our town of Galway go with no manner of merchandise or victual in the country, within 20 miles compass of our said town, save only to our market towns; but suffer the inhabitants of the country to resort to the market of our said town to sell their wares and cattle in our said market, according to the purport of our charters given by Us, and our noble progenitors of famous memory, to you the inhabitants of our town.1 66 Item, that every inhabitant . . . inhabitant . . . do shave their over lips, called crompeaulis "2; and suffer the hair of their heads to grow, till it cover their ears; and that every of them wear English caps. ... Item, that no man, nor man child, do wear no mantles in the streets, but cloaks or gowns . . . doublets and hose, shaped after the English fashion, of the country cloth, or any other cloth [it] shall please them to buy. Item, that no man, woman, or child, do wear in their shirts or smocks, or any other garments, no saffron, nor have any more cloth in their shirts or smocks, but 5 standard ells of that country cloth. Item, that every man provide, with all speed, long bows and English arrows, and "haunt" (practise) shooting, and especially every Holy Day; and to leave all other unlawful games. Ítem, that every inhabitant within the said town endeavour themselves to speak English, and to use themselves after the English fashion; and especially that you, and every of you, do put forth your child to school, to learn to speak English, and that you fail not to fulfil these our commandments, as you tender our favour, and will avoid our indignation and high displeasure. . . Moreover, if O'Brien, or any other Irishman, be at war with our Deputy, or our subjects of our city of Limerick, that in no wise, by any colour, practice, or "covyne" (confederacy) ye suffer no victuals, iron, salt, or other commodity to pass from you to them, during the time of their contention, till they shall be perfectly reconciled, upon pain of your allegiances; and always that you observe the articles before written, especially concerning the keeping of markets, and that none of you resort with any merchandise amongst Irishmen, at any time. And where We be informed, that at such seasons, as strangers repair within the haven of Limerick, certain of you forestall the market of our said city, alluring and procuring the stranger merchants to repair out of the haven of Limerick to you, offering them advantage above the "proffre" 3 of the said city to their great disadvantage and commodity, and enhancing the price of foreign and alien merchandises, to the profit of aliens. We therefore will and command you that you do not allure and provoke any merchandise When the towns did not "keep" their markets the King was defrauded of customs. See letter of Henry VIII to the Mayor of Waterford (5 July, 1543). Cal. Carew MSS., I. 56. a See p. 113 n. 2. 3i.c. offers or proposals. arriving in the said haven of Limerick to you; nor they to procure any merchandise arriving in their haven from you to them.1 (c) Charter of 1549. [Calendar Patent Rolls (ed. Morrin), I. 195-7.] Charter of Galway, ratifying and confirming a charter of Richard II, who by letters patent, dated 26 Jan., 19° of his reign, granted licence to the provost and co-burgesses of the town, to elect annually, for ever, from amongst themselves a sovereign, who should swear to rule the town faithfully; that no foreign merchant should buy or sell any merchandise in the town, except in gross; and that they should have all privileges, immunities, tolls and free customs, as freely as the burgesses of the town of Drogheda, reserving all fines which belonged to the lord of the said town: and reciting and confirming a patent of Richard II, 18 Nov., 19° granting them, in order to fortify and pave the town, the following tolls for every pound of ginger 1d.; for every pound of saffron 2d.; for every pound of pepper d.; for every pound of cloves Id.; for all other spices, worth 12d., d.; for 100 pounds of wax 6d. ; for every hide tanned d.; for every pound of silk 3d. ; for every piece of English cloth 3d.; for every piece of Irish cloth containing 12 yards, d.; for every cwt. of iron 2d. ; for 100 stones of Spanish iron 4d.; for 1,000 spike nails id.; for every large kettle or dish 4d.; for every tun of wine 6d. ; for every pipe of wine 3d.; for every seme of corn d.; for every last of butter Id. ; for every stone of tallow d.; for every crannock of salt 1d.; for every stone of wool id.; for 100 woolfells 1d.; for 100 lambskins 2d. ; for every horse worth 40s. and upwards 6d. ; for every pack-horse, steer, bull, ox and cow 1d.; for every large hog id.; for every sheep or goat d.; for a horseload of fish 2d. ; for every salmond.; for every kind of timber and carts . . Id.; for every falcon