History of the Down Survey (Petty 1851)/8

by William Petty

 

CHAPTER VIII.

 

HAVING thus put in hand the admeasurements, the D^r next proceeds to make what benefitt he could of the surveys of Tipperary taken in the Earle of Straffords time, by vertue of the afore-mentioned generall order of the 20^th of December, granted him to that purpose. And first he enquired into the nature of those surveys, by consulting what opinion others had of them, and particularly by the following report:

By the Lord Deputy and Councill:

Ordered,

That the Surveyor-Generall of lands doe deliver unto D^r William Petty the surveys of such, the severall barronyes of the county of Tipperary, together with the bookes and other appurtenances belonging to them, as are sett out for satisfaction of the army, the said Surveyor-Generall taking a receipt for the same, together with an engagement for the said D^r to redeliver them uppon demand.

Dublyn, the 14^th of May, 1655.
Tho. Herbert, Clerke of the Councill.

 

By the Commissioners of the Commonwealth of England for the Affaires of Ireland.

Ordered,

That it be referred to Benjamin Worseley, Esq., Surveyor-Generall, and Major Symner, to consider of the several surveys, books of survey, reference plotts, and other papers returned about the admeasuring the county of Tipperary, and what barronies have been admeasured in the said counties, and what papers, plotts, or books relating to the said barronys respectively are perfect, and such as may be relyed uppon; and what other barronyes they conceive a necessity of admeasuring againe, and which of them.

Dublyn, the 22^th of June, 1654.
Signed by order of the said Commissioners,
Tho. Herbert, Secretary.

 

To the Honourable Commissioners of the Commonwealth.

According to your Honours order of reference of the 22^th instant, to consider of the severall surveyes, bookes of reference, platts, and other papers relating to the admeasurement of the county of Tipperary, which are in the Commonwealth's custody, and to report what barronyes have been admeasured in the said county, and what papers, platts, and books of survey belonging to the said barronyes respectively are perfect and to be allowed, and what are imperfect, and whether any barronyes in the said county doe remaine to be admeasured, and which they are, wee humbly certifie as followeth:

That wee have perused certaine small books bound up in parchment, and entituled: the 1, barony of Ikerine; 2, Eliogarty; 3, Kilnemanagh; 4, Kilnelonger; 5, Ileagh; 6, Upper Ormond; 7, Lower Ormond; 8, Arra; 9, Owny Mulrian; 10, Ownybeg.

On the outside of each of which books is sett downe likewise the names of the parishes respectively belonging to that barrony.

In the inside of the booke, before every parish, is sett downe the names of the jurors, being generally six in number, and underneath the said names this memorandum written, that they being all duely sworne uppon the holy Evangelists, have sett forth the bounds and meares, names and by-names, of all the quarters, plowlands, and other denominations of lands lying in the parish of ......, together with all the owners and proprietors of the said lands, their names and by-names, to be as follow, and to the said information have at the'nd thereof subscribed their names.

In the next place is sett downe the names of the surveyors who admeasured the said parish, with this memorandum, that ......, sworne admeasurer for the parish of ....., doeth present, uppon his oath, the true quantities and qualities of all the severall lands lying in the parish of ...., to be as followe, and to the said presentment hath, at the end hereoff, subscribed his name.

The method and proceeding in the description of every parish is as followeth:

1st. The number of surrounds made by the instrument, in each parish respectively, is sett downe, together with the quantity of land contained in each surround, according to the denominations, as one plowland, ½, ⅓, or ¼ of a plowland, &c.

2dly. A description of each surround, more particular, according to the name of the land soe surrounded; the quality of the said land, as arable, pasture, meadow, timber-wood, shrubby wood, and bogg; and this againe into wast and into that which holds a proportion, as ¹⁄₂, ¹⁄₃, ¹⁄₄ or ¹⁄₆, in value, as we conceive, to that which is profitable and good; 4th, the names of the proprietor or proprietors who have lands within the said towne soe called or distinguished, or a note of the said lands itts being in controversy; 5th, the quantity of acres in the said towne, distinguished according to the quality; 6th, the number of reference, both to the county map, to the barrony and to the parish mapp.

3dly. Att the end of each surround is an observation made of what castles, houses, mills, or other edifices, as alsoe what mines or other emoluments, were found uppon it.

4thly. Where any parcell of land belonging to any towne is severed or lyeth in common, there the same particularly is surrounded, and the quantity, quality, name of the proprietors of itt, exsprest; the severall surrounds of the parish being described, the whole number of acres is sett downe, with an index of the observations in the said parish, and another index of the proprietors' names, and another index: after both these two certificates, the words of the first being as followeth:

Soe are the true meares and bounds of all the lands lyeing in the parish of ...., together with all the proprietors of the said lands, uppon our oaths, and to the best of our knowledge. Wittness our hands. Underneath are writt the jurors names.

The words of the second certificate are these: Soe are the true quantities and qualities of all the severall lands lying in the parish of ...., uppon my oath, and to the best of my skill and knowledge. Wittness my hand. Underneath which is the name of the surveyor of the said parish. The dates of the certificats being not exspressed.

