Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

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

Document 65

Authenticated copy of the Answers of Florence MacCarthy to the Articles preferred against him by the Lord Barry, 17 June 1594.

1. 1st. As for Allen Martyne myne acquaintance with him was laide to my charge by Mr. Secretarie Walsyngham and others of the Councill which were appointed to examine me within six or seven weeks after my comming to the Tower, for the which I have sattisfied them then: Having noe acquaintance with him nor never seene him but in the Innes of courte, where I became acquainted with him, and where I left him at my coming into Ireland, of whome I never hearde other newes but that at my first liberty in the tower about four years past, I heard he died in Fraunce or Flaunders, Before God I knowe not which: His father and freinds can tell best, but at the tyme I heard that, Jaques was then in the Fleete, whereby I could not send him to him, nor never did send him to him or to anie other, as God judg me; neither doe I knowe when he went, nor whether, but that I left him in the Innes of courte where I found or knewe him first, when I came into Ireland.
2. 2. William Hurley of the County of Lymerick havinge studied at Oxford a longe while came into Ireland a litle after my first cominge out of England, aboute the tyme that I was committed by Sir Thomas Norreys at Cork; at which time I being desyrous to send som agent into England to procure my liberty, dealt with Michael Skiddy of Cork (whoe was Sir Frauncis Walsynham's man) with whome I did not agree, for want of money, and the said William Hurley being then com to Cork, I dealt with him, unto whome I mortgaged or made over some land for goinge thither; whoe being gon and having followed my cause for three or four moneths, as I understood, he was hardlie used by the Erle of Clancartyes man Donoghe Offaylve, whoe made Sir Valentyne Browne to use him hardlie, and to threaten him, and also as I understoode they among them procured Mr. Secretarie to give him verie hard speeches, whereby he was soe feared and terrified that he departed the realme and went into som forraine country to followe his studies, of whome I never heard since, but that he followed his studie beyond the seas in France or Germany, for whome I have also aunswered Mr. Secretarie and the rest in my last imprisonment, Jaques being then in the fleete, when I was examined for him.
3. 3. As touchinge Cormack McDonell McFynine and Callaghan his brother, indeede I must confesse him to be of my countie and name, and somwhat akyn to me afarre off: perhaps, he hathe, as I understoode served Sir William Mohowne in Cornewall, and beinge com to London, when I had my first libertie in the Towre, he desired to be admitted to see me, whoe being brought by my keeper Michell Siblie, he used afterwardes for a sevenight or a fortnight to com to me at my request to carie my lettres to my friends at Courte that sued for my libertie, and having persuaded myself at that tyme that my wyfe would be the fittest suter to obtaine Her Majesties favour for myne enlargement I entreated him to goe into this countrie for her; having procured him som money and a passporte, and having written to her to com; whereuppon she came into England, and one David Roche, a man of mine being com to the Courte he waited uppon my wife; and I being still in the Towre and not able to keepe anye, the said Cormuck told me he would goe into Cornewall; and whether he be gone thither or into Fraunce I knowe not, but that I heard, as I remember, that he was in Fraunce, by an Irish souldier whoe is now at Moyalloe, whose name I will learne: his father dwelles at Moyalloe, I sawe him with Mr. McDonoghoe, Dermod McOwen, And as for Callaghane his brother I never knewe none such, nor never sawe any; but my wyfe, & he alsoe told me that he brought over from hence with him a boy of the adge of twelve yeres or thereabouts, of that name, whoe was his brother by the father; what is becom of him I knowe not, having never seene him as aforesaid.
4. 4. Donogh McCarty whoe is, and hath bene still in the countrey taken for my Father's base sonne, came into England in the companie of som of my men, as namely one Edmond Slabagh, whoe is with me nowe, and whoe broght me som Hawkes, and who alsoe broght the same boy with him to help him, in whose companie alsoe Donell Gram went over to sue for his lands of Kinallmeky, and the said boy having remained with me in England afterwards until I came into Ireland, he staied in England against my will, at my coming away, being promyst by litle Teige McCarthy my Lord of Ormonds man, to be preferred to som gent there of whom I heard no other newes but that he went with some English souldiers into Fraunce and Flaunders, and being com from one of those countryes, back while I was in Ireland, I heard he was sick a long time in England, and when I was sent over by Mr. Chichester I did not see him, being by Mr. Chichester by direction from the Councill delivered the next daie to the Lyvtenant of [!] of the Towere, but afterwards about a yere or more after my commitment to the Towre, Jaques being then in the fleete for hurting Michell Apsley, he found the said boy and kept him with him, and being enlarged and dispatched out of the Realme by Mr. Secretarie he broght him with him, as I understoode, and where he is, whether he be with him or with some other, or what is becom of him, I knowe not since that tyme.
