Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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perienced officer, who had been recently created a peer,
encamped at Belturbet with 7000 men; Sarsfield, another
general equally distinguished, led an army from Con-
naught; while Fitz-James, Duke of Berwick, prepared
to attack it from the north. The Enniskilleners, aware
of the movements of the Connaught army only, marched
out of the town with great rapidity, surprised the camp
and routed the forces with much slaughter. On the
approach of the Duke of Berwick, some companies sent
from the town to seize a post which they might have
defended against his numbers, ventured beyond the
prescribed bounds and were cut to pieces; but on the
approach of Hamilton, the governor of the town, the
Duke of Berwick retired with his forces. Macarthy, at
the head of an army which had already defeated Lord
Inchiquin in Munster, marched towards Enniskillen and
invested Crom castle; a detachment under an officer
named Berry was sent to the relief of the castle, but
finding it necessary to retreat before a very superior
force, which had been detached by the enemy to inter-
cept him, he was pursued and a skirmish followed, in
which the townsmen were victorious. The arrival of
the main bodies respectively under the command of
Macarthy and Wolsley, the latter, one of Col. Kirk’s
officers, brought on a general engagement near New-
town-Butler and Lisnaskea, from both which places the
battle has taken its name. The inferiority of the En-
niskilleners in. numbers was counterbalanced by supe
rior resolution and energy; they defeated and pursued
the assailants, granting quarter to none but officers
about 2000 were killed in the engagement, and of 500,
who plunged into the lake, only one escaped drowning;
about the same number of officers were taken prisoners,
among whom was their general Macarthy
The town is situated on an island in the narrowest
part of Lough Erne, or rather in a strait several miles
in length, which connects the great northern and south
ern expanses of the lake, and in which are numerous
inlets. It is remarkable for its respectable and thriving
appearance, and for the advantages it possesses in the
navigation of the lake and the facility afforded for ex-
cursions among the rich and beautiful scenery for which
it is distinguished; it has increased considerably of late,
and is still improving. The principal street takes an
irregular course across the island, from the bridge which
connects it with the main land, on the east, to that
which crosses the opposite channel on the west, which
two bridges form the only outlets. Several smaller
streets diverge from the main street; and contiguous
to the eastern bridge, in the townland of Toneystick,
and parish of Enniskillen, is a suburb in which is an
old redoubt, called the East Fort; and beyond the. went
ern bridge is another suburb, in the parish of Russory,
iu which is the West Fort. The total number of houses
is 1036, of which 375 are slated and the remainder
thatched. Hare are barracks for artillery and infantry,
and a constabulary police.station. Among the buildings
that have recently been erected, is a range of respectable,
houses, called Brook-place, built by Mr. Richard Kirk
patrick, on the mail coach road to Ballyshannon; a very
neat house, called Brook View Lodge, pleasantly situated
on the side of a hill commanding an extensive view of
Lough Erne and the surrounding country; and a num-
ber of respectable houses, called Willoughby-placc, which,
when completed, will add much to the beauty of the town,
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The chief trade is in timber, coal, and slates, imported
from Ballyshannon to Belleek, at the lower extremity of
the lough, 18 miles distant, and brought by water to the
town. The manufacture of leather in carried on upon a
limited scale, and there are two distilleries and a brewery
A considerable trade is also carried on in corn, of which
great quantities are sold, partly for the supply of the
town and of the distilleries here and at Belturbet, and
partly for exportation to Sligo and Strabane; this in also
the chief retail market for a very large surrounding dis-
trict. The patent granted to William Cole, in 1612,
authorised the holding of a market on Thursdays, and a
fair on Lammas-day, with tolls; and in 1813 a patent
was granted to the Earl of Enniskillen for holding fairs
on the 10th of each month, except March, May, and
August. Besides the general market on Thursdays, a
butter market is held on Tuesdays. A butter and grain
market have been built on land belonging to the Karl,
at an expense of upwards of £900; there is another
market-house under the town-hall, also a pig market 5
and convenient shambles have been erected at an expense
of £750, which was advanced by the Karl to the cor-
poration. A linen-hall wan built a few years since at
an expense exceeding £400, but has never been used as
a hall, and is lent gratuitously to the conductor of a
private school
By the charter of Jas. I., granted in 1613, the cor
poration consists of a provost, 14 burgesses, and all the
inhabitants of the island as a commonalty. The provost
is elected by the free burgesses on Midsummer-day, and
is sworn into office on the 29th of Sept.; he is a justice of
the peace for the borough, and also usually for the
county. The government is vested in the provost, and
free burgesses, who elect members of their own body,
admit freemen, appoint, officers, and manage the pro-
perty of the corporal ion. The borough court., held every
Thursday, lias jurisdiction to the amount of £3. 6. 8.
late currency, and proceeds by attachment. The same
charter conferred upon the entire corporation the privi-
lege of sending two members to the Irish parliament,
which they continued to do till the Union, since which
time they have returned one to the Imperial parlia-
ment. By the act of the 2nd of Wm. IV., cap. 88. the
right of election is vested in the resident, burgesses and
£10 householders, amounting, in 1836,, to a constitu-
ency of’ 220, of whom 211 were £10 householders, and
nine resident. burgesses; the provost is the. returning
officer. The electoral bnundaries comprehend an area
of 156 statute acres,and are described in the Appendix
The assizes for the county and quarter session of the
peace are held in the county court -house, which is a
plain building near the eastern bridge. The county
gaol, built about. 20 years since, is near the town, on
the Dublin road: it. is on the radiating plan, with the
governor’s house in the centre, and will contain 120
prisoners; the number of cells is 36, of which four are for
females; and there are five day- rooms, seven airing-
yards, atreadmill, hospital, and school. The prisioners
are regularly employed in breaking.stones lor repairing
the roads: the expense of maintenance, &.e., for 1835,
was £1334.8. 1.
The parish comprises, according to the Ordnance
.survey (including islands), 26,44½ statute acres, of
which 26,387 are in the barony of Tyrkennedy, and
681 ¾ are water. The residences of the nobility and