FATHER WILLIAM SYNNOTT. WILLIAM SYNNOTT, parish prieft of Enniscorthy, having a warm friendship for the reverend Mr. Nunn, vicar of that parish, faved his life from the blood-thirsty rebels; and he might have faved many other proteftants in the fame manner. Mr. Nunn faid to me in converfation, if there is a loyal priest in Ireland, it is William Synnott. On which I asked him, Whether Mr. Synnott did not frequently refort to Vinegar-hill, while it was in poffefhon of the rebels? and on his anfwering in the affirmative, I asked him, Whether he did not think that Mr. Synnott could have faved any of the proteftants, while the rebels were daily maffacring them? and he positively faid, that he believed he could. No. XXVI. 1. The fufferings of the reverend Mr. Francis. I SHALL give a short account of the sufferings of the reverend Mr. Francis, rector of Killegny, in the county of Wexford, a gentleman venerable for his age, his piety, and learning. He, his fon, and four daughters, unable to make their escape on the eruption of the rebellion, experienced many instances of favage treatment. He was plundered of his horfes, bridles, faddles, provifions, wearing-apparel, arms and ammunition. He was repeatedly threatened with death, unless he would admit a priest, and change his religion. One day, a ruffian of the name of Gormachan, with a drawn fword at his breast, afked him, Whether he was a chriftian, and whether he could bless himself? and many more questions indicative of fanatical zeal. This reverend gentleman was fo fhocked and overcome, that, in attempting to fpeak, he burst a blood veffel, and threw up immenfe quantities of blood; and yet his piteous fituation made fo little impreffion on them, that they unanimously refolved to compel him and his family to go to mafs. He hesitated, and faid he would hear the arguments of a prieft; on which one of the miffionaries, a ferocious favage, by name Drohan, drew out a horfe-pistol, and faid, What do we wait for? He and his family, in very heavy rain, uncovered, and furrounded by about fifty pikemen, were compelled to go to mafs, to a chapel, about a quarter of a mile diftant. VOL. II. Pp He He received domiciliary vifits, daily, from the favage pikemen, who frequently asked him, Whether he had the protec tion of a priest? The 4th and 5th of June, he remained unmolested, as the rebels were making preparations on the firit, for the barte of Rofs; and the fecond, on which it was fought, all the popish farmers and peafants, for many miles round that town, were compelled by their respective priests to attend the rebel army. On the 10th of June, they carried his fon, a boy of fourteen years, to the camp at Carrickbyrne, on an accufation of having been heard to fing "Croppies, lie down!" previous to the eruption of the rebellion; but a rebel captain, more humane than the rest, promised that he should be restored next day; and he fulfilled his promise. His fervants, both male and female, left him, because, as they faid, they would not be allowed to remain in a heretick houfe; and his daughters were obliged to collect fuel from the adjacent hedges, and to draw water on their heads, from a fpring, at a confiderable distance. Some of his neighbours fupplied him with oatmeal and potatoes, and fometimes with a little butter. They were confined to that food only, and often were so fcantily furnished with it, that they were reduced to one meal. Mr. Francis imputed the fafety of himself and his family to the following incident: He was often afked, Whether he had the protec tion of a prieft? which they faid was neceffary for his fafety. At last, one Bryan, a rebel captain, and a man of fome humanity, feeling pity for his fufferings, went to the rebel camp, and procured from general Roche, the priest, over whom he had great influence, a protection for him, which I give the reader. A protection for the reverend Mr. Francis. IT is ordered, that no perfon or perfons fhall dare infult, abufe, injure, or hurt the reverend Mr. Francis, his family, domefticks, manfion-house, &c. All who disobey these orders, fhall be taken by a guard, brought into camp, to be tried by court martial, and punifhed according to their fentence. ROCHE, Commander in chief of the united republican army of the county of Wexford. DOCTOR DOCTOR CAULFIELD fays in page 7, "the allegation of unbounded influence is, I think, fairly done away; but as to the invariable effects of protections granted by the priests, I repeat and infift there were none, nor could any priest, except a blockhead, attempt to grant fuch." This protection fecured him from any further infults. This venerable gentleman, and his family, went to Dublin, in the winter of the year 1798, where I became acquainted with him, and obtained a copy of his journal during the rebellion, from which I have extracted these particulars. He was in a rapid decline, from a fpitting of blood, occafioned by rude and brutal treatment from the rebels; and he died in the beginning of the year 