Another stabbed him on another side and another hi after him did the Lyke, & neuer desisted vntill one that one bloody villaine named Patrick somtyme servant <C.> to the said Mr Browne came with his billhooke & said to the rest of the murtherers yow have had sport enough with the English dogg & therewith cleft the said Henry Mead downe the shoulder & breast & alsoe almost cutt of his neck and gave him many other wounds whereof he then and there died, And then alsoe those bloodie Rebells with their swords skeanes & other weapons hac Kild hackt & cutt in peeces one John Bizell closse by the said wyndmill And this deponent further saith that before the murthers aforesaid comitted vizt about Sct Stephens day 1641
2)
fol. 214r
(79)
<D.> the Rebell Oliver fitzgarrett & lishagh ffarrell aforenamed and their souldjers within the parrish of Racleene aforesaid did by with force and Armes robb & stripp of their clothes John Stibbs gent & his wife and fowre children William Barton Joseph Adgor, the said Henry Mea{
And this deponent further saith that about June 1642 div{
3)
fol. 214v
80.
And this deponent further saith that about the xth of december 1641 one <E.> Hubert ffarrell a servant and tenant to the said Oliver ffitzgarrett did Committ a rape vpon the body of Adgor Sarah Adgor the daughter of Joseph Adgor the deponents nere neighbours, as the said Sarah afterwards confessed & told to her mother, And although that fowle offence was generally talked of & beleeved yet the offender escaped vnpunished
Mr John stibbs of Sct Albans Com longford having 2 children that did suck their nurses were Comanded to bring them to the said mr Stibbs his wife their mother when neither their father nor mother had either meate clothes money left, nor howse to dwell in, Which children being broughte accordingly to their poore parents half naked perished, & died there by want of clothes and food shortly after, And this deponent is verely perswaded and hath heard that the said Oliver ffitzgarrett & Lishagh Farrell were the principall men that Comanded the nurses soe to bring the said children to their robbed parents
And further saith that there was a warrant made se for sending & Comitting of the said Mr Silvester Browne to the gaole for releeveing this deponent and her husband, Mr stibbs, & the rest of the English, & for that cawse the Irish robbed him of his goods the Irish
And in Aprill last 1642, the lady Ann Dutton and her daughter Mris Elenor Browne, with her man her Mayd, Mris Stibbs, this deponent & the rest of the English were threatened to be putt to death by the <ff.> said Oliver ffitzgarrett, Lishagh Farrell and their confederates And a warrant was signed to that purpose by them and the rest that they called their Cabinett Councell and directed and sent to Captain ffergus ffarrell whoe was required to see them executed, Which said Captaine (after receipt there of) in a braving manner telling the lady Newcomen what a warrant he had & shewing it vnto her, That good Lady therevpon sent Sir James Dillon notice thereof, Whoe presently came and carried & tooke away the said lady Browne dutton & her daughter, Mris stibbs this deponent & some servants of the said lady Duttons & divers other poore English protestants from those parts to his owne howse, and from thence sent them all saffe to Athlone
<G.> About the xth of ffebr 1641 one William Burton of Clogher was murthered and cutt in peeces in Athlone by some of the Souldiers of the said Captain ffargus ffarrell, and twoe or 3 of his children were starved and died vnder a hedg twoe or a night or two after (as their
4)
fol. 215r
(81.)
greeved and distressed mother (with teares) afterwards told this <H> deponent:And about the same moneth one Edmund duffe ffarrell a noteable Rebell attempted to have ravished one Katherin Robinson, and as was conceived had done it had not be shee been rescowed from him by one Tho: Duffe, whoe for the same was wounded by the said Edmund duff ffarrell
In July In or B efore June 1642 this deponent being at Sir James Dillons howse heard some friers there con whereof Mr George Dillon brother to Sir James was cheefe) consulted and agreed together in the absence of the said Sir James) to assault & spoile the towne of Athloane and garrison there, saying amongst themselues it might well be done becawse the souldjers there were most of them sick: Whereof this deponent quickly after gave notice to Sir Robert Newcomen, whoe (as he said, and as she beleeveth) acquainted the then lord President Jones of Cannaght thereof But his Lordship (as the said Sir Robert Newcomen told this deponent afterwards said he did not beleeve it, for it was noe matter what women said Howbeit within a day or twoe after in pursuance of their Resolucon the said Rebell Oliver ffzgarrett and the most Lys h agh Farrell ffargy mc Lishagh ffarrell sonn of the said Lishagh ffarrell & many other of that sept and the said Georg Dillon the ffriere and divers other friers preists & Rebells privately about breake of day came over the River of Eny, and being nere 1000 in number drew nere to the place where Captain Barten & Captain Terringham were by the Lord president, quartered; with about 200 men vpon whom at vnawares the said Rebells fell, and then and there killed the said Captain Barten and a great number of his souldjers, And carried away their Armes
She alsoe saith That afterwards vizt about July 1642 the said <I> Oliver ffitzgarrett and the most of the most of the ffarrells and their souldjers in the night time secretly Martched againe to the said town of Athlone, and killd some few ould men women and children and some sick souldjers, and burned some a thatched howse & about 8 souldjers therein In which flame that Rebell that sett it on fyre being blynded or choaked first (as was conceived) with smoake, was likewise burned and Consumed, Howbeit before eight of the clock on the day ensueing, the Rebells were beaten out of the towne, and above One hundred of them slaine &
5)
fol. 215v
(82.)
& left behinde dead: And alsoe that very daie the Lord Willmotts troope & Captain O rmesbie with some other forces pursued and routed the rest, and had the slaughtering of them for 3 or 4 myles together, but three or 400 of the Rebell souldjers were that day slaine. And saith that the said Sir James Dillon and his souldjers alsoe assaulting the English in the towne that day was alsoe beaten away & retreated: And further saith that the said John Stibbs being one tyme Censured to be hanged was reprived becawse he faigned that he could make gunpowder, About which the Rebells imploying him hee tooke to his assistance, divers of thEnglish, And that occasion affording him & them some liberty more then other prisoners had They tooke that advantage thereof, that they escaped away, and left their promissed work vndone
And this deponent further saith that when she was robbed of her owne goodes, shee had in her custody one great trunck of Lynnen & apparrel of the goods of Ann the late wife of Mr William Symons & now the wife of Mr Robert Mills of Sct Patrickstreete Dublin: being of great value which trunck & all the lynnens and apparrell therein were forceibly taken from her this deponent and carried away by the Rebell Walter ffzgarrett (whoe now liveth in this Deponents howse within the Callough aforesaid, and by John mc Knogher Reoghe ô ffarrell of Cashelbegg, twoe notorious robbers, and such as were actors in and guilty of the murthers aforesaid:
Signum predictae Suzannæ
Steele [
Jur 14o Julij 1645
Hen: Jones
Hen: Brereton
6)
fol. 216r
fol. 216v
(41
Longford
Suzan Steele Jur
11o Julij 1645
copied only Ex
hand
1 no.
Henry Brereton
Henry Jones