﻿LONDONDERRY. 



LONDONDERRY. 



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Londonderry, contunn a church, a Presbyterian meeting-house, a 

 district dispensary, and Beveral handsome dwelling-houses. There is 

 a harbour with accommodation for small craft. Pleasantly situated 

 on the coast, the town is a favourite resort in summer, and is steadily 

 improving. 



History and Antiquitia. — At the most remote period the county 

 appears to have been possessed by the septs of O'Loughlin and O'Neill, 

 to whom the tribe of O'Cahan, who held the eastern and central dis- 

 tricts, was tributary. After the arrival of the Engli-sh in 1197, John 

 dii Courcy invaded the country of O'Cahan, and seized Derry, but was 

 compelled by Hugh O'Neill to abandon his conquest. An English 

 garrison was established at Coleraine, and grants appear to have been 

 made and inquisitions to have been taken in Oerry in the regular 

 manner; and in the patent roll of the 20th Edward IL is an entry of 

 the appointment of Robert Savage to be sheriff of the county of 

 Coulrath, or Coleraine, as O'Cahau's country was then called. After 

 the great revolt of the O'Neills in 1333, the native Irish held possession 

 of the county until the middle of the 16th century. In 1600 Sir Henry 

 Dockwra, with a force of 4000 foot and 200 horse, arrived in the river 

 Foyle, and made the commencement of a permanent settlement by 

 the construction of three forts. The rebellion of Sir Cahir O'Dogherty 

 in 1603, and thi flight of Tyrone and O'Donnell in the preceding year, 

 loft the entire of this and five other counties at the disposal of the 

 crown. Ill 1609 the king granted on certain conditions the forfeited 

 lauds in this county to the corporation of London, who still retain 

 possession of them. For the management of these estates the common 

 council elect a body of twenty-six, consisting of a governor, deputy- 

 governor, and assistants, of whom one-half retire every year. 



In 1619 this body was incorporated by royal charter, and their 

 estates erected into one county, to be called the county of London- 

 derry. The corporation, which is generally known as the Irish Society, 

 still exists as constituted under the charter granted by Charles II. after 

 the restoration. The division of the county took place immediately 

 after the granting of the first charter. The several city companies 

 had portions of the county as8i$,'ned to their manasrement, and the 

 lands not assigned to the companies still belong to the society. The 

 introduction of the new colony changed the entire face of the country, 

 which up to this period had been one of the most desolate tracts in 

 IrelancL Artisims in the chief branches of trade and manufacture 

 were brought over by the companies, and habits of industry and 

 independence became fixed among the population. The native Irish, 

 returning by degrees, bare again increased so far as nearly to equal in 

 numb-^r the descendants of the settlers. 



There are some remains of a Cyclopean fortress at the Giant's 

 Sconce, on the road from Newtownlimavsdy to Coleraine. Oungorkin, 

 a circular mount surrounded by a wet ditch, near Claudy, is a 

 remarkable earthen fortress. There are several cromlechs, and other 

 so-called druidical remains, of which the largi^st is at Slaught-Manus. 

 Artificial oaves and tumuli are frequent. The only military edifices 

 remaining are the castles of Kiloloo, Dungiven, Salterstown, and 

 Huff, erected by the Londoners. The old abbey of Dungiven, which 

 occupies a romantic site on a rock rising 200 feet above the bed of 

 the river Roe, was built in 1100 by O'Cahan, and contains several 

 well-sculptured monuments of that family. 



Londonderry is represented in the Imperial Parliament by two 

 members for the county, and one each for I^ndonderry city and the 

 borough of Coleraine. The assizes are held at Londonderry : quarter 

 sessionB there and at Coleraine, Magherafelt, and Newtownlimavady : 

 in all which towns there are bridewells. Petty sessions are held in 

 12 places. The county prison and the county infirmary are in London- 

 derry, as also the district lunatic asylum for Donegal, Londonderry, 

 and "Tyrone counties, to which the county of Londonderry is entitled 

 to send 69 patients. There are fever hospitjils at Coleraine and 

 Londonderry, and 23 dispensaries in various parts of the county. 

 Savings banks are established in Londonderry, Coleraine, and Newtown- 

 limavady ; the amount owing to depositors on November 20th 1853 

 was 70,11 Oi. 6». The county is within the military district of Belfast; 

 and there are barracks in Londonderry, where also the staff of the 

 county militia is stationed. The hearl-quarters of the constabulary 

 force, consisting of 106 men, officers included, are at Coleraine; those 

 of the 4 districts, comprising 18 stations, are at Coleraine, London- 

 detrv, Magherafelt, and Newtownlimavady. There are 2 stations of 

 the OMst guard, at Down Hill and Port Stewart, and 2 stations of the 

 revenne police, at Draperstown r.nd Learmont. In September, 1852, 

 there were 177 National schools, attended by 6899 male and 6063 

 female children. 



LONDONDERRY, Ireland, the capital of the county of London- 

 derry, a city and sea-port, a municipal and parliamentary borough, 

 and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, is situated on the river Fojle, 

 partly in the barony of Tirkeeran, but chiefly in that of London- 

 derry, in 54° 59' N. lat., 7° 19' W. long., distant 144 miles N.N.W. 

 from Dublin by road. The borough is governed by 6 aldermen and 

 18 conncillon!, of whom one is mayor, and returns one member to 

 the Imperial Parliament. The population of the city in 1851 was 

 19,888, beoides 691 inmates of the workhouse. Londonderry Poor- 

 Law Union comprises 22 electoral divisions, with an area of 139,178 

 •era, and a population in 1851 of 62,241. 

