The Earle of Glyncarr, before Her Majestie created him Earle, was by Inheritance Mc Cartie Moore; by the which amonge the Irishe he was accounted the cheefest in this Province, as descended from them that before they weave subdued to the Crowne of England, weare the Kinges of the greater parte thereof; and at the tyme of his creacion, and surrender of his formal titles, he had, and ever synce claymeth under his jurisdiction and dominion fourteene several countries, beside som of lesse quantitie; most of them possessed by such as have descended out of his house; from every of which he demandeth sondrie duties and services, whereof many are abolyshed by statute.
Moreover, the Earle hath in Chiefe Rents yssuinge out of Barrett's Countrey, by the cyttie of Corke, £11 a yeare; out of the Abbey of Killaha, £4 a yeare or thereabouts; out of Ballenskellig yearly as much. Out of certen churchland in Beare the like some; besides he hath in Demayne land in the hundreds of Maygonie and Euraught about his Castle of the Pallace [in Kerry], his Castle of Ballicarbery, Castle Lough, and the Abbey of Vriett [Muckrus], three score ploughlands or thereabouts. In O'Suliuan Beares Countrey, Muskery, and Duallo, or in Donochoe's Countrey, certen ploughlands; also in eache of them Demayne lands.
All his Lands and Territories lieth in the Counties of Desmond and Cork, and some parte in the county of Kerrie.
The most parte of his land is waste and uninhabited, which hath growne partly by the calamities of the late warres, partly by the exaccions that he hath used uppon his tenants.
It is of great consequence and importance unto our inhabitacion there, that the Earle's Estate be not enlarged, to the ende that after his decease, Englishe Gentlemen may be there planted, and all his dependences brought to hould onely of Her Majestie; unlesse it so weare that by Her Highnes favour and good likinge, his daughter weare maried to som worthy English Gentleman, and his lands assured after his deceasse to the heires males of their two bodies. In which case allso I wishe the keapinge of Galleyglas, Ridinge out, and ceassinge of souldiors, to be wholly extinguished, the spendings and Refeccons to be reduced to som money rent; the gevinge of the Rodd to be abolished, and all those meane Lords to hould their lands of Her Highnes.
As there is nothinge that the Irishe more esteme then the nobilitie of bloud, preferringe it farre before eyther vertue or wealth, so abhorre they nothinge more then disparagement, more odious unto them then Death; which well apeared in that late communicacon of mariadge betwene the Earle of Glyncarr's daughter, and supposed heire, and Sir Valentine Browne's yonger Sonne, which both by the Earle assented unto for money, and for reward by certen of his men negotiated in the countrey very earnestlie, as well for the matter, as for the maner of atchyvinge, wrought generally in those parts a bitter discontentment, so much the deepelier printed in their myndes, by how much the earnestlier it was borne them in hande (by those that undertooke to effect it), that it must needes take place, for that it was intended by the state; soe well liked of by Her Majestie, and so resolved upon by the Earle. The Countesse and yonge Lady came unto me, and divers of the Gentlemen of the countrey to acquaint me with their discontentment; and some others of the best of those partes discovered their grieffes by their lettres. Their mynde all then seemed to tende to the dislike of that place, and to desire that she mought be matched to some one of a noble howse; wherein they made great protestacons they would be much persuaded by me. I withall understood by some that weare privye to their myndes that (fearinge that matche should be forced upon them) they had an intencion to convay the yonge Lady into O'Ruirk's countrey (in the north part of Conaght), who not long synce is maried to the Cowntesse of Glyncarrs sister. I held it best, in respect of the tyme, to lessen theyr discontentment what I mought, and to assure them that it stoode not with the course of Her Majesties most blessed Government; neyther would the lawes of England permitt that any should be forced to marie against their wills, and that they weare to feare no such matter. I did besides, both by letters and message, deale with Sir Thomas Norrys, Vice President of Mounster, whom I then thought disposed to seate himselfe in these partes, that yf he could