To proceed with the municipality of the City-It appears that, when King Charles I. returned from Scotland he made a public declaration " that he was troubled at the judgment that had been given for taking away his father's grant to the Society," and accordingly his majesty promised to the City that it would be restored. In the same year the mayor, commonalty, and citizens of London, on behalf of themselves, and the companies, and others, having lands and tenements in Londonderry, exhibited their petition to parliament :-in due consideration of the same, it was voted and resolved "that the sentence in the star chamber was unlawful and unjust; that the citizens of London, and all those against whom the judgment was given, in the scire facias, should be discharged of that judgment; and that both the citizens of London, and those of the new plantation, and all undertenants, and all those put out of possession, should be restored to the same estate which they were in before the said sentence in the star chamber, which was afterwards carried into effect." *

Upon the restoration of King Charles II. 1662, the City of London petitioned the crown for a reversal of the judgment given against their first letters patent, but as the proceedings necessary to be adopted in that respect would have been tedious, the king proposed to grant a new charter which would embrace all the possessions and rights that the City originally possessed. And accordingly, letters patent were made out, which contained, with very little alteration, all the clauses of the first charter of King James I. under which charter the Irish Society and the late corporation of Derry have acted. As the old corporation has ceased to act, it is now unnecessary to recapitulate the duties of its officers. Four charters were given to the City of Derry: First, to Sir Henry Docwra, 1603-Second, to the Irish Society, 1613-(the articles of agreement between the crown and the common council in 1609, was not a charter, as the Society was not then incorporated)-Third, by Cromwell— Fourth, by King Charles II.

* Ordnance Survey. † Ordnance Survey and Concise View.

CHAPTER IX.

Population and Improvements of the City given, 1618-19, by NICHOLAS PYNNAR, Esq.-Ditto in 1622, by Sir THOMAS PHILLIPS and RICHARD HADSOR, Esq.-Of houses then built, few now remain-Muster of the "wellarmed men," with their names, in 1622-Character of the colonists or settlers as to origin-Rents of houses and lands, with rates of produce, encouragement for artificers, &c.State of the plantation; "tapp-houses"-Few descendants now of the original settlers-Proportion and characteristicNames common, in the population of 1846, with terminations, &c.-Physical and physiognomical characters of the several races; with an encomium on their moral character, generally.

A representation having been made to the government that the contract on the part of the corporation of London, had not been performed, so far as the City of Derry was concerned, an inquiry was thenceforth instituted. Accordingly, in 1618-19, Nicholas Pynnar, Esq. in his survey of Ulster, writes thus :-" The whole number of houses within the City (Derry) are 92, and in them are 102 families." And, for the like reason, in the survey of Sir Thomas Phillips and Richard Hadsor, Esq. in 1622, under a royal commission, it is stated that, "the number of families now inhabiting in the Cittie of Londonderry, souldiers and others, doe make 109 families, dwelling in stone houses slated :-families of poore souldiers, and poore labouring men dwelling within the walls in cabbons-12. Soe the whole number of families dwelling within the walls of the Cittie are-121. The number of men present well armed within the Cittie of Londonderry is-110. Also, presented by the maior in a scroule of dwellers neere the town-63."

Of the original houses none are now to be seen entire they have all been rebuilt or remodelled. At the commencement of the present century, many of them were in good repair: they, for the greater part, consisted of houses, two stories in height, some with high steps and stone staircases outside. The Cathedral alone (erected in 1633,) remains nearly entire, and a house of one story in Rosemary-lane, immediately below the linen-hall, remains of those that stood during the siege of 1688-9; it has, however, got another

E

roof. In a kind of cellar or cave near this house was the magazine during that event. The Town-house was demolished at the close of the siege, and the Exchange of William and Mary raised in its stead, which has again been transformed into Corporation-hall. The old Free Grammar School, built by Mr. Springham, in 1617, was demolished in 1815. The "Diamond-house," which braved the siege, may be seen in its modern or remodelled appearance, and is occupied by Mr. Walker, seedsman, and Mr. McVicker, merchant-tailor.

"A muster of the well-armed-men taken in 1622, by Sir Thomas Phillips and Richard Hadsor, Esq. his majesty's commissioners, of all the inhabitants, with their servants, residing in the City, with their several arms," is as follows:

The colony planted here by Sir Henry Docwra was, it may be said, wholly English and military; and the only difference from that under King James I. consisted in the civil character of the settlers, among whom were many Scotch, as well as English, who had, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, skirted along the northern coast of the counties of Antrim and Derry (Coleraine,) and were at length located in the neighbourhood of Rathmelton and Raphoe, and who crowded into the new City for the purpose of seeking their fortunes by traffic. It may here be observed, that few, if any, of the ancient race or those of Irish blood, were permitted to settle within the walls of the City, as conformity in religion, so far as it was practicable, was doubtless a necessary prelude to their reception into it; and the princi

pal object in carrying the plantation into effect, was avowedly for removing the turbulent, reconciling the disaffected, and protecting the peaceable. That the project was, in a great measure, carried, there is sufficient evidence from the few Irish names that appear in the muster roll of Sir Thomas Phillips and Richard Hadsor, Esq. And, although directions had been given by the Irish Society, in 1615, that "Derry might not again be peopled with Irish," in consequence of the conspiracy already mentioned, yet it does not appear that this exclusion was rigidly enforced. Still they did not, to any great extent, settle within the City till after the restoration of Charles II. at which time the population consisted of a mixed race, chiefly of English and Scotch. The native Irish were, however, once more removed by the events of the revolution of 1688-9; but on the return of peace, they were again permitted to settle; and their descendants have since continued with the other inhabitants, to stimulate each other to active industry, and to swell the population of the City.*

Notwithstanding the low prices of provisions and commodities generally, throughout Ulster, the progress of the City was but slow. During the first four years after the colony was planted, the lands attached to Derry were let at 6d. per acre; in the next three years at 1s. 6d. per acre ; and thenceforth to 1628, at 2s. 6d. per acre. The rents of the better class of houses with six acres of land attached to each, were, at that date, only £3. In 1613, a cow or bullock cost 15s.-a sheep from 1s. 4d. to 2s.- -a hog 2s.-barley 11d. per bushel-oats 4d. per bushel-strong beer 16s. per barrel, which was considered dear. In the same year, a large salmon was procured in Derry market for 4d.—6d.—or 8d. It appears, however, from the address of the mayor, commonalty, and citizens, to his majesty's high commissioners, in 1624, that the inhabitants located by Sir Henry Docwra had left the place rather than pay rents so high; and that, of the 113 families then inhabiting the City, the greater number " were very poore, and utterlie unable, and especially by reason of their great rents, to subsist undr ye burthen of ye incorporacon." The want of artificers was much felt "to worke the country commoditys," and of money

* Ordnance Survey.