Page 1 of 2
CHAPTER XXVI
Reign of William III A.D. 1688, to A.D. 1702.
SOME necessary preliminary proceedings having been
transacted, the royal dignity was accepted by the Prince of Orange, who
ascended the throne of these realms by the style of William III., on the
13th February, 1680.
James having fled from England, landed at Kinsale
on the 12th March, 1689, and entered the metropolis on the 24th of the
same month. One of his first acts was the issue of a proclamation
calling a parliament to meet at Dublin, on the 7th May following. Had
the House of Lords been regularly assembled, most of its members would
have been Protestants. In order, if necessary, to overpower them, the
outlawries of popish lords were reversed, new creations were made, and
other expedients were in readiness. But none of these measures were.
required, as of sixty nine Protestant temporal lords, not more than four
or five now remained in Ireland, and of twenty-two spiritual but seven
were forthcoming. With regard to the House of Commons, it was evident
that it must be almost, if not altogether composed of Roman Catholics.
For the power of election in boroughs had been completely taken from the
Protestants; while in counties, many of the freeholders had fled, and
those who remained were intimidated from appearing at elections; their
attendance at which, they further knew, could affect no good. In short
but six Protestants were elected.
This parliament, thus illegally convened and
returned, met at Dublin, on the 7th of May, 1689.
MEMBERS.
|
County of Catherlogh. |
Dudley Bagnal, Esq. |
|
. |
Henry Luttrell, Esq. |
|
Borough of Catherlogh. |
Mark Baggot, Esq. |
|
. |
John Warren, Esq. |
|
Borough of Old Leighlin. |
Darby Long, Esq. |
|
. |
Daniel Doran, Esq. |
In the House of Lords sat, Cheevers, viscount
Mount Leinster; a new creation, we believe, of James. Among the nobility
of Ireland at this period, was William Brereton, baron of Leighlin ;*
who seems not to have been present at this parliament, and yet escaped
the attainder with which Richard Ogle, Viscount Catherlogh**, was
visited.
Note *- Protestant we learn from Lawrence's
Interest of Ireland that in 1540, Sir' William Brereton, baron of
Leighlin, was lord justice of Ireland. ** A Protestant, and peer in
1661.
This parliament continued its sittings from the
seventh of May, to the 20th of July following; and, in this very brief
space of time, effected the complete destruction of the arrangements of
property in Ireland, by a repeal of the acts of Settlement and
Explanation, under which two-thirds of the Protestants of the kingdom
held their property; all of which was now restored to those who
possessed it previously to the 22nd of October, 1641. They attainted
three thousand Protestants, by name, of high treason, and vested their
estates in the late King; the pretence on which this act of plunder was
committed, being the absence from the kingdom of the objects of it. The
tenor of this act was, that it should have full force did the
individuals named not return in three months, and make their submission;
while, with an extraordinary description of justice, the act itself was
kept perfectly secret until the specified time had elapsed!
The following persons connected with our county are
named in this precious specimen of law, justice, and liberality:
- Lieutenant Joseph Stopford,
- Robert Doyne, Esq,
- John Dunbar, of Catherlogh, gent.
- Captain Chidley Coote, of Shierwood park,
- Narcissus Marsh, Lord Bishop of Leighlin and Ferns,
- Benjamin Burton, banker,
- John Tench, of Staplestown, Esq.,
- Richard Warren, Esq.,
- Francis Bradstown, of Morterstown, gent.,
- Thomas Bernard, of Cloghuae, gent.
- John Lucas, of Rathdaniel, yeoman,
- Edmond Jones, of Tullow, Esq.,
- Cadwallader Wyn, of Killelongford, gent.,
- Roger Piers, gent.,
- Joseph Ivy, of Grangeford, gent.,
- Urban Vigor, of Old Leighlin, gent.,
- Mr. Cocks, of Ballydartane, clerke,
- Robert Stopford, of Ballybrack, Esq.,
- Charles Wilcocks, of Sherwood Park, gent., —
- Mr. Elliot, of Staplestown, clerk,
- Ogle, viscount Ogle of Catherlogh,
- Richard Boyle, of Old Leighlin, Esq.,
- Edmond Pleydell, of Tankardstown, Esq.,
- Sir Maurice Eustace, of Baltinglass, knt.
