Deposition of Luce Spell
- Reference: MS 834, fols 006r-007v
- County: Louth
- Date: 5/2/1642
- Type: Dublin Original
- Nature of Deposition: Arson, Captivity, Robbery, Words, Confederacy
- How to Cite
fol. 6r
121
Luce Spell of Drogheda, in the County of Lowth widowe sworne and examined deposeth and saith
That she together with seuerall of her neighbours of drogheda about three weekes before Christmas Last past comeing out of England in a barque of Liverpoole; with an intent to harbour land in the harbour of drogheda were by contrary wynds driven into the habour of Skerries, where when they had cast ancker there came aboard them before any of them cold land one John Mallone a fryer, whoe taketh vpon him the tytle of the Chaplaine to the <A> Catholick army in Ireland, which fryer had then in his Company one John Wootton of Tanckardton nere Ballinruddery and one Jasper Hurlston of drogheda merchant, whoe tooke away from the said barque in a rebellious manner of the goods of this examinant and of the rest of her company seuerall truncks and packes of goodes as aforesaid and tooke this examinant with the rest of her fellow passengers with the goodes aforesaid to the howse of William Hulston in Skerrys aforesaid In which howse this examinant saw in the company <B> of the said fryer, one Barnaby Bellings of drogheda merchant Alderman, ffrancis hoath alias Saint Lawrence of the same gentleman merchant Christopher Malone of the same Merchant Robert Plunket of the same merchant brother to Alexander Plunket of the same, and Michael Murphy of Balruthery gentleman all which swordes and other armes in a rebellious manner, which said fryer (after he had distributed a part of the smallest of the said goods sent all the rest to Mathew alias Mathias Barnwells house in Bremmore, which Barnwell is now called Captaine Barnwell amongst the rebells, where (as she was then told) all goods aswell such as are rebelliously taken as aforesaid as other goods: are stored vpp for their saffe keeping And further deposeth that when the said goods were carried away as aforesaid she this Examinant, and the rest of her fellow passengers were taken as prisoners to Gormanston and were Lodged by the Lord of Gormanstons direccion in his stable for one night and the next day led to dulike, where she saw aswell the said <C> Lord of Gormanston as most of all the lords of the Pale and the principall gentlemen alsoe of the pale, whom she knew very well for that she hath lived for many yeres in drogheda
fol. 6v
(122)
& hath often seene them there And this deponent demanding what he was the cawse of their meetings there, was told by every one she asked, that it was about a Counsell of warr And further saith That she & her company being brought back, from dulike aforesaid vnto Balrutherry was there deteined as a prisoner for the space of three weekes, and was lodged in John Pasmeres howse there during which imprisonment she sawe one tyme the said ffryers Malone and the said Michaell <C> Murphy Garrett Newgent of drogheda marchant, John Griffin & Patrick Griffin of the same merchant s & Roger Belin of the same merchant with others in their company: and heard them in theire <2> Conference say wee will shortly have the prince of England here in Ireland, and make him viceroy: and we will tutor him and bring him vpp in the Catholick religion and the king himselfe shall live in Scotland, and before Easter day next wee <3> shall have an army out of spaine and then we will goe <4> all into England, and with the helpe of the Catholicks there (all whose names the said ffryer said that he had) we will putt all the puritants and protestants to the sword And she further saith that in her imprisonment afore said she saw severall tymes in company of the said fryer and the rest one <D> Walter Saint Lawrence of Curtlagh: Marks Bellinges of Ardlow dennis Connor of kilmaynham nere Ballruddery and many others whom she knows not with swords and other warlike armes, And that she heard the said Walter Saint Lawrence one tyme say: If wee could once take this starved towne of drogheda, we wold quickly have dublin, And saith that Alderman Bellinge was still Lodged with the said Mark Bellings as the said Alderman tould her, And further saith that the said Malone and his company when they first broght her goods and her fellow passengers from Skerrys they all lodged by the way at the said dennis Connors howse, whoe made them very welcome & afterwards this deponent was told by the said Connors wiffe, that she had a ruff and some other goods of this examinants which was taken at Skerries aforesaid And saith alsoe that she saw an earthern Jugg in the said dennis Connors howse whose wife told her that the same was given her by the said Mr. Malone And the said Pasmeres wife complaineing of a sore legg: this examinant told her that she had Balsime amongst her goods at Bremore, and it wold help her if she had it, wherevpon a messenger being sent thither the said messinger brought a box of Balsime, which the deponent sawe & knew to be her owne
fol. 7r
123
And this deponent further saith That during the time of her this Examinants imprisonment at Balruddery as aforesaid vpon the night when Sir Charles Coote and his company burned Clantarfe she sawe comeing to Balruddery aforesaid Geo: devenish of Balligriffin and his wiffe with their children and servants whom she heard talking in her lodging And deposeth that <E> the said devinish his wife sayd theis words: what have theis english brought [
The marke of the said Luce [
Jur 5o ffebr: 1641
William Aldrich
Will: Hitchcock
John Sterne
Hen: Brereton
fol. 7v
of
3253
Luce Spell of Droghedah
febr.5.1641.
Lowth
Intr 4 dec
Hand
are deposed
Robarte ff
O
3
Henry Brereton
John Sterne
William Aldrich
William Hitchcock