2 Bealtaine 1652
Banmharcas Ormonde – ag scríobh as Caen – chuig an Tiarna Cosantóra, Oilibhéar Cromail
My Lord
Havinge by a very generall Fame resevede asshuranse of your Lordshipps inclinations to make use of your power for the oblidginge of such in generall as stand in Niede of protectione and assistanse from it, and havinge heard that some Expretions have fallene from you that maye give mee hope that I in my perticular maye bee thought by you not uncapabill of beinge made one of the instansess of that disposistione in you, I have adventured to make this address unto your Lordshipp for your favour, and to acquant you with my Condistione, and tharupon shall hope for your assistanse with that Clearnes and generositye wherwith I have heard you have oblidgede outhars in a State not unlike that I am in, your Lordshipp maye please to undarstand that thar desendede to mee ane Estate of inheritanse in Irland which togethar with the rest of My Lords Fortune is now by warr and pestelanse very much depopulatede and not Like to bee without much troubill profitabill for a Longe Time, yet out of this Estate it is that by your Lordshipps permistione and furtharanse I would propose to raise a Subsistanse for my Selfe and Chilldren if by your Lordshipp I shallbee incoridgede to indevour it and derectede how most advantagiouslye to applye my selfe to it, beinge outharwiss as ignorant how to goe about it as I am unabell to Compass it by tedious applications, soe as from bouth thes your Lordshipp may gathar how great ane obligatione you have in your power to plase upon mee, I desier My desier is to owe my acknowlegments in this perticular unto your Lordshipp, and to reseve your pleasure with such Passess for my selfe and Nesesarye attendants as you shall Judge Fitt, and that with what speede your Lordshipp shall think Convenient that accordinglie I maye prepare my selfe with thankfullnes to reseve the favour hearin Sought from you by
My Lord
your Lordshipps humbel Sarvant
Caen the 2nd of May E:ormonde
Uair na cinniúna don bhanmharcas Ormonde atá sa litir seo. Feictear ann go ndearna sí í féin a dhealú ón ríogachas agus óna fear céile a bhí ar deoraíocht, chun go mbeadh sí ábalta cuid den eastát Ormonde a bhí coigistithe, a fháil ar ais ina hainm féin agus asti féin.
Nuair a fuarthas an lámh in uachtar ar airm na Ríogaithe in Éirinn, dhiúltaigh an marcas glacadh le téarmaí Chromaill agus chuaigh sé go dtí an Mór-Roinn gan aon acmhainn aige é féin ná a chlann a chothú. Ag an am dáinséarach seo bheartaigh Elizabeth achainí a chur faoi bhráid Chromail go dtabharfaí cuid den eastát di, rud a bhí á dhéanamh ag mórán ban Ríogaí eile.
Agus í ag ullmhú chun dul i dteagmháil leis an Tiarna Cosantóra Cromail, bhailigh sí eolas ó mhná a raibh sí cairdiúil leo i Sasana chun a chinntiú go bhféachfaí go maith ar an achainí seo. I litir a fuair sí ó bhean a shínigh a litir le ‘JH’, dúradh gur pléadh cás an bhanmharcais le Cromail, agus gur léirigh Cromail go raibh sé buartha faoin gcruachás ina raibh sí. Dúirt ‘JH’ freisin go raibh sí ag súil go gcaithfeadh rialtas Chromail níos fearr le mná ná mar a bhí déanta go dtí seo. Agus an t-eolas seo bailithe aici, ar deireadh scríobh Elizabeith chuig Cromail ó Caen ar 2 Bealtaine 1652. Sa litir d’iarr sí cead air filleadh ar Shasana chun a cás a phléadáil.
This lady is a person of soe much honor and meritt as I hope I need not presse any other Arguments for the shewing her any lawfull and just favour in this particular
– Meitheamh 1653, Cromail chuig an Ginearál Thomas Fleetwood
Sa litir scríobhann an banmharcas go hurramach ach gan a bheith géiliúil. Is cosúil gur scríobh sí dréacht garbh agus gur chóipeáil sí é seo ina scríbhneoireacht iodálach ghalánta féin: is cinnte go raibh sí an-chúramach agus an litir seo á scríobh aici. Feictear ann an teannas idir umhlaíocht chuí a thaispeáint do Chromail agus an mórtas a mothaigh sí. Léirítear go raibh sí féin agus Ríogaithe eile i bponc toisc go raibh siad i dtuilleamaí a naimhde maidir lena slí mhaireachtála. Bhí Elizabeth ina banoidhre, agus níor chóir seilbh a ghlacadh ar a heastát nuair a coigistíodh eastát a fear céile. Ach bheartaigh sí gan an ceart seo a lua agus ina ionad sin, phléadáil sí le haghaidh faoisimh amháin.
D’éirigh go maith le straitéis Elizabeth. Tugadh cead di filleadh ar Shasana agus, ar 1 Feabhra 1653, tugadh an treoir do Choimisinéirí na Parlaiminte in Éirinn Teach Dhún Mór, Co. Chill Chainnigh, a chur ar leataobh le £2,000 in aghaidh na bliana as na tailte a bhí mar chuid dá hoidhreacht féin. Bhí sé seo le húsáid aici féin agus ag a páistí ar choinníoll nach n-atreorófaí aon chuid den ioncam chuig a fear céile.