6th July. It being considered of great importance that the building of houses and fortifications at Derry and Coleraine should be properly performed, and the intended Plantation speedily carried into effect, which had not only been very expensive to the City of London, but was likely to be productive of a still greater expenditure, and King James having expressed his desire that the Plantation should be proceeded in with vigour, the City thought it advisable, as well for their own satisfaction, as for the satisfaction of the several Companies, to send over Mr. Alderman Smithes and Mr. Matthias Springham, both Assistants on the Society, into Ireland, at the expence of the Society, in order to take an exact survey and account of the various operations and concerns of the said Plantation; and, accordingly, they were invested with full powers to act at their discretions, in the ordering, directing, and controuling the measures of the same Plantation, for which purpose an act of Common Council was made, under seal of the City, and full instructions were also given them in writing by the Society, with which they proceeded to the North of Ireland; and having accomplished the objects of their mission, they, on their return, communicated the result thereof; and, amongst other things, reported, that they had presented two silver gilt communion cups to the church of Derry and Coleraine. At this time, allowances were made to the Burgesses of Derry and Coleraine, for their attendance in parliament, who were stated to have been then elected and appointed by the Society. It appeared that the old charters of Derry and Coleraine were surrendered, and new ones delivered by the Commissioners. The prices of provision in Ulster were, then, for a cow or bullock, 158. (about one halfpenny per pound;) a sheep from 16d. to 2s.; a hog, 2s.; barley, 11d. a bushel; oats, 4d, a bushel ; strong beer, 16s. a barrel, but this was represented as being exceeding dear at that price. The fishings were then let at £866 13s. 4d. per annum, for three years. The two Com D missioners stated, in their communication to the Court, that as it was generally desired that a division should be made of all the lands in Ireland, by and amongst the several Companies undertaking the Plantation, they had, with great pains, first viewed the land, and carefully enquired after the true value of every district; and with the assistance and advice of the gentlemen of the county, the City's agents and surveyor proceeded to make an equal division of the lands into twelve parts, the manner of which they presented to the Court. But with respect to the city of Londonderry, and the town of Coleraine, with the territories, ferries, and fishings belonging to the same, they were of opinion that a division could not be fully made of them, but the rents and profits of them might be divided amongst the several Companies. 17th December.-At a Court of Common Council convened soon afterwards, Mr. Alderman Cockaine, the Governor of the Irish Society, represented to the Court, and to the Masters and Wardens of all the several Companies then assembled, that a division of the estates, which was proposed to be made in Ireland, belonging to the Plantation, had been made into twelve parts, which were particularly expressed on twelve several sheets of paper, the same being numbered from one to twelve inclusive; and that, answerable to those proportions, the Committee for the Plantation had prepared twelve pieces of paper, each piece having one of the aforesaid numbers thereon, which were rolled and tied up severally, like lots, each lot referring to some one of the same twelve proportions of land; which twelve lots were brought into the Court by the Governor, in a box by themselves. That the whole monies disbursed already, in and about the said Plantation, amounting in all to £40,000, were, on the other hand, subdivided, and brought into twelve like several equal portions of money, each portion consisting of £3333. 6s. 8d. all which portions being added together, made up the sum of £40,000; and that in the same subdivision, this course had been taken that so many of the Companies of the City, which had contributed towards the said Plantation, as made up one full portion of £3333. 6s. 8d. according to the several sums by them already disbursed, had been added and joined together; and that, in every of the said twelve proportions of money, one of the twelve principal Companies stood as chief, and unto that principal Company, not having of itself expended so much money as amounted to a full proportion, were added and joined so many of the inferior Companies as, according to their several sums by them already disbursed, made up a full proportion of £3333 6s. 8d. as near as possibly might be. And where the sum of any Company already disbursed, exceeded the last-mentioned sum, the said Company was joined to some other principal Company for the overplus; and inasmuch as the Companies joined together to make up a proportion of money, and their sums did not altogether make up an even proportion, but some happened to be more, and others less, than a full proportion; in that case, the Companies so joined together were rateably to pay to, or receive from, the Treasurer of the said Plantation, that which should be more or less than a full proportion; which Companies' names that were so joined together, to make up the said twelve proportions of money, were, in like manner, severally written on twelve several pieces of paper, together with the sum of money disbursed by each Company, and were afterwards, in like manner, rolled and tied up together like lots, and were brought likewise, and presented in Court by the Governor, in a box by themselves. And the same particulars were also written together on a sheet of paper, and subscribed with the names of the Committees for the said Plantation. The arrangement of the aforesaid division was as follows: The assessment already made upon the several Companies of London towards the Plantation in Ireland, was The said sum being divided into twelve £40,000 0 parts, gave for each .... D 2 £3333 6 8 |