The Corporation of the Borough of Belturbet
County Cavan, Ireland
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The Corporation of the Borough of Belturbet County Cavan, Ireland
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Forum - Layout and landmarks The Town Book and other early documents raise many questions concerning the Town Plan. Street names are rarely mentioned - the first of only a few references to Holborn Hill is in 1724 . Vague (for us) locators such as 'beside the house of'' make it difficult to follow development of the town. No maps are included in the Town Book and we have to look elsewhere for layout information. The earliest map I have located is a 1723 map indicating the properties of Reverend Samuel Madden which shows that the general layout of 1857 Ordnance Survey was already in place by that time but otherwise provides little information on landmarks mentioned in the Book. It does include several puzzling features discussed later, as well as locations of some homesteads. Landmarks which probably remained in their original positions and are frequently mentioned in the Town Book are Market House, Creeny Bridge, Ducking Stool, Commons. The Church of Ireland is not mentioned frequently but is considered a stable landmark. A Few Questions about Lost Landmarks (more to come): Town layout In July 1610 the Plantation Commissioners set out to layout the towns, decide how many houses, lay out their sites and assign land for the houses and the Church. It appears that the plans for Belturbet have been lost (R. J. Hunter, Towns in the Ulster Plantation, Stud Hib 1971) suggests that some Privy Council records relating to Belturbet were destroyed by fire) but it is clear that the town was divided into 'homesteads ' stretching from the Church to the top of (present) Holborn Hill. Coote (Statistical Survey (1802) says the town 'was regularly divided into compartments termed homesteads, each of which contains 36 yards and to which is annexed a proportionate quantity of bog.' It further appears that the homesteads were later sub-divided into halves and even quarters and the privileges which went with them proportionately divided. That the average four-house street-front on the 1857 Ordnance Survey map is about 36 yards confirms this conclusion Question:: Are there any contemporary records on this subject and where are they ? Townland Boundaries and 1617 Indenture
The 1617 Indenture (Pat Roll Chan 16 Jas.I pt
6) cites the following townlands which were granted to the Corporation in whole
or in part: Kyle italry alias Belturbet (2 pooles);
Derryfada (one poole); Kyle Ivahy ((one poole);
Moy (1/4 poole) ; Stroghacoglin. The borders of the
items in red are not known. One border of Straghaglin was a ditch which
ran down what is now Castle Hill ) so Bridge Street, known in 19th century as
Straghaglen Street was in fact in Straghaglen while Lower Bridge Street and the
land adjoining it as far as Mill Hill was outside the town boundary. By 1834
there was still no detailed map of the town. Its boundaries were described to
the Commissioners for Municipal Corporations by the Town Clerk as follows:
‘ . .
.commencing at the river, at the part called the Ducking Stool; then winding
round an adjoining point of land running into the water, and running along a
ditch which divides Straghaglan from the Corporation. It then goes past the
Westlayan Preaching House, leaving it on the right and by the right side of Mr.
