Dundalk Spring Assizes, 1794.
On Saturday , April 19th, the following Trial came on before the Honourable Justice Chamberlain: – The King against Francis Bellew Esq.
The jurors, etc say and present that Francis Bellew, of Barmeath, in the county of Louth, Esq; with many other evil-disposed persons and disturbers of the peace of our said Lord the King, whose names the jurors aforesaid are ignorant of; on the 31st December, 33rd King, at Drumin, in said County Louth, being armed with fire-arms, firelocks, and other offensive weapons, did tumultuously, maliciously and unlawfully, rise, assemble and appear armed as aforesaid, to the terror of his Majesty’s subjects, to the evil example of all others in the like case offending against peace and statute.
Thomas Murphy, the first Witness produced on the Part of the Crown, was examined as follows, by Mr McCartney.
Q. Do you recollect Christmas 1792?
A. I do.
Q. Where did you live at that time?
A. I lived in Drogheda.
Q. Were you a Defender?
A. I was for about five weeks before that.
Q. Were you acquainted with any other persons who were defenders?
A. I was.
Q. Do you know a place called Drumin in the county of Louth?
A. I know a place of that name, the place I mean is on the sea side, about two miles from Drogheda, between that and Termfecken.
Q. Were you ever at a meeting of Defenders there?
A. I never was, but I was at a meeting of Defenders at the Cross of Grange, on the 26th December, 1792, and also at Dunleer the same night.
Q. Were the people you met there armed?
A. Some were and some were not.
Q. Was there a great number?
A. There were at least a thousand.
Q. What did they meet for?
A. I understood their intention was to destroy the Speaker and the light-horse that were at his house, that was my end for being there.
Q. Did you see a person of the name of Bellew there?
A. I saw a Gentleman riding very fast and coming towards the people that were assembled. I did not see from which way he came some of the people said he was a son of Sir Patrick Bellew.
Q. Was he armed?
A. I can’t tell, he staid but a very short time and it was a very dark night.
Q. What did he do when he came there?
A. He told the people that were assembled that there was a troop of light-horse coming to attack them, that they would be cut to pieces if they remained, and desired them to disperse.
Q. Did he join the mob?
A. No, he did not stay at all, but went away immediately, his horse was in a great sweat, and both he and his horse appeared as if he had rode a great way, and in a great hurry.
Q. Do you see that Gentleman now in court?
A. I do not know him by sight, I never knew him at all.
Q. Look round and see,
A. I know nothing about him, I would not know him if I saw him, I never knew him in my life.
Q. Did you ever see him?
A. I may have seen him once or twice walking in the streets of Drogheda.
Q. At what hour of the night did this business happen?
A. It was early in the night, I do not know exactly what hour, I left Drogheda about three o’clock, the Cross of Grange is about five or eight miles from Drogheda, it was before bed-time.
Q. On what day did it happen?
A. It was on the 26th December, the day after Christmas day.
Cross-examined, by Mr Dobbs.
Q. You say the horse which the Gentleman rode was in a violent sweat?
A. He was.
Q. What colour was he?
A. I cannot tell, it was a dark night.
Q. What sort of a horse was he, was he very big or very little?
A. I don’t know, I was not near enough to see, the night was dark.
Q. Did you not say he was in a violent sweat?
A. He was.
Q. Do you undertake to say, you were near enough to see that he was in a sweat and yet you cannot tell what sort of a horse he was, whether very big or very little, what was his colour, or any thing at all about him?
A. I cannot tell what sort of a horse he was, I was not near enough to see him.
Q. What sort of a person was the Gentleman who rode him?
A. I cannot tell it was too dark to see.
Q. Was he very big, or very little, was he remarkably fat, or very thin?
A. I cannot tell, I could not see what sort of a man he was.
Q. Cannot you describe him at all, was he as fat as I am?
A. He was not.
Q. Then your evidence is that you were near enough to see that the horse was in a sweat, and that the person riding him as well as the horse, appeared to have come in a great hurry, and yet you cannot give any kind of description, either of the person who was riding, or of the horse he rode?
A. I could not see either of them well enough.
Q. When did you first mention the business to any person?
A. About three or four months ago.
Q. Then you kept it secret for a year, how came you not to mention it sooner?
A. Because I was not desired.
Q. Who desired you to tell it when you did mention it?
A. Nobody desired me.
Q. Did you not say this moment, that you did not tell it sooner because you were not desired, and now you say, that no person ever desired you to tell it: Sir, you are on your oath, and I desire you on that oath, to tell me who desired you to mention this?
A. Mr Brabazon desired me.
Q. Before whom did you swear informations?
A. Before Mr Brabazon.
Q. Were you offered any money or reward, for swearing against Mr Bellew?
A. I was not.
Q. Were you offered any reward if you should convict him?
A. I was not, I heard nothing of rewards except in the newspaper.
Q. From whom did you hear that rewards were offered there to informers?
A. I can read myself.
Q. When you were sworn before Mr Brabazon, did you tell him all the particulars that you have now mentioned on the table?
A. I did not, because he did not ask me.
To be continued …
Do you think Mr Brabazon was the man who lived at Rath?? I wonder….