Loughbrickland & Dromore
The Sir Marmaduke Whitechurch connection with Loughbrickland
It is not known when Marmaduke Whitechurch, son of a London solicitor, came to Ireland from Staffordshire to "clothe the Army". For his services, in 1585 Queen Elizabeth I gave him lands at Loughbrickland on which to build a castle beside the lake to protect the `pass' and in 1598 he fought with Bagnall's vanquished army at the Battle of the Yellow Ford, where Bagnall was killed. It would appear that his work took him around quite a lot and he acquired lands - six balliboes of Abbey lands in the Barony of Onealan, Co Armagh, subject to plantation conditions.
In the same Barony of Orior, Co Armagh, he had a grant of lands of Ballymacdermot containing one ballibo (approximately 120 acres) at a Crown rent of 16s 3d. As one of the earliest sevitors under the Plantation Scheme (1608 - 1620), Whitechurch owned considerable estates in Monaghan and Louth. He was also Constable of Carlingford Castle.
In his quest for new possessions he found the Magennis family possessed large tracts of land, but had little money. So, in 1615, he purchased 17 townlands in the Parishes of Aghaderg and Seapatrick from them. After building the castle he built a church using some of the stones from the former monastery on its present site and first made Loughbrickland a town by encouraging Protestants to settle there. He was a model coloniser and deserves to rank high as such. Few men of his time were able to do so much important work with so little friction.
One of the first acts of his colonisation was to settle his lands with farmers from England at low rents and giving long leases. He is known to have both scutch, linen and flour mills on the river. Whitechurch was knighted in 1628 and died in 1634 when he was buried in the church. However, in the 1641 Rebellion the castle, church and many houses were burnt or destroyed by the rebels, the church being rebuilt in 1688.
Sir Marmaduke Whitechurch had three daugthers - Frances who married Marcus Trevor of Lisnagade, who later became Viscount Dungannon-, Eleanor who wed Rev J. Symonds and third remained unmarried. Marcus Trevor had three daughters and one, Rose, married Nicholas Purcell, Baron of Loughmore, Co Tipperary.
There were four daughters of this marriage, of whom Mary, in 1713, married John Whyte of Leixlip, who was descended from the Whyte family who in 1170 came to Ireland from South Wales with Strongbow and settled in Leinster. On the death of Sir Marmaduke part of his lands were bequeathed to his daughter Frances and down to her granddaughter Mary, who inherited extensive lands at Loughbrickland.
On her marriage to John Whyte they built Loughbrickland House and made it their main residence. Their grandson, Captain Nicholas Whyte, RN, DL, JP, later High Sheriff of Co Down gave in 1814 the site, together with a large donations, for the building of the present Roman Catholic Church, which was completed and dedicated in 1832. In 1608 a survey was compiled by the Commissioners of King James 1 after meeting a jury comprising the leading Irish families in the county under Sir Marmaduke held at Mory Castle.
It is believed the name Loughbrickland came from the speckled trout, which at one time abounded in the lake.
Photo supplied by www.mattgamble.co.uk/<wbr>photo1942959.html
The Whyte family, still own Loughbrickland House and demesne. The present branch of the family connected with the house is that of the late John Henry Whyte who died in 1990. He never grew up at Loughbrickland, as his aunt, Magda Whyte, was tenant for life after her husband George Whyte died in 1919.
Golden Wedding Celebrations in Loughbrickland
(From the Household Almanac - 1913)
Mr J. J. Whyte, D. L., and Mrs Whyte, of Loughbrickland, celebrated the golden jubilee of their marriage on Thursday, the 3rd of October, 1912, and were the recipients of numerous congratulations on the happy event. Both Mr and Mrs Whyte enjoy an extensive popularity in the district, and the expressions of goodwill were heartily joined in by the local residents by whom they are held in the highest esteem. As evidence of the manner in which the sentiments were received it my be mentioned that they signalised the occasion in a characteristically generous spirit. A party of the children attending the local schools were given a holiday, and were conveyed in brakes to a matinee in the Banbridge Picture House, where Mr Finney had seats specially reserved for them. The little ones thoroughly enjoyed the outing and marked their appreciation by hearty cheers for Mr and Mrs Whyte. The employees at the house were also generously feted, and the spacious barn which was suitably decorated was the scene of an enjoyable dance in the evening. Letters and telegrams of congratulation poured in from a very wide circle of friends and acquaintances, and it is interesting to observe that these included a message from the Pope through Cardinal Merry del Val, which His Holiness imparted his blessing. The presents formed a unique and valuable collection. A beautiful golden bowl, exquisitely and chastely designed was sent by the children of Mr and Mrs Whyte, while magnificent golden vases were gifts from grandchildren
The collection also included - white heather in a gilt basket from .the Misses. Lamb, pair of gold bonbonier from Mrs Power-Lawlor, gold bonbon basket from Mrs Armstrong and Miss Cruise; pair of gold and brilliants photo frames; gold and silver goblet from Mrs an Mr Roche, gold bag; pair of gold fruit spoons from Lady Ross of Bladensburgh, gold card case, from Mrs Rochfort Boyd, pair gold photo frames from Mrs Taafe, embroiderred cushion from presentation Convent, Carlow; gold and silver photo frame from Mervyn Ryan, beautifully mounted prayer books from Mrs Murnaghan, amethyst and a pearl brooch from Mrs Grierson, gold pencil case from the Missess Alexander.
It is interesting to note that Mr Whytes family traces its descent Walter Whyte of South Wales, who accompanied Strongbow on his expedition to Ireland. He was born in Dublin in 1826 and educated at Oscott. In addition to holding the office of Deputy Lieutenant he is a Justice of the Peace and was Sheriff for the county in 1862.

