Charles joined the
Irish Rebellion of 1641 against British rule and he led the McGovern forces in the wars that followed. The surviving British settlers later made depositions about the rebels’ activities, some of which mentioned Charles and the other McGoverns.
County Cavan depositions William Reynolds of
Lisnaore made a deposition about the rebellion in
Lissanover as follows: {{quote|folio 260r William Reinoldes of Lisnaore in the parrish of Templeport in the County of Cavan gent sworne & examined deposeth and sajth That about the beginning of the presente Rebellion this deponent was deprived robbed or otherwise dispoiled & Lost by the Rebells: his meanes goodes & chattells concisting of horses mares beasts Cattle Corne hay howsholdstuff implements of husbandry apparell bookes provition silver spoones swyne & the benefite of his howse and six Poles of Land: due debts & other thinges of the value of three hundredth Sixtie fowre Powndes nine shillings sterling. And further sajth That the Rebells that soe robbed & dispojled him of his personall estate are theis that follow vizt
Gillernew Mc Gawren & Hugh mc Manus oge mc Gawren both of the Parrish and County of Cavan aforesaid Turlaghe o Rely
Brian Groome mc Gowren Daniell mc Gawren & Charles mc Gawren all of the place aforesaid gent: with divers other Rebells whose names he cannott expresse to the number of 30 or thereabouts And further sajth that theis 4 parties next after named (being duly indebted to this deponent) are or lately were in actuall Rebellion & carry armes with for & amongst the Rebells against his Maiesty and his loyall Subjects vizt
ffarrell mc Gawren of the parish of Killiney & County aforesaid gent Cornelius ô Sheriden of in the County of ffermanagh gent, William Greames & Phelim mc Gowren both of Templeporte aforesaid gentlemen: And alsoe saith that the parties hereafter mencioned are or lately were alsoe actors in the same present Rebellion & carried armes & did take parts & assist the Rebells vizt ffarrell Broome mc Kallaghan of the Parrish of Templeport Wanderer: whoe as this deponent hath beene credibly tould murthered this deponents owne mother) Phillipp mc Hugh mc Shane o Rely of Ballinecargie in the County of Cavan Esquire now a Colonell of Rebells Capt Myles o Rely his brother Edmund Mc Mulmore o Rely of or nere Ballirely gent & Myles his sonn whoe when the Rebellion began was high sherriff of the said County of Cavan Phillip mc Mulmore o Rely of Ballytrusse Esquire John ô Rely his sonne & heire Sergeant Maio{r} Hugh Boy o Rely, Connor o Rely of Agheraskilly gent, Edmund mc Kernon of the Parrish of Kildallon gent & Edmund his sonn, & William another of his sons; William Greames of Templeport gentleman Owney Sheredin of the parrish of Kilmore gent, Andrew Mc Gowran of Templeport ffarrell mc Acorby of the same & James Brady of the same parrish gent; Cohonaghe Maguire of Aghloone gent Manus ô Mulmoghery of Aghloone aforesaid yeoman Turlogh mc Brian of Vrhoonoghe yeoman: Shane mc Brian of Killsallough, a popish Priest; ffarrell mc Adeggin of Aghavanny yeoman Owen Mc Adeggan of the same &
Daniell mc Gowran of Gortneleck gent & Edmund his sonn: & divers others whose names & places of aboad he cannott Remember William Reynolds Jur 6o Apr 1643.}} George Butterwick of
Drumlane parish stated: {{quote|George Butterwyke of the parish of dromelan and Barrony of Lofte within the County of Cavant a brittish Protestant being dewly sworne deposeth That on or about the 24th of October 1641... And saith that
Charles Megowran and Galeece Megowran and many other of the magowrans their kindred and frends of Tullohaw and many of their tennant{s} and servants and their neyghbors did fett and driu{e} away my Cattell and beate my tennants for that they did offer to hinder them for dryuing away my Cattell.
