Hidden Works of Darkness Brought to Public Light, Floating text 41
Iohn Carmicks Testimony upon Oath to the Iury in Court at the Kings Bench in Westminster Hall, upon the triall of Hugh Oge Mac Mahon, Esquire the 18. of November, 1644.
THat upon the 21. of October 1641. Fergus O Howen one of the followers or servants of Bryan Mac Gwire Esquire, came to my Chamber in the Castle of Eniskillin, in the County of Fermanagh in Ireland, and after, he indeavoured to bind me to keepe secret a matter of great concernment, which he said he had to disclose unto me, and particularly to conceale it from Sir William Cole, and all other English-men: He discovered unto me that the Lord Magwire, and the above named Hugh Oge Mac Mahon, accompanied with sundry Irish-men of the Counties of Fermanagh and Monaghan, did take their Iournies out of the said Counties upon the nineteenth and twentieth daies of October, 164…. to the City of Dublin, with resolution and intent, to surprise, and seaze upon his Majesties Castle of Dublin, and to murther*Note. and kill his Highnesse Lords Justices, and Councell of the Kingdome of Ireland, and the rest of the Protestants there; and also to possesse themselves of the City of Dublin, and to put all the Protestants there likewise to the Sword, and that to that effect; there were other great men and others of the Papists of that Kingdom to repaire unto and meet them in Dublin on Saturday 23. Octob. 1641. or there abouts.
And that all the Castles, Forts, Sea…ports, and Holds that were in the possession of the Protestants in the severall Counties and Provinces in the Kingdome of Ireland, were then also designed and resolv…d to be surprised and taken by the Irish Papists, and the Protestants in every of those Castles Forts, Sea-ports and Holds,Note. to be then also put all to the sword by the Irish Papists in Ireland, in their owne severall parts and limits, by men thereunto chiefly and particularly appointed by the contrivers thereof.
And especially this Castle and Towne of Eniskillin (with the rest) will also be taken,Note. and all you that be Protestants in it put to the sword▪ whereof I give you this notice, advising you to get your selfe and goods out of this Towne and Castle with all expedition, and sell your stocke, of Cattle, and whatsoever else you have in the Country, for any money that you can get for them; for I assure you these things that I tell you will come to passe before it be seaven daies next after this day, and this Castle and Towne will be no place of refuge or safety for you; wherefore I desire and advise you againe, to get you hence, with all speed,Note. for the warre against the English and Protestants will be universally raised throughout the Kingdome of Ireland, which if you finde not to be true (as I say) before it be full fourteen daies to an end, then I will give you leave to cut off my head. Whereupon I presently acquainted Sir William Cole with this, and even then also one Flartagh Mac Hugh a Gentleman and Free-holder of that County came to the said Sir William the said one and twentieth of October in Anno 1641. declaring upon Oath, that the Plot for the surprising of the Castle and City of Dublin, the Castle of Eniskillin, and all the Castles and strengths in Ireland (which were in the possession of Protestants in that Kingdome,Note. together with some further mischiefe to be done to the Protestants in generall) was to be put in full execution by the Papists upon the 22. and 23. of October 1641▪ throughout the said Kingdome: And that Bryan Mac Coconnaught Mac Gwire Esquire, did send him the said Flartagh Mac Hugh, to give notice and warning thereof, to the said Sir William Cole, whom he earnestly desired to be upon his Guard, upon Friday the 22. and Saturday the 23. of October 1641. For the Lord Magwire, who is gone with Mac Mahon (this Prisoner now at the Ba…) and others to Dublin this weeke, with purpose to possesse themselves of th… Castle and City of Dublin, hath written his letters lately to Conn O Rourke, Owen O Rourke, Murtagh Oge O Flumagon and others, to goe on with that Plot in these parts; and hath appointed his Brother Rory Mac Gwire in his absence to command the Irish Papists of this County of Fermanagh, for the surprising of the Castles and houses of the Protestants, and especially this Castle and Towne of Eniskillin. And after he had ended this Relation, he requested the said sir William Cole and me, that his name should not be used as in discovering of the said evills, least it should prove his ruine and destruction amongst his Country men; and thereupon he departed, promising to returne with further Intelligence of the progresse of that matter unto the said Sir William Cole.
Of all which the said Sir William dispatched letters of notice unto the Lords Iustices and Councell of Ireland the same day, and also gave notice by severall other letters and Messengers to his Neighbours, the undertakers, and other Protestants in the severall parts next adjoyning to him.
And yet upon the 23. of October 1641. Redmond Mac Rory Mac Mahon, (cousen German of the prisoner at the Bar) with armed multitudes and Collours displayed, did enter into the Town of Clownis, in the county of Monaghan, and possessed themselves of the Castle and all other houses there, and did rob and spoyle the Protestants, viz. Edward Aldrith Esquire and others, of all their money, plate, houshold-stuffe, goods and chattels, within and without doores, as Robert Aldrith Gentleman, Iohn Mac Reavy and others affirmed upon Oath, before the said sir William Cole.
And upon the 23. of October 1641. or there abouts, Art Roe Mac Mahon Esquire, kinsman of the prisoner at the Bar, did surprise and seaze upon the Castle, Fort, and Towne of Monaghan in the County of Monaghan, did rob, strip and dispoile, hang and kill the Protestants there; as namely, Richard Blayney Esquire, a Parliament man, Luke Ward Gentleman and others, and did then also imprison the Lady Blayney, wife of Henry Lord Blayney, and some of her servants and others Protestants, as was also affirmed upon Oaths of the persons afore-said, before the said sir William Cole.
