DOWV. 



DRAQUIGNAN. 



Strangford Lough and the sea, and by their enterprise and industry, 

 woo railed that part of the county to a very flourishing condition. 

 The general plantation of Ulster soon after gare security to their 

 improvements. The family of Hamilton settled at Bangor and 

 Killileagh. That of Hill, which about the same time acquired Urge 

 states in the north of the county, nettled in the neighbourhood of 

 Belfast, and icon after their arrival laid the commencement of a town 

 at HiUsborough, the residence of their present representative, the 

 Marquis of Downahire. At present the fee of the county is almost 

 entirely in the hands of Protestant proprietors of English and Scotch 

 descent 



Of the Pagan antiquities of Down, the 'most remarkable is a stone 

 cromlech, inclosed by a circular ditch of extraordinary dimensions, 

 called the Giant's Ring, near Shaw's Bridge, half way between 

 Lisbum and Belfast The inclusure is nearly half an English mile in 

 circumference ; and the rampart is still from 12 to 14 feet in height. 

 There are stone monuments of the same character at Sliddery Ford, 

 near Dundrum, and Legaraney in the parish of Drumgoolan. There 

 is a remarkable cairn, or sepulchral pile of stones on the top of 

 Slieve Croob. The main pile is 77 yards in circumference at bottom, 

 45 yards at top, and 64 feet high at its greatest elevation : there are 

 88 smaller caims raised on the top. A great earthen rampart which 

 runs along the Armagh boundary of Down, is called by the people of 

 the county the Dane's Cast, and sometimes Tyrone's ditches. There 

 are numerous raths, or earthen ontreuched mounds throughout Down, 

 of which the most remarkable are at Downpatrick, Donaghadee, and 

 Dromore. Of the Anglo-Norman military antiquities of Down, the 

 castle of Dundrum is the most important Green Castle in Mourne 

 was a place of great importance in the early history of Ulster. The 

 castle of Newcastle was built by Felix Hagennis in 1588, and is still 

 inhabited. The Hagennises had castles also at Castlcwellan and 

 Kathfriland. There are extensive military remains at Ardglags, and 

 the castles of Killileagh, Ardquin, Portaferry, Bangor, and Hills- 

 borough are the most important of those still standing. There are 

 also some remains of the fortifications erected by General Monk 

 fur the defence of Scarvagh, Poyutz, and Tuscan passes into 

 Armagh. 



The chief ecclesiastical remains in Down are at Downpatrick, where 

 are the ruins of the cathedral, and of three other religious houses. 

 The cathedral was 100 feet in length ; the roof of the centre aisle 

 was supported by five arches of fine proportions. There is a round 

 tower at Drumbo, near Belfast A few remains still exist of the 

 abbey of Bangor ; and at Grey Abbey there is standing in good 

 preservation a part of the abbey founded here in 1192 by Africa, 

 daughter of the King of Man, and wife of De Courcy. A mile and a 

 half to the east of Downpatrick is a hill about 150 feet high, called 

 Strual Mountain, celebrated all over Ireland for the resort of the 

 lower orders of Roman Catholics, who come here every Midsummer 

 for the performance of penance. 



In 1851 there were three savings banks in the county at Hills- 

 borough, Newry, and Warrenspoint The total amount owing to 

 depositors on the 20th November, 1851, was 49,3031. 2*. 



DOWN, a bishop's see in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh in 

 Ireland. The chapter, which is regulated by patent of James I., 

 consists of dean, precentor, chancellor, archdeacon, and two preben- 

 daries. With the exception of part of one parish lying in Antrim this 

 diocese is situated entirely in the county of Down, of which it occupies 

 the eastern portion. The see of Down was founded about the end of 

 the 5th century by St Patrick, who appointed Cailin, abbot of Antrim, 

 to the bishopric. The cathedral of the diocese is at DOWNPATRICK. 

 The most distinguished bishop of Down prior to the English invasion 

 was Malachy O*Morgair, who succeeded in 1137, and assisted the 

 Primate Gelatins in the introduction of the Roman discipline. In 

 1442 the union of Down with the see of Connor took place in the 

 person of John, first bishop of the united diocese. By act 3rd and 

 4th William IV., c. 87, the united diocese of Down and Connor is 

 further augmented by the diocese of Dromore. [CoxsoR ; DnCxoRK.] 

 The income of the united diocese is 42041. (Beaufort, Memoir of a 

 Map of Ireland, Ware, BMopt; Thorn, Irith Almanac; 1'arliameniaiy 

 Pmptn.) 



DOWNHAM MARKET, Norfolk, a market-town and the seat of a 

 Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Downham Market, is situated near 

 the right bank of the river Ouse, in 62 36' N. lat, 24' K. long 

 distant 40 miles W. by 8. from Norwich, 84 miles N. by E. from 

 London by road, and 87| miles by the Eastern Counties and East 

 Anglian railway. The population of the town in 1851 was 2867. The 

 living is a rectory in the archdeaconry of Norfolk and diocese of 

 Norwich. Downham Poor-Law Union contains 34 parishes and town- 

 ships, with an area of 80,702 acres, and a population in 1861 of 



Downham Market is a town of considerable antiquity. 8 pel man 

 states that H bad a market confirmed to it in the time of Edward the 

 Confessor. The town has been much improved of late years. There 

 is a spacious market square. The parish church, dedicated to St 

 Edmund, is an ancient structure occupying an elevated site ; it has 

 a low embattled square tower surmounted with a spin. The Baptists, 

 Wealeyan and Primitive Methodists, and Quakers have places of 

 worship ; there are a National school and a savings bank. A county 



court is held in the town. The market is held on Saturday. Fairs 

 are held on March 3rd, May 8th, and November 18th. By tin 

 Ouse and the Cam, which flows into it not far from the town, vessels 

 can proceed from Lynn, on the coast, 12 miles below, to Cambridge, 

 about 30 miles above, Downham. 