Emigrant Sons of The Bann

(By Rich. McCaffrey)
Extract From the Banbridge & District Historical Society Vol.4

The Henry Family, Sons of Loughbrickland

Alexander Henry, the youngest of five brothers, was born in Loughbrickland in June, 1763. In 1783 he emigrated to America and obtained employment in a dry goods establishment in Philadelphia. His abilities were such that in two months he was made superintendent of a branch of the house purposely created for him. Sometime afterwards he went into business for himself, importing dry goods wholesale, and continued in business until 1807 when he retired with a large fortune. Later on he emerged again in business but in 1818 he finally retired and devoted the remainder of his life to church and charitable work.

For many years he enjoyed the distinction of being the oldest member of the Hibernian Society and at his death was the last of the original sixty founders of 1790. He was Treasurer of the Society in 1793. He was a very active member of the Presbyterian Church and was President of the Board of Education of that body. He was also President of the American Sunday School Union from it's commencement in 1824 until his death, and was the President of the House of Refuge. For forty nine years he was a Director of the United States Bank.

Mr. Henry died on August 13, 1847, and was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia. In his will, admitted to probate, August 18, 1847, he left legacies to the American Sunday School Union, The Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Blind, and to the Central Presbyterian Church. He left a son, John S. Henry, born September 9, 1795, and a grandson, Alexander Henry, born April 4, 1823.

Alexander Henry graduated from Princeton with high honours. After leaving college he studied law and was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar on April 13, 1844. He soon acquired an extensive practice and in 1856-57 represented the Seventh Ward in City Council. In 1858 he was nominated by the People's Party for Mayor against the incumbent Richard Vaux, the Democratic Candidate. The election took place in May, 1858, and Mr.Henry was successful. In 1860, and again in 1863, he was re-elected. In 1866 he declined a renomination, taking the ground that it was wrong for one man to seine too many terms

in such a position. His administration was highly successful, the efficiency of the Police Force being raised to a high standard. A member of the Park Commission, He was a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania Director of the Fidelity Insurance Trust and Safe Deposit Company, and of the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, and was for twenty eight consecutive years

an Inspector of the Eastern Penetentiary. He was a member of the State Board of Centennial Supervisors. Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Great International Centennial Exhibition (1876), and, upon the resignation of ex-governor Bigler, he became President of the Board of Supervisors

The shock of the death of his son and only child greatly impaired Mr. Henry's health and in the Spring of 1883 he visited Europe, remaining there until late in the succeeding Autumn. He returned much benefited in health but died a month later of typhoid pneumonia. The flags of Independence Hall and many other public buildings were placed at half-mast in respect to his memory. Mayor King addressed City Council, paying tribute to the character of the deceased. Mr. Henry was a man of sterling character, commanding the respect of his fellow citizens, and a proud descendant of Loughbrickland.

The Crannoge of Lisnagonnell Parish of Aghaderg

A discovery of much interest was made in the townland of Lisgannon or Lisnagonnell, in the parish of Aghaderg, near Loughbrickland, on the 17th October, 1894. A man named James Buchanan, while mowing rushes in a bog on his farm some four weeks ago, struck the point of his scythe into something a little below the surface, from which it required all his strength to extricate it. Thinking he had discovered a tree of bogwood of some sort, valuable for firewood, he began to excavate with a spade, and soon became convinced he had came upon an ancient boat or canoe, and after considerable trouble disclosed to view a very fine specimen of prehistoric boat making. This ancient craft was hollowed out of the heart oak of a single tree, which must have been a monarch of the forest. For the canoe is twenty-five feet long, and from three feet wide near one end to two feet eight inches at the other, and nineteen inches deep in the inside.

As the original trunk out of which this canoe was carved, must when growing have been more than five feet in diameter; one can judge of its height and wonder at the immense expenditure of labour and time with the primitive tools of savages, which it must have taken to fell the tree, and shaped its outline and `dig out' the inside to form the hull.

