many of Our good Subjects Brittish and Protestants who have been seperated from their setled habitations and scattered in most lamentable manner and many others have beene deprived of their Lands Rents goods and Chattles And forasmuch as it is needfull to take due examination concerning the same Know ye that We reposing especiall trust and confidence in your fidelities care and provident circumspection have nominated and appointed you to be Our Commissioners and do hereby give unto you or any two or more of you full power and authority from time to time to call before you and examine upon oath which We hereby authorise you or any two or more of you to administer on the holy Evangelists As well all such persons as have been so Robbed and spoiled or deprived of their Lands Rents goods or Chattles as all the witnesses that can give testimony therein what Robberies and spoiles have been committed on them or any other to their knowledge since the two and twentieth of October last or shall hereafter be committed on them or any of them what Lands Rents goods or Chattles whereof any person or persons were or shall be so robbed spoiled or deprived to what valew by whom such robberies or spoiles were committed what their names are and where they now or last dwelt that committted those robberies or spoiles on what day or night the said robberies or spoiles committed or to be committed were done what Traiterous or disloyall words speeches or actions were then or at any other time uttered or committed by those robbers or any of them and what unfitting words or speeches concerning the present Rebellion or by occasion thereof were spoken at any time by any person or persons whatsoever what violence or other lewd actions were then performed by the said Robbers or any of them and how often what numbers of persons have been murthered by the Rebels or perished afterwards in the way to Dublin or other places whither they fled or retired for refuge either by way of defence or otherwise What person or persons Clergimen or other Protestants have become Papists since the said two and twentieth day fled or retired for refuge either by way of defence or otherwise What person or persons Clergimen or other Protestants have become Papists since the said two and twentieth day of October last and all other circumstances and things touching or concerning the said particulars and every of them either before the three and twentieth of October or since And for the better performance of this service all Incumbents Curats Parish-Clerks and Sextons of Churches in this Kingdome are hereby required to give in to you Our said Commissioners to the best of their knowledge the names and numbers of the poore so spoyled who have beene buried in their respective Parishes and hereafter in and about Dublin they are to give in weekly Bills under the hands of the Ministers or Church-wardens of such Parishes of such of the said persons as shall be so buried in the said Parishes And you our said Commissioners or any two or more of you as aforesaid are to reduce to writing all the Examinations which you or any two or more of you shall take as aforesaid and the same to return to our Iustices and Councell of this Our Realm of Ireland under the hands and Seals of you or any two or more of you as aforesaid Witnesse Our right trusty and wel-beloved Councellors Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet and Sir John Borlase Knight Our Iustices of Our Realme of Ireland At Dublin the eighteenth Day of January in the Seventeenth yeare of Our Reigne Carleton Examinations taken before us His Majesties Commissioners thereunto appointed by vertue of a Commission to us or any two or more of us directed under the great Seal of Ireland Dated the 23th day of December in the 17th yeare of his Majesties Reigne And by vertue of one other Commission directed as aforesaid bearing Date the 18th day of January in the yeare aforesaid The examination of John Day of Drumleiff in the County of Cavan Weaver THis Examinate duely sworne deposeth inter alia That the Rebells bad him open the doors of his House otherwise they would fire his House and they said that they had a Commission from the Queene and from beyond the Seas for what they did And that they would not suffer an English-man to stay in the land Jur. 8. Feb. 1641. John Day William Aldrich William Hitchcock The examination of Lucy Spell of Drogheda in the County of Lowth THis Examinate duly sworn deposeth inter alia That at Ballendary where she was prisoner three weeks and lodged in John Parsimers house during which imprisonment she saw one time John Malon a Fryar who taketh upon him the title of Chaplain to the Catholike Army in Ireland together with Michael Murffy Garret Newgent of Drogheda Marchant John Griffin and Patrick Griffin of the same Merchants Roger Belin of the same Merchant with others in their company and heard them in their conference say we will shortly have the Prince of England here in