(Blomefield, Norfolk; General Ilutory of Norfolk; Communication 

 from Itovmham.) 



DOWNPATRICK, county of Down, Ireland, a municipal and 

 parliamentary borough, a market and assize town, and the seat of a 

 Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Downpatrick and barony of Lecale, 

 is situated in 64 20' N. lat, 5 45' W. long., distant 93 miles N.E. 

 by N. from Dublin. The population of the town in 1851 was 3287, 

 besides 803 in the workhouse and other institutions. Downpatrick 

 returns one member to the Imperial Parliament Downpatrick Poor- 

 Law Union comprises 24 electoral divisions, with an area of 147,361 

 acres, and a population in 1851 of 63,659. 



Downpatrick takes its name from St Patrick, who is stated in many 

 ancient records to have been buried here. Before his time the place 

 was called Rath Keltair and Dun-da-leth-glaas, from an earthen forti- 

 fication, the ruins of which still cover a considerable space, and present 

 an imposing appearance on the north-west of the town. On tin- 

 conquest of Ulster by the English in 1177, De Courcy made Down- 

 patrick his head-quarters. The town is pleasantly situated near the 

 right bank of the river Quoile ; it is partly surrounded by hills and 

 partly by flat and marshy grounds. The town is divided into the 

 English, Irish, and Scotch quarters. The streets are irregularly built, 

 but the public buildings are numerous. The original cathedral church 

 was erected in 1412, but was devastated by Lord de Grey in 1533 : 

 the cathedral has lately been rebuilt, and is now a very hand- >ni" 

 edifice in the pointed style of architecture. Besides the parish chmvli 

 there are chapels for Presbyterians, Wesleyan Methodists, and Roman 

 Catholics. Downpatrick has a Diocesan school chiefly supported by 

 the bishop and clergy, and a jail school supported by the county. 

 The county jail is situated at Downpatrick ; there are also a court- 

 house, a market-house, barracks, an infirmary, and a fever hospital. 

 Downpatrick claims to be a borough by prescription, and until thu 

 Union was represented by two members in the Irish Parliament The 

 town is well lighted and paved. The linen manufacture is carried on 

 to a small extent, as well as brewing, tanning, and soap making. 

 Vessels of 100 tons can come up to Quoile Quay, one mile from the 

 town. Markets are held on Saturday, and regular monthly markets 

 are held in place of the old fairs, which are abolished. The assizes 

 for the county are held twice a year, and petty sessions every alternate 

 week. Close to the town are the ruins of Inch Abbey. 



(Fraser, Handbook of Ireland ; Thorn, Irith Alumnae.) 



DOWNTON, Wiltshire, a disfranchised borough in the parish of 

 Downton, is situated on the river Avon, in 50" 69' N. Int. 

 W. long., distant 28 miles S.K. by S. from Devizes, and 87 mil. 

 by W. from London by road. Salisbury, which is 6 miles li-om 

 Downton, is 96 miles from London by the Salisbury branch uf thu 

 South- Western railway. The population of the town of Downton in 

 1851 was 2727. The living is a vicarage, with the vicarage of Nuntou 

 annexed, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Salisbury. 



Downton was a place of some importance in the middle ag< 

 had a castle, of which extensive earthworks known as 'the Moot' 

 remain. The borough sent members to Parliament with som. 

 ruptions from the time of Edward I. till the period of the I: 

 Act, when it was disfranchised. The town consists chiefly of one long 

 street, in which the houses are irregularly placed. Over the three 

 branches of the Avon at this place are three bridges. The parish 

 church is a large cruciform structure, with nave, side aisles, chancel, 

 and transepts. The Baptists and Wesleyan and Primitive MethudisU 

 have places of worship. There are National, British, and Ini'mi. 

 schools, and a branch of the Salisbury savings bank. A paper manu- 

 factory ives employment to some of the inhabitants. A market 

 formerly held at Downton has been long discontinued. There is an 

 ancient crocs called ' The Borough Cross.' At a short distance from 

 Downton is the estate purchased fur the heirs of Lord Nelson, for 

 which the sum of 100,0002. was voted by Parliament 



(Hoare, W\ltthire ; Communication from l>OKntnn.) 



DRAGUIGNAN, a town in France, capital of the dopnrtiii.ni :' 

 Var, is situated on the Artubie, a feeder of the Argeus, 490 mil. 

 from Paris, in 43 32' 18* N. lat, 6 28' 46" E. long., and baa 8009 

 inhabitants, including the commune. 



Draguignan is a place of considerable antiquity, having been in. n- 

 tioned in the titles of the earliest counts of Provence. In thu early 

 part of the middle ages the town was strongly fortified with :i 

 bastioned wall and throe citadels. The ramparts were destroyed in 



il wars, but were rebuilt in 1616 and strengthened with t 

 and a wide ditch was drawn round tho town. The town suffered much 

 in the religious wars of France. It is situated in a fertile plain sun-mi n. I . i 

 by an amphitheatre of hills covered with vines and olive-trees. It is 

 tolerably well built, ornamented with numerous fountains and m. my- 

 rows of trees, and traversed by a canal from the Artubie, which 

 the machinery of several factories. The chief buildings arc the 

 court-house, the prison, the clock-tower, which is built on the summit 

 of a high perpendicular rock, and the hospital. The inhabitants 

 manufacture coarse woollens, soap, leather, stockings, brandy, silks, 



