1641 Depositions

Trinity College Dublin

Deposition of Michael Swainton

Reference: MS 829, fols 381r-382v
County: Limerick
Date: 2/9/1653
Type: Commonwealth
Nature of Deposition: Death, Desecration, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery

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fol. 381r

1751
Michael Swainton of the Citty of Limerick gent sworne & examined deposed & saith That in the begining of the present Rebellion Dominick Fanning the Maior of Limerick Limerick & his Complicees Rebells of that Citty & other Countrie Rebells were soe active in their robbing spoiling <A> & hurting of the English that he this deponent with much difficultie & through much danger gott into the great Castle of Limrick And the very same night that this deponent came thither one whose surname he thincks was Baldwin (an English man, very old & decrepite) was murthered nere the said Castle by some Rebell or Rebells vnknowne to the deponent: About the same tyme an English woman was cast off Ball bridg in Limrick into the River & drowned but by whom he knowes not; Another English man about that tyme (whoe was very old) was alsoe murthered nere the said Castle but by whom this deponent knoweth not And the deponent saw the Corps of the man after [ ] it was soe murthered, but durst not goe to inquire after the Murther or Murtherers for feare he should have bin slaine himself, And while he was in the said Castle he this deponent saw the carcasses of twoe of one Englishwoman who had been drowned & lay on the rock vnder the Castle for 2 or 3 dayes to his remembrance And it was credibly reported that when she was drowned shee was great with child, but how many more were drowned or by whom he cannott tell: He further saith that there died of want in the Castle a great number of the [ ] English & there were alsoe divers of the English shott & slaine in the Castle as Tho: jones Young John Skigg William Blake one Mr Beech and Mr Manwaring one woman & two young yowths & divers others whom he cannott name at the time when Generall Barry <B> Maior Generall Purcell Christopher Brian brother to the Lord of Inshequin Dominick ffanning Sir Geoffrey Galway two of the said ffannings sonns Doctor Higgins & a great number of others Rebells beseeged & lay before the same Castle of Limerick He alsoe saith that some of the wicked rebbells whose names he knoweth not came into Munchoins Church in Limerick & there digged out of his grave the bodie of the late Reverend Bishop Webb & robbed him of his shrowd
B 13

fol. 381v

1752
Shrowde which was done presently after the said Bishop was Buried & alsoe soon after that the Castle was delivered vp vpon quarter to the Irish
Michaell Swanton
Deposed vnto the 2d day
of September 1653
Henry fflower
Will: Kinge
Tho: Waring
Ro: Stamael

fol. 382r

1753

fol. 382v

1754

Michaell Swanton B 13

B 13

Henry Flower
Thomas Waring
William King
Robert Stamael