APPENDIX II
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Dublin, or to the commission subsequently issued from there is not clear. If the former then it took nearly five months to obtain. In any event, it seems to be wrong as will be seen in the next paragraph.) Seven years later on 10 June 1601 Elizabeth I commanded1 that a description of limits of the ancient lands (see point 4. above) belonging to Carrickfergus should be set down—and this time it was done. At a meeting in St Nicholas’s church on 6 October 1601,2 overseen by Sir Arthure Chichester, Captain John Jephson, Deputy to Sir Geffrey Fenton, Surveyor General of Ireland, Sir Fulke Conway, John Dallway, Gregory Norton, & William Whittington vice-constable of the Castle of Carrickfergus, a jury of 24 local men assembled to deliver from their own knowledge and from that of others a true account of the boundaries. The result was the description of two areas,3 the first the arable land which they called “the Town’s lands”, and the second the land used for grazing and extraction of turf which they called “the Commons”. The north-west boundary of the Town’s lands ran west-south-west from Lough Mourne to a hill called Carnesolloghe, then southwest past little Duneorowe to two fords,4 then “allongst the back of the Knockaghe to a meare or marke called Faseris Neey (alias the Deares layne) which is also the furdest part & boundes of the Earrable landes medowe & pasture belonginge to the Towne that waye—And from thence turninge Sowthe to a Smale Streame or Rever called Lysnashemer which runethe Sowthe into the sea, and devydethe the Townes landes and the Earles Medowe”. The charter of 44 Elizabeth I,5 after reciting the boundaries determined by the jury, “[did] give grant and confirme unto the Mayor, Sheriffs, Burgesses, and Commonaltie of the County of the Towne of Carrickfergus aforesaid one parcel of land called Edengrene Marshalstowne, and Hill called Houghnekeage, and one other hill called Haughmarowecaple, Loughmorne, Duncrowe, and little Duncrowe, the Touge, two Hills called the Little and Great Knockagh, Cloghloghortie alias the Ould Stone, containing by estimation tenn ploughlands of lands arable, be it more or lesse, besides wastes and Commons, and all other the lands and Commons of pasture auncientlie belonging to the said Town of Carrigfergus, bounded, situate, and meared within the several meares and bounds before expressed. Except and always reserved to our Constable of our said Castle for the time being, and the garrison there to have free Grazing in summer, and winter provisions for their Horses, as in our said Letters, dated our Mannor of Nonesuch, is expressed.” That part of the charter of 11 July, 7 James I dealing with the south-west boundary is very important because it makes it quite clear that the Silver Stream did not mark the south-west boundary of the Town’s land. Two versions are available, the almost identical relevant text being underlined in the quotations below. A third version, M‘Skimin’s, by omitting that same text at the point marked ‘þ’ in the quote below from his book says quite the opposite and has misled readers for over two hundred years.
Image of part of the charter of 11 July, 7 James I. “Cloghanogherty, between (? ? ? ?) Silverstream and land/territory town of Knockfergus”. 1
Page 19 above. Page 21 above. 3 Pages 21 and 22 above. 4 These must be over the two tributaries of the Woodburn River. 5 Carrickfergus Book (1911), page 24–30, particularly pages 26–29 . 2
