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AGH
AGHADOWY, or AGHADOEY, a parish, in the
half-barony of COLERAINE, county of LONDONDERRY,
and province of ULSTER, 6 miles (S. by W.) from Cole-
raine, on the road from that place to Dungannon; con-
taining 7634 inhabitants- This parish, which is bounded
on the north-east by the river Bann, is 10¾ miles in
length from north-west to south-east 3 and 4½ miles in
breadth from north-east to south-west; and, with the
extra-parochial grange or liberty of Agivey, which is
locally within its limits, and has since the Reformation
been attached to it, comprises, according to the Ord-
nance survey, 18,115¾ statute acres, of which 1727¾ are
in Agivey, 119½ are covered with water, and 16,290 are
applotted under the tithe act. Its western extremity
is mountainous and barren, but eastward towards the
river the soil is fertile; the lands are generally in a
high state of cultivation, particularly in the neighbour-
hood of Keeley, Ballybrittan, Rushbrook, Flowerfield,
and Mullamore; in the valley where the Agivey and
Aghadowy waters meet, the soil is very rich. Previously
to the year 1828, no wheat was grown in this parish;
but since that period the system of agriculture has been
greatly improved, and, in 1832, Mr. James Hemphill
introduced the cultivation of mangel-wurzel and turnips,
which has been attended with complete success. There
are considerable tracts of bog, but they will soon be
exhausted by the large quantities annually consumed in
the bleach-greens; and in the western or mountainous
parts are large tracts of land which, from the depth of
the soil, might easily be brought into cultivation. Iron-
stone is found in several parts, but is more particularly
plentiful in the townland of Bovagh. The greater por-
tion of the parish formed part of the lands granted, in
1609, by Jas. I. to the Irish Society, and is now held
under the Ironmongers’ Company, of London, by whom,
on the expiration of the present leases, the lands will be
let, as far as may be practicable, on the English princi-
pk; the Mercers’ Company, the Bishop of Derry, and
the Rev. T. Richardson are also proprietors. There are
numerous gentlemen’s seats, of which the principal
are Rushbrook, the residence of J. Knox, Esq.; Land-
more, of Geo. Dunbar, Esq.; Flowerfield, of J. Hunter,
Esq.; Flowerfield, of Mrs. Hemphill; Keeley, of Andrew
Orr, Esq.; Ballydivitt, of T. Bennett, Esq.; Mullamore,
of A. Barklie, Esq.; Moneycarrie, of J. McCleery,Esq.;
Meath Park, of J. Wilson, Esq.; Bovagh, of R. Hezlett,
Esq.; and Killeague, of Mrs. Wilson. Previously to
1730 the parish was for the greater part unenclosed and
uncultivated 3 but three streams of water which intersect
it attracted the attention of some spirited individuals
engaged in the linen trade, which at that time was
coming into notice, and had obtained the sanction of
some legislative enactments for its encouragement and
support. Of these, the first that settled here with a
view to the introduction of that trade were Mr. J. Orr,
of Ballybrittan, and Mr. J. Blair of Ballydivitt, who, in
1744., established some bleach-greens; since that
time the number has greatly increased, and there are
at present not less than eleven in the parish, of which
ten are in full operation. The quantity of linen bleached
and finished here, in 1833, amounted to 126,000 pieces,
almost exclusively for the English market; they are
chiefly purchased in the brown state in the markets of
Coleraine, Ballymoney, Strabane, and Londonderry, and
are generally known in England as “Coleraines,” by
15
AGH
which name all linens of a similar kind, wherever
made, are now called, from the early celebrity which
that town acquired for linens of a certain width and
quality. In addition to the bleaching and finishing,
Messrs. A. and G. Barklie have recently introduced the
manufacture of linens, and have already 800 looms
employed. Coarse kinds of earthenware, bricks, and
water pipes, are manufactured in considerable quanti-
ties; and when the navigation of the river Bann is
opened, there is every probability that this place will
increase in importance.
The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry,
constituting the corps of the prebend of Aghadowy in
the cathedral church of that see, and in the patronage
of the Bishop: the tithes amount to £500. The church,
situated in a fertile vale near the centre of the parish,
and rebuilt in 1797, is a small neat edifice with a hand-
some tower, formerly surmounted by a lofty octagonal
spire, erected at the expense of the late Earl of Bristol
(when bishop of Derry), but which was destroyed by
lightning in 1826; the tower, being but slightly injured,
was afterwards embattled and crowned with pinnacles:
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted
£183 for the repair of the church. The late Board of
First Fruits granted £100 towards the erection of a
glebe-house, in 1789 5 and in 1794 the present house,
called Blackheath, was built by the late Sir Harvey
Bruce, Bart., as a glebe-house for the parish. It is a
handsome residence; over the mantel-piece in the
drawing-room is an elegant sculpture, representing
Socrates discovering his pupil Alcibiades in the haunts
of dissipation, which was brought from Italy by Lord
Bristol, and presented to Sir H. Bruce. The glebe lands
comprise 403 statute acres, exclusively of a glebe of
121 acres in Agivey; and the gross value of the prebend,
as returned by His Majesty’s Commissioners on Eccle-
siastical Revenues, is £ 880 per annum. In the R. C.
divisions this parish forms part of the union or district
of Killowen, or Coleraine, and contains a small chapel
at Mullaghinch. There are places of worship for Pres-
byterians of the Synod of Ulster (of the first class),
Seceders in connection with the Associate Synod (of
the second class), and Covenanters, situated respec-
tively at Aghadowy, Ringsend, Ballylintagh, and Kil-
league. There are five schools, situated respectively at
Mullaghinch, Droghead, Collins, Drumstaple, and Kil-
league, supported by the Ironmongers’ Company; two
free schools at Gorran and Callyrammer, and two schools
situated at Blackheath and Ballynakelly, of which the
former, for females only, is supported by the rector’s
lady, and the latter is aided by an annual donation from
Mr. Knox. About 530 boys and 850 girls are taught
in these schools; and there is a private school of
about 16 boys and 20 girls. A religious establish-
ment was founded here, in the 7th century, by St.
Goarcus, as a cell to the priory or abbey founded by
him at Agivey, the latter of which became a grange
to the abbey of St. Mary-de-la-Fouta, or Mecasquin, in
1172. A very splendid lachrymatory or double patera
of pure gold, of exquisite workmanship and in good
preservation, was found at Mullaghinch in 1832, and is
now in the possession of Alexander Barklie, Esq. In
the townland of Crevilla is a large druidical altar, called
by the country people the “Grey Stane;” and on. the
mountains above Rushbrook is a copious chalybeate