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We turn for a moment from these records of treachery, cruelty, rapine, and murder, to the meagre details of the local Annals of Limerick, in this era of revolution and savagery. About the year 1692 an Act was passed, enabling the Earl of Kildare to sell his estates in the County of Limerick, in order to pay incumbrances amounting to £9300; and the rest of the purchase money, except £2000 for the Earl's private use, to be invested in land in England.1

An accident by which the Tower of Limerick was blown up and destroyed in 1693, February 12, is thus mentioned by Ware:-"The tower of Limerick (being old) fell suddenly, in which were 218 barrels of powder, which by the striking of the stones, took fire and blew up; it greatly shattered the town, killing about 100 persons besides the wounded." It was intended to make a Popish plot of the accident.2

In 1694 there was a most severe frost, the ice was nine feet thick on the river Shannon, and the people walked over it with pleasure. In 1696 street lamps were, for the first time erected, at the sole expense of Alderman Thomas Rose. Rose was mayor in 1695-Richard Sexton and George Roche were sheriffs. "On the 7th of September, 1695," says White, "there fell a shower which most people took to be butter, and on the 20th of October there fell at Newcastle, about Limerick, and in many parts of the country, a shower of perfect butter, so that none could doubt of it, and the like was not heard of before in this country."

White makes this statement also:-"Thomas Smyth, Protestant bishop of Limerick signed the Protest in the House of Lords on the 21st of September, 1897, against an act passing to confirm the articles of Limerick." What a mockery-"confirm" articles which had been shamefully broken.

In 1696 it was ordered that a market house should be built on the site of Thom-Core Castle,5 and that this celebrated old castle should be demolished. The market house was built by contract, the masons receiving £110-the carpenters £100; the work was completed; but the workmen were losers, notwithstanding the comparative cheapness of wages.

In 1698, through having a fair prospect abroad, the land forces in England were reduced to 7,000, and all the forces in Ireland exceeding 12,000 men,

I certify, being one of the bearers hereof, John Creagh, security at the time the Popish inhabitants were entering security for their good behaviour, as by law required. Witness my hand this July 4, 1722. Signed by order of John Napper, Esq.

"Present, James Ffarmor, Richd. Dunbaoin."

"JNO. NAPPER.

1 These estates were sold in 1711, when Adare was purchased by the ancestor of the Earl of Dunraven, and Croom by Mr. Croker of Ballinagarde.-The Earls of Kildare by the Marquis of Kildare, p. 256.

21t is said in White's MSS. that the Sheriff (Bowman) was among the number of those killed, and that 240 men, women, and children were killed and wounded, and that Counseller John Lacy, Arthur Lillis, Attorney, Mrs. Butler, and Zachary Holland died of the fright; the explosion not only shook the whole city, but was distinctly heard twenty miles off. This tower is placed in the old maps and plans of Limerick, which are preserved in the British Museum, at the corner of the Quay, not far from the present County Court House. It is curious to add that in a few years afterwards, viz., on the 27th of October, 1697, "the magazine of Athlone fired by lightning, blew up the Castle and divers houses, and fourteen persons were killed."

Lamps must have been as great a curiosity at this period as gas was 45 or 50 years ago; and I had the fact from a very aged citizen of Limerick,* that in the last century, before the new town was built, so well was the Englishtown lighted that one could pick a pin off the streets at night-so bright were they, not only with lamps, but with the light that gleamed from the shop windows of the citizens, who, at that period, took the greatest pains in endeavouring to show off their wares, by candle-light especially. In this instance fashion has undergone a complete revolution. See pp. 236, 237.

4 White's MSS.
The late Mr. James Blackwell, who died in 1864, aged 104 years.

(and those natural born subjects to be maintained by the kingdom) were likewise disbanded. To the great relief of the citizens such Dutch guards and French refugees as had remained were dismissed, and ordered away. William was exceedingly annoyed at this step, and remonstrated against it. He would not allow his faithful Dutch guards to be tampered with, if he could-but the fiat of Lords and Commons went forth, so that the Dutch guards were shipped for Holland. In 1698 the Marquis of Winchester and the Earl of Galway, Lords Justices of Ireland, in their progress through the kingdom, arrived in Limerick, and thence went to Galway. On the 30th of July a most violent storm arose, which had such force on the Shannon, that its current was stopped for three hours, and people might walk over quite dry. It destroyed so much corn that wheat rose to 6s. 6d. per bushel, and barley to 20s. the Limerick barrel.