or hawk id.; for every ton of honey 8d. ; for 8 pounds of hemp and flax Id.; for every 1,000 dishes and wooden platters d. to be expended on the murage and pavage of the town. . . (Former patents also ratified which granted) to the sovereign, provost, bailiffs and commonalty of the town, power to elect a Mayor and 2 bailiffs to govern the town; that Lord MacWilliam (Burke) Lord of Clanrickarde, should have no power or authority in the town, without the consent of the Mayor and bailiffs . . . and that all boats or ships entering the town (by the strait between the islands of Arran and the town of Galway) and the Mayor and burgesses of the town, be eased of toll ... and of all other customs. That no one landing wines at the quay of Galway should pay prisage, that no foreign merchant should pay any but the accustomed tolls for landing merchandise in the town; that the Mayor, bailiffs, and commonalty might export, wherever they This letter should be compared with the "Act for the English Order, Habit and Language" (1537). See pp. 112–4. 2 See p. 67. . . . please, any merchandise from the town; that the Mayor etc., should enjoy all advantages and liberties as enjoyed by the Mayor and sheriffs of Drogheda; saving to the King, the rents . . . and other profits which were accustomed to be rendered out of said town.1 (5) Cork (a) General Description. [Richard Stanihurst, "A Plain and Perfect sea. (ed. 1808), VI. 30.] Cork... the fourth city of Ireland, happily planted on the Their haven is an haven royal. On the land side they are [so] encumbered with evil neighbours, the Irish outlaws, that they are fain to watch their gates hourly, to keep them shut at service times, at meals from sun to sun, nor suffer any stranger to enter the city with his weapon, but the same to leave at a lodge appointed. They walk out at seasons for recreation with power of men furnished. They trust not the country adjoining, but match in wedlock among themselves only, so that the whole city is well nigh linked one to the other in affinity. (b) Cork Merchants. [Enactment of the Mayor, etc. (2 Oct., 1626). Council Book of the City of Cork (ed. R. Caulfield), p. 127.] By daily experience we, the Mayor etc., do see that many rich artificers being chosen masters of companies in this city, are by giving many superfluous entertainments and feasts to their said companies so exhausted in their means as they are constrained in their year's end, if not before, to quit housekeeping in this city, and to betake themselves to foreign countries to get relief for themselves, their wives and children: It is therefore by us enacted, that no master of any company shall entertain his company but once in a year, and that at what time he shall think most convenient, upon pain of £5 sterling for every time he shall infringe this law, to be levied off his goods by way of distress, or recovered by action of debt at the Chamberlain's election. [Inventory of the goods of Thomas Roinane, late Alderman of the City of Cork (1641). Pr. in the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries Ireland. (1856-7), IV. 75-6.] Plate silver gilted salter; I silver wine bowl; 3 small silver wine bowls; 1 silver beer bowl; I dozen silver spoons ; I gold chain; 2 gold jewels; I gold signet; I silver chain. 1 Most important of which was the custom of every last of hides, which was called the "cocket." See C. Smith, Ancient and Present State of the Co. and City of Cork (1774). Repr. by the Cork Hist. and Arch. Soc. (1893). ... "This city is of an oval figure surrounded by walls, environed and intersected by the river (Lee) which is passable only by bridges, and consisting of one straight street continued by a bridge. It is, however, a little trading town of great resort and eminence." -Camden, Britannia, III. 501. Household Stuff: 3 drawing boards; 6 stools covered with Turkey cushions; 4 plain stools; 12 chairs great and small; 2 presses; 2 round tables; 2 round tables; I Turkey carpet; 3 carpets; 2 long forms; 2 cupboards; 7 bedsteads; 3 feather beds with bolsters and "pillowbeeres "1; 3 flock beds with bolsters; 4 pair of linen sheets; 3 rugs; 3 "caddowes " 2 ; 2 pair of curtains; 4 table cloths; 2 dozen diaper napkins; 2 dozen linen napkins; 2 dozen pewter dishes, a basin and ewer; 2 "voyders" 3; Danske (Danish) pots; 2 pottle 4 and a quart pott. ; 6 brass candlesticks; 2 pair of and-irons (fire-dogs); 1 great kettle for brewing; 1 great brewing pan; I brass pan; 2 aqua vita (whisky) pots; I brass meat pot; I small brass pan; 3 brass "skillotts" 5; 1 pair iron racks; 1 pair iron and-irons; 4 iron broaches; 1 gridiron; I dripping pan; 1 frying pan; I brass chaffing dish; I brass mortar and an iron pistol; 4 chests; 2 trunks; 2 pewter chamber pots; I dozen flower pots. Corn: 10 barrels