It was now quite obvious, that Protestants could
expect no security for either life or property. Such of them as yet
remained in the kingdom, were plundered by thieves, instigated, we
regret to say, by the priests, and encouraged by their popish
neighbours: from which species of persecution no remedy existed, but
attendance at mass. The clergy were treated with even more of cruelty.
The house of the bishop of Leighlin was broken open and plundered before
his departure from the kingdom, and several of the inferior clergy were
not only robbed, but personally maltreated and abused. In short, every
indignity was offered to them, and they found it difficult to escape
with their lives.
At this period, Dudley Bagnal was lord lieutenant
of the county of Carlow, and Maurice Baggot and William Cooke, deputies.
There were numerous grievances suffered by the
Protestants. of Ireland, to which we have not made allusion ; and it was
now obvious that some speedy remedy should be applied to the evils of
Ireland, some effort made to reduce the kingdom to peace, order, and
subordination. For this purpose, Duke Schomberg was despatched with a
considerable force, and landed, on the 13th August, 1689. His progress,
however, was not as speedy as was desirable, and king William resolved
to undertake the reduction of Ireland in person.
Previous to his departure from London the king
deemed, it necessary to appoint commissioners of the great seal for
Ireland, accordingly, by patent dated at Westminster, 80th May, 1690, he
nominated Sir Richard Reeves, Knt., Robert Rochfort, Esq., and Richard
Pyne, Esq. to that office. They attended King William to Ireland, and
remained at Belfast until the victory at the Boyne placed the greater
portion of the country at his command.
The following were among the officers of the army
of James II., on the 2nd June, 1690: — Colonel Charles Kavanagh, colonel
Sir Maurice Eustace, colonel Dudley Bagnal, lieutenant Colonel Richard
Eustace.
On the 1st of July, 1600, was fought the ever
memorable battle of the Boyne; when the forces of King William were
completely victorious.
Resolving to use all gentle means to reduce the
people to subjection, his majesty issued the following declaration, on
the 7th July, 1690.
THE DECLARATION OF WILLIAM AND MARY, KING AND OF
ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, FRANCE, AND IRELAND, TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF OUR KINGDOM
OF IRELAND, WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
William- R.
As it hath pleased Almighty God to bless our arms
in this kingdom with a late victory over our enemies at the Boyne, and
with the possession of our capital city of Dublin, and with a general
dispersion of all that did oppose us, we are now in so happy a prospect
of our affairs, and of extinguishing the rebellion of this kingdom, that
we hold it reasonable to think of mercy, and to have compassion upon
them, whom we judge to have been seduced. WHEREFORE, we do hereby
declare, we shall take into our royal protection all poor labourers,
common soldiers, country farmers, ploughmen, and cottiers, whatsoever,
as also all citizens, townsmen, tradesmen and artificers, who either
remained at home, or having fled from their dwellings, shall, by the
first day of August, next, repair to their usual places of abode,
surrendering up what arms they have to such justices of the peace, as
are, or shall be appointed by us, not only to receive the same, but also
to register the appearance of such of the said persons, as shall come,
and submit unto our authority : for our royal intention is, and we do
hereby declare, that we will not only pardon all these poor, seduced
people, as to Jth.eir lives and liberties, who shall come in by the time
aforesaid, for all violences they have done or committed by the command
of their leaders during the war ; but we do also promise to secure them
in their goods, their stocks of cattle, and all their chattels personal whatsoever, willing and
requiring them to come in ; and where they were tenants, then to
preserve the harvest of grass and corn for the supply of the winter.
