552 



CARRICKFERGUS. 



Carrickfei- c ious as any in Ireland, a few in the west excepted. 



^S us - The entrance into it is bold, being about five miles 

 ""V"" wide, and having from 12 to 20 fathoms depth of 

 water, which grows gradually shallower till you ad- 

 vance opposite the town, where it is from 5 to 8 fa- 

 thoms deep in the middle of the road. It grows 

 narrow by degrees from the mouth to the bridge of 

 Belfast, where it is npt more than three-fourths of a 

 mile broad, and from 9 to 13 feet deep at full tide : 

 (See the article BELFAST.) From this shallown/ss, 

 Carmoil Pool is used as the harbour for ships trading 

 to that town, in which 20 vessels may ride afloat at 

 low water, though within a cable's length small 

 barks lie around them almost dry. In this bay there 

 are few rocks or shoals, except a reef of rocks run- 

 ning out into the sea for three or four hundred yards 

 from the north side of it, called the Briggs ; and, ex- 

 cept some foul ground and a dangerous sunk rock on 

 the county of Down side, lying between the Cope- 

 land islands (on one of which is a light-house) and 

 Donaghadee, called the Deputy Rock, there is 

 also, a little south-west of Carrickfergus, one shoal, 

 on which lie 3 fathoms water at ebb tide, in the mid- 

 dle of the bay. The entrance into the castle is be- 

 tween two towers, or half moons, mounting several 

 pieces of cannon ; and over the gateway is a portcul- 

 lis, and apertures for throwing down stones, and 

 otherwise annoying the enemy. In the inner yard is 

 a high square tower, the walls of which are nine feet 

 thick : the lower part is bomb-proof, and serves as a 

 magazine. In 1794?, the castle was repaired, and 27 

 pieces of ordnance mounted on the batteries ; since 

 that time it serves as the principal magazine to the 

 northern district. The garrison, however, seldom 

 exceeds fifty or sixty men. The salary of the go- 

 vernor is about 500/. per annum. At the head of 

 the main street stands the county of Antrim court- 

 house, a handsome building, where the assizes of that 

 county are held twice a year ; and adjoining to the 

 court-house is the county prison. The market-house 

 stands near the centre of the town, and is a tolerable 

 building. The market is held every Saturday. The 

 custom-house stands near the quay, which, although 

 built within these few years, does not deserve the 

 name of a public building. The quay, however, has 

 been lately much improved. There are only two 

 houses for public worship, an established church, 

 and a Presbyterian meeting-house. The church is an 

 ancient building, dedicated to St Nicholas, having in 

 the north aisle an old monument of the Donegal fami- 

 ly. The east window is of stained glass, representing 

 John baptizing in Jordan. There are two free schools, 

 one of which is solely supported by E. D. Wilson, 

 Esq. the present respectable mayor, and the other by 

 the gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood. The 

 town has been a corporation since the days of Queen 

 Elizabeth, who granted the charter to Arthur Chi- 

 chester, then governor, which was afterwards con- 

 firmed, with many additional privileges, by James I. 

 The government of the town is vested in a mayor, 

 recorder, sheriffs, aldermen, and burgesses ; and the 

 corporatipn, under the act of union, returns one mem- 

 ber to the imperial parliament. In 1316, after along 

 blockade, the town and castle surrendered to the 

 A 



Scottish forces under Edward Bruce ; and in the Carrickfe*. 

 month of April 1642, it was taken possession of by gus- 

 4000 Scotch auxiliaries under the command of gene- V """Y"""'' 

 ral Monroe, who retained possession, till he was sur- 

 prised and made prisoner by general Monk in 164-8. 

 In the beginning of next year, general Monk was 

 made prisoner by Lord Inchiquin ; and, in the latter 

 end of the same year, the town and castle surrender- 

 ed to Sir Charles Coote. On the 12th August, 

 1689, Duke Schomberg arrived in the bay with 

 ninety vessels, having about 10,000 troops on board, 

 and disembarked the next day at Grooms Port near 

 Bangor. On marching to Belfast, the enemy retired 

 to Carrickfergus, where several regiments were in- 

 stantly detached with cannon. The place was sum- 

 moned in form ; but not agreeing in the terms, bat- 

 teries were raised. On the 22d, trenches were open- 

 ed, and the siege carried on in form till the 26th, 

 when several breaches being made, and all things 

 ready for an assault, the garrison surrendered, ob- 

 taining leave to march to Newry, where the Duke of 

 Berwick, natural son of James II., commanded. On 

 the 14. h of June 1690, King William landed here, at- 

 tended by Prince George of Denmark, the Duke of 

 Ormond, and many other noblemen of distinction. 

 On the 2 1st February 1760, Commodore Thurat arri- 

 ved in the bay with the following ships, Belleisle 44 

 guns, Le Bland 32, and Terpsichore 26 ; being part 

 of a large fleet intended for the invasion of Ireland by 

 the French. Thurat proceeded to land his men, 

 which amounted to about 1000, at Kilraat, and in- 

 stantly marched to attack the town of Carrickfergus, 

 the garrison of which consisted of about 180 men of 

 the 62d regiment, commanded by Colonel Jennings. 

 The garrison made a vigorous resistance from the 

 town wall and gardens, and afterwards retreated into 

 the castle. The French then formed into three grand 

 divisions, and attempted to force the castle gate, but 

 were beat back with considerable loss. The garrison 

 having now expended all their ammunition, Colonel 

 Jennings was reluctantly obliged to surrender, and 

 obtained honourable terms. During the heat of the 

 engagement, " a French soldier observing a child who 

 had run playfully into one of the streets amid the fire 

 of the contending parties, grounded his musket, 

 carried the infant to a place of safety, and, returning 

 to his comrades, resumed the combat." Such a hu- 

 mane action deserves to be recorded, whilst we regret 

 that the name of the generous individual is un- 

 known. 



The enemy's loss is supposed to have been about 40 

 killed, among whom were three officers, and between 

 forty and fifty wounded, amongst whom was Gene- 

 ral Colbert, the commander in chief. The garrison had 

 only two killed and three wounded. Thurat was desi- 

 rous of landing at White-house, and surprising Belfast; 

 but to this plan the general objected, fearing to be 

 harassed by leaving a garrison in his rear. The French 

 evacuated the town in great confusion on the 26th of 

 the same month, and were captured on the 28th by 

 Commodore Elliot off the Isle of Mann. Carrick- 

 fergus v is situated about 9 miles North East of Bel- 

 fast, and 89 from Dublin. West Long. 5 48', 

 North Lat. 54 3G ? . (o) 