And Colonell Mac Bryan, Mac Mahon of Fearney (being the Earle of Essex his Lands in that County) another kinsman of the prisoner at the Bar, did break out the same time into open Rebellion in the said County of Monaghan, he being a Papist▪ and a Member of the Parliament then in Ireland, as was also affirby the persons afore-said upon Oath before the said sir William Cole.
And Neill Mac Kennay of the Troogh Esquire, another kinsman of the prisoner at the Bar, did rebell the day aforesaid, in manner aforesaid, in the said County of Monaghan, and did seaze upon the Castle of Glosslogh, and imprison Mr. Robert Barkclay a Protestant Minister, and his wife, after he had robbed them of all their goods: he the said Minister and others did upon Oath also affirme before the said Sir William Cole, and Redmond Mac Mahon, cousen German of the prisoner at the Bar, with Colours displayed, and armed multitudes did upon the 18. day of December 1641. or there abouts, come with Rory Mac Gwire with armed men, in all to the number of 1500. or there abouts, before the Castle of Lisgoole in the County of Fermanaugh in Ireland, where they murthered and burned Thomas Grahum Gentleman, Matthew Moore a Protestant Minister, Richard Peasant, Richard Rainebow, and others to the number of one hundred thirty and one protestants or there abouts.
And also the same Rebells afterward, viz. upon the 25. of December, 1641. or there abouts, after quarter given unto Tho. Trotter, Francis Trotter, Alexander Bell, and other Protestants, to the number of 152. persons or there abouts, which for safety of their lives, fled into the Castle of Tully in the County of Fermanagh, belonging to sir Geo▪ Hume Baronet,Note. did murther them all, & then burned the said Castle the same day, which was done by the cōmand or permission of the said Rory Mac Gwire, brother of the said Lord Mac Gwire, by the aggravation and councel of one Patrick O Cassedie a papist Fryer, who concluded his invective Exhortation in these or the like words,Note. I will take the sin and guilt of the bloud of these Heretiques upon my Soul, and do absolve you all thereof, and therefore spare not one of them.
This proved upon Examination of Edmond Grace, Rich: Fawcet, and divers other English Protestants (that were then present) upon oath before the said Sir William Cole, whose Examinations I did write, and did see and hear the several examinants depose the same. And I did see the said Castles on fire about the times aforesaid.
And further I say, that I have heard sundry credible persons in Ireland relate, that the Roman Catholiques in that Kingdome,Note. did brag and report that they did destroy 152000. Protestants in the province of Ulster, in the beginning of this late Rebellion; and the Examinations of sundry English and Scotch men protestants (taken upon Oath at severall times by Sir William Cole a Iustice of Peace in the County of Fermanagh in Ireland) doth particularly shew the number of 764▪ Protestants hanged, kild, burned, and drowned in that County by the Rebells there in that Rebellion, besides many that were cut off, touching whom no evidence could appeare.
And it was averred upon the Oaths of Flartagh mac Hugh, Iohn Oge mac Hugh, and Terlagh Oge Mac Hugh before the said Sir William Cole, that 150. men were appointed to surprise the Castle of Eniskillin, under the leading of Don Magwire and Bryan Mac Rory, Mac Gwire, Note.who were to murther the said Sir William Cole and his wi…e, children and servants, and throw them over the wall into the River, and then to doe the like unto the Protestants in the Town and Corporation of Eniskillin; for which service they were not only to have the spoyle and riches of the said Castle and Town, but to have also the Barony of Clanawley granted and confirmed in Fee to them and their Heires from the said Lord Mac Gwire and his Heires. And the said Don Mac Gwire was for the same taken (in February or March last, or there abouts by the said Sir William Cole, to whom he confessed upon his Examination, that he was to have surprised and taken the Castle and Town of Eniskillin the 23. of Octo. 1641. but denyed that he had any intent to kill the said Sir William, or his wife, or children; wherefore the said Sir William did commit him to prison in his Majesties goal at Eniskillin about February or March 1643. where he remained the 18. of May 1644. when the said sir William and my self came on his Iourney hither into England, and where I beleeve he yet continueth in safe custody, and so will until he be brought to Iustice. Iohn Carmick.
The like was then attested by Sir William Cole, Sir William Hamilton, Sir Arthur Loftus, Sir Charls Co…t and others, upon oath at this Triall; and that the Irish Rebels did rip up divers Irish wom…ns bellies great with childe, and tosse their Infants upon their pikes, and throw them to their dogs to eat, ravished some to death, buried others alive, drowned others, after quarter, and used unheard of cruelties of sundry kindes, without provocation. And yet now they must be reputed the Kings good subjects, and sent for over into England to commit the like cruelties on us here; which should cause all English mens hearts and bloods to rise up for vengeance against such blood-sucking Villains.
The manner of the discovery of that Conspiracy, and apprehension of some of the Conspirators, who were to surprise Dublin last, is thus expressed by the Lords Iustices of Ireland, in a Letter to the Earl of Leicester then Lord Deputy, extracted out of the Originall.