386 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Acadein/f. 



It is as au attempt to explore the genesis of the Lansdowne maps and their 

 bearing on the history of the Down Survey that this paper has been written. 



The maps were at Lansdowne House in an old chest, whei-e, to all 

 appearances, they had long rested. With them were also found some letters 

 and memoranda which show that they had been in Dublin, in the hands of 

 the first Lord Lansdowne's agent, at the end of the eighteenth century. It 

 seems probable tliat thej' were sent over to London after his death, and that 

 they have remained there ever since. Tliere can be little doubt that they 

 form a portion of the original survey maps bequeathed in his will by Sir 

 William Petty,* of whom Lord Lansdowne is a lineal descendant. 



The maps are of two kinds, wliich for convenience must be separately 

 dealt with : — 



Taut T. — I.aro.nv Maps. 



These, as appeare from a memorandum and list, dated 1797, then 

 consisted of si.\ folio volumes, numbered A to F, with 128 MS. maps (see 

 Ap{>endix I). The firet volume, which contained twenty-five maps of Dublin, 

 East Meath, West Meath, and Longford, is, however, now missing. 



Tlie fact that these volumes liave come down directly to their present 

 owner from the author of the survey would by itself be strong presumptive 

 evidence that the maps are originals and not copies, but this presumption is 

 reinforced by several other considerations. 



Lists of the forfeited lands, with llieir acreage, forfeiting proprietors, and 

 reference numbers to the maps wliich accompany tlienj, are to be found in all 

 the volumes. These " lerriere " or " books of reference," as they are called, 

 though otherwise corresponding with the later "books of distribution," do 

 not make any mention of the |jei-sons to wlmm the lands were granted. This 

 may be taken as proof that the volumes were compiled before the actual 

 distribution of the land began, i.e. before the year 1661. 



'I'he maps at first sight appear to have been bound together without 

 much regard to h.e<iuence of either counties or baronies. Baronies of the 

 same county often appear in different volumes, while some counties and 

 many baronies aie not found at all. Closer investigation, liowever, shows 

 that this is not a fortuitous arrangement, but that the sequence of the maps, 

 generally speaking, corresponds with the order in which liie baronies were 

 actuallv .surveyed. 



UiirdiDge, p. 112. 



