1641 Depositions

Deposition of John Kerdiff

Reference: MS 839, fols 012r-016v
County: Tyrone
Date: 28/2/1642
Type: Dublin Original
Nature of Deposition: Arson, Assault, Captivity, Desecration, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Signs and Wonders, Stripping, Succour, Words

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fol. 12r

1380
9
At Dongannon they had reported of a vision seene a little before this insurrection began, a woman compassing about the town with a speare in her hand when any would approch her she would seeme to goe from them when any would goe from her she would draw neere to them. the like they say appeard before Tyrones last former rebellion At armagh Colonel Plunket {told} vs of another vision seene at Lysnegarvy which he & about twentie more beheld after the battle (wherein the Irish lost very many of their men & most of their armes) there was an house sett on fier at the end of the towne, by the light of which fier they discerned a number of horsmen riding to & fro, the number seem’d to the Colonell to be about a 1000 or 1500, [ ] vpon which relation I was bold to inquire whither they seemd their owne or their enemies, he answered that somtyme they conceiued them their own: otherwhile their enemies yet I beleeue they could hardly seeme their owne because amongst them they had not neere so many horses: I further desired to know what they supposed them to bee he sayd they were conceiued to be fayries or such like.
At Ardtra we were sett vpon by some of the scotts (of whom Robert Stewart brother to the Lo: of Castlestewart was cheife) who tooke some of the goods out of the house and many of our horses & armes from vs.
John Kerdiff
Jurat the last of ffer: 1641
William Aldrich
Jo. Sterne

fol. 12v

1381

fol. 13r

1372
1.
John kerdiff Rector of the parish of Disertcreagh in the Barony of Dungannon and countie of Tyrone duly sworne saith. That on or about the 4th day of November Last, he was at Ardtra at mr Bradleys house the parson of Ardtra & Balliclogg in the same Barony and Countie and there robbed and despoyld by the Rebells of his goods of the valews following
li. s. d.
In bookes -------------------------------------------------- 20-0-0
In horses --------------------------------------------------- 17-0-0
In debts & reddy moneys & arrearages of rents ---- 94-0-0
In wearing Clothes & houshold goods ---------------- 36-0-0
In Tieths this yeare 1642 --------------------------------100-0-0
All amounting to the summ of ------------------------- 267-0-0
I
< [ ] > for The trayterous actions committed, and words spoken by the [ ] rebbels against the protestants were as followeth oct. 23 & 24 1641 they surprisd these forts viz. <+> Dungannon, Charlemont, Castle caufield, Mountjoy Munnymore, Castle Blaney, Monaghan Newry in a word & all the Cheife forts in the Counties of Armagh and Tyrone. and ransackt euery towne & house wich belonged either to Englishman or Scotch

fol. 13v

1373
2.
They murthered the very first day mr Mader minister of the parish of Donoghmore by some of the Donellies within a while after they murthered mr New Curate to mr Bradley of the ch{ur}ch of Ardtra by one of the Quins the minister of Dung{a}nnon (mr Blith) with [ ] eight more were murthered, being first stript, & after driuen out of the towne vnder Colour of Conduct and within half a mile, to the towne murthered, mr Blith holding Sir phelomys protection in his hand as if he would call Gods vengeance downe on such treacherous trucebreakers.
It was also related to me that mr Fullerton minister of Loughgale and mr Morgan Aubrey were kild at the Bridge at port of Downe, at which tyme about threescore 4xx or an 100 of the inhabitants of Loughgale were cast into the river & there drowned
Many more murthers were comitted on the English and Scotch
And as to robberies This deponent says Mr Brodely of Ardtra was robbed [ ] to the value of 1000 li. as I suppose and Whiles he was robbing Sir Phelim o Neile & his company passed by Thos and they passed by and soone after he was turned out naked out of his house, the Rebbels neither, leauing dublet coat hat nor shirt with him
his wife is fallen into an extreme frenzy by these outrages.

fol. 14r

1374
3.
Mr Dunbar minister of Donoghenrie with his wife and fiue or six small children with and old father and mother were al of them shipt & rob’ds of whatsoeuer goods ther or wearing c{lot}hes they had so that for a while the man was { dis } distracted, & after compeld to tye some straw about his thighs to couer his nakedness and was whipt as I was certainly informed and what was becom of him his wife or children no man in that country could tel me, thogh I Liued within 3 miles of him.
mr Wright Archdeacon of Dromore had his house which cost him much burnt; I see himself his wife & two children in most extreme misery at charlemont from whence they journeyed to kinard.
Mr Robison minister of kilmore and his wife liued miserably at Loughgale hauing nothing left to satisfy nature but what they could procure by begging other s distressed like them
Mr Hastings was thr minister of Tullaniskin did was turnd turned out of his lodging & stript stark naked and clad in beggars clothes not a sho to his foot in which state he came to the house wherin I was lodged where we dur the people of the house durst not giue him lodging lea fearing least he should be murthered, for twice the next day there was serch made for him