But, for as much as many of them had a legal right to the tenancy of
several lands, some holding from Protestants, and some from popish
proprietors, who have been concerned in the rebellion against us, our
will and pleasure is, that all those tenants who held from our good
Protestant subjects, do pay their rents to their respective landlords,
and that the tenants of all those, who have been concerned in the
present rebellion against us, do keep their rents in their hands, until
they have notice from the commissioners of our revenue, unto whom they
are to account for the same. AND as we do hereby strictly forbid all
violence, rapine, and molestation to any, who shall thus come in, and
remain obedient to us, so for those of 'this, or any other rank or
quality, who are already in our quarters, and within our power, and
obedient to us, we do hereby charge and require, that they be not
disquieted in any sort, without our particular command. For the
desperate leaders of the present rebellion, who have violated those
laws, by which this kingdom is united, and inseparably annexed to the
imperial crown of England, who have called in the French, who have
authorized all violences and depredations against the Protestants, and
who rejected the gracious freedom we offered them in our proclamation of
the 22nd February, 1689, as we are now, by God's great favour, in
condition to make them sensible of their errors, so, as we resolved to
leave them to the event of war, unless by great and manifest
demonstrations, we shall be convinced they deserve our mercy, which we
shall never refuse to those who are truly penitent.
| |
"Given at our royal
camp at Finglas, near Dublin, the 7th day of July, 1690, in the second
year of our reign."
|
| |
"By the king's most excellent majesty, you are
hereby required to affix our great seal to this declaration ; for which
this shall be your warrant. |
ROBERT SOUTHWELL"
- * Ancestor of John S. Rochfort, Esq. of Clogbgrenan, in our
county.King. *
"To our Commissioners of our: great seal of
Ireland."
The commissioners of the great seal appointed
certain justices of the peace in each county, to receive the arms and
register the names of all persons who should submit, in consequence of
the foregoing declaration. The following were nominated in our county:
|
The Sheriff for the time being, |
Win. Brereton |
|
Sir Thomas Butler, |
Marmaduke Taylor |
|
Dr. Henry Berkeley |
James Waller |
|
Nicholas Kemys, |
|
- William, resolved not to remit in his exertions for
the reduction of Ireland, now pursued his course to the south. From
"Carlow, he despatched the duke of Ormonde to Kilkenny, to secure
possession of that city, in which part of the enemy's force still
remained. Upon the advance of the king's forces, they retired, having
first extorted a considerable sum of money from the inhabitants! William
proceeded from Carlow to Kilkenny, where he was splendidly entertained
by the duke of Ormonde.*
- King William embarked for England, on the 5th of
September, 1690.
- Doctor Narcissus Marsh was translated from Leighlin
and Ferns to the archbishopric of Cashel, on the 26th February, 1690,
from, thence to Dublin, on the 24th of May, 1694, and thence to Armagh,
on the 18th February, 1703. He died on the 2nd of November, 1713, m the
seventy-sixth year of his age. He published a work entitled Manuductio
ad Logicam, written by Philip de Trieu, to which he added the Greek
text, and some tables; printed at Oxford, in 1678, 8vo. He added
illustrating notes to Gassendus' small tract De Demonstratione, printed
with the former. While provost of the university of Dublin, he published
— Instiutiones Logic* in usum juveniutis Academic Dubliniensis, 1681,
8vo.
He wrote also a work on acoustics. A charge
delivered by him to the clergy of the diocese of Dublin, was published
in 1694, quarto. But, independently of his works, the well known
valuable public library which bears his name will ever render the memory
of this prelate respected. It was during his occupancy of the see of
Dublin, that doctor Marsh resolved on the establishment of this useful
institution. Having built a house near St. Patrick's cathedral, and
purchased nine thousand volumes of books, (being the library of the
bishop of Worcester, then lately deceased,) he procured an incorporation
in the year 1707, in which it is stated, that the " Most Reverend Father
in God, Narcissus, lord archbishop of Armagh, primate and metropolitan
of all Ireland, while archbishop of Dublin, did, out of his generous
inclinations to the public good of this kingdom, for the propagation of
the true christian religion, and for the encouragement of learning, at
his own great costs and charges, erect and build a fair large house,
upon part of the garden or ground belonging to the house of St.