There are two pairs of brackets left projecting on the inner sides, one pair is placed six feet from the widest or stern end, and the other pair at three feet from them. Each bracket is five inches by three inches, and is formed having a horizontal groove in it into which was slipped when in use as a seat board, lying between them was part of the handle and blade of a paddle or small oar; this was so much decayed that it crumbled when touched, and was broken when turned out with the sods of rushes and marsh grasses by the spade.

The shell or hull of the canoe is three quarters of an inch thick at the gunswale, and the flat floor is seven inches thick near the bow, and three inches thick at the position of the seats. A peculiar and most interesting feature in this canoe is that on the floor were left what boatmen call `stretchers' for the support of the paddler's feet. There are two pairs of these at the proper distance from the seats and a pair near the bow where the two paddlers who did the steering were seated.

No articles besides the remains of the paddle mentioned above, except three small field stones, the largest the size of a man's fist, were found inside this canoe. These stones were in the bottom of the canoe, and have nothing remarkable about them.

It appears that some seventy years ago James Buchanan's maternal grand-father, John McKeag, while making `mudturf' in this bog, found three other boats, one was much like the canoe recently discovered, while the other two were shorter and wider. They all occurred near the same place, at the north end of the bog. Looking at the position of this bog of Lisnagonnell, lying in a deep hollow surrounded by swelling hills, and seeing that even now after a few days rain it becomes converted into a flooded morass, covering about forty acres, it is not difficult to see that before the making of the deep drain which at present vents the water, there was a genuine though shallow Lough here, for traversing the surface of which the natives used these canoes.

Their use was to gain access to the village or assemblage of huts in which they lived, and which were situated on an island constructed nearly in the middle of the sheet of water. Such islands are well known to have existed in many lakes and bogs throughout Ireland, and vast quantities of all sorts of object - metal, stone, wood, and bone, have been found in them, and are now preserved in various museums.

Similar dwellings have been discovered in the lakes of Switzerland.

The Irish constructions of this character are known as Crannoges, a name derived from the Celtic word crann, meaning `a tree'. The late Sir William Wilde, who paid a great deal of attention to the subject of the Irish Crannoges or lake-dwellings, says: "To understand or appreciate the nature of these dwellings, we must bring back our minds to the period when the country around the locality where they occur was covered with wood, chiefly oak and alder, and when the state of society had passed from that of the simple shepherd or pastorial condition to one of raping, plunder, and invasion; certain communities, families, or cheiftains, required greater security for themselves, their cattle, or their valuables, than the land could afford, and so betook themselves to the water. With infinite labour, considering there means and appliances at their disposal, these people cut down young oak trees, which they carried to the lakes, and drove into the clay or mud around the shallows of small islands, which were usually covered with water in winter. And having thus formed a somewhat cicular stockade, which rose above the water, probably interlaced with branches, they floored it with alder, sallow, or birch to a suitable height above the winter flood, and on this platform erected wooden cabins. One large flagstone at least was also carried in for a hearthstone or common cooking place, and one or more querns or hand-mills have almost invariably been found in the remains of these crannoges."

That such existed in Lisnagonnell bog there is abundant evidence. Several of the farmers resident in the neighbourhood point out a spot one hundred and twenty yards south of where the canoes were discovered, and near the middle of the bog, which is still called `the island,' though now, owing to the removal of the bog mud for making fuel, reduced to an impassable morass in which grow reeds. This island is described as a circle of fourteen yards in diameter full of stakes or `stabs' of oak, and round about which many objects have from time to time been found. These are described as `small bowls or crocks, like crockery of blue clay burned, knoggins of wood, hand mill=stones, flat flagstones, pins of brass like gold, a gold pin with a double twisted head and carved stem, a white stone with a hole thorugh one end, pieces of iron and any amount of bones, teeth and horns of various animals.

Many of these `curiosities' as they are termed, passed from the Lisnagonnell finders into the possession of the late Mr Wm Glenny, of Glenvale, near Newry, who was, during his long lifetime, an ardent collector of such.

The persons from whom the above information has been gleaned accounted for the entire absence of human remains among the objects found in the bog, by giving their opinion or belief that these things are the relics of the abodes of `men who lived before Noah's flood, when the water came and swept them all away.'

It is curious to find such a small townland as this is having two names, but so it is. Many of the inhabitants call it Lisganon, which means in celtic the small lis or village; while the name Lisnagonnell is set down on the Ordinace Survey, and is that now used to denote it in all public documents.

Concerning the name Lisnagonnell, the following interesting note is given by Dr. Joyce, in Irish Names and Places (1 st series p.179 j, published in 1869 - "Very often when you pass a lonely fort on a dark night you will be astonished to see a light shining from it; the fairies are then at some work of their own, and you will do well to pass on and not disturb them. From the frequency of this apparition, it has came to pass that many forts are called Lisnagannell and Lisnagnnell, the fort of the candles; and is some instances they have given names to townlands; as for example Lisnagonnell in the County Down Lisnaglenly in Tipperary, Lisnagonnell in tyrone, and Lisconnell in Mayo."