fol. 14v

1375
4.
Sir William Brambey had his towne & Castle burned and al his goods taken away. wh
what that I say more And indeed Al the English & Scot’sh in the countys of Armagh & T yrone (a few onely excepted) were not left worth a farthing
at Armagh Archdeacon maxwel related that about fortie men women & children were drowned at Corbridge neere glaslough the children going merily hand in hand as to a place of refuge, and one of their company having licence to pray prayd so effectually, that one of his exectioners went frantick with the conceite of his impious fact
When the rebbels came from the siege of Oghar they (Like so many bears robbed of their whelps) kild euery scott they mett withall; two they kild within less then a flight shot to the house where I was. at one mr Harisons neere benburb, where by an ambush layd for me, by one of mr Harisons seruants I was brought into an ambush from the house about .10. of the clock at night and was by 3 rogues more & my guide, I was stript of al my clothes & left stark naked, and compeld with a sternles shirt & a skullious Jerkin, which he gott without any thing to couer my lower parts, in the company only of a poore Englishman a Tanner to trauell about two miles in the frost and snow, and were compeld to lye in a cold open barn, expecting euery hower of the night to be slaine by rogues that went about the barn, this was the 3d tyme, but most cruel of my stripping

fol. 15r

1376
5.
The words which I tooke notice of was these Sir Phelim o Neyle told others in my hearing that he had commission for what he did, not onely from most of the cheife of the nobility of this kingdom, but from his Maiestie; and had also letters to that purpose from the Erle of Argile.
and that their intentions were onely for the libertie of their religion, and for the recouery of those lands which should appeare by the law of the land to be <T> vniustly held from them.
and for the Kings prerogatiue
& There were certain reports spread among them that the king was beheaded in Scotland.
Colonell plunkett told vs at Armagh that seing this exploit was begun he was one of the cheif plotters therof & was seauen years Employd in the <T> compassing of it.
At Newry we found a prophesy much vndervaluing his Maiestie wherby may be seen the loyalty of such as would Entertaine such fopperies
[ ] them here

fol. 16r

1378
7.
And saith [& saith ] The men which I tooke notice of <b> which bore part in this caus rebellion were
Sir Phelim o Neyle general, of Kinard
Turlogh o Neyle lieut general
Turlogh grom o Quin in the parish of Donoghmore Marshal gouernor of Mountjoy
Cormock o Hagan Governor of Munnimore
Nele oge o Quin Capt. at Lissan
Randal mc Donelly Gouernor of Dungannon
Patrick Moder oDonelly of Castle Caufield
Capt. Shane o Neyle of killaman of Charlemount
Capt. Manus o Cane [Esq?] of Loughgale
Capt. Bryan Kelly of Charlemont
Capt Alex Hovenden in the parish of Tinan
Capt. o Hagan Junior son to Cormock o Hagan
Phelim o Donelly

fol. 16v

1379
8.
At Armagh they rested better then in other places, for elswhere as at Dongannonn Loghgale Monimore & the parts adiacent al the English & Scotsh a very few onely except were robd & stript & cast out of their houses but at Armagh some of the English fared but somwhat better, for thogh al their beasts abroad were taken from them, yet many of them enioyd whatsoeuer they had within their houses, and some of them had their houses filled with the distressed English, as mr Chappel where {w}as mr southwick mr whittakers mr Bradly & his wife, mr Bennet, & divers others so that the eu{er}y roome of the house was filled.
At Tom Taylors likewise were Sir William Bromley & his lady & his children & many others so in like manner elswhere where I was not acquainted.
these at Armagh had better quarter then Elswhere for at the first insurrection they fortified the ch. and kept out the rebbels, but at length vpon the promise of faire quarter vnder the hand & seale of Sir Phelomy they trusted themselues to his promise.
mr John Kerdiffe
com. Tirone
Mr Cheesman minister of Lyssan and disertlin was the 1st day imprisoned in the Castle of Munnimore al his goods and moneys seysd vpon and a fortnight after with the rest of the inhabitants of munnimore was sent out of the towne.
Mr Beveridge minister of Killaman was Robd & stript and turnd out of his house with his wife & children and liued at Loghgale when I left the Country.
[ ]

1638

John Sterne
William Aldrich

Trinity College Dublin