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Deposition of George Saunders

  • Reference:  MS 829, fols 431r-432v
  • County: Limerick
  • Date: 31/8/1656
  • Type: Commonwealth
  • Nature of Deposition: Captivity, Death, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery
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  • How to Cite
    • fol. 431r



    1706
    George Saunders of the Citty of Limerick Chandler Sworne & examined deposeth & saith That in the begining of the present Rebellion in the Citty & Countie of Limerick in the yere 1641 he this deponent lived in the Citty of Lymerick aforesaid And then Dominick ffanning Maior <A> of the same Cittie Nicholas Poore of the same Citty merchant John White fitz Davies Bartholomew Strich of the same Citty Merchant: William Comyn Alderman & divers others their consorts & Confederats whose names he cannott now Remember robbed & spoiled the English Protestantes of [ ] their goods & Comitted divers other outrags & Cruelties Insomuch as this deponent with his family wife (to save his liffe their lives) fled into the Castle of Limerick, where they with many other Protestantes stayd about five moneths, within which time divers so m e of the Protestantes of Limerick vizt Winifrid Eagle widow was throwne off a bridge in Limerick aforesaid into the River there & drowned as this deponent hath beene very often credibly told and beleeveth And this deponent saw the Carcasse of another woman drowned which lay vpon a rock nere the key walle & over against the Mills, but her name he knew not, neither doth he know whoe the Rebells were that drowned the said women or either of them, There was also a yong yowth servant to George Coyle slayne by some of the Rebells but knows not by whom: which yowth after he was slayne this deponent sawe lying dead in a feild nere Limerick aforesaid: And one John Maby & his wife were murthered near Nicholas Poers howse about halfe a myle out of St Johns gate: but whoe the murtherers were he cannott tell <B> Only he this deponent knowes that one Walter Bourke of Limerick a Drummer was said to be the man that Murthered them for he was imprisoned for the same yet made some meanes to get at Libertie: And another ancient man named Herny servant vnto Mr Richard Pope Inkeeper was slayne near the Castle gate but by whom he knowes not; & this deponent saw his body after it was soe slayne: All which murthers & drowning were Comitted in the first yere of the Rebellion in the time when the said Dominick ffanning & his complicees
    5

    fol. 431v



    1707
    aforesaid Comanded the Irish forcs in Limerick aforesaid but never heard that any was questioned or any way punished for the same: Hee further saith that within the holidayes of Christmas 1641 the now Lord of Castle Connell & his forcs assaulted Singland howse belonging to Collonell Trenchard & drove away his Cattle And some few of the said Lord of Castle Connells men entering the said howse were there repulsed were then & there slaine by some of Colonell Trenchardes people & the rest were repulsed yet tooke away the prey of Cattell And alsoe saith that by reason of the straite & long seige layd to the said Castle of Limerick & of want nere 300 people of the beseeghed beseeged died which and t he vnder myneing & falling downe of the Castle was the cawse that the Castle was at length surrendred vpon quarter <C> to Lieutenant Generall Barry Lieutenant generall Purcell one Collonell Purcell Oliver Stivinson, Murto Brian Esquire Cozen to the Lord of Thomond, Sir Geffrey Galway knight, the said Dominick ffanning the Lord viscount Muskery Christopher ô Brian Donogh mc Nemarrah of Cratlagh since deceased Colonell Dermott ô Brian since deceased Colonell Murtoe ô Brian Colonell Conner ô Brian All the last five named parties being of the Territorie of Thomond & Countie of Clare & by a great multitude of other Irish Rebells as well of the Countrie as of the said Citty of Limrick whose names hee cannott expresse
    Hee further saith that in the first yere of the Rebellion one George Saunders this deponents brother was murthered betwixt Castlebourk and Brodeford in Thomond in the high way but by whom he knoweth not: And in the Castle of Limerick there were shott by the Irish out of the Cittie theis Protestants vizt one Thomas young John Skigg John Hicks the yonger one Wethers sonn of John Wethers, a boatman of Captain Courtneys the wife of John Adams a Taylor besides others whom for

    fol. 432r



    1708
    for the present he cannott remember, which people were soe shott by when the said Generall Barry Lieutenant Generall Purcell Colonell Purcell Oliver Stivinson Murto Brian Sir Geoffrey Galway Dominick ffanning the Lord of Castle Connell lo & others their partakers lay before the Castle
    George Saunders
    Sworne vnto the Last of August
    1656
    Ro: Stamael
    Will: Kinge

    And this deponent (in addition to his former examinacion vpon oath saith further That he by meanes of the present Rebellion hath bin robbed & deprived of his goodes and chattells & dampnified in his meanes & estate the value of two hundred Powndes sterling
    George Saunders
    Sworne as abousaid
    Henry fflower
    Th sowthwell
    Tho: Waring

    fol. 432v



    1709
    George Saunders B 5

    B5



    Henry Flower
    Thomas Southwell
    Thomas Waring
    William King
    Robert Stamael



     

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