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ANT
river Bann at Toome, and were made prisoners in a
skirmish near this place. During the disturbances of
1798 it was the principal scene of the hostilities which
took place in the county: the insurgents had planned
an attack on the 7th of June, by marching their forces
in four columns respectively by the Belfast, Carrickfer-
gus, Ballymena and Shane’s Castle roads; but their
design becoming known to the military commanders of
the district, troops were hastily assembled in the town,
and the inhabitants were also mustered for its defence.
The conflict was obstinately maintained on both sides,
but at length the insurgents fled in all directions, leav-
ing behind them about 3000 pikes and muskets: more
than 900 of them were slain in the town and many
killed in the pursuit.
The town is situated on the banks of the Six-mile-
water river, on the great road from Belfast to London-
derry, and in one of the most fertile and beautiful
valleys in the county: it consists of two principal streets,
with others branching from them; many of the houses
are modern, and well built of stone and roofed with
slate, and several are ancient, of timber frame-work and
plaister, with gable fronts, of which the upper projects
over the lower story: the inhabitants are amply sup-
plied with water from conduits in the streets. The ma-
nufacture of paper is carried on to a very great extent;
mills for that purpose were first erected about the year
1776, but were burnt down a few years after 5 they were,
however, rebuilt on a very extensive scale, and the first
machinery used in the North of Ireland for the making
of paper was introduced and is now employed in manu-
facturing paper of every description. Attached to these
and belonging to the same proprietors, Messrs. Fergu-
son and Fowke, are a large brewery, flour and meal
mills, malt kilns, stores for grain, and other appendages,
the whole affording employment to a great number of
the industrious poor. At Boghead, one mile distant,
and on the same stream, is another paper-mill on a
smaller scale: there are also several bleach-greens in
the parish; and the weaving of linen, calico, and hosiery
is carried on in the dwellings of many of the poor both
in the town and neighbourhood. The situation of the
town within a quarter of a mile of the north-eastern
portion of Lough Neagh, where a small rude pier or
quay has been constructed, is favourable to the increase
of its trade, from the facility of water conveyance afforded
by the lake, the Belfast canal, and the Upper Bann.
Several patents granting fairs and markets are extant,
of which the earliest, granting to Sir James Hamilton a
market on Thursday, is dated Feb. 14th, 1605. The
market is still held on Thursday, and there is a market
for grain every Tuesday, but, although the town is
situated in a fine grain country, the market is very
small. Fairs are held on Jan. 1st, May 12th, Aug. 1st,
and Nov. 12th; those in May and August are well
supplied with black cattle and pigs. Tolls were formerly
levied, but were discontinued about fourteen years since,
by direction of Viscount Ferrard. This is a chief or
baronial station of the constabulary police. Chas. II.,
in the 17th year of his reign (1666), granted the inha-
bitants letters patent empowering them to send two
members to the Irish parliament, which they continued
to do till deprived of the privilege at the time of the
Union, when the compensation grant of £15,000 for
the abolition of the franchise was assigned in equal
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shares to Clotworthy, Earl of Massareene, and three
members of the Skeffington family. The seneschal of
the manor of Moylinny, within which the town is situ-
ated, is appointed by the Marquess of Donegal, and
holds a court once in three weeks, under charter of the
21st of Chas. II., granted to Arthur, Earl of Donegal,
for determining pleas “not exceeding £20 current money
in England,” with power of attachment of goods: he
also holds a court-leet annually. Petty sessions are
held every alternate Tuesday; and the quarter sessions
for the county are held here in April and October. The
court-house is a large and handsome building nearly in
the centre of the town; and part of the market-house
is appropriated as a county district bridewell.
The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance
survey, 8884¼ statute acres, of which about three-
fourths are arable and one-fourth pasture land, and 200
acres are under plantations; there is little waste and no bog.
The scenery is diversified and embellished with several
gentlemen’s seats, and derives much interest from Lough
Neagh, which is partly within the limits of the parish.
Closely adjoining the town is Antrim Castle, the ancient
residence of the Earls of Massareene, and now, by mar-
riage, the property and residence of Viscount Ferrard:
it appears to have been originally built in the reign of
Chas. II. by Sir John Clotworthy, and has been enlarged
and partly rebuilt. It occupies an elevated situation
above the precipitous banks of the Six-mile-water, com-
manding a fine view of the lake and of the surrounding
country. Not far from the town are Steeple, the resi-
dence of G. J. Clark, Esq.; Ballycraigy, of W. Chaine,
Esq.; Spring Farm, of Lewis Reford, Esq.; Birch Hill,
of A. Montgomery, Esq. 5 Greenmount, of W. Thomp-
son, Esq.; Muckamore, of S. Thompson, Esq.; the
Cottage, of F. Whittle, Esq.; Moilena, of W. Chaine,
jun., Esq.; and Holywell, of H. Joy Holmes, Esq. The
living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Connor, and in the
patronage of the Marquess of Donegal; the rectory is
impropriate in Lord Ferrard. The tithes amount to
£598. 2. 10., of which sum, £318. 18. 8. is payable to
the impropriator, and the remainder to the vicar. The
church, originally built in 1596, was destroyed by fire
in 1649, and remained in ruins till 1720, when it was
rebuilt; a lofty square embattled tower, surmounted by
an elegant octagonal spire of freestone, was added in
1812, for which the late Board of First Fruits granted
a loan of £1500. There is a glebe-house, but no glebe.
In the R. C. divisions the parish forms part of the
union or district of Drumaul, also called Randalstown:
the chapel is a spacious and handsome edifice. There
are two meeting-houses for Presbyterians; one, in Main-
street, in connection with the Synod of Ulster and of
the second class, was built in 1613; and the other, in
Mill-row, in connection with the presbytery of Antrim
and of the third class, was built in 1726. There are
also two places of worship for Primitive Wesleyan
Methodists, and one for the Society of Friends. A
free school on the foundation of Erasmus Smith was
established in 1812, and is supported by annual
grants of £30 from the trustees and £2 from the
rector: the school-house was built at an expense of
£800, of which £200 was given by Lord Ferrard. On
the same foundation is also a school for girls, to which
the trustees contribute £27. 10. per annum; and there
are an infants’ school, supported by subscriptions