There are two small earthen forts or `lisses' still existing in Lisnagonnell, and both are near the bog. But it is not possible to know which was Lisganon, and which Lisnagonnell, or whether the latter is the name of `the island' in the bog.

We know from history that these crannoges or lake dwellings were used in Ireland from a very early period down to the sixteenth century. When they were first erected must be a matter of conjecture, but from the character of the antiquities discovered within and around them, they would seem to have been in general use through the early ages, and even during the time when it was customary to use stone instruments.

H.W. Lett Hon. Provincial Secretary for Ulster of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.

Bassetts Directory 1886 for Loughbrickland

In 1881, Loughbrickland had a population of 336. Banbridge is 2 miles, Irish to the North, and Newry, 8 miles Irish to the South-south West. The land of the surrounding country is good for pasture and tillage, Potatoes and oats are the principal crops. A small amount of flax is grown. Mr. John W. Whyte, J.P. and the Marquis of Downshire are the owners of the district. Loughbrickland was granted to Sir Marmaduke Whitchurch by Queen Elizabeth in 1585. He built a castle on the shores of the Lough. Cromwells army partly destroyed it, and it was ultimately replaced by a private residence, built in 1812. During King Williams march to the Boyne he took advantage of Loughbrickland as a camping ground for 11 days. The Danes were defeated here by the Irish in 1187. loughbrickland was named from the Lough, and the Lough , it is believed received its name from the speckled trout which at one time abounded in its waters. The extent of land under it is 90 Irish acres Mr. James Cupples , Mr . James Wright , and Mr . James Gray , who lives in America , are tenants of the farms adjoining the shore line. On Mr. cupples, farm is an earthwork called the Watery fort , of Danish origin. No trout now exist in the lough, but it is well stocked with eels, and has some roach and perch. The overflow is discharged at Scarva into the Canal connecting lough Neagh with Newry. The Rough Fort is passed on the way from Loughbrickland to Banbridge, and Lisnatirney Fort, a Danish earthwork, is on the farm of Mr.Patrick Cranney, about two miles in the Newry direction.The Church of Ireland at Loughbrickland is a handsome edifice, the original Church was destroyed with a part of the village during the war of 1641. It was rebuilt in 1688, and in 1878 a new chancel was added by Mr.A.Wheelan, builder Newry. It was also newly roofed, and the seats modernized, the total cost exceeding £1,100. The Catholic Church, at the opposite side of the street, is also a handsome edifice, and has a fine new tower. There are in the village a Presbyterian Church of good capacity, a Reformed Presbyterian Church, and a Lodge of Good Templars.

Bovennett and Drumsallagh

Material by Philip Magennis

Having spent the past couple of weeks rambling over some of the more low-lying parts of the Parish of Drumgooland, we return a little closer to Banbridge this week for a look at a couple of Loughbrickland’s townlands. Bovennett and Drumsallagh really have to be looked at together, as they are central to the ecclesiastical history of the Parish of Aghaderg and St Mellan’s Parish Church in the village. No Celtic High Crosses this time, but there are a number of smaller items of antiquity that we shall mention in due course.

The origin of Bovennett, which lies to the west of the village, is rather unclear, the name deriving from Both Bheinéid meaning ‘Bennett’s Hut’, but where the name Bennett came from is not known, as there does not appear to be any other reference to the name in connection with the area. However, today Bovennett House keeps the townland name alive in the village of Loughbrickland where it stands adjacent to St Mellan’s Church in Scarva Street at one of two points where the townland encroaches into the village. I had not noticed this prior to studying the Ordnance Survey Maps of the village for this article, but Bovennett reaches into the village where the New-Bridge Integrated College stands, and the boundary between it and Coolnacran runs down the middle of Scarva Street to about the Presbyterian Manse. At this point it swings to the west again behind the row of old houses that used to line the street from here down to the Poyntzpass Road at which point the boundary returns to the centre of the street before encircling the Church and graveyard and returning to the country. Bovennett House is one of the oldest and most significant buildings in the village and appears to have been built as a Market House sometime in the 17^th century most likely as part of the rebuilding process that followed the 1641 Rebellion in which most of the village created by Marmaduke Whitechurch in the late 16^th century was destroyed. Part of the estate of the Trevor family of Lisnagade, it eventually became a dwelling house, and there is a strong possibility that King William may have stayed at Bovennett House when he stopped over in Loughbrickland on his way to the Boyne in 1690.

It has long been my opinion that Scarva Street was originally much wider than it is now as all the original buildings along the western side were set so much further back than the present buildings, and as such the Market House would have stood more or less in the middle of the street within the Market Square. Something about the shape of the townland boundaries at this point also tell me there may be something in this hypothesis. I may be completely wrong, but I feel it is worth much more study.

