1893-94.] J 7 



additional gifts were made by several Norman knights. The 

 churches at Doagh, Dunadry, Rath more, and other places, 

 belonged to this abbey. One of the priors compiled a register 

 of the monastery, extracts from which are said to be still pre- 

 served in the British Museum. These shew that the abbey 

 was possessed of nine townlands and fourteen churches, with 

 their tithes, all of which were situated in the southern portion 

 of the county Antrim. But the monastery at Muckamore, 

 along with the others of the United Kingdom, fell under the 

 despoiling hand of that unscrupulous monarch, Henry VIII. 

 The last important record concerning the ancient abbey at 

 Muckamore, only a small, ivy-clad remnant of which is still 

 standing, relates to the year 1564, and it tells of the death of 

 its last prior and all his monks. Several relics have been found 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of the building. 



Among matters of a miscellaneous character, it may be stated 

 that permission to hold markets in Antrim was granted in 

 1605 ; to hold six fairs annually, and to return two members to 

 Parliament, in 1665. In 1665, a ^ s >°j one thousand acres of land 

 were granted to the Lord Massereene of that period for a deer- 

 park. At the institution of the Legislative Union this privilege 

 of returning members was purchased from the Massereene 

 family for the sum of ^15,000. For some time previous to the 

 Union, Antrim gloried in having a mayor and corporation, 

 who exercised proprietary rights over a specified portion of the 

 coast of the county. These rights were appropriated by the 

 Crown and compensation made. 



Among ministers who have at different times been stationed 

 here, the names of the most conspicuous are the following : — 

 Revs. John Ridge, the first recorded rector of the parish, who 

 settled here in 1619 ; Thomas Go wan, M.A., a very learned 

 man, who died in 1683 ; William Adair, son of Rev. Patrick 

 Adair ; John Abernethy, M.A., grandfather of Dr. Abernethy 

 of medical fame, and author of several theological works of high 

 repute in his day, who died in 1740 ; Dr. James Duchall, a 

 voluminous writer ; and Dr. William Campbell. All these are 



