50 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



acting five, foiu', and three times during the couple of centuries thi'ough 

 which the catalogue extends. 



As to the native places of some of the early mayors and provosts — those 

 of the thirteenth centuiy — the following English cities and towns, &c., were 

 represented : — Beverley, Bristol, Chester, Chichester, Cornwall, Coventry, 

 Durham, Exeter, Gloucester, Hereford, Leicester, Nottingham, and Winchester. 

 One was from Poitou, and three are named as of Irish places — namely, Bray, 

 Castleknock, and Callan. 



During the first fifty years comprised in the present catalogue, only 

 seventeen dates have been i)recisely ascertained, while the remaining dates, 

 taken chiefly from the Christ Church Deeds, are approximate. The true 

 sequence of mayors and provosts is believed, however, to have been obtained, 

 as that of the provosts is identical with the order in which their names 

 are found in Sir John Gilbert's lists (1225-1250) in "Hist, and Mun. 

 Documents." The years during which they held office are, no doubt, 

 substantially correct. From about the year 1280 onwards, nearly all have 

 been strictly proved, as for a considerable period it was usual not only to 

 8upi)ly in deeds names of mayors and bailiffs, but to add a saint's day or 

 eve, and the regnal year. 



Willi regard t^> the manuscript lists in Trinity College, some explanation 

 is necessary. They are not contemporary, but each is a copy made at a 

 much lat«r date, witli more or less correctness, from a common original. 

 From the term of office of Tliomas Cusake, Richard Boone, and John While 

 (1412-1."^ in the present catalogue), the lists in E. 3. 18, and E. 3. 28, and 

 in the MS. in the British Museum, as far as tlic names and their sequence 

 go, are practically identical ; they also agi'ee with the MS. E. 2. 10, from the 

 period of its commencement (1418-19). A difTerencc, however, occurs in 

 dates, sometimes to the extent of two years ; at other periods, of one year. 

 As the dates of some of the officials can be proved with certainty from other 

 sources, it has been found necessarj- to work from these fixed data, so as to 

 arrive at correctness with regard to officials between 1406-1412, when they 

 appear redundant. In the list 1406-1414 in E. 3, 28, the names of Thomas 

 Cusake, Eichard Boone, and Thomas Shortall are given as acting for six 

 successive periods, and in E. •'•. 18 for only four, which appears correct. 

 Again, Rolx!rt Gallane, John Walsh and William Heyflbrde appear three 

 limes in each list ; but as there are only six tenns of office to be accounted 

 for between 1406 and 1412, it seems evident that these names have been 

 repeated once too often. This is Iwrne out by Harris's catalogue, in wliich 

 Cusake, &c., are enumerated four times, and Gallane, &c., twice. 



Since the compilation of the present list, it has been found possible to 