Also worth more study is the site of the ancient Drumsallagh Monastery, which lies in the valley to the west of the village a little further downstream from St Mellan’s Church. The name Drumsallagh, or Droim Saileach, meaning ‘willow ridge’ is a fitting description for the townland, as it occupies a valley with a stream running along its base that used to carry the old road sometimes known as the Slige Midluachra or High Kings Road that ran in ancient times from Tara to the north coast. The site is associated with three 7^th century saints, Mellan, Nasad and Beoan (could Bovennett be derived in some way from this saint’s name?), but whether they operated from this site, making it a genuine early monastic settlement like some we mentioned in recent weeks, is unclear, as many of the local townland names suggest locations of early church sites, but it does seem that their remains were re-interred here by later monks, and the 26^th October was set aside each year to commemorate this fact. The site was in use in the 11^th century, however, and remained as a Franciscan Monastery until 1641 when it was destroyed with the rest of the nearby village.

Correspondence within the papers of Bishop Percy of Dromore dating from the late 1700s would appear to suggest that the church built by Marmaduke Whitechurch after he arrived in the area in 1585 co-existed with the Monastery and that they were located only about 200 yards apart. This information also includes details of how a local man of over ninety years of age recalled the site of the Monastery with the ruined walls still standing, the spring well still functioning in the courtyard and an avenue leading between the ruins of the old church and the monastery to the new St Mellan’s Church in the village, which utilised stone from the other two sites during its construction in 1688. While the site of the Monastery is still known, the site of the old church, like the Whitechurch and Magennis castles in the vicinity of Loughbrickland Lake, has curiously disappeared without trace. The Loughbrickland area contains so many secrets, with Bricrui’s Feast, The Dane’s Cast, disappearing castles and churches, ancient stone circles, monasteries, kings, knights, friars and so on, that it verges on being a land of myths and legends right out of the pages of Rowling or Tolkein, only in its case it is real.

While the new church was built around 1688, a tower and spire were added in 1821 before Dean Jeffry Lefroy supervised a complete refurbishment in 1876. This prolific gentleman was a member of the Lefroy family of Carrigglas Manor in County Longford, and, as well as his work in restoring the church building, he also carried out major renovations and enlargements to the Glebe House in 1857. One of his sons would go on to become Bishop of Calcutta and eventually Metropolitan of India, and his descendants still live in Carrigglas Manor today. Dean Lefroy died in 1885 having served the parish for forty-nine years and was buried in the graveyard of his church in Loughbrickland.

So what of the items of antiquity mentioned earlier. Well more of the old Monastery’s stone was used in later years in the construction of various farm buildings nearby and some of these contained carved Maltese crosses, which still exist. Also it seems that the Monastery had a large number of treasures, mostly in gold, that were found in the years after it was ruined and sold off to collections throughout the country. The whereabouts of most of these is not known now, but for the best known example we must again return south of the border to another one of Ireland’s finest country houses, Birr Castle, home of the Earls of Rosse. The family’s private collection of items of antiquity includes what is described as a torque or neck chain of twisted gold that came from Drumsallagh Monastery. I wonder if this is the same item that Dr Sheil described to Bishop Percy as a part of the branch of a golden candlestick in his correspondence about the site where he implored the Bishop to purchase for posterity any items that should be found at the site.

Anyway it is a great shame that none of these treasures remain in the Banbridge area or that there is not a facility here where items such as this could be displayed even under some form of loan arrangement.

Auglish Cottages

This row of old weavers cottages near Scarva is one of the last of a fast disappearing breed. Like the gate lodges that we are so fond of on this page, weavers cottages are relic of a bygone age that have outlived their usefulness in their original form and really play no part in modern society. What makes these cottages so special, therefore, is the fact that they remain as a complete row, and, while some have been altered, they have all retained their original exterior shape, style and uniformity. In other places where similar rows existed they have either fallen into disrepair and been demolished or been removed to make way for new development, such as at Dollingstown, Lurgan. Where some have survived, they generally tend to have been renovated or modernised beyond all recognition. Those that do remain tend nowadays to have a better chance of survival, as people are now more appreciative of buildings with character than they were a few years ago. Originality now carries a premium.

The weaver’s cottage played a very important part in the linen industry. While bleaching was the first of the processes to move into the mechanised world of the industrial revolution, with its huge factories and mills, in the mid to late 1700s, followed by spinning in the early 1800s, weaving was slow to follow suit. The only major change that took place prior to 1850 was the control exercised by the bleachers that saw the role of the weaver move away from being an independent manufacturer, who grew his flax, spun his thread, wove his cloth and then took it to the brown linen market, to one of being a sub-contractor to the bleachers who supplied the thread and paid the weaver a wage for weaving the cloth. The industry was still a cottage one but was now much more controlled and centralised and interested more in quantity than allowing for the individual artistry or craftsmanship of the weavers. After 1850, the power loom system made great technological strides and by the 1870s had virtually rendered handloom weaving obsolete.