The said megowrans after that they had sent away my Cattell did come backe to my howse and take away most of my goods and did threaten my wife that would knocke her on in the head Iff she would not gyue them her monies and had done so but that my man being an Irishman did intreat for her and sayd that he knew that his master had not receiued his rent as yett and that money was very scarce with him and for the Corne and hay and turffe and garden stuff on Daniell a Rely Clayming of that to be his right did entre on the howse and land and all the as his right that were there left, And soe he Lost his lease worth by the yeare in all being 5 poles 60 pounds a yeare for which he payed £27 a yeare to his damage of. Lost the aparrell of himselfe my wife and two Children had and all which his servant had whose name was Elizabeth Church being 69 yeares old at the least who being stript was not able to follow vs for the the [
sic] weather was very Cold both with frost and Snow and the fyrst night we gate neyther bread meate nor drincke but only a few Cabbadge leaues and hay and an old howse to lodge in and water to drinck which was Cold Comfort to vs being almost naked but only some small peeices of rugs which some of th{e} Irysh gaue to hide our naked nes the Irish came that nig{ht} about twelue of the Clock and threat[e]ned vs to kill vs or to fyre the howse over our heads yf we did not gyue them some moneys but where god knowes we had none for them my old mayde did surely dye by the for we neve{r} heard of her since. Att length the deponent mett with a frend twelue myles from dublynn so that from thence we ridd to Dublynn but from that tyme vntill a month afterward we Could be sound of our feete and for our bodies we are not sound as yett Theise Rebells Phillip A Rely manus mac Shane with the rest of the Relyes did promise when all the pari{sh} of dromlane & of the the [
sic] towne of Turbat and all the English betweene Turbatt and cavant came away that they would send with them with a Convoy to the next countie and tooke what goods we Could Carry about vs we might take away some gott lyberty to goe with horses and carrs to Carry old folke and Children Howbeit befor{e} we gonn 9 myles we might see and Army of men Coming agaynst vs and then sayd the Convoys that vnlesse we would gyue them more monies they woul{d} not hinder those men we having gyven them monies in the moring but theise Armed men came vppon vs and the convoys helpe them and some of vs they kild outwright and dyuers mayned of vs he veryly beleeueth of old folke and Children there died almost a hundred but there were of the English when they the Rebells begynn to Stripp about two thowsand or more at the least of men woemen and Children that were stripped.}} Thomas Hedges of
Cavan Town stated: Martin Kilhare of Drumlane made depositions about the rebellion in
Munlough South and
Drumlane: Dorothy Ward of Drumlane stated: Arthur Culme of
Cloughoughter Castle stated, inter alia: {{quote|Arthur Cul[me] of Cloughvter in the County of Cavan Esq[uire] duelie sworne And examyned deposeth ... And he sawe Charles mac Gawran beare Armes and hee was at the Castel severall times when I was with seveall Rebeles attending him; And I hee hath bine Crediblie informed that hee the said
Charles mac Gawran [Do]nil mac Gawran, Phelim mac Gawran Gilderan [mac] Gawran; And the most of that sept: are notor[ious rebeles] they live in the halfe Barrony of Tallahagh [and Countie] of Cavan I have bine likewise Credibelie [informed that] Mr James Talbot of BalleConnillin the [Countie of Ca]van is And {hath} bine A most notorious Cunning Rebel.}} Robert Simmons of
Killeshandra stated: {{quote|Robert Simons of the parish of Killyshandra in the Barony of Tallaghknogher and County of Cavan yeoman being duly sworne deposeth and saith, That since the beginning of the present rebellion and by meanes thereof he this deponent at seuerall times was expelled from deprived robbed or otherwise dispoyled of his goods and chattells of the values hereafter expressed vizt of 116 Cowes and Oxen worth 230 li. 49 young heifers and bullocks worth 62 li. 90 sheepe worth 30 li. 26 horses and Mares worth 80 li. Corne and hay in the haggard worth 50 li. Corne in the ground worth 15 li. housholdstuffe worth 15 li. In all amounting to 482 li And further saith that he hath lost by this rebellion the benefitt of the lease of his farme wherein All which were taken away by or by the meanes of
Charles Magowran of the halfe barony of Tullaghan in the County of Cavan gent ffarrall mc Call ô Rely of the parish of Killyshandra in the same Countie gent Owen mc Shane ô Rourk of the parish of Killgallerin in the County of Leytrym Esquire Dermott mc Alay in the same County gent and ffarrall oge ô Rely of in the County of Longford gent with divers others theire Complices and confederats whose names and places of aboad this deponent Knoweth not And further saith that there are owing vnto him seuerall debts and summes of money by seuerall men now in actuall rebellion (which he deemeth to be vtterly lost) The names of which persons and the summes by them due are as followeth vizt Owen mc Tirlagh ô Rely xxxviij li. Laughlin mc Tirlagh ô Rely xxx s. James Oge ô Sheridan xvj s. ffarrall mc Cohonnogh mc Kernan xxvj s. Knogher mc Aboe xx s. In the whole xlij li. xij s. And that there are other debts and summes of money due vnto him this deponent by men stript and robbd by the rebells and therby disinabled to make satisfaccion amounting to xxxij li. xv s. which sommes he also deemeth to be lost So as the totall sum m e s of all this deponents losses doth amount vnto the summe of six hundred and seaventeene pounds seaven shillings The names of which persons and the su m mes by them owing are also as follo weth vizt Patricke Atkinson iij [ ] [ ] killcragg xxvj s. Richa rd Hart viij li. Jeffrey Troigg iiij li. John mc Vity xiiij s. walter Johns t on ix s. Adam Johns t on iij li. John Anderson vj li. And this deponent further saith that he hath heard itt credibly reported that the rebells vpon the taking away of his goods said that they had more right to them then he and that this deponent and the rest of the English, had inhabited this Kingdome long enough and it was now high time for them (meaneing the Irish) to recover and repossesse theire owne And that the said Rebells first, said that they had the Kings warrant and afterwards the queenes warrant for what they did Otherwise said they men might well thinke they never would have risen in that manner and haue done as they did.}} James Gardiner of Aghabane stated: Audrey Carrington of Ballyness,
Bofealan townland stated:
County Leitrim depositions Ralph Carr of Oughteragh parish stated: The aforesaid Ralph Carr made a further statement: Thomas Lewis of Oughteragh parish stated: Nicholas Ward of
Ballinamore stated: George Bowker of
Ballinamore stated: Edward Bisphum of
Drumreilly stated: Elizabeth Kiddier of
County Leitrim stated: Mary Carr of Oughteragh stated: Peter Lewis of
Ballinamore stated: Sergeant Scott of the garrison in
Manorhamilton Castle published a diary in 1645. One entry states:
County Fermanagh depositions Thomas Leysance of Mackan stated: ==Siege of Croaghan and Keilagh==