1799, leaving his family in the utmost diftrefs. This gentleman fhewed me his tythe-books; and it appeared from them, that, instead of the tenth, he did not receive the thirtieth part of his legal dues. The reverend Mr. Gordon, his fucceffor, knowing the fet of favages he had to deal with, has, with more regard to policy than accuracy, written a hiftory of the rebellion, for the obvious purpose of conciliating the priests and the popish multitude, to fecure the punctual payment of his tythes; and for that purpose, he abufes the magiftrates, the military, and the yeomen; and he imputes many of the atrocities committed during the rebellion to local provocation, though, in other parts of his work, he admits that the rebellion arofe from fanaticism, and that the popifh multitude had no other idea of a revolution, than the exclusive establishment of their own religion. He imputes to me, among others, the following error: I call father Philip Roche, the commander in chief, an inhuman favage, becaufe he not only inculcated the extirpation of he reticks, but was prefent, and prefided, at many maffacres on Vinegar-hill; and yet Mr. Gordon becomes his panegyrift, and fays, "for a charge of cruelty against him, I can find no foundation. On the contrary, I have heard many inftances of his active humanity." Good God! that a protef tant clergyman should become the encomiast of a monster who was the inftrument of so much human mifery, and who was hanged on the bridge of Wexford, for various crimes!* *See vol. i pages 451, 464-vol. ii. page 410. I was I am authorized to fay, that the bishop of Ferns very much cenfures Mr. Gordon's history, and that the magistrates and clergy of the county of Wexford, and many of the most refpectable officers, who campaigned there in the year 1798, unanimously declare, that it contains many grofs miftatements, and that its tendency in general is, to palliate the horrors of the late rebellion. A letter, now in my poffeffion, from major-general Needham, dated March ift, 1802, ftates, "that he had never read Gordon's book till I fent it to him a day or two before;” and he authorizes me to contradict his statement of the battle of Arklow, by afferting, "That no proposal to retreat was made by him, during that battle, to colonel Skerrett, or any other officer whatever under his command," as is falfely infinuated by Mr. Gordon in his hiftory, page 131; which can be testified by all the ftaff-officers, and officers commanding corps who have teftified it. The reafon that lieutenant-general Lake ordered general Needham to repair to Solfborough, from Oulart, contrary to the general orders given to the different columns deftined to attack Vinegar-hill, was this: General Lake was very near that mountain, on which there was an immenfe body of rebels; and apprehending an attack, in which the rebels by the great fuperiority of their numbers, aided by the darkness of the night, in a very inclofed country, might have baffled difcipline, he, defirous of ftrengthening his main body, fuddenly changed his orders to major-general Needham, which made it impoffible for the latter to be at his poft of attack in due time. This contradicts the miftatement of Mr. Gordon in page 193. I give this from the very firft authority on that command. The relation which I have given of the affair at Whiteheaps, in page 56 of this volume, was obtained from the staffofficers of the king's troops, and some respectable officers of the militia and yeomen, and is therefore to be relied on. It differs materially from that of Mr. Gordon, who has mifreprefented it, feemingly for the purpose of reflecting on the conduct of the general officers concerned in it. His statement could not have been obtained from any perfon engaged in it. Five officers of the Cavan regiment have declared, and are ready to do fo upon cath, that they faw the body of father Michael Murphy thrown into a house in flames, where it it was confumed; and yet Mr. Gordon tells us, that the Ancient Britons extracted the grease from it, to greafe their boots. They also declare, that no officer or foldier of the Ancient Britons was within a mile of the fpot, when the body was committed to the flames. Copy of a letter from major Williams, to major-general Needham. "SIR, Naas, March the 1ft, 1802. "WE, the underfigned officers of the Durham Regiment who were prefent at the battle of Arklow, feel it a justice due to you, under whom we ferved, to declare, that Mr. Gordon was not authorized by any of us to make use of those infinuations which appear in his history, tending to reflect on your conduct on that day; and we are convinced, no propofal to retreat was made by you to colonel Skerrett, or any other officer. "We lament colonel Skerrett being at Newfoundland, who could have given the beft teftimony. We have the honour to be, SIR, Your moft obedient humble fervants, G. HANBURY WILLIAMS, Major, L. V. MORGAN, J. BEEVER, W. GIBBONS, J. DUTTON, OWEN FAWCETT, } Captains. Lieute THOMAS HASSEL, nants." |