Ireland and make him Vice-Roy and we will tutor him and bring him up in the Catholike Religion and the King himselfe shall live in Scotland and before Easter day next we shall have an Army out of Spain and then we will go all into England and with the helpe of the Catholikes there all whose names the said Fryar said that he had we will put all the Puritans and Protestants to the sword The marke of the said Lucy Jur. 5. Feb. 1641. William Aldrich William Hitchcock John Sterne Henry Brereton The examination of John Biggar of Miltown in the County of Dublin Clerke THis Examinate being duely sworn deposeth inter alia That these words were spoken by the Rebells especially by their Leader For the third of December Edmond Eustace of Ballymore-Eustace that they did give us but our owne Law For whereas there was an Act made by the Councell of England in the absâ—nce and without the consent or knowledge of the King for the expelling banishing and putting away the Papists out of England and seizing of their goods which when they had there effected would have brought the like over hither for extirpation of the Irish Nation that are Papists These considerations for the defence of the Religion the Queens person and by the Kings license moved them to take Arms having the Scots for a president they have also vowed not to leave an English-man in Ireland The Kingdome they will have in their own hands Lawes of their own and a Deputy of their own without molestation or interruption of any other Nation This night at the Widdowes house of one Lawrence Purcell I met with one George Staples who for late years had taught the Children of the chiefe of the Gentry in our parts Having beene formerly acquainted with him he began to examine me what course I intended to take I told him I could not tell untill I
came to Dublin and therefore I desired to have his counsell and advise He began after this manner You intend to go to ublin saith he if you do you must go speedily for within two dayes the Irish Army will be before Dublin so that you cannot passe if you should get so much favour as to passe yet when you come to Dublin you will not be admitted to come within the Gates and in the Suburbs there are sixe or seven score dying daily for want of food so that there will be no abiding place for you If you intend to go for England the least childe you have will not be carried under twenty shillings and you saith he have not one penny if you should finde so much friendship as to passe gratis there are such a multitude of people that are gone out of this Kingdom that England being but a small Island and Populous of it selfe is not able to receive you if you should be received there can be no long continuing place for you for the Papists are striving in England as well as here the Queene being fled into France for some abuses offered her own Person her Servants and Chaplains which indignities the King of France intending to revenge hath leavied an Army of 40000 men to invade England and the Cardinall in Flanders hath leavied the like number to the like end and purpose therefore it will be no purpose to go thither Lord Mr Staples said I what shall I do then If you stay here you must do as they do and turn to Masse yet they will not trust you sayd he fearing least if the King of England should ever be able to bring an Army into this Country the turn-coat English should joyne with them and cut the Irish throats in a night as the English once did the Danes in England Therefore whosoever of the English should turn to the Romish Church they would also compell to take Armes and place them in the Front and eminent place of danger that so they might fall And for hereafter when they had gotten the Kingdome into their own hands which they make no question but to have in a short time having all the Forts Castles and strong-holds in Ireland in their own hands already but the Castle of Dublin and Drogheda and these two places they would not for many thousand pounds have gotten for reasons known unto themselves but when they have once obtained them and the Kingdome those English that have not fallen by the sword the holy Church hath so ordered it that they shall be cut off by the Inquisition so that they will not leave an English-man alive whose Ancestors hav◠not been here for 200 years with many other like words Jur. 29. Jan. 1641. John Biggar John Sterne William Aldrich William Hitchcock The examination of John Mountgomery late of Clounish in the County of Monaghan Gent. THis Examinate duely sworn e deposeth inter alia That in their journey and Marching within the County of Monaghan the Rebells murthered of his knowledge at the least fourescore Protestants and committed a number of other wicked barbarous and notorious Robberies and actions and by their owne relation robb'd stripped naked kill'd and drowned 45 of the Scots at one time and that the same Robbers also murthered Mr Blyth and Master Mathew two constant Protestant Preachers within the