The unique design of the Aughlish Cottages with their steeply pitched roofs would have been to accommodate the hand looms, which were very bulky and quite high, although there is a story that they were built to this design on the whim of the wife of one of the Dukes of Manchester who had liked similar cottages that she had seen in Switzerland. The Irish Linen Centre in Lisburn has some fine examples of looms and still does demonstrations of the handloom system, which can then be contrasted with the very latest power looms used in Thomas Ferguson and Co. in Banbridge.

How Aughlish Cottages got their more commonly known name of ‘Potstick Row’ is unclear, but I remember the late Ronnie Patton explaining that it seemed to be derived from the name ‘pluck stick’, one of the tools of the weavers art.

Loughbrickland by Samuel Lewis

LOUGHBRICKLAND, a post-town, in the parish of AGHADERG, barony of UPPER IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER

From A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837, by Samuel Lewis

LOUGHBRICKLAND, a post-town, in the parish of AGHADERG, barony of UPPER IVEAGH, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, 8 miles (N. E.) from Newry, and 58 1/2 (N.) from Dublin, on the road from Newry to Belfast; containing 618 inhabitants. This town, which is prettily situated on the lake from which it takes its name, owes its rise to Sir Marmaduke Whitchurch, to whom Queen Elizabeth, in 1585, granted the adjacent lands. Sir Marmaduke built a castle on the shore of the lake, for the protection of a pass where three roads united, and soon after a church and a mill, and laid the foundation of a town, in which a Protestant colony was settled, for which he obtained the grant of a market and two fairs. In 1641 the castle was dismantled and the town and church were destroyed by fire; in this desolate condition it remained till 1688, when the church was rebuilt and the town began gradually to improve. It consists of one principal street, from which two smaller streets branch off, and contains 123 houses, most of which are well built and of handsome appearance; the whole town has a cheerful and thriving aspect. The lake, which is supposed to have taken its name from the speckled trout with which it is said to have formerly abounded, comprises an area of about 90 Irish acres, and is bordered on its western side by the road from Dublin to Belfast; it forms the summit level of the Newry canal, to which its waters are conveyed through Lough Shark, and is itself supplied from a spring within, its superfluous water escaping through a sluice at the north-western extremity. Fairs are held here on the third Tuesday in every month, for horses, cattle, pigs, and pedlery. There are several handsome seats in the immediate neighbourhood, which are noticed under the heads of their respective parishes. The parish church, a handsome edifice, with a square tower and octagonal spire, is situated in the centre of the town; and nearly opposite to it is the R. C. chapel, in the later English style, built at an expense of 1700 on a site presented by N. C. Whyte, Esq., who also gave 400 towards its erection. There are also places of worship for Presbyterians and Primitive Methodists. On the shore of the lake is a modern house, erected in 1812 on the site of the ancient castle, which was then taken down. The Danes, who had ravaged the north of Ireland, were defeated here by the Irish under Mac Lorriagh, in 1187.

Bassetts Directory 1886 - Dromore

Dromore in the barony of Lower Iveagh, had a population of 2,491 In 1881. It is a station on the Great Northern Railway, 17 and a half miles, English, from Belfast. and 7 miles, English, from Banbridge. The situation of the town in the Lagan Valley, is exceedingly beautiful. Within a short distance in every direction, there are handsome private residences, and richly wooded demesnes. In the approach by rail the most striking feature in the first view is the great fort at the Eastern end. At the North side of this fort there is a treble fosse, and at the South an out-post sloping to the bank of the river. Various excavations have been made in it with a view to the discovery of hidden wealth. The last one was attended with such consequences to the nervous system of one or two men engaged in the enterprise, that the earth was not replaced. Within the past 15 years there has been a great change for the better at Dromore. A desire to give it a prominence among the principal county towns has been manifested in various ways. The appearances of the business houses has been very much improved, and the new houses added during the time mentioned constitute fully a third of the number inside the boundary.

In 1885 the portions of the town divided by the Lagan were connected by a new bridge, 23 feet 6 inches wide, constructed of granite from the design of Mr. Wm. McKeon. C.E., Assistant County Surveyor. It replaced a bridge which was only 13 feet 9 inches wide. Among the houses rebuilt in the square, that of Mr. Robert S. Edgar is the finest. Neither in style nor finish would it be out of keeping in a thoroughfare of Belfast or Dublin. Most extensive changes have been made at the expense of the ratepayers, including a new market place, enclosed in the middle of the Square, and a new Town Hall. To complete these a sum of £3,500 was borrowed from the Board of Works in 1885 repayable by sinking fund in 50 years. Of this amount £1,500 was paid for a reversionary interest in the market tolls, acquired from the last holder of the clerkship of the market, under the authority of the Bishops of Dromore.

Markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and there is a fair held on the second Saturday of each month. Improvement (Ireland) Act, advantage was taken of the lighting and cleansing clauses. In 1881 the ratepayers decided to secure powers under all its provisions Nine Commissioners are elected, the general purposes rate for the current year is 1 shilling in the £.

