L. 



History of the Company. 79 



Ulster, including the six counties of Armagh, 

 Tyrone, Coleraine, Donegal, Fermanagh, and 

 Cavan was vested in the Crown by an act of 

 attainder of certain Roman Catholics of distinc- 

 tion who had rebelled against the Crown in the 

 reign of Elizabeth. James proposed to the City 

 to undertake the settlement of these forfeited 

 estates and the formation of a Protestant colony 

 An agreement was arrived at between the Privy 

 Council and the Corporation, one article of which 

 was that ^20,000 should be levied, ^15,000 of 

 which was to be expended upon the plantation, 

 and ^5,000 towards clearing away private 

 interests. A Committee was appointed by the 

 Common Council, consisting of a Governor, 

 a Deputy-Governor, and 24 Assistants, known as 

 the Irish Society, and they were put in possession 

 of their estates, a Charter being granted to them 

 on the 29th March, 161 3. Arrangements were 

 next made in the City for raising and collecting the 

 sum agreed to. This was at length determined 

 The Company to be done by the twelve principal 

 compelled to Companies, and the Lord Mayor 



purchase Irish ^ ■•• «' 



lands. issued a precept for that purpose. 

 The sum originally agreed upon was, however, 

 found insufficient, and other assessments were 

 made from time to time, which eventually ex- 

 ceeded the sum of ^60,000. At a meeting of 

 the Court of Common Council, on December 1 7, 

 161 3, the newly acquired lands were allotted in 

 twelve portions to the twelve chief Companies. 

 The money actually disbursed upon the planta- 