like of such a matche, and would to that ende become a petytioner unto Her Majestie for the renuinge of the Earle's letters Patents into a further estate, I would assist him to the uttermost of my small endeavour, and no whit doubted but the countrey should most readilie assent unto it. After some paines taken, he in the ende mysliked of it, beinge, as it seemed, otherwise disposed to bestowe himselfe. So the Countesse and the rest of those partes contynuinge in the feare of the former matche, and beinge in no hope of anie better, concluded soddenlie a manage with Florence Mc Cartie, who cam with the Vice President's warrants into the countrey to take possession of a Castle morgadged unto him by the Earle of Glycarre; of which matche the efficient cause I take to have byn a fonde feare, and a fonde desire: the instrumentall cause to have byn fonde cowncell: the feare was, that she must needes ells have byn maried to Mr. Browne: the desire was to contynue the Howse in the name, which by this matche they weare in a dooble hope to performe; fyrst, by Peticion unto Her Majestie, hopinge that Florence Mc Cartye had those frends, and that favor with Her Highnes, that his suite for the landes should be easilie obtayned; secondly, yf their peticions fayled, they hoped on their power; for that Florence Mc Cartie was like to be McCarthy Reoghe, and so by forces of both countreis, might attayne his pretended Rights; especially upon such opportunities as trobles in England, or disturbances here might produce; a matter of some consequence, and verie preiudiciall to the accion we here undertake, and so much the more to be looked unto, by howe much the McCarties pretende to have Right to the most of Mounster, wherof sometimes they weare Lords, and perhaps aspire to be Lords againe by meanes of this yonge Gentleman, beinge by the Father's side a Mc Cartye, and by the mother's side a Giraldyne, and therefore likelier to be favored in these partes.
This newe matche, the new settlinge of the Englishe (the English undertakers on the lands forfeited by the Earl of Desmond), the discontentment of the Irishe, the present state of the Province, the expectacion of some trouble in England, puttinge them in hope of due meanes and opportunities. The counsell herein, both evill given, and followed, proceeded (yf not higher) from the Lords of Countries within Desmond, and principall officers about the Earle of Glyncarre, who, heretofore accustomed to extorcions, oppressions, and spoiles, by the which they weare wont to be enriched, now bridled and restrained, they longe for their former estate, and are ympatient of justice, and good Government. The chiefe of those in this accon were O'Sullivan Moore, Lord of a great Countrey, the Earle's Seneschall and Marshall, married to Florens Mc Carthy's sister, able to make a hundred swords: Mac Fynine, Lord of a lesse Countrey, but more fruitfull, of lesse power then the other, maried to the Earle of Glyncarrs base daughter; Donell Mac Tybert, the Earle's Constable of his Castle of the Pallace, and chieffe officer of his lands, beinge principall of a populous Sept called the Mergies(?), and foster father to the yonge Lady; Hugh Mc Owen, Captaine of the Earle's Galleyglasse, and som others of their sorte. The remedies and prevencions of their hopes and intents, in my simple conceipt, will be to take order that Carberie shall descende accordinge to the lettres Patents of Her Highnes most renowned Father to Donell Mc Cartye, otherwise called Donell Pipi, and his heires lawfully begotten; and the agreement amonge themselves, made contrarie to the purport of the Letters pattents, to contynue no longer then duringe Sir Owen McCarties liefe. Secondly, Her Majestie to graunt no further estate of the Earle of Glyncarrs lands, but after his deceasse to plant therein English Gentlemen and Inhabitants. Thirdly, in the meane tyme to cause good pledgs and assurans to be taken of Florence McCartye, and the rest of the contrivers of this mariadge, of their loyaltie and good demeanure, which is in part allready don. Fourthly, to contynue the Earle of Glyncarr within the boundes of Lawe & justice, that he oppresse not his countrie, sellinge their landes and spoylinge their goodes, against all right; whereby the people, findinge their safetie in Her Majesties government, may the more affect it, and havinge amongst them fewe discontented, may the lesse be disposed to innovasions.35