Sepulchre's, which is the ancient seat or palace of the archbishops of
Dublin, near to the city of Dublin," &c. He had, himself, three thousand
volumes of books, in every branch of literature, which he deposited,
together with the nine thousand, already mentioned, in this public
library. The archbishops of Armagh and Dublin, the lord chancellor, lord
chief justice of king's bench and common pleas, the chief baron of the
exchequer, the deans of the two cathedrals of Dublin, and the provost of
the university for the time being, are governors, and a body corporate,
whose duty is, to manage and preserve the library.
*Story's History of the wars of Ireland. Lon.
1693.
Bartholomew Vigors, L.L.D. succeeded doctor March
as bishop of Leighlin and Ferns. He was educated in the University of
Dublin, and thence appointed to the rectory of St. Mary's, Wexford, and
subsequently to the deanery of Armagh, by Ietter patent, dated 29th
June, 1681. On the removal of Bishop Marsh to the see of Cashel, he was
promoted to the bishopric of Leighlin: and Ferns, by letters patent,
dated 27th February, 1691. He was permitted to hold the rectory of
Killeban in commendam. Doctor Vigors was consecrated in Christ church,
Dublin, on the 8th of March following his appointment, by Francis,
archbishop of Dublin, assisted by the archbishop of Cashel, and the
bishops of Deny, Meath, Kildare, and Killaloe.*
On the 23rd March, 1092, King William declared the
war in Ireland to be concluded.
Parliament met on the 5th of October, 1693.
MEMBERS.
|
County of Catherlagh. |
Sir Thomas Butler, Knt. & Baronet. |
|
Borough . Catherlagh, |
Sir Wm. Russell, knight and baronet. |
|
Borough Old Leighlin |
Edward Jones, Esq. |
15th. Oct. 1692. A petition of the deputy
sovereign, common council, freemen, and inhabitants of the borough of
Catherlagh, complaining of an undue election of burgesses to serve in
this present parliament for the said borough, was read, and referred to
the committee of elections and privileges.
18th. Oct. 1692 Mr. Poulteney delivered in at the
clerk's table a bill in paper, intituled, an act, declaring all
attainders, and all Other acts, made in (he late pretended parliament,
to be void.
Ordered, that the said bill be laid on the table.
19th. October, 1692. The petition of John Browne,
Esq. complaining of the undue election of burgesses to serve in this
present parliament for the borough of Catherlagh, was read, and referred
to the committee of elections and privileges; and then, it being a &
fast-day, and the house being to go with Mr. Speaker to Christ- church,
the house adjourned, till to-morrow morning at nine of the clock.
20th. October, 1692. A petition of Edmond Jones,
Esq." complaining of an undue election and return of a burgess to serve
in this present parliament for the borough of Catherlagh, in the county
of Catherlagh, was read, and referred to the committee of elections and
privileges.
Parliament again met on the 27th August, 1695. , .
MEMBERS
|
Catherlagh |
Sir Thomas Butler, baronet. |
|
|
John Allen, Esq. |
|
Borough. Catherlagh |
Edmond Jones, Esq., |
|
|
Robert Curtis, Esq. |
|
Borough. Old Leighlin |
Richard Boyle, Esq. |
|
|
Edward Jones, Esq., lately dead. John Beauchamp, Jun. Esq.,
returned in place of said Edward Jones. |
31st August, 1695. A petition of John Browne, Esq.,
was presented to the house and read, setting forth, that the petitioner
and Robert Curtis, Esq., were duly elected burgesses to serve for the
borough of Catherlagh, in the county of Catherlagh, in this present
parliament, and were so returned by Walter Rochfort, Esq., sovereign of
the said borough, (and to whom the precept for the said election was
directed), by indenture signed and sealed by the said sovereign and the
majority of the burgesses and freemen of the said borough ; that soon
after the said election, the said sovereign tendered the said indenture
to Benjamin Bunbury, Esq., high sheriff of the said county, (who had
directed the said precept as aforesaid), and desired him to seal and
execute a counterpart thereof; but the said sheriff refused so to do,
and annexed to the writ of election an indenture, signed and sealed by
some of the burgesses of the said borough, and not by the sovereign
thereof, by which last mentioned indenture, the said Robert Curtis and
Edmond Jones, Esq., are returned as duly elected to serve in this
present parliament for the said borough ; whereas the said Edmond Jones
was not so elected, but the petitioner and the said Robert Curtis were
duly elected burgesses to serve for the said borough as aforesaid.
