In Ballaghene Barony. Sinnot of Garrymusky. Sinnot of Ballinkilly. Sinnot of Mony villeog. These Gentlemen compleatlie armed, and mounted on horsbacke, in Q. Eliz. warrs, adhearing and unanimous in theyre resolutions, vigorouslie opposed such as appeared Rebellious or disaffected to the Crowne of England; they enjoyed their freeholds and ancient Inheritance untill the late usurped Government, being then as proprietors transplantable. How innocent soever, Loyalty to theire King seemed Criminal. The Barony of Fort contains within its limits Wexford, a very ancient Corporat Towne the description of whose pleasant and profitable situation, Beauty, Strength, pious Monuments, and Structure, may be delineated by a more dextrous pen and more amplie acquainted and better informed judgement. A slender Elogie of the eminently deserving things doth but detract from their reall and due Estimat. The Towne is governed by a Major and Balives. There are two Burgesses sent from thence to all parliaments in Ireland. It is in the Diocese of Fernes. To render an exact accompt of the numerous Commodityes that towne is constantlie supplied with all, the frequentation of Merchants and Strangers from almost all parts of Europe, the sending from thence to all parts of the knowne world, the Exquisite knowledge of the Natives in the art of Navigation, very many of them familiarlie having traversed the ocean to the most remote regions and coasts discovered by Americus Megellanus Vespusius [sic], and Drake, capable to Navigate and in a martial manner to command the greatest ship, and best provided with offensive and defensive arms, from the Gallion to the Galliot, whose valiant resolution activity and Strength of Body, in (son of Walter of Farrelston or Balintroman) by Amy, dau. of Rosse M'David, of the familie of M'Davidmore," lived at Ballykayle, and by his wife, Amy, daughter of Cahir O'Doran, had an heir, Melchior Sinnot, who was deprived of his property by the Parliamentary Government. many late engagements at sea, is remarkablie knowne to all Admirals in Europe. Theyre inviolate fidelity and loyal affection to theyre dread and deare Sovereigne Charles 2 King of England, and theyre zealous and incessant services for his Majesty and inseparable attendance on him during his Exile, would require a grand volume: not to mention the abundance of all sorts of Corne, flesh, butter, Tallow, Hides, Wool, Timber, incredible quantity of fish and its variety, the market is supplied with all. The Barony of Fort had many ancient Gent. resident therein proprietors of Lands now possessed by very few, given as compensation for service in the Usurper's Government performed; unto whom for the Character by him given of the Extraction of his army (as it was frequentlie related, after his Arrivall in Ireland,) they were not much obliged, affirming that it consisted of very few Noblemen, wherein, and in the like Assertions there may appear manifest injurious Errors, for there is much distinction to be made twixt Nobility of virtue and Nobility by birth. There being sometimes nobility of descent in him who is destitute of virtue; soe there may be virtuous qualities in a plebeian. Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus. The philosopher avers. Nobilitas est majorum splendor et Claritas. 2 Rhet., c. 15: and distinguishing Nobilis from Generosus affirms and defines Nobilis est qui a bono prodiit Genere, Generosus vero est qui non degeneravit a sua Natura. L. 1, Animal. But virtue is honourable though not ennobled with magnificent titles or by some not applauded, yet by nature is laudable. Aristotles his assertion (Politic. 5, 1) is remarkable and often verifyed. Nobilitatem quidem in verbis fere omnes usurpant, sed qui revera Nobiles sint nusquam reperiuntur, Divites autem reperiuntur in multis Locis." PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO WEXFORD AND THE BARONY OF FORTH: BY COLONEL SOLOMON RICHARDS, 1682. EDITED BY HERBERT F. HORE, ESQ. SOLOMON RICHARDS, the author of the following short chorographic tract, was of a Welsh family, and of Presbyterian tenets. After serving in the Parliamentary army until the overthrow of the Royal cause, he came to Ireland, and received from the Parliamentary Government a grant of several thousand acres of land in the county of Wexford. He continued in command in the Republican army till 1656, being latterly governor of Wexford. After the Restoration, he was concerned in the plot of 1663, organized by the infamous Blood, with the design of seizing Dublin Castle, and restoring the Republic. His complicity, however, was