History and Progress. 1 1 



his decease in 1883 (his only son, the talented Earl of 

 Belfast, having predeceased him in 1853), the title devolved 

 upon his brother. Lord Edward Chichester. Belfast Castle 

 was inherited by his daughter Harriet, the late Countess of 

 Shaftesbury, along with the Irish estates, and now held by 

 her son, the present Earl of Shaftesbury. 



A word may be here added as to the elements that went 

 to form the character of the people settled in the North of 

 Ireland. In addition to the settlers brought over from 

 Devonshire by Sir Arthur Chichester, the special induce- 

 ments offered to needy Scottish adventurers induced large 

 numbers to cross over to Ireland. The encouragement 

 offered to settlers by the plantation scheme of King James 

 proved a welcome refuge for the turbulent and sturdy 

 " Border rievers," and also to many adventurers, who 

 sought to push their fortunes where good land could be 

 cheaply obtained on the confiscated estates. The grants by 

 the Crown to the original " planters " were usually made on 

 the express stipulation that a certain number of families out 

 of England and Scotland should be planted on the lands. 

 Belfast as a centre of commercial life dates from that period. 

 Trade tokens were issued by merchants in lieu of current 

 coin ; ships purchased, dues exacted, and all the other 

 mercantile pursuits actively engaged in of a young and 

 vigorous community. 



In the wars of 1641, the colonists were harried and 

 stripped of everything by the Irish under O'Neill. It was 

 only when AVilliam of Orange landed at Carrickfergus that 

 anything like peaceful times were enjoyed by the people. 

 The colonists received him with an outburst of enthusiasm 

 and affection, which the lapse of two centuries has failed to 

 diminish. Modern Belfast certainly owes very much of its 

 reputation to the character and qualities of the Scottish 

 settlers of King James's time, and the constant traffic they 

 maintained with the neighbouring coast of Scotland. Much 

 of the growth of later date is due to the influx of settlers 

 from all parts of the United Kingdom attracted by its trade 

 and prosperity ; the combination of races has tended to 

 produce a community not exceeded by that of any other 

 part of the Empire for modern business aptitude : in fact, 



