Michael Hughes of Real in the County of
Carlow, Farmer who being duly sworn on the Holy
Evangelists saith that on Tuesday Night , the fourth of
April 1786 about the Hour of ten O'Clock his Street Door
was Burglariously broke open and at the same time four
Men entered the House Armed with a Blunderbuss, Gunn
Pistols and a Pitchfork and all Masqud (masked) with
White Cloths and Michael Hughes declares he was
immediately knocked down, twice running, and also beat
Margaret Hughes, Michael's Wife after a cruel and
unmerciful manner Cut and deeply wounded her to the
great Effusion of her Blood, and at the same time both
he and his said Wife together with two Servant Men and
two Servant maids were all tied by their Hands and feet
by said offenders, all of whom immediately Plundered the
House, broke open two Deale Boxes and one Tea Chest,
out of which Chest they Feloniously took Six Guineas and
also feloniously took out of one of said Deale Chests or
Boxes the Sum of twenty Nine Guineas and Eight Shillings
and three half pence Sterling. and also took away half a
Dozen Shirts, value one Pound Eighteen Shillings
Sterling: likewise one Gold Ring, value Nine Shillings
Sterling: one pair of Plate Shoe Buckles value Sixteen
Shillings Sterling: and one pair of Silver Beads value
thirteen Shillings Sterling: and also one Plate Cream
Eever value two pounds five shillings Sterling: three
Silver Table Spoons value two pounds five Shillings and
Sixpence Sterling: three Plate Tea Spoons value Nine
Shillings Sterling: and one Silk Handkerchief value four
Shillings Sterling together with Sundry other Articles
the property of Michael Hughes all which have been
Feloniously taken away by said Robbers:
And Michael further Adds and declares
upon Oath that there were four Shotts fired in his House
one of which wounded the Rev. Patrick Connor in the
Belly who lay in Hughe's house on said Night and Robbed
him of his Watch and Sundry Articles and another Shott
was also fired at the Servant Maid Namely , Bridget
Byrne, by which she was wounded in the Right Arm ~
And Michael further declares , that he
is at present in a bad State of health and confined to
his Bed thro' means of the aforesaid Gross and inhuman
treatment he has received from said Robbers on said
Night ~
And lastly Michael declares that one
Michael Bryan a Strolling Vagabond has been taken up by
Mr Benjamin Bunbury upon Suspicion and on Strict
Examination He the said Michael Bryan could give no
account whatsoever to Mr Bunbury where he had been on
the Night of the said Robbery and that on his being
brought before one of his Majesty's Justices of the
Peace for the County from his Dress and other Strong
Circumstances Mr Bunbury verily believes to the best of
his Knowledge that said Michael Bryan is one of said
Robbers who broke into and Robbed Michael Hughes's House
on said Night and Michael Hughes further Saith Nought ~
- (signed) Michael Hughes.
- Sworn before me this 7th day of April 1786
- (signed) Thomas Drought.
The aforesaid Michael Hughes is Bound to
our Sovereign Lord, George by the Grace of God, King in
the Sum of one Hundred pounds Sterling : to appear and
prosecute at the Next General Assizes to be held in and
for the said County of Carlow and not to depart the
Court without Licence ~.
(signed) Benjamin Bunbury.
The above is a true and
accurate transcript of the original document.
Transcribed by Michael Purcell 2006
Pat
Purcell Papers
1786, Making money in Carlow.
-
By kind permission of Michael Purcell
1786, Making money in Carlow.
Surnames mentioned: Comyings,
Nowlan, Ryan, Kinsellagh, Kavanagh, Bunbury, Drought, St
Leger & Lennon
[Note added 2010. A Guinea was a twenty
one shilling piece. To use a modern-day saying "the boys
were coining it"].
From the Pat Purcell Papers on parchment,
one of seven Statements (then called Informations or
Examinations). 1786.
~~~ Denis Nowlan of Ballon, Patrick
Nowlan of Ballykeely Ballon, Thomas Nowlan of Temple Ballon,
Francis Kavanagh of Myshal, Michael Ryan of Tinryeland, John
Kinsells otherwise Kinsellagh of Tinryeland, George Comyings
of Tinryeland, in the County of Carlow, and Patrick Lennon
in the County of Wicklow, Yeomen, on the 28th Day of March
in the 26th Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George
the Third, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and
Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, did with
Force and Arms, that is to say, with Swords, Sticks and so
forth, at the Fair of Rathville in Carlow , intending
craftily, falsely, deceitfully, unjustly and unlawfully to
cheat, deceive, and defraud our said Lord the King, and his
People of his said Kingdom of Ireland, Eight pieces of
Pewter, Copper, Brass and other base mixt Metals, of the
Likeness and Similitude of the good, lawful, and current
Money, and Coin of our said Lord the King, of his said
Kingdom of Ireland, called half Guineas did then and there
falsely, fraudulently, deceitfully, unjustly, and unlawfully
expose, utter, and give in Payment to one John St. Leger
and Loyal Subjects of our said Lord the King for, as the
true, lawful and current Money and Coin of our said Lord the
King, of his said Kingdom of Ireland, called half Guineas
they the said Denis Nowland, Patrick Nowlan, Thomas Nowlan,
Patrick Lennon, Francis Kavanagh, Michael Ryan, John
Kinsells otherwise Kinsellagh, George Comyings they then and
there well and perfectly knowing the said Pieces of Pewter,
Copper, Brass, and other base and mixt Metals, to be Forged
and Counterfeited, and not to be true, lawful, and current
Money and Coin of our said Lord the King, of his said
Kingdom of Ireland, contrary to the Peace of our said Lord
the King, His Crown and Dignity, Sworn before me on the Holy
Evangelists this 28th day of March 1786, (signed) Thomas
Drought , this the 11th April 1786.
-
(signed with his mark) John - X - St
Leger,
-
and Trulely read over by James Pue to John St. Leger
before placing His Mark on this Information.
John St. Leger of Crane in the County of
Wicklow, Farmer, at Several times having Dealings with
Patrick Lennon in the nature of Gold Specie found they were
uncommonly light, he did not attempt to pass them suspecting
them to be Base Coin, when questioned Patrick Lennon told
John St Leger to make the best he could of them and any that
he could not pass to others he could apply at anytime to
change them. John St Leger met Patrick Lennon at the Fair of
Rathville whereupon Patrick Lennon gave him good money for
the same without any trouble or any application to a
Magistrate tho not without John St. Leger threatening to
bring him to Justice and further Sayth not, Acknowledged
before me this 28th Day of March 1786.
(signed) Benjamin Bunbury.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1786 Carlow.
Examination of James Paye of Rathvilly,
in the County of Carlow.
On Sunday the 26th of March 1786 John St
Leger of Crane in the County of Carlow and Patrick Lennon of
Clogh in the County of Wicklow, Farmers, were drinking in
the house of James Paye's father and James Paye heard John
St Leger charging Patrick Lennon with Passing him half
Guineas of Base Coin and threatening to bring Lennon before
a Magistrate if he did not give him good money upon which
Lennon gave him other money.
John St. Leger threw down the money and
James Paye took it up knowing it to be bad with the intent
to bring Patrick Lennon to Justice and further Sayth that
Lennon brought Several Person to his father's house to
prevail on James Paye to give up the bad coins but he
refused to do so and told him he would never part with them
until he gave it to Mr. Drought, Esquire or Mr. Bunbury,
Esquire and further Sayth that the money he gave to Thomas
Drought was the very money which he took up from John St.
Leger and further Sayth not. Sworn before me this day 28th
day of March, 1786. (signed) Thomas Drought (signed) James
Paye.
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