not so much as to preclude him from subsequently obtaining a confirmation of his grant. Dean Swift mentions an historical passage about him, in a paper entitled "The Presbyterian's Plea of Merit." There was an evident antipathy on the part of this veteran to the people he had been made governor over, and of some of whom he had become landlord. His hand had wielded the sword so long in war against the Confederate Catholics, it was stiff and heavy with the pen. His dislike to his new neighbours was deep, extending even to the women's ancles. His lucubrations are certainly honest, and appear to have been acknowledged by a complimentary letter from the person to whom his paper was sent. Who this was cannot be said. The Colonel addresses him as "Dear Cousin," and subscribes himself, "Your Uncle." This brief chorographic paper presents a curious contrast to the other two on the same subject, already published in the Journal of the Society; for, whereas the author of the preceding paper, who apparently was a Roman Catholic clergyman, speaks, as was to be expected, respectfully of his religion, the Presbyterian Colonel turns it into jest, and the Church of England squire, Leigh of Rosegarland, does not (see Vol. II., new series, p. 451) introduce any religious topic at all. This tract, along with Leigh's and Sinnot's, is preserved in the original MS. amongst the collection of Sir Thomas Phillips, Bart., of Middle Hill. COLONEL RICHARDS' ACCOUNT. "The County of Wexford, being the gate of the Kingdom of Ireland, at which the English under the conduct of Robert Fitzstephen first entered, on or about the 4th May, 1170, at Bag and Bun, a place soe then and yet called, in the said County of Wexford, near Feathard, alias Fight-hard,' from the first battle with I This derivation (which is current in the locality to the present day) is equally erroneous with those assigned by Sinnot for the Slany, (p. 61, supra), and the name of the Barony Forth, or Fort (p. 63, supra). Sinnot says that Slany is Slánað, health; from the healthful nature of its waters. All our ancient MS. authorities, however, agree in deriving the name of the river from that of Slainge, King of the Firbolgs:-"Slanius inter fratres natu primus, qui Slanio flumini Wexfordiæ adfluenti, nomen fecit."Keating's "History," Lynche's translation in MS., Trinity College, Dublin. The late Dr. O'Donovan informed us that he had discovered the "standing stone" which marked the grave of Slainge on the banks of the Slany, near, if we mistake not, Newtownbarry. Forth is derived by Sinnot from the rath or fort of Ballytrent. The following is O'Donovan's account of its origin: Eochaidh Finnfothart was banished by his nephew Conn of the Hundred Battles, and, having settled in Leinster, the king of that province bestowed on him and his sons certain districts called by his posterity Fotharta, from Eochaidh's surname. Of these the two principal were Fotharta-an-Chairn (hence Carnsore), now the barony of Forth, in "the county of Wexford, and Fotharta-Fea, now the barony of Forth, in the county of Carlow. "Four Masters," vol. i., p. 109, n. About the de the Irish, wherein the English were victors, is divided into Eight Baronies, five, viz:-Gorey, Ballaghkeen, Scarwalsh, Bantry, and Shilmalier are the Irish Baronies; Shilburne, Bargye, and Forth are the English Baronies, but Forth chiefly retains the name, and justlie. Its idiom of speech, tho its not Irish, nor seems English as English is now refined, yett is it more easy to be understood by an Englishman that never heard Irish spoken than by any Irishman that lives remote. Itt's notorious that itt's the very language brought over by Fitzstephen, and retained by them to this day. Whoever hath read old Chaucer, and is at all acquainted therewith, will better understand the Barony of Forth dialect than either an English or Irishman, that never read him, though otherwise a good linguist. Itt was an observation of the Inhabitants of this Barony of Forth, before the last rebellion, that they had kept their Language, Lands, and Loyaltie. Having seldom or never married butt amongst themselves-having never rebelled, butt always been true to the Crowne of England, till this last General, Cruel, Cursed, Horrid and unparallelled Rebellion of 1641. The Inhabitants were most Freeholders, but their freeholds very small, and being never forfeited, remained as they were first set out and divided to Fitzstephen's soldiers. For the soyle of this Barony, it is naturally coarse and barren, yett by the industry of the people, together with its contiguity to the Sea, from which