لا HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS COMMISSION. REPORT ON THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE MARQUIS OF ORMONDE, K.P., PRESERVED AT THE CASTLE, KILKENNY. VOL. II. (For sol. I. sec 14 the report, appendix. 7 Presented to Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from JOHN MENZIES & Co., 12, HANOVER STREET, EDINBURGH, and HODGES, FIGGIS, & Co., LIMITED, 104, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN. [C.-9245.] Price 28. 1899. 2487,8 AUG 25 1899 LIBRARY CONTENTS. I. Letters and Papers, 1640-49, connected with Captain VI. A narrative of the Proceedings of the Lord Lieutenant and Council in Ireland since the intimation to them from His Majesty of the discovery of the Plot in VII. Letters of Duke of Ormonde to Sir Robert Southwell VIII. Fortifications in Ireland. Report by Lord Dartmouth Page INTRODUCTION. THE second volume of the Ormonde archives includes documents, papers, and letters extending from 1640 to 1714, which are of great historical interest. I. The first section contains a selection of papers and letters, 1640-1649, connected with Captain William Cadogan, Deputy Governor of Trim, co. Meath, largely concerning the garrison at Trim, the treatment and payment of the soldiery, examination and punishment of deserters, orders of war, proclamations of James, Duke of Ormonde, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and of Colonel Michael Jones, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in Leinster; also a statement by General Thomas Preston. The letters to Captain William Cadogan are from various persons, including Sir John Peel, Controller of Musters in Ireland, George Carr, Daniel O'Neille, nephew of Owen Roe O'Neill. Other letters of interest include one from Father Peter Walsh to Richard Bellings, from Owen Roe O'Neill to Colonel George Monck, and from Lord George Digby to Queen Henrietta Maria; besides a letter from which the signature has been torn away, dated" April 21, London," in which the writer says, "This afternoon the act of attainder of the Earl Strafford passed the House of Commons, and was presented from thence by Mr. Pym "to the Lords. Much dispute there was and motions "to reserve some part of his estate for his children, but it was not thought fit to prevent his Majestie's grace so far. Expectation of this great business slows all others, none "will lend or pay money, trade at a stand, and the Scots treaty not concluded till when our army will be disbanded. Tempora mutantur, &c. This is the vanity of the world. "The Prince of Orange's son came to court yesterday with a great train of Dutchmen, and is a very fine young gentleman." In a letter to Ormonde and Privy Council the following curious passages occur: "The whole country groans under the burden "of the Ulster creaghts, and other quarters, mightily, nay so "infested by them, that unless some speedy course be taken to "restrain their insolency, there will be scarce a horse or garron E 96480. ** a 2 "(small horse) left to ride upon or to plough with, and amongst * these none so notorious as Harry O'Neale's creaghts; * it "is greatly to be feared these Ultaghes will devour and destroy the bere, which if they do these parts will be quite undone. They have not as yet meddled with any of the bere, but it is greatly to be feared they will.” These creaghts were peasants, who, supposed to have been crushed out, had forced their way into existence somehow, and with their families and cattle wandered about the country taking leave to live as best they could. II. In the second section is published the list of the transplanted Irish, giving names of families and individuals removed from goodly lands in various parts of Ireland to the wilds of Connaught, also the respective dates of the granting of decrees and of the final settlements. III. Documents connected with the Army in Ireland, 1662-84, include "An account of such commissioned officers of His Majesty's Army in Ireland as have accepted a moiety of "the ten months' arrears, commencing October 1661, and "determining 27th July 1662 in satisfaction of the whole; also "a table of the quarters of the forces in Munster and "Ulster, August 26th, 1662, as well of the troops and companies that lie in several places as those that quarter "entire in one place" with muster-rolls of companies and regiments, list of the King's regiment of Guards in Ireland, list of the troops and companies of his Majesty's Army in Ireland, with their present quarters and their quarters on the 26th November 1664. Here is, besides, a list of the commissioned officers of His Majesty's Army in Ireland, of the officers and soldiers of the guard of horse, of the Lord Lieutenant's gentlemen, of the troops and companies as they are regimented and quartered, 27th August 1670; with a brief of the number of the private soldiers in Ireland. In these lists appear the names of Joseph Ashbury and John Richards, each noted in the margin of the document, "Comedian." Of these men there is record in the History* of Dublin as follows: In November 1677, when news reached Dublin of the * History of the City of Dublin. By J. T. Gilbert. Pages 69-72. Vol. II., Dublin, 1859. marriage of the Princess Mary to William of Orange, the Duke " of Ormonde, Lord Lieutenant of this kingdom, and all the nobility and gentry in town, met in great splendour at "the play, where they passed a general invitation of all the company to spend that evening at the Castle. Among the players who performed at Smock-Alley during this interval was Mr. Richards, excellent both in tragedy and comedy, with "his brother-in-law Joseph Ashbury. The latter had served "in the Army, was one of the officers who seized Dublin Castle " for Charles II., subsequently was appointed Lieutenant of "the City Company of the Infantry and Gentleman of the retinue of the Duke of Ormonde, Lord Lieutenant, with a "reversion of the office of Master of the Revels in Ireland. "At the conclusion of the war of the Revolution, Othello " was performed at Smock-Alley, chiefly by the officers, the part of the Moor being acted by Wilks, and that of Iago by Joseph Ashbury. In 1720, on the death of Joseph Ashbury, "who was esteemed one of the best actors and dramatic "teachers in these kingdoms, the management of SmockAlley theatre devolved upon his son-in-law, Thomas Elrington." IV. A list of militia troops to be raised in the four provinces of Ireland, giving the officers' names and the number of the forces in each county. V. An account of Philip Alden, a secret agent employed by the Government to discover a plot to surprise the Castle of Dublin. VI. A narrative of the proceedings of the Lord Lieutenant and Council in Ireland since the intimation to them from His Majesty of the discovery of the plot in England. VII. The letters of the Duke of Ormonde to Sir Robert Southwell are of great interest on many subjects, from the most exciting political matters of the day to others more intimate, showing the great Duke in his most genial and amiable character, as taking a keen interest in the conduct and affairs of his children and grandchildren, up to the date November 18th, 1686, when he writes: "I am the next week "a little house in Hampshire, and if I like the situation am to see E 96480. b |