Now forasmuch as it appears by the first mentioned
indenture, ready to be produced to the house, that the petitioner and
the said Robert Curtis were duly elected burgesses to serve in the
present parliament for the said borough, and so returned by the proper
officer; and for that the said sheriff hath notoriously misbehaved
himself in making the said return annexed to the writ, and in refusing
to indent with the said sovereign, according to the form of the statute
in that case made and provided ; and for that the said borough hath at
present no representatives in this parliament returned by the proper
officer according to law; and therefore praying the house to take the
premises into consideration, and to order the clerk of the crown to
annex unto the writ of election the said indenture returned by the said
sovereign, and to give the petitioner such relief in the premises as
shall seem meet and just.
Ordered, That the examination and consideration of
the said petition be referred to the committee of elections and
privileges, and that they report the matter thereof, with their opinion
thereon, to the house.
5th September, 1595. A petition of Thomas Burdett,
Esq., was presented to the house, and read, setting forth, that the
petitioner stood a candidate for the election of the borough of
Catherlagh, in the county of Catherlagh, but was illegally obstructed in
his said election by the sovereign of the said borough, who at the
beginning of the election publicly declared in court to the petitioner,
that he would not indent with him or any one, unless that he gave bonds
to indemnify the corporation, by which the petitioner supposes the said
sovereign meant to serve them without charges, which wages (though the
petitioner) did not expect desire, yet he does humbly consider, that the
sovereign's executing the said bond was arbitrary and illegal, and a
hindrance to a free election, upon which the petitioner was free to
decline ; and therefore praying the house to order a new election, and
grant such order against the said sovereign, as shall meet.
Ordered, That the examination and consideration of
the said petition be referred to the committee of elections and
privileges, and that they report the matter thereof to the house, with
their opinion thereupon.
11th September, 1695. Mr. Solicitor General
reported from the committee of privileges and elections, that the said
committee had taken into consideration the petition of John Browne,
complaining of the undue election and return of Edmond Jones, Esq;
returned to serve in this present parliament as a burgess for the town
of Catherlagh, in the county of Catherlagh, and came to this resolution;
which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the table,
and is as followeth, viz:
Resolved — That it is the opinion of this committee
that Edmond Jones, Esq., is duly elected to serve as a burgess in this
parliament for the borough of Catherlagh, to which resolution the house
agreed.
21st October, 169/5. Ordered.— That Mr. Speaker
issue his warrant to the clerk of the crown to make out a new writ to
the sheriff of the county of Catherlagh, to choose a burgess for the
borough of Old Leighlin, in the place of Edmond Jones, Esq., deceased.
28th March, 1696. The ASSOCIATION of the knights,
citizens, and burgesses of Ireland in parliament assembled. WHERHAS
there has been a horrible and detestable conspiracy for assassinating
his majesty's most sacred person, and invading his kingdoms with French
forces, contrived and carried on by the late king James and his
adherents, to subvert our religion, laws, and liberties ; we the
knights, citizens, and burgesses, in parliament assembled, whose names
are hereunto subscribed, do heartily, sincerely, and solemnly profess,
testify, and declare, that his majesty king William was, and is,
rightful and lawful king of England, Ireland, Scotland, and France, and
the dominions and territories thereunto belonging, and we do mutually
promise and engage to stand by and assist each other, to the utmost of
our power, in the support and defence of his majesty's most sacred
person, title, and government against the late king James, the pretended
prince of Wales, and all their adherents, and against all other persons
whatsoever; and in case his majesty come to any violent and untimely
death, which God forbid, we do hereby further freely and unanimously
oblige ourselves to unite, associate, and stand by each other, in
revenging the same upon his enemies and their adherents, and in
supporting and defending the succession of the crown, according to an
act made in England in the first year of the reign of King William and
queen Mary, intituled, " an act, declaring the rights and liberties of
the subject, and settling the succession of the crown."