they bring ouze, or oure seaweed, with which they manure their cultivated lands, itts made the Granary of the County and parts adjacent, especially for Barley, in which itt abounds; and that is all English too, for they will not sow a grain of Beare-barley, and if any one should do soe, the rest would destroy it. They breed few or noe Cattle in this Barony. The men are low of stature, yet well sett, thick, and strong; very crafty, and deceiptfull enuffe; few of them schollars, but those that are doe excell. The women alsoe are but of meane stature, very thick legged, but indifferent cumlie and handsome, jocose and pleasant, yet very chaste:-in one particular excelling all their sex in the Kingdom, viz.: they so revere and honour the Male Sex, man, beasts, birds, fishes, that—to instance one particular only if the Master of a house be from home, his sonne, if any, or if none, then his chief servant present, though but a poor plough rivation of Fethard there is no obscurity: it has nothing to do with Fitzstephen's battle. That leader landed at the Island of Bannow (see Giraldus Cambrensis, and the Norman Geste of the Conquest of Ireland), and marched direct to Wexford, where he first met the enemy. Fethard is Fiod-ard, the high wood, or wood on the height. "The Wood," a place close to the town, still retains the true meaning of Fethard; and, although but few trees now grow there, tradition has it that one could once pass for miles from one tree's branches to another, so densely was it wooded.-ED. of JOURNAL. 1 Col. Richards overlooks his own rebellious actions, so vehement is he against those whose estates he had acquired. driver, or cow-boy, shall have the first mess of broath or cut of meate, before the Mistress or her female guests, if she have any. This I know; but I have heard it affirmed that if there be noe man or boy in the house, they will give the first bitt to a cock or a dog, or any male creature. But more remarkable is it that in this Barony only of Forth, County Wexford, that about high noone, not only men and women, butt children and servants naturally cease from labour and goe to rest for about an hour or two. The cattle doe soe to the geese and ducks repaire into their Master's yard, and the cockes and the hennes doe goe to roost for that time, and exactly at the hour. This the relator affirms on his own knowledge, having often seen it in that Barony, and in his own house by fowles brought out from that Barony, when his other hennes would not doe soe. One remarque more is, that about ten years since, or more, there came with a strong blacke Esterly wind a flight of Magpies, under a dozen, as I remember, out of England or Wales, as 'tis verilie believed, none having been ever seen in Ireland before. They light in the Barony of Forth, where they have bredd, and are soe increased that they now are in every village and wood in this County-especially in this Barony aboundant, my own garden, though in the Towne of Wexford, is continually frequented by them, and they are spread more thinly into other Countys and parts of the Kingdome. The natural Irish much disgust them, saying they shall never be rid of the English while these Magpies remain. The observation is that the English Magpies entered Ireland in the same Countye where the Englishmen first entered it, and in the English Barony alsoe. In this Barony of Forth is a Lough called "Lough-Togher," about two miles in length, and a mile in breadth, replenished with divers sorts of fish, excelling in their kind, to admiration, especially Plaice, Bass, Mullet, Fleukes, Eelles, &c.,-the sea being contiguous, is by the neighbourhood let in and out once in seven or eight years. In this Lough is an Island called Lady's Island, containing about twelve acres of land, in former times of Ignorance highly esteemed, and accounted Holy-and to this day the natives, persons of honour as well as others, in aboundance from remote parts of the Kingdom, doe with great devotion, goe on pilgrimage thither, and there doe penance, going bare-leg and bare-foote, dabling in the water up to mid leg, round the Island. Some others goe one foote in the water, the other on dry land, taking care not to wet the one nor to tread dry with the other. But some great sinners goe on their knees in the water round the Island, and some others that are greater sinners yet, goe three times round on their knees in the water. This I have seen, as also I have seen persons of no mean degree leave their hose and shoes in Wexford, and goe bare-footed in dirty weather from Wexford to this Island, which is eight miles. |