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Deposition of ffrancis Bridgman

  • Reference:  MS 829, fols 017r-018v
  • County: Clare
  • Date: 21/3/1643
  • Type: Bisse
  • Nature of Deposition: Apostacy, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Words, Lost by debts
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  • How to Cite
    • fol. 17r



    676
    ffrancis Bridgman the relite of Winston Bridgman Esquire late of Drumcavan & parish disard barrony of Inchiquin and within the Com of Clare widdow (a brittish protestant duely sworne & examined before vs) by vertue of a Comission etc deposeth and sayth that aboute the middle of december 1641 and diuers tymes since she lost was robbed and forceably dispoyled of her goods and Chattles to the seuerall values following vizt worth 330 li.
    Of Cowes yearelings heiffers horses Mares sheepe & swine to the value of one hundred & fifty pounds Of houshould stuffe and weareing apparell to the value of threscore pounds Of ready moneyes to the sume of thirty fiue pounds Of Corne and hay in haggard to the value of ten pounds Of Corne in ground to the value of ten li. She likewise sayth that she was disposessed of a Lease of drumcavan and Chuge wherein she had a terme of six yeares to come worth ciobus annis twenty t en pounds per annum ouer & aboue t he Landlords rent wherin she conceaus herselfe damnifyed to the value of fifty one hundred pounds Of her debts amountinged to the summe of thirty eight ten pounds which ere this rebellion were estemed good debts but now become desperatt by reason some of the debtors are is are impouerished protestants as Thomas Robert Phillipps of husbandman and the rest are papists and out in open & actuall rebellion as Hugh O Hoggan of Craggavoryne and within the com of Clare Esquire Connell O Collenalie of disard and within the com of Clare Esquire donnell O Bryen of Carrenduffe in the Com of Clare Esquire and therefore she cannott gett any satisfaction from any of them The totall of her losses amounts to the summe of t hree hundred & [ ] pounds eight thirty She further sayth that aboute the tymes aboue mencioned all her Chattles Cattle goods and parte of her household stuff & monye was taken away vpo n the 28th of Dec: 1641 by Dermod O Bryen fitz Teige of Drumore and in that com of Clare Esquire who was accompanyed with thresc{o}re armed men came vppon this deponents lands and then & there forceably toke away this deponents said Cattl{e}
    She further beeing examined deposeth and sayth that she beeing in a Castle called Ballyaly was closely beseidged from the last of January 1641 at which tyme she was taken prisoner for the space of a fortnight they who promised that they should be sent [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]ing brooke there quarter for keping the aforesaid [ ] & aboue vntill the and diuers tymes after for the space of twenty one wekes in which said Castle [ ] there were of men

    fol. 17v



    677
    Of men women & Children to the number of one hundred she alsoe The sayth that they were soe longe beseidged that they were almost starved and they wer <B> faine to eate horses and the hovnds cow & one dogge that were vpon the enemyes sow as also the very sheepe skins that a glouer had in a tan pit that they tooke <& there many dyed with famine> She alsoe sayth that the cheife beseidgers were these Cap: Turlagh o Bryen <#> mc Donnogh mc Moghowne mc [ ] of Clonlonane in the said Com of Clare Esquire and Dermod O Bryen mc Teige aforsaid Esquire & Colonell Donnell O Brien of Carryduff Esquire the said com Hugh O Hoggane aforsaid Esquire Cap Cnogher O Bryan eldest sonn to Sir Donnell O Bryan of BallamcCowdah in the said com Esquire <Cap:> Cnoghor O Bryen of Leminegh in the aforsaid Com Esquire Cap: Turleogh O Brien fitz Teige of Drumore in the aforsaid com gent Cap: Donnough mc <C> Namarrone of Crattenlo in the aforsaid com gen <Cap:> Teige mc Namarra of Behigh in the said com gent <Cap:> Donnell mc Namarrae of Dugh Dune in the said com gent Cap: Oliuer Delahide of Tirpeyadagh in thsaid Com of Clare Esquire Cap: Mohown Moyle mc Turlagh Mantagh mc Mohowne of Ballynacraggg in the said com gentleman & one of the Comittee of the said Com: as himselfe imported and his eldest sonn <Cap:> Turlagh mc Monowne of Cleanagh in the said Com gentleman and [ ] Owney oge O Loghlen [ ] of [Dwiron ] in the said com Captain Beete o Clansy mc Murtogh Duff in the said com and the eldest sonn of Wi lliam Saghna sy Esquire and many other Captens whose names s he cannott now remember who were accompanied with one thowsand armed men all the while they were beseidged lasted with a thowsand armed men She likewise sayth that parte of the warders of thsaid castle sallyeing forth to the number of thirty armed thinkinge to raise the said Seidge haueing intelligence giuen them that the strenght of ther Campe was at Mass who in that Scermishhe they killed a matter of thirty men as [ ] and in <as they verily beleued> that place they lost eight men of theire owne She likewise sayth that they were beseidged soe longe that they were faine to yeeld vppon quarter being they brought a great Brass gune which quarter was thus for to haue halfe theire goods onely they to haue the armes & amunicion which quarter was Broken by the aboue mencioned persons after they had parted the goods and taken

    fol. 18r



    678
    D
    One half they tooke most of the rest Who as soon as they cam forth to be gonn they threatned them they wold mak a new quarter & so inforced them to sell such things as [ ] them left at such rates as pleased themselues all the r est onely giueing them a little moneys what pleased themselues She being being further examined Shee further deposeth and sayth that Henry Woodfin and his wife and Thomas Onylye and his wife John Carter & his wife & Children and George Burck and his wife which were before this rebellion protestants and since turned papists as this deponent was credibly informed and besides they sayd they were for the kinge or els the wold not venter their lands and goods to rise in that manner this deponent being then present answerd that we were for the kinge, then Dermod o Bryen answering that they wee were Puritants And further she deposeth not that they brought a Sacar & shott 9 shotts at the Castle The names of those that were of the warders of thsaid Castle that were killed are these John Walker of Carronallyrrin in the said com Inkeper Abraham Baker of BallymcCahell in the said com Carpenter John Burgges of Ballymaly in the said com husbandman Ambrosse Webstor of
    Enish miller Thomas White of Leffard in the said com Mason John Tweisdon of Ballyvany in the said com Clothier John Smith of Ballymally aforsaid weauer & Robert Hart of Enish in the said com shewmaker And further she cannott depose
    Frances Bridgeman
    Jurat coram nobis
    21o marcy 1642
    George Courtenny
    Phil: Bisse

    fol. 18v



    679
    Clare
    ffra: Bridgmans
    her Examination
    Rev



    George Courtney
    Philip Bisse



     

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