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Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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CAR<br />

such conduct were repeated, he should give no quarter.<br />

During the duke’s encampment at Dundalk, and while<br />

disease was spreading through his forces, the sick were<br />

removed into Carlingford, until they became too nume-<br />

rous to be accommodated.<br />

The town is beautifully situated on the south-west<br />

side of the spacious lough or bay to which it gives<br />

name, and immediately at the base of an extensive<br />

range of mountains which terminates at this point.<br />

It consists of 288 houses, and, though small, has an<br />

interesting appearance, from the venerable ruins of its<br />

castle and abbey; it has a sub-post-office to Newry.<br />

The scenery of the bay is remarkably fine: the Mourne<br />

mountains, on the opposite side, are beautifully varied<br />

with rocks, woods, heath, and verdure; and in the<br />

foreground the shores are enlivened with neat cottages<br />

and numerous bathing-lodges. Carlingford mountain,<br />

which overhangs the castle, attains, according to the<br />

Ordnance survey, an elevation of 1935 feet above the<br />

level of the sea: from its height and position it inter-<br />

cepts, during a great part of the summer, the direct<br />

rays of the sun, for several hours before sunset. The<br />

oysters found in the bay are highly esteemed, and are<br />

sent in great quantities to Dublin, Liverpool, and other<br />

places. There is some trade in grain, great quantities<br />

of herrings are caught during the season, and fishing nets<br />

are made. The port has also some trade with Dublin, to<br />

which it sends large quantities of potatoes; and coal is<br />

imported from Scotland and Whitehaven. The bay,<br />

one of the finest natural havens on the coast, is eight<br />

miles in length and about four in breadth, extending<br />

inland, in a north-western direction, to Warren Point.<br />

The tide flows past the town to the port of Newry,<br />

and the harbour is accessible to large vessels at spring<br />

tides, but near the mouth the navigation is rendered<br />

rather hazardous by shoals and sunken rocks. A<br />

lighthouse at Cranfield Point on the northern side of<br />

the bay has been removed, and one, showing a bright<br />

fixed light, has been erected in its stead on Hawl-<br />

bowling rock; at half-tide it shows, at night, an addi-<br />

tional light halfway up the building; in the day, a black<br />

ball is hoisted on the top of a pole, 10 or 12 feet above<br />

the lantern, and in thick or foggy weather a bell is kept<br />

continually tolling by clock-work. On Greenore Point<br />

also a small lighthouse with a revolving light has been<br />

erected. The harbour dues are collected in the name of<br />

the Marquess of Anglesey, as lord of the manor, and<br />

admiral of Carlingford bay; they are leased for £20 per<br />

annum. The market is on Saturday; fairs are held on<br />

the first Saturday in each month,’and there is also one on<br />

Sept. 29th. There are a coast-guard and a chief consta-<br />

bulary police station in the town, also three coast-guard<br />

stations at Cooley Point, Greenore Point, and O’Meath.<br />

This is a borough of very great antiquity, probably<br />

by prescription. A corporation is recognised so early<br />

as 1326, when the king granted to the bailiffs of “Kar-<br />

lyngford” a charter for levying murage for six years, to<br />

enclose the town with a stone wall. By patent dated the<br />

13th of March, 1409, Hen. IV., on the petition of the<br />

corporation, representing that the town had been often<br />

burned and wasted by the Irish and Scotch, acquitted<br />

them of all subsidies, tollages, &c., for several years;<br />

and for the same reasons, customs were granted to them,<br />

for 24 years from 1501, towards fortifying the town<br />

with a stone wall. Queen Elizabeth granted by charter,<br />

254<br />

CAR<br />

in 1571, extensive privileges and immunities. The<br />

governing charter, dated the 9th of August, 17th. of<br />

Jas. I. (1619), creates a sovereign, 12 burgesses, and<br />

a commonalty of six, giving them authority over the<br />

whole of Carlingford and its liberties, with the exception<br />

of the castle of Arthur Bagenal, lord of the manor and<br />

its appurtenances. This charter declared that the cor-<br />

poration should be styled the “Sovereign, Burgesses,<br />

and Commonalty of the Town and Borough of Carling-<br />

ford;” and should consist of a sovereign, twelve bur-<br />

gesses, and an unlimited number of freemen; two<br />

serjeants-at-mace and a coroner, a clerk of the market,<br />

and clerk of the entries, were also to be appointed. The<br />

sovereign is elected by and from among the burgesses,<br />

on Sept. 29th, and is a justice of the peace within the<br />

borough; he has the power of appointing a deputy,<br />

subject to the approbation of the burgesses. The bur-<br />

gesses are elected out of the commonalty for life, by the<br />

existing burgesses, and in conjunction with the sovereign<br />

possess the power of admitting freemen and appointing<br />

the corporation officers. As the admission of freemen<br />

was optional with them, none have been admitted since<br />

1754. The sovereign and burgesses returned two mem-<br />

bers to the Irish Parliament prior to the Union, when<br />

the £15,000 paid as compensation for the loss of the<br />

franchise was divided equally between the Marquess of<br />

Downshire and the guardians of Mr. Ross Balfour Moore.<br />

The limits of the borough are reputed to extend about 2<br />

miles on the north, and 13/4 mile on the south, side of the<br />

town, along the sea shore, and from the top of a ridge<br />

of mountains rising immediately behind it to the shore<br />

of the bay. A borough and manor court, formerly<br />

held here, have been discontinued) and the borough<br />

gaol, called “the blackhole,” under the tholsel, has been<br />

disused for many years. Petty sessions are held on<br />

alternate Saturdays. The corporation has no property,<br />

except what they may be entitled to in commons be-<br />

longing to the town, which, according to the Down<br />

survey, contained 1231 acres; and the only officer now<br />

appointed is the sovereign.<br />

The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance<br />

survey, 20,0493/4 statute acres, of which 651/4 are water.<br />

The commonage extends along the side of a mountain,<br />

some part of which is enclosed, and on which the poor<br />

of the neighbourhood graze their cattle. The land in<br />

Cooley is of very superior quality and under a good system<br />

of tillage, particularly the farms of R. De Verdon, Esq.,<br />

and those of Wilville and Ballug; there is no bog, and<br />

fuel is consequently scarce. Near the town are some<br />

extensive limestone quarries, the produce of which is<br />

principally sent northward. Nootka Lodge is the resi-<br />

dence of Hugh Moore, Esq., and commands a fine view<br />

of the sea and the Mourne mountains. Among the<br />

other scats are Grange, the residence of T. Gernon,<br />

Esq.; Monksland House, of R. De Vernon, Esq.; Wil-<br />

ville House, of J. Gernon, Esq.; Castleview, of W.<br />

Moore, Esq.; Bailey Castle, of John Parks, Esq.; and<br />

O’Meath, of John Bell, Esq. The living is a vicarage,<br />

in the diocese of Armagh, and in the patronage of the<br />

Archbishop, to whom the rectorial tithes are appro-<br />

priate: the tithes amount to £457, of which £152. 6. 8.<br />

is paid to the archbishop, and £304. 13. 4. to the vicar.<br />

The church is a modern building, with the exception of<br />

the tower. A new glebe-house was built by aid of a<br />

loan of £750 from the late Board of First Fruits, in

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