CITY OF LONDONDERRY. 
adjacent to the city, on the west side of the river of Lough Foyle, containing- by estimation 4 000 
acres, besides bog and barren mountain, to be used by them as waste acres belonging to the'said 
city. The society, within one year, to assign to the bishop and dean of Derry, and their succes¬ 
sors, 2 acres of land a-piece next adjoining to Columbkille’s tower, to build houses for their residence. 
The Society for ever at their own charge to find and maintain a ward in Culmore castle, of so many 
men well armed and officers, as shall be necessary for the defence thereof, and to acquit and 
exonerate the crown from the same for ever. Provided that the city be enclosed and fortified with 
stone walls, except that part next the river of Lough Foyle, within ten years, to hold weekly mar¬ 
kets on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and a fair on the feast of saint Bartholomew, 
and for eight days next following. The city to exercise the office of packer and gauger, and to 
return two members to parliament. 
6th July. The Society sent over two of their assistants, Mr. Alderman Smithes and Mr. 
Mathias Springham, to take an exact survey and account of the various operations and concerns of 
the plantation. Thgy brought with them the new charter of Londonderry, and had the old char¬ 
ter suriendeied to them. On the 8th of November, on their return, they reported to the common 
council, that among other things, they had presented a silver-gilt communion-cup to the church 
of Derry. They also reported that as to the city of Derry, and town at Coleraine, with the 
territories, ferries, and fishings belonging to the same, they were of opinion that a division could 
not be fully made of them, but that the rents and profits of them might be divided amon°-st the 
several companies. Agreeable to recommendation, they were retained by the society, who 
received the rents and profits, and accounted for them to the twelve chief companies. 
1615. An additional sum of £5,000 ordered, towards finishing the walls of Derry. 
9th November. Directions given by the Irish Society, in order that Derry might not in future 
be peopled with Irish; that 12 Christ’s Hospital and other poor children should be sent 
there as apprentices and servants, and the inhabitants were prohibited from taking Irish ap¬ 
prentices. 
1616. Mr. Alderman Proby and Mr. Mathias Springham were sent over to Derry to take a 
survey of the plantation. On the 27th of July they reported that the 12 children sent from 
Christ’s Hospital to be apprenticed had arrived safe at Derry, and they had caused ten to be 
apprenticed in Derry, and two in Coleraine. 3 hey considered it would be proper, in future, a 
market-house and town-house should be erected in Derry, by which the city of London would 
gain the rent of 3 houses then used for a town-house there. They continued Thomas Raven 
as surveyor for two years, holding his service necessary for measuring and setting out the forti¬ 
fications at Derry and Culmore. They stated the allowances made to the burgesses of Derry 
and Coleraine by the city of London, for their attendance in parliament. The commissioners 
granted 500 acres of land, which had formerly belonged to Rory O’Kane, (who had incurred the 
forfeiture of his land by a criminal conviction), to Mr. Carey, recorder of Derry, during his life, 
paying the usual rent of £5. 6s. 8 d., he having no salary, which they conceived to be the best 
way of giving him satisfaction without charge to the city. They caused Mr. Goodwin, town clerk 
of Derry, to be reinstated in his office, he having been suspended therefrom. They examined the 
fortifications of Derry, and found that the ditch round the fortification was a dry ditch, 8 feet deep 
and 30 broad, and extended from the Prince’s Bulwark, being at the west end of the city, along 
the S. side of that fortification, unto the water side, being more than half the circuit of the wall, 
as would appear by the plan they had made. They found that the quay at Derry was sufficient 
for the trade of the place, and they thought that when the fortifications were finished, the city 
might either enlarge the same or make a new one. They discharged one Humphrey Wetherly 
from his employment as water bailiff and searcher, for misconduct. They granted leases of most 
of the houses at Derry for 31 years, and allotted to ever)' house a portion of land according to the 
rent, and distributed the island (except the bog) for gardens and orchards, as belonging to every 
house, in ease of the rent; and the bog they leased out to sundry persons for small rent, in hope 
that the same might he made firm and good meadow in time to come. And they stated that, 
whereas the city had nothing for the bog before, they had procured a profit of £7 yearly for the 
same. They delivered swords as presents from the city to the several mayors of Londonderry and 
Coleraine. The commissioners also allotted 300 acres fora free school, when it should be finished, 
which Mr. Springham promised to erect at his own expense, the next year. They made esti¬ 
mates of repairing the churches and fortifications. They represented that out of the 4,000 
acres of land to be laid to Derry, 3,217 acres had been granted to the mayor, or otherwise laid 
to houses. 
1621, July 31. The city received a charter of incorporation of a mayor, two constables and 
merchants of the staple, with the like immunities and privileges as are expressed in the charter 
of the staple at Youghal—(19 Jac. 1, 4 a pars. d. 34.) 
1622. During this year, the crown being dissatisfied with the city of London, by reason of 
various representations which had been made, suggesting that the city had not performed the 
original conditions of plantation, appointed commissioners in Ireland to inquire into the affairs of 
