was now determined upon. The first step taken was to extinguish the old corporation; and accordingly, upon a petition from the " English Protestant inhabitants" of the town, an order was made by the council of state, on the 25th of October, 1654, that the mayor and other chief officers should be “ English and Protestants," and in case the then mayor or other chief officers were "Irish or Papists," that they should be removed. This order was immediately carried into execution; and Thomas Lynch Fitz-Ambrose, the mayor, John Blake, the recorder, and Richard Lynch and Anthony French Fitz-Peter, the sheriffs, were deposed; and, in their place, colonel Peter Stubbers, the governor, was appointed mayor, Robert Clarke recorder, and Paul Dodd and Marcus Lynch Fitz-Thomas sheriffs. The English soldiers were next made free, and the old members of the corporation finally disfranchised.

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This measure was only the prelude to others more serious: it was next determined to banish all the native inhabitants out of the town, and to supply their place with an English colony. An order was accordingly made by the lord deputy and council, on the 23d of July, 1655, that all persons who claimed or had any right to any houses or other real estate, within or contiguous to the town, being popish recusants, should remove themselves and their families thereout before the 1st of November then ensuing, being paid, pursuant to the articles, their full value; and, in case they should refuse or neglect to do so, the officers and soldiers were required to remove them. Before the time limited for compliance with this ordinance had expired, another was issued more immediate in its operation; for "the state taking into consideration the extraordinary strength of the town, and the great intercourse the inhabitants had for many ages with the dominions of the king of Spain, and conceiving it probable that the Spaniard might entertain more than common hopes from that circumstance, under colour of giving succour to the king of Scots," (Charles II.) they accordingly, on the 30th of October, ordered, "that all the Irish and other popish inhabitants should be forthwith removed out of the town, in order that accommodation should be provided for such English Protestants, whose integrity to the state would entitle them to be trusted in a place of such importance." This order was carried into effect by

This individual, according to tradition, was the only native of Galway who changed his principles and religion, and joined the common enemy of both; in consequence of which, all communication was denied him by his friends during his life, and he is said to have died of a broken heart, occasioned by remorse and shame for his apostacy.

Council Book, A 9. page 52.-On the 18th of October, colonel Richard Lawrence and Thomas Richardson, esq. were deputed to value the castles and houses. Their appointment was renewed on the 30th, and they were directed to survey and appraise the houses in Galway; and all proprietors that desired it, under their hands,

were to have liberty until the 10th of November, 1656; to make sale of their interests to any Protestant that had not been in arms, or otherwise disaffected: the third part of the purchase-money to go to the commonwealth. Such houses as should not be sold by the proprietors before the 14th of December, 1655, to be disposed of for a year's time by the governor to any Protestant not having been in arms against the commonwealth; provided that the governor "do engage such as shall take the same, that no waste or spoil should be committed on the houses that stand empty and undisposed of, or suffer same to be spoiled or wasted by the soldiers."-Id.

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Coote, the lord president, with unrelenting severity." The wretched inhabitants, without distinction of rank or sex, except a few who were oppressed by sickness and years, were driven out of the town in the midst of winter, (which was, at the time, peculiarly severe,) and were forced to take shelter by the ditches and poor cabins in the country, without fire or sufficient clothing, in consequence of which many fell victims to the uncommon inclemency of the season. Thus deprived of its inhabitants, who were succeeded only by soldiery, the town presented the appearance of a military camp, without either order or regularity, and soon fell to decay. The superb houses, which, in the language of the Annals, were "fit to lodge kings and princes," and are described as the best built and most splendidly furnished of any in the kingdom, were seized upon and occupied by the lowest of the populace, until they were completely ruined. The trifling trade which recently remained had now entirely ceased; and the town, thus circumstanced, resembled a rich bee-hive plundered of its treasures, while its industrious people lay smothered and destroyed.

The work of destruction being thus complete, the ruinous situation to which this unfortunate town was now reduced, at length forced itself on the attention of the governing party; and an expedient was soon devised, which it was supposed would remedy all that had been done. An act was passed in the parliament of England, on the 17th of September, 1656, "for the ascertaining and effectual setting out of lands and houses in Ireland, in consideration of losses sustained by Anthony Edwards and others, the well-affected inhabitants of the city of Gloucester," during the siege which that city sustained against the royal forces in 1642. The intentions of this act not being yet carried into execution, Henry

On the 7th of November Coote made a report of his proceedings in" clearing the town" under this order, in which he states, that he had " dispensed only with a few persons, who, through extreme age and sickness, and the unseasonableness of the weather, were unable to remove, but that the security of the place was well provided for."-Council Book.-In return for this communication he received the thanks of the state, but was cautioned to take care that the few, so dispensed with, should be removed as soon as the season would permit; it being their desire" that so considerable a place should be entirely inhabited by Protestants;" and he was further directed, that in the interim, and until the town should be better inhabited, he should "prevent any spoil being made of the houses within the towne, either by the souldiers or others, who, without due care, would be apt to injure them upon all occasions; as also that they should be kept stanch, and in good repayre, in a condition to be tenanted at considerable rents, which that place yielded in former times more than any other citty of this nation.”Council Book.

