twenty-four chief burgesses. The mayor and sheriffs to be elected on the second of January, and sworn in on the second of February before the preceding mayor; to appoint a sword-bearer, sergeants-at-mace, and other inferior officers during pleasure. The king, by this charter, grants to the said London Society and their successors, the entire island of Derry, and all the lands next adjacent to the City, on the west side of the river of Lough Foyle, containing by estimation 4000 acres, besides bog and barren mountain, to be used by them as waste acres belonging to the said City.

The Society within one year, to assign to the Bishop and Dean of Derry, and their successors, two acres of land apiece next adjoining to Columbkille's tower, to build houses for their residence. The Society for ever at their own charge to find and maintain a ward in Culmore castle, of so many men, well armed, and officers, as shall be necessary for the defence thereof, and to acquit and exonerate the crown from the same for ever. Provided that the City be enclosed and fortified with stone walls, except that part next the river of Lough Foyle, within ten years; to hold weekly markets on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and a fair on the feast of Saint Bartholomew, and for eight days next following. The City to exercise the office of packer and gauger, and to return two members to parliament.— (Concise View.)

According to the agreement concluded on the 28th January, 1609, between the lords of the privy council and the committee appointed by the corporation of London, it was determined, among other things, that 200 houses should be built at the Derry, and room left for 300 more, that 60 of those houses should be built in the Derry by the first of November then next following, and the rest on the first of November, 1611.-Ib.

1613-July 6.—" The Society sent over two assistants Mr. Alderman Smithes and Mr. Matthias Springham, to take an exact survey and account of the various operations and concerns of the plantation, and brought with them the new charter of Londonderry, and had the old charter surrendered to them. On their return to London, they reported to the common council, that, 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 that the rents and profits of them might be divided amongst the several companies.' Agreeably to this recommendation, they were retained by the Society, who received the rents and profits, and accounted for them to the twelve chief companies. At the same time they recommended that a division should also be made of the lands about to be planted, and the number of parts to be twelve."-Ib.

1615. At this time information of a conspiracy was given by one Teig O'Lenan to Sir Thomas Phillips, of Limavady, the superintendent of the plantation appointed by the crown. The conspirators were Alexander M'Donnell, Bryan Crossagh O'Neill, and other chieftains of Tyrone and Tyrconnell. Their object was to seize Derry and all the English forts in Ulster, and to extirpate the British planters. Several of them were apprehended, and sent to the lord deputy in Dublin, and after examination, were brought back to receive their trial at the Derry assizes, when six of them were found guilty, and executed. In consequence of this conspiracy, directions were given by the Irish Society that, in order that Derry might not in future be peopled with Irish, "twelve Christ's hospital and other poor children should be sent there as apprentices and servants, and that the inhabitants were to be prohibited from taking Irish apprentices."

The north-west district of Ulster was first reduced into counties by Sir John Perrot, lord deputy of Ireland, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; but in his time the law was not executed in it by sheriffs or justices of the peace. The first sheriffs in it were made by Sir George Cary, and shortly afterwards, the first assizes were held in this circuit, by Sir Edward Pelham and the attorney-general Sir John Davis. These assizes were, as might be expected, as unwelcome to the native chieftains, whose authority, in consequence, became gradually diminished, as they were acceptable to the great body of the people, who, notwithstanding the difficulties and disadvantages under which they had hitherto laboured, possessed natural sagacity enough to discriminate between "feudal tyranny and the fair administration of rational law." In a parliamentary notice of 1613, Londonderry appeared as a City of the County of Donegal, Coleraine as a borough of the county of Antrim, and Limavady as a borough of the county of Coleraine.

By the councils of Queen Elizabeth and King James I. orders were given that the planters or colonists should, for convenience to their holdings and the general purposes of agriculture, be scattered throughout the north-west district : * such was the continual alarm "from threatened invasion and retribution," that the colonists of the counties of Tyrone, Tyrconnell, and Londonderry, were under the necessity of having each his musket appended to his plough for self-defence.

1616. Mr. Alderman Proby and Mr. Matthias Springham were again sent over to Derry, to take a survey of the plantation. On their return to London they reported, that "the twelve children sent from Christ's hospital to be apprenticed, had arrived safe at Derry; that they had caused ten to be apprenticed in Derry, and two in Coleraine: they considered it to be proper, that, in future, a market-house and a townhouse should be erected in Derry: they continued Thomas Raven, Esq. as surveyor for two years, holding his service necessary for measuring and setting out the fortifications at Derry and Coleraine ; and stated the allowances thenceforth to be made to the burgesses of Derry and Coleraine by the City of London, for their attendance in parliament."

At this period allowances were made to the knights, citizens, and burgesses, for their attendance on the Irish parliament, under the name, first, of "wages," afterwards of "entertainment,” the amount being regulated by sessional orders. In 1613-14, knights received 13s. 4d.-citizens 10s. and burgesses 6s. 8d. Irish each, (per diem, we presume.) In 1615 the rates were reduced to 6s. 8d.-5s.-and 3s. 4d. respectively. In 1634, the first rates were re-established. In 1640, the sums adopted were 10s.-7s. 6d.—and 5s. which were recognized in 1662; and in 1665, it was resolved by the house :- "That no warrants be issued for any wages due since 27th September, 1662, or that shall be due hereafter, during the sitting of parliament." They examined the fortifications at Derry, (so far as they were then completed,) and found that the ditch round the same was a dry ditch, 8 feet deep and 30 feet broad, and extended from the Prince's Bulwark, being at the west end of the City, along the south side of the

• Sir William Petty estimates the (thin) population of Ireland at 300,000 in the end of the twelth century; Morrison makes them more than double this amount at the accession of King James I.

Ꭰ

fortification unto the side of the river, (rather to the side of the slob of the river,) being more than half the circuit of the wall, as would appear by the plan they had made.— They found that the quay at Derry was sufficient for the trade of the place; and thought that when the fortifications were finished, the city (London) might either enlarge the same or make a new one. They granted leases of most of the houses at Derry for 31 years, and allotted to every house a portion of land (tenement adjacent to the town,) according to the rent of the house, and distributed the Island (except the bog or slob,) for gardens and orchards as belonging to every house, in ease of rent; and the bog they leased out to sundry persons for small rent, in hope that the same might be made firm and good meadow, in time to come. They delivered swords as presents from the City to the mayors of Londonderry and Coleraine. The commissioners allotted 300 acres for a free-school, when it should be finished, which Mr. Springham promised to erect at his own expense, the next year.They made estimates of the expense of repairing the churches (the Augustinian church,) and the fortifications. They represented that, out of the 4000 acres of land to be laid to Derry, 3217 acres had been granted to the mayor, or otherwise laid to houses."*

The Walls or Fortifications.

1618-19. By the original agreement between the crown and the corporation of London in 1609, it was stipulated, that the walls should be completed on the first of November in the following year; but, though commenced, they were not entirely finished until 1618-19. They were laid out and built under the direction of Thomas Raven, Esq. of London, who had been sent hither for that purpose; and the total cost of their erection, including ports or gates, with all materials and workmanship, was £8,357. Pynnar, who was authorised by government to take a survey of the City and fortifications at this date, describes them as follows-" The City of Londonderry is now compassed about with a very strong wall, excellently made, and neatly wrought, being all of good stone and lime; the circuit whereof is 284 perches, at 18 feet to the perch, besides the four gates, which

* Concise View and Ordnance Survey.