County of Tiron and murthered one Master Fullerton Parson of Loughall in the County of Armagh and neere fourescore more English more of Protestants by drowning and throwing them all over the Bridge of Portdown in the said County into the River Bann And further saith that the Rebells aforesaid or some of them confessed unto him and so he was told also by divers Scottish-men that they the same Rebells when they came to Armagh Monaghan and Dungannon set all the prisoners at liberty and that they broke open and defaced the Church of Armagh and burned the pewes pulpit and the best things in the said Church And this Deponent whilest he was with the same Rebells saw them to pull in peeces kick up and down deface and spoyl all the Protestant Bibles and other protestant books that they found in any place where they came neither this Deponent nor any other protestant prisoner nor other durst so much do as to save or looke upon any of them in their sight nor would they willingly suffer any one to speak the English tongue And further it was pretended that it was agreed in the Parliament House of England thet the Nobility and Gentry of Ireland should be sent for to Dublin unde colour of passing Patents of their Lands and there should be imprisoned untill such time as they should either go to the Protestant Church or should be put to death And if they should go to the Church yet not to be released untill they had given security that their followers should go to the Church also otherwise to bring them in to be censured And further saith That when the Rebells of the County of Monaghan had surprized or had command of all that County some of them said that they would be governed by the Roman Law and some by the English Law which they knew better And said further That when they had taken Dublin and Drogheda Derry and Knockfergus which they did not doubt but to conquer before Candlemas then next they would have a Parliament and would settle a Government but would have no Protestants amongst them but that they would suffer English or Scottish to be Deputies Lords Justices or Judges so that one of the Irish Nation might be joyned with them and so that all should go to Masse And the same Rebells publikely and generally also said That they made no account but to keep Ireland for ever in regard they had of their own Souldiers two hundred thousand fighting men besides labourers and they expected from the King of Spain according to his promise fifteen thousand souldiers and Arms and money fit for them and from the King of France some Ayd because the Queen of England his sister was so deprived of liberty of religion And the same Rebells also further said in this Deponents hearing That in all forraigne parts it was agreed and resolved that all Protestants or others that would not go to Masse should be put to the Sword And this Deponent further saith That he did hear Neale mac Kenny Baron of Trough neer Glaslock a notorious Captain of the Rebells say That the King had sent directions from Scotland that Sir Pbelomy Roe ô Neale Knight should be Generall of all His Majesties Forces in Ireland against the English and that he the said Neale mac Kenny should be Governour of the three Counties of Tyrone Armagh and Monaghan And that therefore he the said Neale mac Kenny and the rest of the Irish Forces would after their conquest of Ireland go into England and there by the assistance of the English papists also conquer the same And that from thence they
any longer for they would govern it themselves S And that their Religion should flourish in despight of King or State T In all which having broken thorow the due bounds of their Allegiance their vain and ambitious thoughts rove without knowing any limits It will not now content them to settle anew and mold again this Kingdom to their own Modell by calling of Parliaments making Laws and appointing their own Governours V Thus discourse they of the modestest sort but they will with the assistance of Spain and France set footing in England and after that in Scotland W where all things being setled to their desires the whole Forces of Ireland in way of retribution and acknowledgement of gratitude are intended for the King of Spain against the Hollanders X Unto which their disloyalty to theirs and our most gracious Soveraign they have added expressions of unheard of hatred to His Brittish Subjects of this Kingdom banishment or slavery are the greatest favours that would be afforded them But their generall profession is for a generall extirpation even to the last and least drop of English blood Y Which that it may be drayned to the full such of the English as cannot prescribe a settlement in this Kingdom for two hundred yeers are to be cut off and that notwithstanding they be of the Romish Sect It being to that end provided That such as do revolt to their part should for the present be accepted of yet so disposed as being drawn into the List of their Army they should be set upon the most