« Back to results

Deposition of Riccard Bourk

  • Reference:  MS 835, fols 238r-239v
  • County: Fermanagh
  • Date: 12/7/1643
  • Type: Dublin Original
  • Nature of Deposition: Apostacy, Desecration, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Words
  • Print
  • How to Cite
    • fol. 238


    664
    Riccard Bourk of Eniskillin in the Countie of ffermanagh Bachelor in divinity and minister of gods word sworne & examined saith That in since the begining of the present Rebellion and by meanes thereof this deponent Hee was depriued robbed or otherwise despojled of his goodes and Chattells Consisting of Cattle howshold goodes Rents debts and other thinges of the value & to his present Losse of nyne hundred poundes sterling & hee is like to be deprived of and Loose the future proffitts of his landes of inheritance & Schoole landes & meanes worth twoe hundred and nyntie pounds per annum By < a > the Rebells Brian mc Gowran of Largie in the County of Cavan gent and by a Company of Rebells the servantes souldjers & such as that came to doe the fact out of the Castle of Donnell mc Nemarra of Mountallon in the County of Clare Esquire and by another company of Rebells Comanded by Redmond Bourk of Kilconrney in the County of Galway Esquire: And further saith That he credibly heard and verily beleeveth it of the burneing and killing of one hundred protestantes at least, which were murthered by the Rebells in the Castle of Tully in the County of ffermanagh [w ] and that the same was done after faire quarter promised as he heard < b > And further that Hughe mc Guire mc [jeegana?] a popish preist att Lotherstowne stood by as Comander and Judge while fifteene English protestantes were hanged by Rogues by him brought thither for that purpose: as he verily beleeveth & hath heard that divers of which English were persons of good estate & qualitie; One Hughe Nickson a protestant and his wiffe were murthered at Kinally by some of the Children of Phelim ô Cassidey & others, the said Phelim haveing then the goodes of the said Nickson, formerly < 4 > putt into his handes in trust And further saith that twoe hundred and fowr score English (by credible report
    < Mr W Mr A >
    1

    fol. 238v



    665
    perrished by meanes of the seidge at the Castle of Limrick And that 500 or thereabouts or more perished att Bunrattie in the County of Clare with famine & want T his deponent this deponent was likewise informed that Mr Lodge the archdeacon of Killalow being buried about Eight six yeres since, His H is and divers other ministers bones were digged out of their graves as patrons of heresies by direccion of one Melone titulary Bishop of Killalowe: One Robt Jones minister & preacher of godes word, (whom the Rebells seemed to favour and speake well of) was not admitted Christien buriall after hee was dead, by directcion of the some popish preists; Albeit some of his frendes being Rebells (in regard of the goodnes of the man) much solicited that he might haue Christian buriall: but were denyed: Because (as they said, Hereticks must not be buried in hallowed ground
    The preistes and fryers, (as hee observed generally and of his the deponentes knowledge (in some instances) were great Incendiaries of Cruelties And in this deponentes hearing one wishing that the English protestantes in Ireland were all in Newfoundland, A preist standing by maliciously answered: That he would not wish soe good Land to bee defyled with them And further saith that Ever mc Maghan preist now Titulary Bishop of Downe & a man of note in the Rebells prime Supreame Counsell is as this deponent hath heard & beleeveth a prime Contriver & a violent prosecuter of this Rebellious plott, And saith that most heavy [ ] sensalesse oathes was imposed vpon the protestantes remaineing amongst them at Limerick & els where for houlding confederacie with the Rebells, viz that they should sweare that they were not puritans nor would any way dire[c]tly or indirectly oppose < theyr religion or the popes Supremacie or the doctrine of the holy Romane Catholique Church > which some of their owne more Judicious papistes refused to take and was very frequentlly upon exception taken even of there owne altered And sayeth alsoe that [ ] [ ] one of the ô Brians of Thomond [ ] did read and relate in this deponentes hearing seuerall prophecyes of Saint Patrick and of Collumkill the Saint of Derry, of Berricanns another of theire Saintes & of ffeon M c Macke woill an ould Irish Champion: and the deponent sawe an English booke printed in the Low
    2

    fol. 239r



    666
    Low Cuntries) importing another prophecy of Saint Patrick (in the handes of one of the Rebells) All which prophecies the Rebells did conceive to import the extirpation of the English, and the setling of the whole Kingdome in the irish And theis prophecys are very comonly & in Confidently & vehemently vrged & iustified by their Preistes for vndoubted verities: and amongst the rest there is one prophesie to this effect: Do behar cach Downaskia cur fear Ballachiach er gool murfie Ierla Thraly fear midi Rie ana crue: which is thus Englished
    Att Downeskia a fight shalbe
    & Dublin Citty shalbe fane
    The King his Viceroy at Aerne
    By the Erle of Traly shalbe slaine
    The Rebells speake much of a dismall fatall blow which the English shall receiue (say they) in a Battaile at Cassangell: which they vnderstand to be Singland at the South gate of Limerick: Saying that that shalbe a finall end of the war and thenceforth the irish alone shall enioy the Kingdome of Ireland to thend of the world: And that there is a prophesy amongst them of the destruccion of Kilkenny to this effect That O Callaghans horsboy (taking the briddle off his horse in the Cathedrall place of Kilkenny) shall there ask where was the Church of Kilkennie: There is another prophesy amongst them that Ross shalbe distroyed & left without either stick or stake And this deponent further sayeth that he credibly heard from severall and believeth that one of the Kenedyes a bloudy rebell and his companie murthered at the Silver mynes in the Countie of Tipperary twenty fowre English men after they were turned to Masse, And afterwardes he drowned himselfe Becawse hee
    3

    fol. 239v


    667

    was not suffered to goe on and exercise the like cruelty against the other English (as this deponent hath alsoe credibly heard) And this deponent himselfe hath seene divers protestantes dead long after they have beene murthered in seuerall placs within the < A > County of ffermanaghe, by the Rebells: And further sayeth that it was a generall report amongst the Rebells in the said County of Kil divers Countyes of Ireland: that the Popish Clergie beyond the Seas: Did and would assist them with gunpowder and armes in this warr which they call the holy warr of the Confederate Catholicks R. Bourk
    < Item>And this deponent heard it from the mouthes of the preistes & fryers themselues within this kingdome of Ireland That the present warr there mainteined by & on the part of the irish was by the popish Clergy beyond sea publiquely preached applauded & Comended above all other warrs whatsoever by the tytles of the holy warr, & the Catholique [f ] warr in distroying of the puritants whom they called hereticks
    R Bourk
    Jur xijo July 1643
    Joh Watson
    Will: Aldrich

    Fermanagh
    Riccard Bourk Jur 12o July 1643
    [ ] Cert fact & dat
    Intw Hand
    Exr
    176

    109



    John Watson
    William Aldrich



     

Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2