Gumley’s house past the Glebe House, leaving it on the left; then goes
straight on by Keolohan’s corner house, up to Mr John Gumley’s wall and then
straight on to the Church gate, thence to John Morton’s house on Holborn Hill,
at the Cavan Road and thence from Morton’s house and Bob Gumley’s ,
adjoining to it to the river which thence forms the bounds as far as the Ducking
stool from where the boundary commenced . . .’ Other lost landmarks
cited in the Indenture include the
TileKill Yard, (one acre), mills, mansions of Nicholas Swanson and Agnes
Britten. Town Book Landmarks Following are landmarks mentioned in the Town Book on which local knowledge is sought 1674 Bleaching yard built by Wardell, (probably on site of Military barracks). Does anyone know? the town well, dug by Wardell in 1672 probably on the Diamond. There was a horse trough on the Diamond in the early 1900's which might have still drawn its water from that well. (There was no central water system in the town until 1937) the town stocks were in frequent use between 1711 and 1735, one hour in the stocks on market day being the sentence for, for instance, non-payment of fines. Much money was spent repairing them Where were they situated ? the Church Bell. In 1705 a bell costing £10 was donated to the town by Thomas Logan, apothecary, and was erected probably as a warning bell. For that price it must have been a foundry bell. Was it transferred to the Church of Ireland steeple when that extension was built around 1829? If not where is it? Town Seal - The town seal is in the Royal Irish Academy King's Arms In 1722 James Armstrong was asked to carve the King’s Arms in stone, 3 feet square and to gild it for £ 4. He was also in 1727 asked to build a ‘Market Cross’ for £5 10s (other charges for repair in 1761). Who was James Armstrong and have any of his carvings survived? In fact the carving of the King's Arms is in the possession of George Morrrissey, author of Belturbet A Chequered History available through www.erneheritagetours.com In 1726 it was ordered 'that a convenient seat shall be built in the Church of Belturbet on the ground where it is laid out by the vestry for the Provost and Burgesses and with all things necessary out of the town stock. John Jones Sen. Esq. and Fran Nevill Esq. to be overseers and they to account for the same upon oath' (BC/1 p 299)( see account of Francis Nevill under Inhabitants) The seat eventually cost about 22 pounds 17 shillings and three pence including a prayer book at 18 shillings and sixpence. The seat is not evident within the church cruciform as of November 2006. It may be elsewhere in a storage room under the steeple or it may have been removed to the Rectory or elsewhere after abolition of the Corporation in 1840. There are many references
to the Black Bog Lane. Was this what is now St.
Mary's Terrace or Chapel Road? 1737 Bleachyard Various lanes (TBD). Town Book missing entries. There is evidence that a number of important entries are missing from the microfilm version of the Town Book. For instance, An Scolaire Bocht, a local historian who wrote in the Anglo-Celt in the early part of the 20th century quotes a Minute from the Corporation dated 31st December, 1773: To His Excellency, Simon, Earl Harcourt, Lord Lieutenant General and general Governor of Ireland, the provost, Burgesses and Freemen of Belturbet, herewith present the Freedom of the Corporation in testamony of the high opinion and veneration they entertain of his Patriotic Virtues and Eminent abilitys through which the government of this Kingdom has been established in firmness, moderation and integrity, confirmed by National Confidence and Universal Esteem! To the Right Honourable John Blaquirere, Esq. Secretary of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, one of His Majesty's Most Honourable Provy Council, the provost, Burgesses and Freemen of belturbet herewith present the Freedom of this Corporation in Remembrance of his Excellent Discipline, in Military Command and in testamony of his Patriotic Conduct in Military Command and Abilitys wherein cander and Perspicacity has been so eminently distinguished. At the same court as last the Freedom of the Borough was presented to the Honourable William Harcourt, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 16th Regiment of Dragoons in grateful remembrance of his Exemplary Conduct when quartered in this Town where proved (sic) that the Martial Fire of a soldier is not unconsistent with the Feelings of Humanity and the Modest Grace of a Gentleman. And also in the same court: to the Honourable Harcourt Neinaham (Newenham?)in testamony of their esteem and respect for his Manly Virtues and Stedy Principles, the Character of True Nobility, the Blessings of Private Society and the Guardians of the Public Good. The Scolaire Bocht wonders whether a poor Town Clerk on two pounds a year was overcome by the occasion and inadequately reported it. It is suspected that even in those days there was a Press Agent with a prepared sycophantic text for entry in the Book for posterity. It is interesting to note that in 1773 the Town