A large trade was carried on at this time in serges, between Limerick and Spain and Portugal; and at this time also the glove trade in Limerick was in such a position as to attract considerable attention.3

The Orangemen were not to be treated with scorn or indifference, notwithstanding the betrayal of their interest by William in reference to the woollen. trade. Many of them had settled in Limerick, Bandon, Cork, Waterford, and other places in the woollen trade, and had become prosperous. The quality of the material made in Limerick and elsewhere was fully equal to the best produced by English looms. The "Protestant interest" determined that these advantages should not be swept away by an act of Parliament. They agitated, and resisted, and for a time succeeded. The trade increased; the weavers and combers became the strongest guild of trade in Limerick. The triumph, however, was, to some extent, short-lived. To meet the calls of English manufacturers, it was enacted by Parliament that an additional duty should be laid on woollen manufactures exported out of Ireland. For some time this act gave a sudden stagnation to that branch of trade, and introduced a general poverty among the manufacturers, but as a counterpoise the Irish linen trade was encouraged. Numbers were thrown out of employment in the city and suburbs of Limerick. Discontent prevailed to such an extent that the Protestants in whose hands the trade almost exclusively was, threatened to transfer their allegiance if they did not obtain protection.7

The effect of this wholesale disbanding of the army may be better imagined than described. Madame Smyth the wife of Dr. Smyth, bishop of Limerick, ordered a certain quantity of muslin (at 13s., 10s. 6d., and 78. 6d. per yard) from Edinburgh. Her friend and correspondent writes:"I have been waiting for an oppertunity to send you muslin, which I've bought this 4 months; I have at last ventured it with my aunt Irwin's man, tho' they tell me 'tis ten to one if it escape the Hands of the disband'd soulders, most of whom are turned Robers, which makes the rode so foul that scearce any dare travele-However was Resolved to run all hasards rather than keep it any longer."-Decr. 28th, '97. Charles Lennan, the Port Collector of Donoughadee, gives his permit for the transmission of the aforesaid muslin which duly arrived from Portpatrick in Scotland, in January, 1697-8, and which reached Castle Irwin at the end of that month.

2 White's MSS.

3 Gloves generally sold for Gd. per pair, and some were dyed "cloth colour," whatever that means. 4 A petition from the Waterford manufacturers for two yearly fairs for the sale of friezes and baizes, was presented about this period.

5 They wore the orange-coloured lock of wool in their hats on St. Blase's day, the 3rd of February, and on other festivals, a custom which was not exploded until 1842, when Corporate Reform discountenanced the practice.

6 This act was passed in the session of 1698-and by it "a duty was laid upon all broad cloths exported from the 25th of March, 1699, of four shillings in every twenty shillings of value of such cloths, and two shillings in every twenty shillings value of all serges, bays, kersies, perpetuans, stuffs, or any other sort of new drapery made of wool, friezes only excepted."

7 Sir Robert Southwell states that 30,000 weavers, &c., were in a state of absolute want, if not of starvation.

The result was that the restrictions were nearly all withdrawn, but sufficient were left to interfere with the development of this manufacture, which England had made most energetic exertions to retain in her own hands. In the South of Ireland at this time flax was largely grown, and linen was manufactured not only for sale and export, but by private individuals, farmers and others for their own use.

The executioner and the confiscator, meantime, were active in their respective callings; and the following list from the Book of Attainder's MSS. comprises the names of those who in the city and county of Limerick-to which we add a few remarkable names in Tipperary and Dublin-were, at this crisis, attainted for high treason, and whose properties went into the rapacious jaws of the spoliators to be dealt with "according to law" :—

Burke, Patrick, City of Limerick, gent., 1696,

Bodkin, Domnick, same, merchant, same,

Brittas, Theobald Lord, 5th Oct., 1696, Ballymoney, Co. Limerick,

Burgh, John, son of Lord Brittas, do., do. same,

Burke, William, Lisnakelly, Co. Limerick, 5th Oct. 1696, Ballymoney, Co. Limerick, Baggott, John, Rathjordan, same, do., do.,

