THE HAWTHORN. 



227 



The following account of a remarkable Thorn 

 in the north of Ireland, together with the annexed 

 sketch, was supplied by Alexander Johns, Esq. : — 

 On the estate of M. Dalway, Esq., at Bella 

 Hill, county of Antrim, stands the ^ Witch Thorn,' 

 but I have not been able to trace why so called, 

 nor to collect any legends respecting it. The 

 schoolmaster of the Witch Thorn National School 

 (the tree has given its name to the place), referred 

 me to an old man named James Poag, residing 

 about a quarter of a mile from the spot. I found 

 him at home, but gained little information ; he is 

 eighty-seven years of age, a tailor by trade, and 

 was busy at his work, three lads plying the needle 

 with him ; he said his sight was not so good as 

 it had been, and his hearing rather dull ! He 

 invited me to take bread and butter and milk, 

 all his house afforded, and told me he remembers 

 the tree for seventy years, and that from his 

 earliest recollection the trunk has always been as 

 large as it is now. Within these few 3'ears some 

 branches have been cut off (a very rare occur- 

 rence indeed with an aged Thorn), which being 

 reported to the agent of Mr. Dahvay, that gen- 

 tleman went to the spot, and has taken steps to 

 prevent a repetition of the act. The large trunk 

 is four feet two inches in circumference, and the 

 other three feet six inches ; the Thorn is about 

 twenty feet high. It stands on high ground, and 

 the father of the present proprietor told my in- 

 formant that he had seen the Witch Thorn from 

 the Scotch coast. 



These old Thorns are numerous in Ireland, 

 and are greatly venerated. They are sometimes 

 found in fields in crop, but in ploughing, care is 