And the like method and forme wee observe to have been followed in all the said parishes within every of the said barronyes respectively.

Wee further humbly certifie that, besides the sayd books, wee find a very fair county mapp, containing the severall barronyes before described to be admeasured; as alsoe other smaller mapps of particular barronyes, and of particular parishes, most of which, soe far as wee can discover, are very entire and perfect. The said plotts or mapps exspressing alsoe the quality of the said land, whether arable, pasture, or meadow, &c., and how the same is respectively scituated in each land.

Wee further certifie that all the barronyes of the said countyes of Tipperary appeare to have been admeasured, and plotts of them returned, save only the barrony of Slevardagh and Compsy, and the barrony of Iffa and Offa, and Clanwillian and Middlethird, of which Slevardagh and Compsy only doeth belong to the souldiers.

Wee further certifie, that, besides these, wee find not any paper relating to the said county of Tipperary; but of some other counties, particularly of the countyes of Gallway and Slego, wee find an oflfice of enquiry, made by vertue of a commission from the late King, of all that were reputed proprietors of lands within each barrony of the said county distinctly, and what estates each of them claimed, in posession or reversion; and what or how many townes, quarters, cartrons, or other quantities or denominations of land, any or either the said particular persons held, and what were the severall name or names of the said lands; but neither the quality or number of acres, according to twenty-one foot to the perch, or value of the said lands, were by the said commission to be enquired after, mentioned, or exsprest.

Uppon the whole matter, wee are humbly of an opinion,—

That as to the quantity of land, or number of acres contained in each barrony, and within every parish or towne within the said barronyes respectively, nothing can be exspected more exact then what may be found in the papers, books, and plotts of the said barronyes respectively mentioned. But as to the quality of the said land, for what is returned wholly wast or unprofitable, or for what is judged by them to hold only such or such a proportion unto lands good and profitable, noe certainty, as wee humbly conceive, can in that case be given, further then as your honours shall thinke fitt to allow soe much of it as shall agree with the returnes of the countrey, as it shall be found by the courts of survey.

All which, nevertheless, wee humbly submit.
Ben. Worseley.
Miles Symner.

M^d.—That this report was approved
by the Commissioners.

A Particular of what Books of Reference, Ffield Books, County Mapps, Barrony Mapps, or Parish Mapps, as were delivered to D^r Petty this 22nd of May, 1655.

Bookes of Reference.		Ffield Bookes.
Barrony of Upper Ormond. Owny Mulrian. Arra. County Limricke, Owneybeg.		Ffield Booke of Upper Ormond. Owny Mulrian. Arra. Ownybeg. Kilnelongurty. Kilnemanagh.
County Plotts.		Barrony Plotts.
Tipperary.		Kilnemanagh. Upper Ormond. Owny Mulrian. Owneybeg, 2 parish plotts. Lower Ormond. Arra. Kilnelongurty.
Upper Ormond. Barrony.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Annameale. Templedownine. Latteragh. Templederrey. Kilnaneafe. Kilkenny. Ballemachy. Balligibbon. Kilrowan. Lisbonny. Ballinacloghy. Dullagh. Kilmore.
Lower Ormond.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Ballingary—wanting. Moderenny. Ardcrony. Nenagh. Musea. Dromoneir. Killodiernane. Knigh. Ffenogh. Clogh-prior. Barreskeene. Uskean. Eglish Clohan. Tirraglash. Balloghkeene. Duvo [Durro] and Bonahan. Kilbirrane. Lorhoe.
		Parish Plotts.
Barrony, Owneybeg.	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$ $\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Ownebeg. Tough.
Owney Mulrian.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Killoscully. Kilneragh.
Arra.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Castletowne. Youghalarra. Burges. Temple-Ically.
Kilnemanagh.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Ballintample. Tome. Kilpatricke. Outerleigh. Clonolta.
Kilnemanagh.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Donoghell. Moyaliffe. Clogher. Castletowne. Agherue—wanting.
Kilnelongurty.	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Done. Temple-oghtra. Temple-beg.

Whereuppon I received what was extant and remaining of the barronyes of Upper and Lower Ormond, Kilnemanagh, Kilnelongurty, Owney and Arra, and Owneybeg, and since returned them, having the said surveyes in his custody. Hee alsoe considered for what reasons Mr. Worsely, in pursuance of his above report, did not make use of them himselfe, as to the intended satisfaction of the army, without contracting for a new readmeasurement, the which, as was conceived, must be the want of the bookes of reference, disagreements betweene those surveys taken anno 1639 and the present civill survey, as alsoe the difficulty of making subdivisions uppon them. On the other side, it was considered what reasons there were to meddle with them, the which reasons were plainly and candidly these:

That the Doctor understood that the bookes of reference which were wanting were gotten into the hands of some of those officers whose lots were like to fall in Tipperary, who, in case of any disagreement (betweene the new survey now to be made and that allready in being), to their disadvantage, would oppose that very reputeable survey of Strafford sorely against the D^rs.

