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Deposition of Hugh Gaskein

  • Reference:  MS 831, fols 129r-130v
  • County: Donegal
  • Date: 16/5/1653
  • Type: Commonwealth
  • Nature of Deposition: Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Stripping, Succour, Words
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  • How to Cite
    • fol. 129r


    1218
    The Deposition of Hugh Gaskein of Bondoran Butcher takne at Sligo the 16o of May: 1653
    This deponent being sworne vpon the holy ewangelist saith that att the begineing of the rebellion in the yeare 1641; he was than aprentise vnto on John Sta[ ] who was than butcher in Sligo, and att the begineing of the commotion, this deponent with his master went into Andrew o Crian his castle of Sligo for the saftie of their lywves and goods, where this deponent saith they <A> continued a moneth sometymes goeing out into thair houses and at Last about the { } the moneth being on a tuesday the Irish Camp camp cam about the towne, vnder the command of Teag ô Connor Sligo, Colonell; Brian McDonogh Liewtenant Colonell, Captain Patrick Plunkett, Captain Owen ô Rork Captain Brian mcSwyn Captain Richard ô Crean, Captain Roger and Phelim ô Connors John Captain John ô Connor o Haras Hugh and Charles o Connors with many others, att thair comeing this deponent saith they layd seige to the Castles, and possessed thamselves of the houses and places of Adwantage for the siegde And particularly this deponent saith that Captain John o Crean possessed himself and his company in the Gaole hous, into the which house he violently entered and mad spyk holes in the said hous to play vpon as witt the Castles with thair musquets by which meanes the Castles wer constrained to enter into a parley with the Irish camp for Lack of Amunition; they wer drywen to Capitulatt, And further this deponent saith that after they had parleyed att first Ensigne Cotton who than Comanded Andrew Crian his castle, brok of the parley resolweing to stand outt, and so did still they sawe this enemy possessed of The Lady Jones his Castle which was nigh adjoyneinge to Andrew ô Crian his castle which Ensigne Cotton perceiweing parleyed the second tyme, and obtained quarter: The sume of which quarter was that the English within the Castles were to be conwoyed safe to the Abbey of Boyll with so much of thair goods as they wer able to carie vnder thair armes, And for thes who thought itt fitting for tha m to stay in the towne of Sligo they wer to enjoy the on moytie of all thair goods and to stay in the towne, and for thair better securitie they wer to stay a moneth in the towne whill they resolwed what course to tak either to go to the boyll or to remaine in Sligo: This quarter was written and signed by o Connor <B> o Sligo and the rest of the commanders and delywered itt vnto Ensigne Cotton who red itt publickly in the castle befor the surrendering thaireof, att the which tyme The said Ensigne Cotton mad a speeche vnto the beseigded, and told tham what they might expect was hard, if they did not lyk thair quarter hee should stand outt with tham and lywe and dy with tham, and did particularly question ewery particular man in the castle whidder they wold stand out or lay down thar armes or tak that q w arter that was offered promiseing friely to dismisse those that wer willing to lay downe thair armes and to giwe ewery one of tham two shillings with his passe and to maintaine the hold with so many as wer resolwed to stick vnto him, wher vpon on Mahown Connoghan on of the garison souldiers replyed that he was afrayd of his lyff, if he should stand outt to the vttermost and thar for was willing to receawe his pass and to go outt vnto tham whervpon Ensigne Cotton ga u e him a pass and tenn shillings butt when he saw that non else in the castle followed his course he stayed in the castle, butt was disarmed, and spoke vnto by the said Ensigne Cotton who told him that hee was vnworthy to be trusted in the castle for he was a coward: Butt att lentgh this deponent sayth they wer constrained to tak this quarter, which this deponent sayth they brok imediately for so soone as they entered into the Castle, they stript and plundered