(This document is signed by ROBERT ROCHFORT,
speaker; THOMAS BUTLER and JOHN ALLEN, members for the county of Carlow;
EDMOND JONES and ROBERT CURTIS, members for the borough of Carlow; and
numerous others. I do not observe the names of the members for the
borough of Old Leighlin in the list.)
14th August, 1697. Ordered— That Michael Wall, of
Kilkenny, John Fitz-Gerald, brother to Garret Fitz-Gerald of Ballyellin,
in the county of Catherlagh, and George Gahan, is taken into custody of
the serjeant at arms attending this house, for a breach of privilege
complained of by Mr. Council, a member of this house.
Parliament was dissolved on the 14th June, 1699.*
In 1693, Charles, second and youngest son of
Thomas, earl of Ossory, was created baron of Cloghgrenan, viscount
Tullow, and earl of Arran. He was brother to the last duke of Ormonde.
'He died without male issue in 1758. Thus these titles became for the
second time extinct.
Forfeitures, of course, followed the war in Ireland
against William III. In consequence of the intolerable tyranny of James
II., William had been acknowledged king of these united realms, on the
13th February, 1689, by the major part of the people; and all who waged
war against his government, afterwards, were consequently engaged in
rebellion, and could hope for nothing but the usual results. The estates
thus forfeited were vested in trustees, and a court was established, in
which all who had any description of legal claim to them, or any part of
them, were to declare it, on or before the 10th August 1700. The
following is a transcript of the claims relating to lands in
NEXT PAGES See Excel sheet
INQUISITIONS IN THIS REIGN
NAME OF PERSONS DATE PLACE WHERE
TAKEN
|
Dudley Bagnall |
8th December 1690 |
Catherlagh |
|
Dudley Bagnall |
8th December 1690 |
Catherlagh |
|
Pierce Lord Galmoy |
27th July anno 6 |
Catherlagh |
|
John Baggott |
27th July anno 6 |
Catherlagh |
|
Oliver Eustace |
25th March anno 7 |
Catherlagh |
|
Charles Cavanagh |
25th March anno 7 |
Catherlagh |
|
Oliver Eustace |
17th April anno 9 |
Catherlagh |
|
Oliver Eustace |
15th Nov anno 9 |
Catherlagh |
From “an abstract of arrears of quit-rents &C
returns by the collectors of several districts to be standing out in
arrears in each Barony in each district at Christmas 1694, in the
province of Leinster” We find the following in relation to out County
|
Barony of Catherlogh |
Quit-rent |
£42 |
3 |
10 |
|
Barony of Catherlogh |
Crown-rent |
70 |
9 |
3 |
|
Barony of Idrone |
Quit-rent |
145 |
5 |
3 |
|
Barony of Idrone |
Crown-rent |
26 |
15 |
5 ½ |
|
Barony of Forth |
Quit-rent |
164 |
10 |
2 |
|
Barony of Rathvilly |
Crown-rent |
30 |
5 |
0 |
|
Barony of St Mullins |
Quit-rent |
21 |
2 |
10 |
King William the Third died on the 8th March 1702
in the Fifty-second years of his age, having reigned thirteen years.
("Spelling are as seen in the book")
Page 2
- The information contained in these
pages is provided solely for the purpose of sharing with others researching
their ancestors in Ireland.
- © 2001 Ireland Genealogy
Projects, IGP TM
By Pre-emptive Copyright - All rights reserved
Back to the top