Bryan, Morgan, Hospital, same, do., do.,

O'Brien, Connor, same, same, Esq.,

O'Brien, Daniel, same, same,

Bourke, Patrick, Kisyquirke, same, Esq.,

Bourke, Richard, Ballyclough, same,

Bourke, Thomas Oge, Bane, Dollehan, same,

O'Brien, William, Castletown, same,

Brien Kennedy, same, same,

O'Brien, Daniel, Tuan, same,

Firzgerald, James, Knockane, Co. of Limerick, Esq.,
Fitzgerald, John, Gurtnatubrid, Co. Limerick, Esq.,
Gibbon, Thomas, Ballinskey, same,
Gorman, Patrick, Coolesbague, same,

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Limerick, William Earl of

Lord Dungan, killed in the Battle of Boyne, [for whom there was a great wake at

Clane, near Celbridge, Co. Kildare.]

M'Mahon, Turlock, Cregg, Co. Limerick, gent., 5th Oct. 1696,

Marshal, William, Tomline, gent., do.,

Pigott, Thomas, Clonishire, Co. Limerick, Ballinmugo,

Rice, John, City of Limerick, merchant,

Ronan, James, same,

Roch, David, same,

Ronan, Nicholas, same,

Stephenson, John, Ballyvaughan, Co. Limerick,

Stevens, Thomas, same,

Skiddy, Nicholas, City of Limerick,

Stretch, Edward, same,

Tobin, James, Fethard, Co. Tipperary,

Thyrry, James, City of Limerick,

Thyrry, Patrick, same,

Thyrry, Stephen, same, apothecary,
Wall, Gibbon, same, doctor,

White, William, same, merchant.

12th Oct., 1696

So much for "The glorious, pious, and immortal memory of the good and great King William." So much for the Treaty of Limerick, and the good faith of those to whom the fortunes of Ireland were committed in an evil moment.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE FORFEITED ESTATES.THE SALES.

SIR WILLIAM KING'S DEATH.ORANGEISM, &c.

AFTER several reports, and protracted negociations, it was at length resolved by Parliament to bring to a conclusion the question of the forfeited estates. It is not necessary that we should go over the ground traversed by these heart-rending proceedings. From the principal reports it appeared that

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The Number of Acres in the several Counties in Ireland belonging to forfeiting
persons were
Which being worth £211,623 a year, at six years purchase for life, and at thir-
teen years for an Inheritance amounted to
Out of the Lands, the Estates restored to the old Proprietors by the Articles of
Limerick and Galway, were valued at £724,923, and those restored by Royal
Favour at £260,163, after which, and several other allowances, the gross
value of all the Estates forfeited since the 13th of Feby., 1688, amounted to

1,060,792

£2,685,130

£1,622,343

The number of Grants and Custodiums, since the Battle of the Boyne, under the Great Seal of England, were 76, some of the principal of which are mentioned, viz.

To the Lord Romney 3 grants of
To the Earl of Albemarle 2. grants of
To William Bentinck (Lord Woodstock)
To Ginkle Earl of Athlone (occasioned by the Parliament of Ireland)

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To the Earl of Rochford, two grants of

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To the Lord Coningsby

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To Col. Gustavus Hamilton, for his services in wading through the Shannon, and storming Athlone, at the head of the English Grenadiers

To Sir Thomas Prendergast for the most valuable consideration of discovering the Assassination Plot

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Several of the Grantees had raised great sums of money by sale of their lands, amounting in all to £68,155, particularly the Earl of Athlone (his grant being confirmed by Act of Parliament) who had sold to the amount of £17,684. These lands were forfeited by the Earl of Lucan, Patrick Sarsfield. The Lord Romney, £30,147, and the Earl of Albemarle, £10,000.

The lands granted in 1888, and now about to be disposed of by the Trustees, were in the county of Limerick :

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The conduct of the confiscators made a noise throughout Europe, and in Paris a list of those lands was published under the following head, a copy of which we now have before us :

ETAT DES TERRES CONFISQUEES.

Par le Prince d'Orange, depuis le 18 de Fevrier, 1688, sur les Fideles Catholiques d'Irelande, qui ont servi le Roy, Jacques II. & l' ont suivi en France; Representè au Parlement d'Angleterre par les Commissaires employez a' cet effet.

As we have this remarkable document in the Book of Distributions, and afterwards printed in the Report of the Commissioners of Public Records, we take it fully from the latter as a piece of official information, which it is not surprising had caused indignation and anger throughout Europe :

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The denominations confiscated in the county of Limerick embraced a very large portion of the entire county.

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