Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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inhabitants received a charter from Jas. I., in 1613, in-
corporating them under the designation of the “Provost,
Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the borough of
Newtowne.”
The town is beautifully situated a little beyond the
northern extremity of Lough Strangford, which, pre-
viously to the reclamation of about 100 acres, now under
tillage, formed its boundary on that side; and is sur-
rounded by an amphitheatre of hills. It consists of one
spacious square, with several wide streets and others of
inferior character, and contains at present about 1300
houses, many of which are handsomely built. Great
improvements have been made under the auspices of the
Marquess of Londonderry; a new line of road has
been constructed to Belfast, avoiding the hills of Scrabo;
and new roads also to Cumber and to Grey abbey,
crossing the grounds reclaimed from the Lough: two
neat bridges have been built over the river, and various
other improvements are contemplated. The first at-
tempt to establish a public brewery, and also a public
distillery, was made in this town in 1769; but both
failed, and, in 1819, John Johnston, Esq., purchased the
premises and rebuilt the brewery on an extensive scale;
more than 7000 barrels of beer are brewed annually,
and adjoining are large malting premises for the supply
of the brewery and for sale, in which the malt is made
from barley grown in the neighbourhood. The weav-
ing of damask is carried on to a small extent; about
600 looms are employed in weaving muslin, and 20 in
weaving coarse linen for domestic use. More than 1000
females are constantly employed in embroidering muslin
for the Glasgow merchants, who send the fabrics hither
for that purpose. The market is on Saturday, and is
amply supplied with provisions of all kinds; and fairs
are held on the second Saturday in every month, also
on Jan. 23rd, May 14th, and Sept. 23rd, for cattle,
horses, sheep, pigs and pedlery.
By the charter of Jas. I. the corporation consists of
a provost, twelve free burgesses and an indefinite num-
ber of freemen, assisted by two serjeants-at-mace. The
provost, who is also judge of the borough court of
record, and clerk of the market, was to be chosen an-
nually from the free burgesses on the festival of St. John
the Baptist, and sworn into office on that of St. Michael;
the free burgesses, as vacancies occur, were chosen from
the freemen by the provost and a majority of their own
body, by whom also the freemen are admitted by favour
only; and the serjeants-at-mace are appointed by the
corporation. The public business is transacted by a
“Quarter Court,” consisting of 23 inhabitants, who are
summoned and sworn by the provost as grand jurors,
and act as a court leet in the election of various officers
under the corporation, and exercise the power of pre-
sentment to be levied on the borough for various pur-
poses. This court, which from its name would appear
to have been formerly held quarterly, is now held an-
nually, before the provost, between Michaelmas and
Christmas. The corporation, under their charter, con-
tinued to return two members to the Irish parliament
till the Union, when the borough was disfranchised.
The borough court of record, which had jurisdiction to
the amount of five marks, has long been discontinued.
The provost now is either re-elected annually, or, being
once elected, continues to hold his office for life; the
burgesses are no longer chosen from the resident, free-
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men, nor has the corporation, since 1821, exercised any
municipal functions, except the holding of the Quarter
court by the provost. A manor court is held before a
seneschal appointed by the Marquess of Londonderry,
every third Saturday, for the recovery of debts not
exceeding £10; and a court leet annually, at which
various officers are appointed for the manor, and also
a constable for the borough, whose sole duty it is to
assist in preserving the peace. The general sessions for
the county are held here, in June and December, before
the assistant barrister for the division of Downpatrick;
petty sessions are held on the first and third Saturdays
in every month, and a constabulary police force is sta-
tioned in the town. The church, built by Sir Hugh
Montgomery, has been converted into a court-house,
recently fitted up by the Marquess of Londonderry, and
in which the sessions are held. The town-hall, for the
transaction of the corporation business, is a handsome
structure in the Grecian Doric style, erected in 1770 by
the first Marquess of Londonderry: it is surmounted by
a cupola, containing a clock, beneath which is the en-
trance into an area leading through the centre, on one side
of which is the flesh market and on the other a weigh-
house and other requisite offices and stores; above is an
elegant suite of assembly-rooms, and other apartments,
in which the members of the Down hunt hold meetings.
A handsome stone cross of octagonal form, decorated
with canopied niches, was built by the corporation in
the centre of the town, to replace the ancient cross des-
troyed by the insurgents in 1641.
The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance
survey, 14,803 statute acres; the land is of good qua-
lity, and the system of agriculture highly improved;
there is no waste land, but about 700 acres of valuable
bog, from which the neighbourhood is supplied with
fuel. There are two quarries of excellent freestone in
the mountain of Scrabo, equal in appearance and supe-
rior in durability to that of Portland, besides five others
of inferior quality; large quantities are raised for the
supply of the neighbouring districts, and several cargoes
have been shipped to America. Some extensive lead
mines are held under lease from the Marquess of Lon-
donderry by a company in the Isle of Man; the ore is
very rich, but the mines are very indifferently worked;
the water being imperfectly carried off by a level, the
lessees have sunk a new shaft and erected a steam engine
to raise the ore and to drain the mine; the ore is shipped
at Bangor and sent to Flint, where it is smelted. Under
Scrabo are three thin veins of coal, which show them-
selves in the Lough; but they are at a great depth be-
neath the surface, and no attempt to work them has yet
been made. Regent House, the seat of P. Johnston,
Esq., an elegant mansion in the Grecian style, recently
erected by its proprietor, is built of polished Scrabo
stone, and situated in tastefully disposed grounds,
commanding a fine view of Lough Strangford and the
adjacent country. The living is a perpetual curacy, in
the diocese of Down, and in the patronage of the Mar-
quess of Londonderry, in whom the rectorial tithes are
impropriate, with the exception of those of the town-
land of Ballyskeagh, which are appropriate to the see of
Down, and are paid by the Marquess. The stipend of
the curate is £64. 12.3., of which £40. 12. 3. is payable
by the impropriator, and £24 from Primate Boulter’s
fund: he has also the glebe, which comprises 28½
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