dangerous Enterprises so either to be made away or to serve their own turns of them And what the Sword cannot for the present effect an Inquisition like that in Spain for finding out the Jewish and Moorish blood shall in time thorowly accomplish Z As for the future their Covenant is That no English should ever set footing again in Ireland A Even the very Language must be forgotten none being to speak English under a penalty B But that which exceeds all Not an English Beast or any of that breed must be left in the Kingdom C And as we finde the hearts of these men in their tongues so in their actions doing what they professe and being in both beyond all measure profane and heathenish in their impious words and behaviours towards God and the holy Scriptures Religion and the places of Gods publike Worship Blaspheming our God bidding his servants whom they had first T V stripped naked to go to their God and let him give them clothes D Breaking into Churches burning Pulpits Pues and all belonging thereunto with extreme violence and expression of hatred to our Religion and triumphing also in their impiety E Professing That not one Protestant should be left in the Kingdome F Dragging some Professors thorow the streets by the hair of the head into the Church where stripping whipping and cruelly using them they added these taunting words If you come tomorrow you shall hear the like Sermon G How have our sacred Books of holy Scriptures been used Gods Book hath been O horrible cast into and tumbled in the Kennell thence taken up and dashed in the faces of some Professors with these words I know you love a good lesson this is an excellent one come to morrow you shall have as good H They have torn it in pieces I kicked it up and down K treading it under foot with leaping thereon they causing a Bag-pipe to play the while L laying also the leaves in the kennell leaping and trampling thereupon saying A plague on it This Book hath bred alltne quarrell hoping within three weeks all the Bibles in Ireland should be so used or worse and that none should be left in the Kingdom M and while two Bibles were in burning saying that it was hell-fire that was burning N wishing they had all the Bibles of Christendome that they might use them so But what Pen can set forth what Tongue expresse whose Eye can reade Ear hear or heart without melting consider the cruelties more than barbarous dayly exercised upon us by those inhumane blood-sucking Tygers Stripping quite naked Men Women and children even children sucking upon the Brest O whereby multitudes of all sorts in the extremitie of that cold season of Frost and Snow have perished Women being dragged up and down naked P Women in child bed thence drawn out and cast into prison Q One delivered of a childe while she was hanging R One ripped up and two children taken away and all cast unto and eaten by swine S One other stabbed in the breast her childe sucking T An Infant cruelly murthered whom they found sucking his dead mother slain by them the day before V A childe of 14 years of age taken from his mother in her sight cast into a Bog-pit and held under water while he was drown'd W The forcing 40 or 50 Protestants to renounce their profession and then cutting all their throats * What should we speak of their murthers X their hanging half-hanging and that oft times reiterated they delighting in the tortures of the miserable Z Hence some being left wounded in vain crying out that they might be dispatched A This being purposely done that these wretches might languish in their miserie their tormentors affirming that their Priests commanded them so to do B What should we speake of those 30 or 40 burnt in one House and 50 in another C the denying of buriall to the dead D whereby Christians have been eaten by Dogs and Dogs tearing Children out of the wombe the bloudy beholders relating such things with boasting and great rejoycing E And to make perfect the measure of their cruelty Two were said to be buried alive F and others that had been long buried digged up they saying that the Churches could not be Consecrated while Hereticks bodies or bones lay therein G The cruell usage of those 48 poore prisoners in the Gaole of Monaghan H Of those in the County of Armagh after drowned in the River of the Ban to the number of 80 I or 100. K or 196 L as it is diversly reported those 45 drowned together M And those 179 burnt in one house x All these we refer to the reading of the severall depositions concerning them hereunto annexed But how can that be forgotten or where shall it be beleeved which we hear to have been done in the Church of Newtown in the County of Fermanagh where a childe of Thomas Strettons was boyled alive in a Caldron A thing which as one bare reports we durst not so neither can we now with confidence enough present it to that your honourable Assembly nor can we averre it for true otherwise then as by concurring examinations we finde them solemnly deposed whereunto we desire to