 Th* town, anciently called Derry Calgach from an oak grojrn in 



the vicinity, grew up around a monastery founded by St. Columb, in 

 546. During the first few centuries, its progress was repeatedly 

 checked by fire, and by the ravag-s of the Danes ami the neighbouring 

 Irish chiefs. In 1198 it was taken by the English under De Courcy. 

 After a series of disasters, the plac^ w.vs occupied by a garri.son in 

 1566, during the rebellion of the Earl of Tyrone. Two years later, 

 the greater part of the town and fort was destroyed by the explosion 

 of a powder magazine, when the garrison was withdrawn. Sir Henry 

 Docwra arriving with a large force in 1600, rebuilt the fort. In 

 1608 Sir Cahir O'Dogherty surprised the fort, put the garrison to the 

 sword, and burned a great part of the town. A few years after the 

 modem city was founded by the London companies, who obtained a 

 grant of the place in 1613. The walls were then built in their present 

 extent, the cathedral and some other public buildings were completed, 

 and the town rapidly ailvanced till 1637, when their charter was 

 cancelled. The gates of the city were closed against the troops of 

 James II. in December 1688. "The famous siege of Derry followed. 

 On the 18th of April 1690, James advanced against the city, and 

 condu'.'ted the operations in person during 11 daya On the Ist of 

 August the siege was hastily raised, on the arrival of a victualling 

 ship, which having escaped the fire of the batteries, and broken 

 through the boom drawn across the river, introduced supplies to the 

 famished inhabitants. After this siege the city gradually recovered 

 from all its disasters, and steadily advanced towards its present extent 

 and prosperity. 



The town is built on the summit and side», and around the base 

 of an oval hill, rising 119 feet above high water, on the left bank of 

 the Foyle. The city within the walls (which are still entire and form 

 an agreeable promenade) is traversed by four leadin'^ streets which 

 extend at right angle!< from a square in the centre, called the Diamond, 

 to the four gates. The street between the eastern and western gates 

 stretches above half a mile further to the west with branches on 

 either side. The city is lighted with gas, well paved, and supplied 

 with water from reservoirs on the eastern side of the river. 



The cathedral, which is also the parish church of Templemore, 

 stands on the summit of the hilL It is a handsome building with a 

 tower, from which an elegant spire rises to the height of 179 feet. 

 It was completed in 1633, but has been considerably altered by 

 frequent repairs. The bishop's palace, a plain substantial building, 

 occupies the site of an old Augustinian convent. Besides the parish 

 church there are a chapel of ease and a Free church, two Roman 

 Catholic chapels, six Presbyterian, one Independent, and two Methodist 

 meeting-houses. The Endowed schools are — Gwyn's charitable insti- 

 tution, established in 1833, for the support and education of male 

 orphan children of the city and liberties ; it has an income of 1870t 

 per annum, and about 120 boys under training; the Diocesan and 

 Free Grammar school, or Foyle college, a spacious and handsome 

 building near the river to the north of the city, with a yearly income 

 of 2&01. from the Irish Society of London, and 60 scholars in 1852, 

 of whom 6 were free ; the Parish or Poor school, founded in 1812 by 

 Bishop Knox, and endowed by Erasmus Smith ; an Infant school, 

 and a National school, besides some others aided by the Irish Society. 

 There is a mechanics institute with a library attached. In the centre 

 of the square is the Corporation Hall or Town House, a large building 

 with a circular front and a cupola, occupying the site of that which 

 was destroyed during the siege. Between the cathedral and bishop's 

 palace is the court-house, a very handsome edifice with a fafade of 

 126 feet, consisting of an Ionic portico of four columns, and of wings 

 adome<l with Doric pilasters, and surmounted by statues of Peace 

 and Justice. The building was commenced in 1813, and cost above 

 30,0002. Bishop's gate is a triumphal arch, erected in 1789, the 

 centenary of the opening of the gates, at the raising of the siege. 

 Near it on the central western bastion is a monument 90 feet high, 

 consisting of a fluted Doric column, with a statue of the Rev. George 

 Walker, governor of the city during the siege in 1689. To the west 

 of this wall is the county jail, a very spacious and strong building. 

 The crown prison stands a few yards apart. Outside the walls, to 

 the east of the city, and facing the river, is the custom-house, a 

 hollow square of buildings, 170 feet by 130 feet. Among other publio 

 buildings are the district lunatic asylum, the county infirmary and 

 fever hospital, and a district dispensary. Among the charitable 

 institutions are : — the mendicity house ; the poor shop, established in 

 1821 to provide the indigent with clothing and bedding at prime 

 cost; and the ladies' penny society for the relief of sick and indigent 

 room-keepers; a charitable loan-fund, and a penitentiary for females, 

 A savings bank has been in operation since 1815. 



The river is here crossed by a wooden bridge 1068 feet long by> 

 40 feet broad, connecting the city with the opposite suburb of Water- 

 side. For the upper navigation of the Foyle it is divided by a swing-, 

 bridge, the machinery of which, in turning the platform, acts upon 

 the pipes by which water and gas are conveyed across the river. The- 

 port formed by the river, which here expands into a spacious asstuary, 

 is under the jurisdiction of the Irish Society, who appoint a vice- 

 admiral over it, and the Lough and adjacent coast. It is also in 

 charge of a board of ballast commissioners, under whose control are 

 harbour, pilot, and ballast masters, with 29 pilots. The quays extend- 

 northward from the bridge above half a mile. A shipyard, with » 

 patent slip attached, admits vessels of 800 tons. There is a ship-, 