History, Churches, Castles, Societies etc

The history of Dromore begins with the time of St.Colman, who founded an abbey here, which secured valuable possessions early in the 10th century. Its treasures were supposed to be so great that the Danes frequently made excursions to it for plundering purposes. The Abbey ultimately became the head of a see, with St. Colman as the first bishop. Dromore from that period down to the time of James II. And William I has suffered from many conflicts and burnings. The.O'Neils, MacCartans, and Magennises, in their numerous differences, added greatly to the troubles of the inhabitants. In the reign of James I. the see, found in a state of suspended animation, was re-established, and re-endowed with lands extending through several parishes. The Cathedral was re-built, and a palace for Bishop Buckworth was in progress of erection when the forces directed by the parliament at Kilkenny, 1641, set fire to the town, destroying nearly everything it contained, including the cathedral and the palace. Until some time after Charles II. ascended the throne,

Very little was done to change this condition of things. The famous Jeremy Taylor having been appointed Bishop of Dromore, and of Down and Connor, in 1660, built the present church on the site of the cathedral. He caught fever in 1667 and died in a few days. Although a native of Cambridge, England, he preferred Dromore as a last resting place, and his remains were interred under the chancel. The church was constituted a cathedral by Act of Parliament in the reign of George II. under the Church Temporalities Act it was provided that the sees of Down, Connor, and Dromore should be united on either becoming vacant. The union was effected in 1842. Thos. Percy, author of the Key to the New Testament, &c., was Bishop of Dromore for nearly 30 years, from 1782 and during his time, the church was altered and improved, and it has been maintained in good condition ever since. The interior is chaste. There is a handsome pulpit in Caen stone and marbles, and several stained windows contrasting most agreeably in difference of style and delicacy of colour.

.Loyola House, in the vicinity of the town, was for many years the palace of Bishop Percy, whose taste in planting is manifest to this day in the beautifully wooded hills forming a demesne of 211 statute acres. The property was purchased from the Church Temporalities Commissioners by Messrs. Edward and James Quinn, whose remains are entombed in the cathedral church yard. The Jesuit Fathers purchased of the executors of the brothers in 1883, and the former palace was opened in the following year as a novitiate house for the Society of Jesus in Ireland. Very Rev. Wm OFarrell, S.J., brother of the Bishop of Trenton ,N.J. was the first rector he was succeeded in 1885 by the present rector, Very Rev. John Colgan, S.J. There are two Presbyterian churches in Dromore, of good capacity, and a Methodist church, built in 1871. The Roman Catholic church of St. Colman occupies an excellent site. It is a handsome edifice in the early English Gothic style, and dates from 1871 Very Rev. Wm. M'Cartan, V.F., was appointed P.P.in 1859, since which time he has expended about £17,000 upon new buildings, and In the purchase of parochial property. There is a debt of £1,500.

The old Cross of Dromore, which has been neglected for many years , is hereafter to occupy a pedestal in a triangular space where the road from Banbridge leads into the town and divides at the East end of the Cathedral. The Castle of Dromore, now owned by Mr. Wm. Harrison of Ballaney, is only a fragment in comparison to what it was. Mr.Wm. Clarke, whose place of business is near it declares that not a stone has dropped out in 25 years. It was built by Wm. Worsley for the protection of his father-in-law, Bishop Tod. A newsroom in connection with an enterprise for the supply of refreshments on temperance principles, was established in 1885,and has been very successful. The Masonic and Orange bodies are well represented in the town and district. The Dromore Parish Cricket club has about 20 members.

Industries

DROMORE was at one time better known than any part of Ulster in connection with linen manufacture, and it still maintains a reputation for the fine quality of its productions. The firm of Messrs. Wm Sprott & Co. founded in 1850 and now consisting of Mr. William and Mr. James Sprott, employ from 300 to 400 hand-loom weavers in the Manufacture of linens.

Messrs. Wm. B. Miniss and sons are manufacturers of hem-stitched and fancy handkerchiefs. The firm was established in 1855 by Mr. Wm. B. Miniss. He died in 1885 and the firm now consists of his Sons, Messrs. John R, Edmond and Carley, The linen and cambric are manufactured on the premises from linen yarns only. Messrs. Wm. B. Miniss and Sons employ in their own houses from 400 to 5oo people at weaving and hemstitching. They have had the honour of filling an order for linen cambric handkerchiefs given by H. M. Queen Victoria.

