Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

Letter Book of Florence Mac Carthy Reagh, Tanist of Carbery, Mac Carthy Mór (Author: Various)

Document 23

St. Leger to the privy council, 14 May 1588.

Sir Warham St. Leger to the Lords of Her Majesties Privy Council.

Certaine perticuler matters to be imparted to the Queene's Moste Excellent, Majestie.

Florence, alias Fynan Mackkertie, hath latelie espoused the onlie daughter and child legittimate of the Earle of Clankertie, by a cunning practise contrived betweene ye Countesse, mother to the said childe, and the said Fynan, without her husband's consent, as yt is here given out by those that be favourers of that action (howe likelie the same ys to be treue, that a woman durste adventure to make such a match withoute her husbandes knowledge, I referr to her Majestie's deepe conceipte); for my owne parte, I do thinke in my conscyence yt is a secret practyse betweene the Earle and his wyfe; and the matter concluded in Englande before Phineans cominge thence, entendinge thereby to prevente the bestowinge of her by Her Highnes dyrections, and soe ys the generall oppynion of sundrie of her good and sounde subiects here, that are jelyous of the match as far forthe as myselfe.

The Perills that may accrue by the match are these, viz.:—

1. lst. The saied Florence, alias Fynian, is dyscended of the Doughter of Morrys of Desmonde, uncle of the late wicked Earle of Desmonde, cousyn germain to James Fytz Morrys sonne nowe in Spayne, and likewise to Morrys of Desmonde, Traytor, also in Spaine.
2. 2d. He is alsoe cosyn germain to him that is nowe Lord of Muskerye, whoe is sonne to the said Fynian's mother's syster.
3. 3rd. He is also cousyn germain to the Lord Rotche that now is, whoe haith married the syster of the saied Fynian's mother; by which kyndred he is stronglie allyed.
4. 4th. He is alsoe lyke, after the decease of Sir Owen Makertie, whoe is a man in yeares, and growne latelie sicklie, and thereby not likelie to lyve manye yeares, to have by Tanyshipp the goverment of the countrie of Carburye; unlesse he be prevented thereof by Her Majestie's assystinge Donell Mack Kertie, whoe in right ought by Tanyshipp to have the goverment of Carburie before him, in as much as he cometh of the elder brother of the Macke Kerties of Carburye, and besides that his tytle of Tanyshipp, he ought to have the countrie before Finian, in so much as he sheweth a Pattente from Her Majesties predecessors, whoe graunted the saied countrie to the heirs males of the Mack Kertie of Carburye, to hould the same by English Tenure; the which Pattente the saied Donell now maketh chalendge unto, beinge descended of the elder brother, and is in question with Sir Owen Macke Kertie for the enioying the benefytt of the saied Patente (much to the dyslike of the saied Sir Owen and Finian, whoe join together againste the saied Donell).
5. Notwithstanding the saied Sir Owen ys uncle to the said Donell as well as to Finian, by the which yt is here generally thought that the marke Sir Owen Mack Kertie and Fynian shooteth at ys to dysappoynte Donell, and Finian to take the place of the goverment of Carburye after Sir Owen's deathe, by Tanyshipp; and then atcheavinge to that, together withe the marriage of the Earle of Clancarties daughter, yf he maye, by his frinds in Englande, wynne by his match to succeade the Earle of Clankertie, as heire unto his countrye; howe perillous that maye be to make him soe greate, together with the allyaunces before recyted, and the allyaunce he is like to have by this marryage, by which all the Clan Kerties and there followers are to be at his devotion, I referr to her Majesties deepe consideration what maye growe thereof, if he should become undutyfull! of which, althoughe there be good hope to the contrarie, yet what yll counsell maye doe, he beinge greatly addicted to the brute sorte of those remote parties, and his mother in lawe, whoe is the chief contryver of this marriage, and whoe haith ben but a badd subiect unto Her Highnes, may worke on him, I lykewise referr to Her Majestie.
6. 5th. The yonge man is greatlie embrased in his countie, as also in this provynce; he haith ben anye tyme this seven or eight yeares greatlie addicted to learne the Spanysh tonge; and haith ben verey desierous, synce I have known him, to have the companye of Spanyerdes; the which tonge he haith obteyned. He is fervente in the olde Relygion, without which his mother in lawe woulde never have condyscended to have matcht her daughter with him; and I verelye thinke (yf it were duly examyned) he was marryed with a masse, and not by suche iniunctions as be sett downe by Her Highnes; nor yet had the lysence of the Bysshopp of this Dyocesse, to marrie without lawfull Banes asked; for there were verey fewe either of Carburye or Desmonde that were at the marryage. Either Sir Owen O'Syllyvan, or O'Sullevan Moore, I cannot tell whether one of them, was the onlye Gentleman that were at the solempnisinge thereof. It was verey secrethe done; and after the solempnizinge thereof (they thinckinge that it shoulde not be knowne), they sent lettres to overtake a messinger latelie sente from hence to the Earle of Clankertie, whoe shoulde have ben stayed yf he had not ben gone to the sea, before their messinger came to staye the former messinger.
7. 6th. The waye to prevente this, their cunynge practyse, is for Her Majestie to staye grauntynge the Earle of Clankerties enioyeng of his countrye to him, and to his heirs generall, and let him remayne as he doeth, whereby the countrie maye returne unto Her Highnes disposicon whensoever yt shall please God to call him out of this lyfe (not leavinge yssue male behinde him).
8. 7th. Another meane to cutt this youth from growinge to greate is for Her Majestie to allowe of Donell Mac Kerthies Pattente graunted by her predecessors, yf the Pattente be good, wherein Her Highnes shall not onlye doe Justyce, but withall cutt of Finyan's growinge to be to greate (the which is one of the greateste myscheives that doeth hurte in this her realme,) for they have alreadye enough, and a great deall more then they can well govern. In this my plaine wrytinge, I humblie beseech Her Majestie to graunte me pardon, protestinge to God, I do not wryte thus muche for mallyce to anye person, but onlye of mere zeall I professe to the safe Goverment of this Her Realme; for were yt not therefore, I coulde wyslie the Gentleman as much good as anie he that loves him beste. And so wyshinge all to fall out for the beste I leave; with my prayer to God to sende Her Maestie longe lyfe, with prosperous successe in all her doinges.