was granted two additional fairs by Harcourt by proclamation. Neither this proclamation nor the entry quoted are in the manuscript. The proclamation has been inserted (by me) in the transcription at p 224. Bridie Smith, another local historian who wrote for the Anglo-Celt at about the same time wrote in June 2 1928 under the heading Historic Belturbet that one of the strictest laws of the Corporation was that forbidding Catholics to enter the town or live on the east side of the bridge. An entry of October 3rd 1660 orders all papists that doth live and inhabit within this town and corporation or the liberties thereof that they . . . remove themselves and familys . . . by December under pain of 20s sterling . . . (BC/1). It is presumed that this is the pertinent law. There is nothing in the surviving Town Book Courts to reinforce this law nor are their entries to indicate how stringently it was enforced. Yet another missing entry is that alluded to by the Commissioners for Municipal Corporations (First Report 1835 p 966) describing the predominantly Protestant complexion of the Town: . . . the corporation within the last century . . . appears by entries in the books of proceedings to have passed a resolution to fine a suspected papist 20s until he should leave the corporation district . . . Two other decisions not in the extant Town Book but quoted by the Commissioners are as follows: The Provost attended a meeting in Dublin on February 25th 1790 at which it was agreed that the ‘acting Provost get 30 guineas a year, he paying the Corporation dinner June 24th that he is to pay out of the remaining issues and profits, all charges for repairing the Court House and every other charge usually paid by the Corporation and then pay the overplus to the burgess whose turn it is to be provost, to be disposed of in such a manner as he pleases[9] And a second in 1800 ordering that Humphrey Withers, Richard Dane and John Moultray Jones shall act alternately as Provost of the Corporation, paying the usual amount out of the customs to the other burgesses . . All these entries appear to have been part of the Town Book well after the abolition of the Corporation and their absence begs the question of the completeness of the record now available, as well as the further questions as to why they were removed and if they still survive somewhere. Questions raised from sources other than the Town Book Grey Limestone for Church, Kilconny Bridge, Slip, Quay and Military Barracks, Staghall Chapel. Where was the quarry? Weavers' Row (Patrick Street/William Street), which comprised 20 terraced mud-walled single-storied slated houses and which had descended to slum status by the 1930's and were demolished. The name Weavers Row does not appear on the 1857 Ordnance Survey Map and may be a local name. The houses appear to have been built all at the same time and designed to accomodate weavers whose looms were usually on mud floors. Most likely time for the construction was in the period around 1750. In 1739 Belturbet was considered to be ‘the principal mart for the linen manufacture in the counties of Fermanagh and Cavan’[8]. At that time Ulster landowners were establishing weaving enclaves within their towns and Lanesborough, may have been following their lead. In 1733 he struck a deal with the Corporation to establish a bleach green in exchange for a lane close to the ducking stool. The bleach green was probably on what is known as the Green Lawn. The Irish economy continued to grow in a robust fashion between 1760 and 1815 and so John Wesley's comment (1776) that he found Belturbet, '. . . once prosperous, now greatly decayed . . . is surprising. It appears Belturbet lost its eminence as a major trading centre for linen webs within a few decades as the linen market realigned. However, the linen trade was not the only source of Belturbet's prosperity and other factors - such as Lanesborough's financial problems and the increasing corruption in the town's market may have contributed to the decline. By 1802 the market in Belturbet dealt mostly with yarn, not webs and the nearest active bleach green was in Cootehill. Whether the weavers of the Weavers Row continued to weave and brought their webs to market centres such as Cootehill and Ballybay or whether they migrated north to more prosperous centres or to America is not clear but it would appear that the Weavers' Row enterprise had failed not very long after its inception. Some or many of the town's inhabitants suffered loss of income while the prominence of Belturbet as a market centre was diminished. Interest in the linen trade continued, though at a reduced level and in 1796, 40 persons in parish of Annagh participated in the Flax growers’ competition and won spinning wheels (PRONI 1796 Flax Growers). By the 1840, the Belturbet linen trade was no more. If indeed the weaving trade died so long ago it is remarkable that the names Green Lawn and Weavers Row, should have survived in local memory without official record into the 20th century. Military Barracks A general layout of the barracks is shown on the 1857 Ordnance Survey