Deposition of J. Bringhurst
- Reference: MS 831, fols 201v-208v
- County: Mayo
- Date: 14/3/1644
- Type: Dublin Original
- Nature of Deposition: Assault, Captivity, Death, Military Action, Robbery, Stripping, Succour, Words
- How to Cite
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In this discourse (I hoape) it will not seeme vnreasonable or impertinent to revert & take a reviewe of the first beginninges of this com m os io commotion or insurreccion together with the [
About the tenth daye of december 1641 the Lorde of Mayo notice was given to the Lo: of Mayo that the Barronyes of Costello & Gallen were vpp & in armes & had robbed prayed & spoyled diuers of his Maiesties good & loyall subiects, and alsoe had taken & posessed themselues of the Lo: of Castello his Castle of Castle=More in Costello Wheruppon the Lo: of Mayoe (haveinge latelye beefore (by verue of the Commission afforsaid) raised in that countye sixe companies of foote consistinge of 300 men beesids Captains & other officers Commaunded 15 of those companies the next daye to meete him at Mayo from whence hee marched with them into Costello, where at Belahaughnes hee met Sir Lukas Dillon whoe advised his Lordship to marche throu to Castlemore beeinge a verye badd waye all through woods & boggs & the keshes beinge broken (as then they were) impassable espetially with horse The Lo: of Mayo notwithstandinge resolveinge to goe to Castlemore Sir Lukas lefte him & newes was brought him that the enemie with their whole forces to the number of abowt 500 men had broken before him the bridge of Annagh soe that his horse cowld not passe except hee went 3 miles further to a foarde called Bealacowlecashe a verye daungerous foard & ha r d harde to pass:Whervppon the Lo: of Mayoe sent mee this examinant with beeinge Scowtmaster to the Armye with twoe other horsmen to viewe the waye as alsoe their forces, which this examinant did & gave him certaine notice therof But in the companie of the Lo: of Mayo there marched as volunteers one of the sonnes of Con oge mcJordaine of Ranacappan (where his Lordship intended that night to campe campe Rickard Bowrke fitz David of Partrery & William Reogh mcCostello, whoe vnknowne to vs were of the enemies partie (& findinge the Lo: of Mayoes resolucion to bee either to force his passag{
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vizt duringe that tyme not to carrye armes & therewith or to comitt anie hostile act or robb praye or spoyle anie of his Maiesties subiects or doe or comitt anie other act whatsoeuer tha against his Maiesties Lawes or tendinge to the breache of his Maiesties peace Vppon receipt of which proteccion sent vnto them (where they stoode in armes to stopp & keepe the passage of the foarde) they presently departed & lefte the foarde to vs without anie stroake stricken wheruppon wee passed ouer & marched <A> that night to Ranacuppan and laye at Con oge mcJordaines where there was greate resorte of people & amongst the rest (as this examinant remembreth) the principall of the order of St Augustine the Gwardian of the Abbye of Bealahawnes twoe sonnes of Con oges thone a Priest thother a fryer with diuers other priests & fryers and manie of the enemie souldiers (whoe opposed us at the forde) Cheife Preists ffryers & that the rest all that night haveinge Conference with our Irishe souldiers (for wee had fewe others except of Sir Henry Binghams companie onely) infected them with treason and rebellyon and wheras that daye they all stoode firme vnto their commaunder or generall and I am verilie perswaded wowlde have fowght vnto death with hime yet the next daye I am perswaded in my conscience yf wee had had occasion to have vsed their swords Wee showld have had them in our bosomes but noe other waye for the defence of his Maiesties subiects as by the sequell will appear for the next next daye when wee came to Strade in the Barrony of Gallen & haveinge stoode one night there the next daye the souldiers complayned for the meanes promised them from the countrey for 40 dayes onely but the Sherriff retorned answere that the countrey especially the barronye of Kilmaine refused & opposed the poynt & affirmed that by stronge hand aff they wowld rescue or defend their distresses Wheruppon the Lo: of Mayo callinge to him the Captains officers concluded to dismisse disband the Armye & to sende them either to their intended garrisons or to euerye manns home, of which the later they observed for euerye man went where hee pleased and by the next daye at noone were all in oppen accion of rebellyon euerye of them Robbinge preyeinge & spoylinge of his Brit Britishe neighbour throwghowt the countye, nor cowld the Lo: of Mayo (as I ver verilie beeleve assure himself of sixe men that at that tyme would stand in his defence
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(beeinge then a protestant) which caused him not to suffer mee to depart from him <A:> there vppon Thursdaye the 16th of December one Rickard Bowrke mcDavid of Partrey haveinge privatlye laide laide in Ambushe one Miles Bourke mcDavid late lievetenant to Captain John More bothe which but the daye beefore retorned home from the iourney of Collo Costello where they were infected, & directed as is before expred in symbol 31 [
<symbol 40 Rickard Bowrke mcDavid of Partrey stands vppon his keeping>
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Who cannot as yet inforce his obedience for the reason s herafter herin expressed
<symbol 41 weddensdaye 15 decem:> The people of Costello protected as afforsaide 13o december vppon the 15th of the same moneth with their whole forces marched to the barronye of kilmaine and notwithstandinge their proteccion or anie provision or Condicion therin Rifled the towne of Kilmaine Robbed all the Englishe therin tooke & drove away [
owte of all which they gave shares or Steages (as they call them) to diuers gentlemen & others their freinds theirabouts dwellinge (as is ref reported) whoe would not bee seene to have a hand in that vngodlye enterprise yet well approved therof and were not onely contented to give informacion vnto them whoe were persons fitt soe to bie dealt withall but alsoe to abett & aide them in that accion, & by that meanes to challenge by due desert (as they pretend) a share of they spoyle or English prey (as they terme it) which they hadd taken & I think e as carelesly all which I thinke was in verye shorte space by them as Careleslye & liberally spent as it was easilye & dishonestlye by them gotten soe that at this daye I thinke fewe of them cannot showe the worthe of vs [
<symbol 42 2 sonns of Antho: Garvey a Justice of peace Robbed my howse &c. 17o dec>
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<19 A The manner of the robberye at large described> together with one Thomas mcMorrye & diuers others [
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<20> shee was hath euer sithence beene preserved relieved an kept alive although shee is sithence deade as this examinant verilie thinketh by their vsage aforsaid beeinge at her bruisinge thither such a spectacle of miserye as would have moved the harte of anie turke or Jewe much more a Christian to compassion espetially consideringe the barbarous vsage of her whoe had euer beene bothe Charitable & helpfull sente all her poore neighbours & others & others & to somme of th e acters whoe either by from hir owne hands or at her owne charges or bothe have receaved helpes bothe in Phisick & Chirurgerye besids feedinge their bodyes without anie charge vnto them as [
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Then persons of the barronye of Kilmaine that and soe as I am informed Joyned & shared with them of {
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This deponent saithe that hee verylye beleveth that his dammages herby vppon the whole matter sustained as afforsaid together with the decayeinge & ry ruyninge of his dwellinge howse & other necessarye howses and tenements vppon the land spoylinge of his orchards & gardens cannot in all amount vnto less then Eleven hundred pownds ster wherof he wherin hee humblye prayeth speedye redress the and restitucion of his howse & lands
J. Bringhurst
Jur vt in al dep:
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