5. 5. Fynine McCormucke McFinin of Gleancruym beinge gone over by reason of his adversarie Teigenorsy, whoe went over with Sir Walter Raliegh to surrendre the said Gleanecruym, and his father being my father's follower and foster brother, the boy came to me to the Towre and told me he had noe frinds nor meanes to followe his cause, whereuppon for Pittie, and contrie's sake, I gave my worde to one Robert Foster of Towre Streete for his diett, and having putt upp his severall petitions to the Councill, Sir Owen Hopton being removed from the Towre and Sir Michell Blount placed, the said Sir Michell would lett noe prisoner have anie libertie uppon anie warrant directed to his predecessore; whereuppon the aforesaid Foster, seing me restrained, would not credit the poore yong man for his diet, whereby he was constrained through extreame misery to goe with som souldiers into Brittayne, where he was about four or five yeres past killed aboute Gingam, as I heard of everybodie that came from Sir John Merreys, since.
6. 6. As for Patrick Cullen the Fencer,⁴⁷ none of all these have ever beene my man, nor never woare my cloth, but this Patrick onelie, with whome I became acquainted in a fencing schoole, seven or eight yeres ago, or perhaps somewhat more. He could play well, which made me desire him to com with me into Ireland, which he promist to doe; but I being at the courte, he, for some fray, or som cause or other which I doe not knowe, went to keepe schoole at Westchester; and I beinge com to London from the courte, I enquired for the said Patrick at the fencing schoole where I understood that he and one Joffrey another mail, an Englishman, whoe is here nowe at Dublin keeping a fencing schoole, went to keepe schoole at Westchester, I being with in a while after determined to goe into Ireland, I desired one Mr. Lucas a merchant of Waterford to lend me som money, which I would cause one of my freinds to place in Ireland uppon sight of my lettre. He told me he would go for som money into Westchester, where his father being an Englishman was born, and that he woulde lend me soe much money as I desired, which was £55. Whereuppon I, understandinge that he was to goe to Chester for it, and remembring the said litle fencinge youth or boy, I desired him to enquire at the fencinge schoole for such a one, and to desire him to com with me into Ireland, accordinge to his promisse; whereupon he came to me with Mr. Lucas, and came with me hither, and was with me while I was restrained at Corke, and here, and went over with me when I was sent by Mr. Chichester, and being the next day comitted to the Towre, he went awaie and served som other, or as I hearde he kepte a fencing schoole in London, and being comitted for a robbery, or for some suspicon of som such matter, he went and fledd awaie somwhere, I know not whither. All this while after my committment for a yere or more I was still a close prisoner in cold harbert,⁴⁸ and this much as aforesaid I heard at my first libertie; he being gon before my first libertie, and Jaques being in the Fleet a good while after: Alsoe the said Culone whoe was never a whole yere with me, is now hanged, and executed, and examined, whereby it cannot be unknowne to the Councill if he could saye aniething of me.
7. 7. As for Owen McCarthy or Owen Gamsagh, I knowe him not by that name, but in troth one Owen McTeige MacDonell Oge mett me in the countre where I dwell, nowe of late since my cominge, and told me that he came from Sir John Merehe'sis Regiment out of Brittaine, and being assembled amongst the rest of the countre, when the Sherrif extended som land from me, he went at my request with som of mine owne men, namelie Molrony O'Croly, and Edward Slabagh to keepe the castle of Tymolaigge for me, for his hire; and since I left him in the countrey, and is there, I am sure, to be had if my Lord or his uncle McCarthy Reough or som other of my Lord Barries freinds hath not by som meanes put him out of the way, of purpose to accuse me for him: neither was he ever my man, nor doe I knowe that he was ever with Jaques, or aniewhere ells beyond seas, but under Her Majesties Generall in Brittanie as he telleth me.

8th. As for the last article, I avowe it to be merelie false, neither had I ever, or did I ever, by anie signe, or otherwise shewe that I had anie freindshipp with Jaques but while he served Her Majesie. Having never wisht him noe better looke than to loose his Lyfe since I heard that he went to the enemyes.

The Aunswers of me Florence Mc Carthy to the Articles preferred by the Lord Barry to the Lord Deputy and Sir Thomas Norreys against me the 17 of June 1594.