    fol. 129v


    1219
    all the british that wer in the Castle and sentt tham with a guard to prison into on Mr Braxton his house and on Mr Woodworth his house, wher they continued till they wer lyk to sterwe: Whervpon Mr William Rycroft preacher sentt out this deponent from Mr Braxtons house vnto Liewtenant Colonell Brian McDonogh, to desyre him to prowyd him and those that wer willing to go with him, a guard or Conwoy to the Boyll according to thair quarter, which message the said Liewtenant Colonell Brian McDonogh imparted vnto Captan Patrick Plunkett, desyreing him to Joyne in the sending of the convoy according to thair capitulation, whervnto the said Captain Plunkett replyed th at he had go tt pressing that itt was thair duetis according to thair covenant, and that if itt wer not performed, that god wold reveng itt, adding further that itt was the Least they wuld doe, they had mad tham poore enough; and had plundered tham of all thair goods, whervnto the said Captain Plunket replyed that he had got nothing of tham but on ten lib and on aquawyte pott, and that he wold go no further with tham, except they should cary tham to the gallowes whitther he wold go to sie tham hanged, the said Liewtenant Collonell Brian McDonogh replyed that he wold endewor to doe his duties, which he did, for he conwoyed so many as went with the said mr Roycroft safe to the Boyll, Which harsh answer giwen by the said Captain Plunkett strook a fear in the harts of many who apprehended that they should be kild vpon the way, and thairfor chose rather to stay and to enter themselwes in o Connors Sligo his company; as souldiers to witt mr William Welsh and so many as followed him; And this deponent further sayth that these who stayed with the said Mr Welsh and himself wer permitted to Liwe peaceable amongst the rest of o Connors souldiers for the space of about a moneth, dureing which tyme thair was no murders committed in the county, Till about the end of that moneth being about <E> the 6o day of Januar in the year 1641 Att which tyme this deponent saith on Hugh o Galogher, and on James Buy o Galogher came out of the County of Downegall vnto Sligo, wher many of the gentlemen of the contrey wer this County of Sligo wer com into the towne, and some of the gentlemen of the County of Letrim to witt: Captain Plunkett, Captain Phelim mcShan O Connor, Brian Ballagh o Rork gent Liewtenant Colonell Brian mcDonogh Hugh o Connor Charles o Connor Donald fitz fferdinando o Connor and others whom this deponent cannott remember who all with the said o Connor o Sligo wentt into the abbey of Sligo, haweing these English who wer entered as souldiers vnto o Connor Sligo Collonell, as a gard att the gatte whill they had finished thair consultation, which was (as this deponent conceaweth) for murdering of the said English and protestants who wer att that tyme in the towne, ffor immediately vpon thair comeing out of the abbey The forsaid Hugh o Galogher and James o Galogher mett with on William sheils and his sons, with two others that wer Tinkers on a scottishman and the other an Irishman bott a protestant, who fell vpon tham and murdered tham in the street. This first murder was committed about two a clock in the afternoon and presently efter Hugh o Connor and Charles o Connor with thair souldiers brethren to O Connor Sligo, perswaded the rest of the protestants to come vnder thair protection and promised that they wold sawe tham, and to that end putt <F> tham all in the common gaole, and putt a gard vnto tham for thair per ssaftie as they pretended and after supper the said o Connors to witt Hugh and Charles was (as itt seemed) appoynted to be the murderers; for the forsaid Brian Ballagh

    fol. 130r


    1220
    o Rork cam vnto tham and besought tham to spare the Lyff of on man to witt Thomas Stewart a merchant, which they refused sayeing that they wold not spare any of the breid whatsoewer, whervpon the said Hugh and Charles with thar souldiers fell vpon all and murdered tham in the Goall: And this deponent being further examined whitther or no he knoweth any of the murderers to be now alywe who was than actors, he saith that thair is on Edward Herbert sone to John Herbert, Captain Hugh o Connor brother to o Connor o Sligo Rory McMurrey son to Cormuck og o Connor McMurrey, and Connor McKey who was than a souldier to Charles o Connor now Liweing in the County of Mayo. This deponent being further examined concerneing his caus of knowledg whidder this murder was done by a common consent of all the officers att the forsaid Councell or nott, saith that William o Crean sone to Andrew o Crean befor any of thair bloody intentions wer discovered, went to Hugh o Connor and desyred that he wold be pleased to spare on Henri Knott a merchants sone in England, alledgeing that the said Henri Knott his father did owe vnto Andrew o Crean him the said William a considerable sume of money, and that if the said Henri Knott should be kild that he should lose his money,which perswasion took place, for by this means the said Henri Knott his lyff was spared And further this deponent sayth not
    Hugh [mark] Gasgein his marke
    Signed, and acknowledged before mee as wittness my hand
    Rich: Coote
    fol 130v
    1221

    About the murther of Sligo
    Hugh Gaskens
    examinacion



    Richard Coote



     

Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2