Map. A detailed plan is given in Plans of the barracks of England and Ireland 1858-66 (4 Vol) (to which I do not have access). . . The original barracks, which contained only 10 rooms was built in the 'reign of Queen Anne'. Up to that time, the Army was billeted on the inhabitants although the Town Book contains no reference to it. There is an exchange entered in the Book concerning 'fire and candle' in 1662 when the Corporation failed to meet its commitments. On Oct. 1663 the Ld Lieut. (Ormond) wrote to the magistrate of Belturbet: Whereas we formerly directed our letters to you to give order for the providing of fire and candle . . . which we are informed are not complied withal, whereby his Majesty’s service is neglected, we have therefore thought fit hereby to . . .give obedience to our order . . . ‘ (this quotation is from the Ormonde papers and is not included in the Town Book). According to the House of Commons (Ireland) Journal, the total cost of repair and a new section added in 1753 was £1168 11s 11d. In 1760 all barracks in Ireland were deemed to be in need of maintenance and expansion. The estimate for the maintenance and building an infirmary, storehouse and forge at Belturbet at that time was £1525 9s 10d halfpenny. These are considerable amounts of money for the time. Lanesborough donated a riding school in 1750. Where was it?. There were 150 barracks in Ireland in 1824. Belturbet was designed for 196 NCO's and privates and 101 horses. In 1837, it had 49 NCO's and privates and only 46 horses. Enniskillen was a Foot barracks and had 496 NCO's and privates. What other changes were made during the Napoleonic period? The barracks was important to the economy of the town. How much did the Barracks contribute including maintenance, local services and wages each year ?.What percentage of soldiers (who were mostly English) settled in the town when their service was complete? There were barracks at Ballyconnel, and Cavan as well with considerable establishments Belturbet Annual Horse Race -The Town's first Tourist Attraction Belturbet was one of a number of market towns set up in the 17th century Plantation of Ulster. The town was allocated a Commons area where homestead owners could graze their cattle, the number of cattle being dependent on whether the inhabitant was a freeman, burgess, or Provost. The location of the Commons is shown on the map section (1911 Ordnance Survey). There were three 'gates' to the
Commons , one at the location indicated on the map , one at Bunn and one in Ballinlough. In 1688 the Provost, burgesses and 'commonality' decided that 'ground for a horse race be made around the town commons' and agreed to contribute to the cost. George Russell , Town Clerk, was asked to lay out the course and was given land near Creeny bridge in payment for his work. This initiative seems to have been the beginning of the establishment of Belturbet's reputation as as a centre for horse-racing in the first half of the 18th century and as a horse trading centre up to the 1940's. In 1702 it was ordered that 'a silver tankard of ten pounds be run for upon the town commons upon Whitsun tuesday with five pounds to be paid out of the town stock' and the remainder to be paid by the owners of the horses. The tankard was engraved with the winner's name at a cost to the town of six shillings. At the same time Thomas Stanford, a burgess, bought a standard for the measurement of horses for four shillings and by 1707 the race meet was a two day affair with a saddle, bridle and whip as additional prizes. Names of horses in the races were entered in the Town Book, a typical surviving entry being: 'May the 15th 1714; This day entered a grey horse by the name of creeping Jack belonging to Capt. Fran. Aldridge to be one of the running horses for this year's plate And a grey mare Connolly called Drowsy belonging to Mr. Thos. Parker and one bay mare called Sinoglen 7 years old belonging to Col. Noble And one grey mare belonging to Capt. Alexander Sanderson called Maggie Lawther'. By the 1730's Belturbet's Whit races were were events not to be missed with entries from widely separated places and with officers from the army or the militia dominating the names list. The occasion was a festive one with huts and stalls for the sale of liquor and with facilities for spectators and hucksters. A formal set of rules was entered in the Town Book as follows: Articles
of the Race of Belturbet
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Send comments about this website and its contents to:webmaster@belturbet.org This site last updated February /2007 Acknowledgement: Ownership of the Archives of the Corporation of Belturbet resides with Belturbet Town Commission and is administered on its behalf by Cavan County Archives Service. Excerpts from the archives are identified with the Archives codes (BC/n). Permission to quote the excerpts presented on this site as of the above date has been granted by Cavan County Archives Service. Permission to publish these excerpts or any other parts of the Archives should be sought from archives@cavancoco.ie. Tel: 049-4378300 |