of malt; 5 barrels of wheat; 2 acres of wheat sowed; I acre of great barley sowed; 2 acres of oats; I acres of beans and peas sowed; I acre of bear barley 6 sowed. Cattle: 5 great cows; 5 heifers ; 2 calves; 2 garrons 7; 100 Irish sheep; 50 lambs. (6) Limerick 8 (a) General Descriptions. [Richard Stanihurst, "A Plain and Perfect Description of Ireland" (1577). Pr. in Holinshed's Chronicles (ed. 1808), VI. 29-30.] This city (Limerick) coasteth on the sea hard upon the river Shannon, whereby are most notably severed Munster and Connacht. . . . The town is planted in an island, which plot in old time, before the building of the city was stored with grass. . . . The very main sea is three score miles distant from the town, and yet the river is so navigable, as a ship of 200 tons may sail to the quay of the city. . . . The building of Limerick is sumptuous and substantial. [William Camden, Britannia (ed. R. Gough, 1789), III. 515.] Limerick is the chief city of this county, surrounded by the noble river Shannon, which here divides into two channels. It is 3 Receptacles for refuse. Pillow-cases. 2 Rough woollen coverings. 4 A pottle-pot was a two-quart pot or tankard. 5 Cooking utensils. 6 A coarse variety. 7 See p. 150 n. I. 8 See M. Lenihan, Limerick, its History and Antiquities, also a contemporary map of Limerick in O'Grady's ed. of the Pacata Hibernia, I. 187. the seat of a bishop and the most considerable port of Munster. At present it consists of two parts: that called the upper one (town), in which are the cathedral and castle, has two gates with handsome stone bridges with battlements and drawbridges, one leading westward, the other eastward, to which last below adjoins a town walled round with its castle and outworks. (b) Petitions to Queen Elizabeth. [Queen Elizabeth to the Lord Deputy, Sir Henry Sydney (27 Sept., 1575). Cal. Carew MSS., II. 25-6.] On considerations of certain petitions which the Mayor, bailiffs and commonalty of Limerick have caused to be made unto us here, we have resolved in such sort as hereafter particularly ensueth. They require confirmation of their privileges and liberties, and that there may be added their charter, warrant and commission to have a sword borne before the Mayor of that city, with a hat of maintenance, and authority to deliver the gaol of the said city; that none of the Irishry be preferred to any ecclesiastical living in the cathedral church of Limerick; that no ship coming within the river there do sell or discharge any munition, shot, powder, wines or other wares to any other than to the said corporation; to have all such fines and forfeitures as are given by statutes penal, concordatum, or by any other means which are or shall hereafter be due upon any of the said citizens; that neither the Mayor nor any of the bailiffs, during their being in office, shall be compelled to travel in person to Dublin; and that the dwellers in Clankillan may appear at all assizes and sessions in Limerick, as heretofore. We have thought good to grant the same petitions by letters patent under our Great Seal of England. 66 They do also make petition that their Mayor and his successors may be Admiral within the river of Limerick, and also for grant of an island lying in the said river called "Iniskattie." 2 We "It is one of the fairest cities of the Province of Munster upon the River Shannon, distinguished thus, the English town and the Irish town. The English town is an island and hath a wall distinct; in this is kept the main guard and is seen the King's Castle. The Thomond Gate and the Balls Bridge Gate are the two chiefest gates thereof. That part of this city going by the name of the Irish town is also walled in. Here is seen the Citadel; the chiefest gates of the Irish town are the St. John's Gate and the Mongrett Gate. Its situation is in an island encompassed with the water of the Shannon river, whence the fortification is the more considerable. It is 60 miles distant from the sea main."-" Journal of Thomas Dineley, giving some account of his visit to Ireland in the reign of Charles II," Jl., R.S.A.I. (1867) VIII. 425-41. The lower town was surrounded by a wall a mile in compass, upon which three men might walk abreast. The quay wall, which extended from the town wall into the middle of the river and was made for a defence and harbour for the shipping, was "in length about 200 paces" and was a double wall "There is within it a long gallery arched overhead, and with windows most pleasant to walk in, and above that a terrace to walk upon with fair battlements; at the end of it there is a round tower with 2 or 3 chambers, one above the other, and a battlement above." -Luke Gernons, A Discourse of Ireland (1620), printed in Falkiner's Illustras Irish Hist., pp. 348-62. Scattery Island. |