At the left side of Church-street, entering the town from the rail way station, the hemstitching factory of Messrs. John Harrison & Co., occupies a conspicuous position. Tamboring, hemming, and finishing cotton handkerchiefs, are done here for the leading commission and shipping houses of Manchester, Glasgow, and Belfast. The handkerchiefs are sent to the factory in the piece, and are finished and reshipped to the houses to which they belong, or in their interest, to fill orders in different parts of the United Kingdom. About 350 girls are employed by Messrs. John Harrison & Co., all of a better class than those engaged in spinning mills and weaving factories. They live in the town and vicinity, and are paid by the piece. Intelligence and skill count for much at labour of this kind, and girls who possess both, make good wages. Mr. John Harrison, J.P., head of the firm, is chairman of the Town Commissioners. His private residence, Mariville, stands in ornamental grounds adjoining the factory premises. The firm of Messrs. John Harrison & Co. has been established about fifteen years.

Mr. John Hamilton, T.C., came to Dromore fifteen years ago to work his patents in hemstitching and embroidering for the sole use of Messrs. Henry Matier & Co., of Belfast. He then had several patents, valuable in this particular field of activity. A beginning was made in Market-square with rooms. After some years had elapsed Mr. Hamilton purchased ground in Meeting-street from Mr. John White of Belfast, and built a factory 100 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 3 storeys high, on the most improved principles for the admission of light and air. He continued to work his patents for Messrs. Henry Matier & Co., and to improve hemstitching machinery. His latest improvement is a booking, counting, and measuring machine, patented by Hamilton & Woods, in 1885. This is also used only for Messrs. Henry Matier & Co. The factory is constructed of brick, and extends from Meeting-street to the edge of the River Lagan. From 400 to 500 people women and girls, are employed. Of this number some receive work to be done at their own homes. The product of the factory is sent to the warehouse of Messrs. Henry Matier & Co., Belfast.

Messrs. William Jardine & Co., Market Square, are manufacturers of shirt-fronts, and manufacturers and finishers of handkerchiefs. The firm was established about the year 1843, and devoted its entire energies to the weaving of fine and coarse linens with hand-looms. In 1868, attention was turned to the making of linen shirt-fronts, and to the hemming and finishing of handkerchiefs by machines. About the year 1877 a department was devoted to the hemstitching and embroidering of fancy handkerchiefs, in from forty to fifty different styles. The other departments were maintained with equal energy. Belfast and Manchester are the principal markets for shirt- fronts, and Belfast and Glasgow for handkerchiefs. Messrs. William Jardine & Co. employ 275 women and girls in their factory, and give out work to from 50 to 100 to be done at their own homes. All live in the town and vicinity. The factory buildings consist of a hollow square, 85 feet long, 5o feet wide, and four storeys high. They are constructed of brick, and are well lighted and ventilated.

The firm of Messrs. Sprott & Heggan was established in 1884, for the machine hemstitching and finishing of cambric handkerchiefs. The range of work runs from the plainest hem- stitching to the most delicate and artistic embroidery. It also includes the attaching of hems in various colours and fabrics. Much taste is required for the successful development of an industry of this kind. Messrs. Sprott and Heggan do a great deal of the finer sorts of needlework, a fact which prevents a very rapid increase in the number of people employed. At the time of my visit, in March of this year, they had 125 women and girls. Goods are made up for manufacturers of Belfast, Glasgow, and other parts of the United Kingdom. The factory is entered from Market Square. It is constructed of blue stone, and is 65 feet long, 24 feet wide, and three storeys high. The firm consists of Mr. Robert Sprott, J. P., Dromore House, and Mr. James Heggan, Mount street.

Messrs. Thomas McMurray & Co.

In the approach to Dromore from the Banbridge direction, the Bleach Works of Messrs. Thomas McMurray & Co. are seen from the viaduct of the Great Northern Railway. They are situated in the Lagan valley, and help to form a picture of the most charming character. The viaduct rises above the valley to a height of 74 feet, and consists of seven arches. Messrs. Thomas McMurray & Co. are manufacturers of linen and cambric handkerchiefs, and bleachers and finishers. The linens are of every grade from coarse to the finest shining and household. In cambric they manufacture in all the degrees of fineness from 6°° to 25°°. The premises consist of 32 and a half statute acres. Upon this there are several buildings. The largest is about 120 feet long, 40 feet wide, and two storeys high. Water and steam in conjunction are used for power purposes. Entering the town from the railway station, the first large build ing seen on the right in Church-street contains their lapping rooms, warehouse, and offices. The firm of Messrs. Thomas McMurray & Co. is one of the oldest in Ireland It was established by Mr. Geo. McMurray, of Waringstown, near Lurgan, about the year 1750, for hand-loom cambric weaving. Mr. Thomas McMurray, his son and successor, removed to Dromore in 1827 and established the present concerns for bleaching and weaving. Soon after his arrival he added linen weaving. He was succeeded at his death by his son, Mr. William McMurray, and Mr. William McClelland, his son-in law. Mr. William McClelland died about 20 years ago, since which time Mr. William McMurray has been head of the firm, and resides at Percy Lodge, immediately adjoining the railway station. Messrs. Thomas McMurray & Co. have agencies for the sale of their goods in London and Paris.