2dly. Itt was considered that, the people of Tipperary having more universally obeyed the orders of transplantation then other countries generally had done, that countrey became soe uninhabited and wast, that it would be impossible to find mearers to doe it tolerably well, much less soe well as to give such new worke soe great a credit as the other allready had.

3dly. It was considered that many houses and improvements were now demolished, which were, anno 1639, standing; and many wett grounds, heretofore pasturable, now became wholly bog, with other like alterations, which might have proved a grievance to the army, and consequently a review was thought necessary.

Lastly, that survey returned lands generally part profitable, whereas the D^r was to returne it wholly such, or wholly unprofitable, in conformity to the Act of Satisfaction; soe as he was alsoe for that reason necessitated to make reviews, and withall to acquaint some able artist with the lands themselves, that thereby he might be enabled to be dexterouse in the subdivision of those barronyes, whensoever the same should be called for.

Ffor which purpose there was imployed a person, allready conversant in those parts, uppon this worke, with the following extraordinary and particular instructions, viz^t:

 

Instructions to be observed by D^r Patricke Raggett.

1st. You are, by the help of the respective jurymen, who did lately give information to the Commissioners for the Civill Survey, to enquire for the lands mentioned in the abstracts of the said civil survey, herewith delivered unto you, under the names returned both in the said survey and alsoe in the admeasurement taken anno Domini 1639, noting downe all along where the said lands are called by severall names in [the] two severall surveyes.

2dly. As alsoe where the said lands are said to belong to severall barronyes or parishes in the said two severall surveyes. In brief, you are to find out all the lands mentioned in the old survey, enquiring which thereof is unforfeited, as belonging to English Protestants, and to be ready with mearers that can shew the bounds according to both old and civill survey; and that the plotts now to be given in, may [bee] (allthough the same with the old), notwithstanding, marked with the names given in by the late civill survey, unless it appear that any grosse error be in the same. Withall, you are to take care that the new civill survey doe containe noe more lands then what is, though perhapps under other names, mentioned in the old, which if it doe, then such overplus, not being returned in the old, is to be measured by you.

3dly. You are to tread the meares according to the old and civill, and to take notice how the plotts which you have agree with the lands it selfe, marking the scituation of the present howsing, buildings, and other remarkable things, with some character exspressing their condition and repaire.

4thly. You are to carry an instrument with you, and therewith, by intersections, to distinguish the profitable from the unprofitable land, according to the present condition thereof, guiding your selfe, as to the quality, by the late civill survey, your owne, and other good information; giving all along the reason or cause of the difference betweene the qualities of the same lands, as they are now, and as they were heretofore returned.

Soe that you may, on the backeside of the plotts herewith delivered unto you, marke out the division of the respective lands, and their buildings uppon them, according to the names of the civill survey, placeing thereon the present housing, &c., and alsoe distinguishing the qualities, as you shall now find them by your owne view and observation.

I, Patricke Ragget, of Thurles, in the county of Tipperary, having been duely sworne, doe hereby certifie that the barronyess of Balleboy, Kilcorsy, Coolestowne, Warringstowne, Ballecowen, Clonliske, Phillipstowne, and Ballebret, in the King's County, have, by my selfe or sufficient assignes and partners, been surveyed and admeasured, according to the printed instructions hereunto annexed, and given unto me by D^r William Petty, especially according to the most materiall and essentiall parts of them, viz^t., by returning the true quantity, quality, figure, scituation, name, proprietors, bounds, and buildings uppon and of all and every the parcells and surrounds of lands directed to be admeasured, together with the names of the meeresmen, and of their dwellings, who shewed the said lands.

And have reviewed, examined, and compared the survey and admeasurement of the barronyes of Upper Ormond, Lower Ormond, of Owney and Arra, of Owneybeg, and the territories of Kilnemanagh and Kilnelongurty, in the county of Tipperary, by surrounding and treading over the meares of all and every denomination of lands within the said barronyes, by the help and with the asistance of a jury of the countrey, and doe attest the same to have been well performed, according to the best of my care, skill, knowledge, and information. Given under my hand, this 10^th January, 1655.

Pat. Ragget.

Soe that it cost the Doctor much labour to compare the said admeasurements with the present civill survey, and to reconcile the different names of the land, and distributions of them, into barronyes, parishes, and particular townelands, before he could resolve to send out the aforementioned Patricke Ragget to review it; and it cost him much in wages to the same person, before it would be resolved whether, after all the said experiments and charges, the whole must not be done over anew; by all which it can be made appeare that the said old survey did not yeild much advantage to the Doctor uppon the whole matter, that is, uppon downe admeasurement and subdivision, taken both together, there having been soe much ventured to try it by the above mentioned previouse examination and reviews. So that, in briefe, this old survey gave the D^r only an occasion to play at hazard, and he had the good fortune to win, though not one hundred pounds.

 

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