The estates in Ireland, (except the city of Londonderry, the town of Coleraine, their contiguous lands, and the woods, ferries, and fisheries,) were immediately consigned to the management of the respective chief Companies and their Associates; and conveyances were made to them by the Society in virtue of their charter of incorporation, where by the territories in the province of Ulster were granted to them. The houses in Londonderry and Coleraine, the lands attached thereto, and the woods, ferries, and fisheries, not being susceptible of division, were retained by the Society, who received the rents and profits, and accounted for them to the twelve chief Companies. Soon after the division of the estate, the several Companies sent over agents to let the lands.* The whole of the estate so divided, had been estimated to be worth only £1,800 a year. In letting their lands, the Companies stipulated with the persons proposing to become tenants, that they should perform the original articles and conditions of Plantation. 27th August, 1614.—Mr. Alderman George Smithes was elected Governor. * From the survey of Captain Pynnar, made between the 1st of December, 1618, and the 28th of March, 1619, it appears that the following were the original undertakers and agents: 1-Goldsmith's Hall .....John Freeman, Esq. 2-Grocers.... 3-Fishmongers' Hall ...Edward Rone ...... .... .James Higgins 5-Mercers' Hall .... ...Mr. Vernon 6--Merchant Tailors' Hall.. Valentine Hartopp 8-Clothworkers' Hall 9-Skinners' Hall..... 10-Vintners' Hall.... 11. Drapers' Hall 12-Salters' Hall ....Ditto ..Lady Doddington Baptist Jones, Esq. ...Mr. Russell ..Hugh Sayer According to the Rev. G. V. Sampson's survey, the county of Londonderry contains three hundred and twenty-one thousand six hundred acres, (Irish) or four hundred and nine thousand three hundred and nine acres, (English). The population of the county in 1814 was 186,181. The city and liberties of Derry contained 24,056, and the town and liberties of Coleraine contained 8,817. The number of Catholics may be considered as being about one fifth less than the Protestants. 4th September.-About this time, Sir Josias Bodley was appointed by the Lord Deputy of Ireland, to examine into the progress of the Plantation, and ascertain whether the City had performed their engagements in fulfilling the conditions of Plantation; and having made his survey of the new settler's operations, he made a report to King James, wherein he complained, in strong terms, of the City's negligence in the Plantation. Soon after which, his Majesty required from the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, information of all the particular proceedings of every Company upon their several proportions of land; and the Irish Society were directed to call every Company to an examination of their performances. In consequence whereof, precepts were issued by the Society to the twelve Companies, requiring them, with all expedition, to make a certificate of the state of their Plantation, and to send their Wardens or others before the Society, to answer and explain any questions that might be proposed to them, which was done accordingly. 15th January. It appears by a letter written at this time by the Wardens of the Goldsmiths' Company, to their tenants in Ireland, that a dividend of the rents was to be made to the twelve chief Companies. 26th March, 1615.-Sir Josias Bodley having made the before-mentioned unfavourable report to King James of the slow progress of the citizens of London, in accomplishing the purposes of the intended. Plantation, his Majesty wrote a letter to Sir Arthur Chichester, then Lord Deputy of Ireland, as follows: 66 Right, trusty, and well-beloved, we greet you well. "We received lately from you, a relation of the present state of the Plantation in Ulster, set down with seeming clearness and order, by the pen of Sir Josias Bodley, according to the exactness of the survey thereof, taken lately by himself by our commandment, that we acknowledge his care and industry in performance of this service, and do require you to give him thanks in our name for it. We have examined, viewed, and reviewed, with our own eye, every part thereof, and find greatly to our discontentment the slow progression of that Plantation; some few only of our British undertakers, servitors, and natives, having as yet proceeded effectually by the accomplishment of such things in all points as are required of them by the articles of the Plantation, the rest, and by much the greatest part, having either done nothing at all, or so little, or by reason of the slightness thereof, to so little purpose, that the work seems rather to us to be forgotten by them, and to perish under their hand, than any whit to be advanced by them; some having begun to build, and not planted, others begun to plant, and not built, and all of them, in general. retaining the Irish still upon their lands, the avoiding of which, was the fundamental reason of that Plantation. We have made a collection of their names, as we found their endeavours and negligencies noted in the service, which we will retain as a memorial with us, and they shall be sure to feel the effects of our favour and disfavour, as there shall be occasion, It is well known to you that if we had intended only (as it seems most of them over-greedily have done,) our present profit, we might have converted those large territories to our escheated lands, to the great improvement of the revenue of our crown there; but, we chose rather for the safety of that Country, and the civilizing of that people, to depart with the inheritance of them at extreme undervalues, and to make a Plantation of them; and since we were merely induced thereunto out of reason of state, we think we may without any breach of justice make bold with their rights who have neglected their duties, in a service of so much importance unto us, and by the same law and reason of state, resume into our hands their lands, who have failed to perform, according to our original intention, the articles of Plantation, and bestow them upon some other men more active and worthy of them than themselves; and the time is long since expired, within which they were bound to have finished to all purposes their Plantation, so that we want not just provocation to proceed presently with all rigour against them. Yet we are pleased in grace, and that they may be the more inexcusable if they be deficient in their duties hereafter, to assign them a further time, which shall be to the last day of August come twelve months, which will be in the year of our Lord 1616, which we are determined shall be final and peremptory unto them; and at which time we are resolved to seize into our hands, the lands of any man whatsoever, without respect of persons, whether he be a British undertaker, servitor, or native, that shall be found defective in performing any of the articles of the Plantation, to which he was enjoined. Our express pleasure therefore is, that as soon as this limited time of favor shall expire, that Sir Josias Bodley shall presently take a particular survey of the Plantation as it then stands, and whomsoever he shall certify to be deficient in any point to which he is bound touching the Plantation, that presently you seize into our hands the proportion or proportions of those lands wherein he hath made his omission; and that you grant a custodium of them to any such person or persons as you shall think fit, till we signify our further pleasure to you ́ touching the disposing of them; and as we do let you know, so we require you to give them notice whom it concerns, that we do expect full performance in all points of the articles of the Plantation, by the time above specified, as well from all such as do now hold any lands of the Plantation, by purchase or mesne conveyance, from any of the original grantees or patentees, as we would have done from them whose rights they have required, notwithstanding any former conveyance or toleration granted under any pretext unto any of them heretofore. And because we will have no man to pretend ignorance of that which we expect from him, in performing |