of Loughswilly, on the west and south-west part of Birt, through the middle of a bog which extendeth to Loughlappan, and so through the midst of the lough, and so along the midst of a small river falling into Loughlappan from a well or spring upon Mullaghknockemona, and from the top of that mountain the mear extendeth through a small bog which runneth along the top of the hill of Ardnomohill, and so to the top of the hill of Knockenagh, upon the east part of which hill ariseth the stream of Alt Ballymac Rowertie, which runneth a mear between Ballymac Rowertie, Enishowen, and part of the lands of Derry and Garrowgart, to the cawsy under Elagh, and so down through the bog to Loughswilly, and from the aforesaid cawsy the mear of Enishowen aforesaid is through the midst of the bog to Loughfoyle. And further the said jurors do upon their oaths find and present, that the ground and land whereon the old castle called O'Donnall's castle was built, within the lower part of the city of Derry, was formerly bought by O'Donell of the herenagh Laghlinagh, as being parcel of his herenagh land, for twenty cows; and the said castle was built thereupon by O'Dogherty for O'Donnall's use, in consideration whereof O'Donnall forgave O'Dogherty certain duties; and that the said castle and ground thereof is now come to his majesty's hands and possession by the attainder of treason of Hugh Ro O'Donnall. And further the said jurors do upon their oaths find and present, that Nicholas Weston of Dublin, alderman, is and for the space of four years last past or thereabouts hath been in possession of the several parcels of lands and fishings ensuing; viz. the four quarters of land of Dowle, one quarter of land called Medowne, and one quarter of land called Koolekeragh, with the fishing of the fouchan, and other small fishings thereunto belonging; and that the said Nicholas claims the said lands and fishings by conveyance from sir Donogh O'Cahan, unto which conveyance the said jurors do herein refer themselves; but whether it be good in law or no the said jurors know not. And further the said jurors do upon their oaths present and say, that all the lands, tenements, and hereditaments lying within the county of the city of Derry, on the south-east side of the river of Loughfoyle, the land and hereditaments above mentioned to belong to any abbot, monasteries, or religious houses excepted, are lately come to his majesty's possession by force of the attainder of Shane O'Neill, made in the eleventh year of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth: and lastly, touching the several names of herenagh, termon, and corbe, the said jurors do upon their oaths find and present, that all termon and herenagh land within the said county was at the first given by Collumkill and the succeeding abbots unto the several septs, before any bishops were known in this country, and the said lands were free, and had the privileges of sanctuary and other liberties, and were enjoyed by the sept in course of gavelkind. In witness whereof, as well the said commissioners as also the said jurors have unto this part of this inquisition remaining

with the said commissioners set to their seals the day and year first above written.

ARTHUR CHICHESTER,

H. ARMAGHANUS,
GEORGE DERIens.,

THOMAS RIDGWAY,
H. WINCH,

JOHN DAVIS,

WILLIAM PARSONS.

Ex. by me, JOHAN. DENNING,

10 die Feb. 1703.

Delivered into the Chancery of Ireland, the 6th Jan. 7 James.

Note.-Copies of five inquisitions in Latin, taken in or about the year 1610, and of one in English, taken in 1620, relating to ecclesiastical property, and the fishings, &c. appear among the records of the Irish Society, but they are much damaged by fire.

LETTER

OF

KING JAMES I. TO THE LORD DEPUTY.

1612.

BY THE KING.

Right trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. IT is well known unto you how great a revenue we might have raised to our crown, by our escheated lands in the province of Ulster, if we had not preferred the reformation of that disordered country by a civil plantation to be made therein before the private profit which we might have reaped by it. For the more steady effecting whereof, we made liberal donations of great proportions of those lands, so escheated unto us, to divers British undertakers and servitors, with favourable tenures and reservations for their better encouragement, and enabling them, in their estates, to expedite the work of their plantation according to those articles by which they voluntarily bound themselves; but, as we are informed, they have made so slow progression therein, hitherto, that neither the safety of that country, nor the planting of religion and civility amongst those rude and barbarous people, which were the principal motives of that project, and which we expected as the only fruits and returns to us of our bounty from them, are any whit, as yet, materially effected by them. We are not ignorant how much the real accomplishment of that plantation concerns the future peace and safety of that kingdom; but if there were no reason of state to press it forward yet we would pursue and effect that work with the same earnestness as we now do, merely for the goodness and morality of it; esteeming the settling of religion, the introducing of civility, order, and government, among a barbarous and unsubjected people, to be the acts of piety and glory, and worthy also a Christian prince to endeavour. Though we understand, by some of the undertakers and servitors there with whom we had speech, that there is a general backwardness and slack proceeding in the plantation, yet the particulars thereof are either concealed from us or diversely reported unto us, every man being willing to improve his own merit in that service, and to transfer the faults and omissions therein upon other men; wherefore we have thought fit, for our particular information, to have a true and exact survey taken, and, with as much speed as conve

niently you may, transmitted unto us, of the whole state, as it now stands, of the plantation; wherein we precisely require you, that, respecting only your duty to us and this commandment of ours, and setting aside all favour, partiality, care, or fear to please or displease any man, you make a sincere and faithful narration unto us what every undertaker and servitor is bound to do by the articles of the plantation, what he hath already done, whether slightly or substantially, and wherein any of them are deficient; and this we would have performed by you in so particular a manner that every man may bear his own burthen and his own reward; and that we being truly certified, by this inquisition, where the obstructions be, may likewise better know the ways hereafter how to open and remove them. And because the Londoners here pretend the expense of great sums of money in that service, and yet (as we are informed) the outward appearance of it, in their works, are very small, we require you to give us a true account of what they have done, and to make, as near as you can, a true valuation of it, that they might discover the ignorance or abuse of their ministers, to whom they have committed that employment; and withal to send us your opinion what course were fittest for them to follow hereafter, both for their own good and advancement of our service in the management of that business. We have been informed that some undertakers, who had portions assigned unto them at the first allotment, have sold them away to men of mean ability, and unfit for that service; and that some other undertakers, which before had more land than they were able to plant and inhabit, according to the articles of the plantation, have notwithstanding gotten the proportions of other undertakers, by contract with them, into their hands, which we conceive to be an impediment so mischievous to the progression of the plantation that we require you to take particular cognition of the several transactions in this kind, and make certificate of them unto us, in that survey which we are to receive from you. We rely on your integrity to discharge this trust which we repose in you; and you will deserve well the favour we bear you, and the dignity of your place wherein you are appointed, and will submit all respects whatsoever to the faithful execution of the trust which we have laid upon you. Given under our signet, at our palace, &c. the 21st December, in the tenth year of our reign of England, France, &c. and of Scotland the forty-sixth.

We are so desirous to understand from you the true state of the plantation, that once again we do strictly enjoin you to give us a faithful account of this trust which we repose in you, without care or fear to please or displease any of our subjects, English or Scottish, of what quality soever.