This was followed, on the 19th of November, by further instructions to Coote, wherein he was ordered

to "take care,-1. That a draw well be sunk in the most convenient place within the east citidell of the citty of Galway.-2. That three platforms be forthwith raised wherever it would be conceived would most tend to the publick service.-3. That the several houses within the citidell be repaired.-4. To keep within the towne twenty Irish masons and workmen :-and, 5. That the priests or fryars, now imprisoned within the town, that are above the age of forty years, be forthwith banished into France, Portugal, and other neighbouring kingdoms in amity with this commonwealth; and that the rest of the priests, that are under the age of forty years, be forthwith shipt away for Barbadoes or other the American plantations; and to give public notice, that in case any of them return without licence, they shall be proceeded against according to the laws;"—i. e. punished with death.—Id.

On 1st September, 1656, another order issued, "that the governor of the city of Galway do forthwith remove thereout all Irish Papists, and that no Irish be permitted to inhabit therein, unless disabled to remove through extreme old age or sickness, or bed-rid." It was also ordered, "that he should cause the weekly markets to be kept outside the city till further orders.”—Id. A. 10. p. 163.

Cromwell, the lord deputy, embraced this as a favorable opportunity for planting Galway with English settlers, to whom the forfeited lands and houses could be disposed of to the amount of 10,000l. being the compensation to be made to Gloucester. Having accordingly consulted the council in Dublin on the subject, he forwarded dispatches to England on the 7th of April, wherein, after stating that the public would suffer considerably, if some speedy and effectual course were not immediately taken for planting the town of Galway, he adds, "His highness hath too perfect an understanding of that place, as wee need not add much; howbeit we may be bold to say, that for the situation thereof, voisenage and commerce it hath with Spaine, the strayts, West Indies and other places, noe towne or port in the three nations (London excepted) was more considerable, nor, in all probability, would more encourage trade abroad or manufactures at home, than this, if well improved. It is a towne made very defensive both by art and nature, and consists of many noble buildings, uniform, and most of them of marble, which that country hath plenty of; yet by reason of the late horrid rebellion and generall waste then and since made by the impoverisht English inhabiting there, many of the houses are become very ruinous; and inasmuch as there appears more encouragement for this new plantation than formerly (for that noe Irish are permitted to live in the citty, or within three miles thereof, the better to accommodate the inhabitants with conveniencies, the place becomes better secured,) and merchants have more hopeful gain by trade, than when the interest of the towne was in the Irish and other Papists that lived there." It was then proposed that the town and lands about it, and other lands near Athlone, and at Ballinrobe, in Mayo, or such part as should be thought fit, should be sold to the corporation of Gloucester, by whom the town could be colonized; and he concluded by recapitulating the many advantages which would result from such an undertaking. The project was favorably received by Cromwell, and agreed to by the citizens of Gloucester, who sent over doctor Thomas Clarges, as their agent, to transact the business.

A survey of the forfeited lands was accordingly made, of which Dr. Clarges was put into possession. The several forfeited houses in the town were also surveyed and valued by captain William Webb and James Hinds; * and although they were, on the 17th of February, 1657, declared to be in the real and actual possession of Anthony Edwards and Thomas Whitcombe, in trust for the purposes contained in the Gloucester act, yet no immediate exertions were made to promote the plantation. But Cromwell having, just about that time, ordered that another

See the Appendix.-This survey was transmitted to the lord deputy and council by Mr. James Cuffe, one of the commisioners, by which it appeared, that seven hundred and sixty-three and a half acres were situate in the liberties of Galway, two hundred in the barony of Athlone, and two thousand near Ballinrobe, in the county of Mayo, all which were valued at 8897. 4s.-Rot. Pat. Rolls Office.

The schedules of these valuations, which are also given in the Appendix, cannot but prove particularly interesting to the descendants of the old families of Galway. The houses in the town were valued, at six years purchase, to 9110l. 8s. which, with the value of the land, was within eight shillings of the 10,000.Rot. Pat.

sum of 10,000%. which had been formerly allowed the town of Liverpool for its losses in the parliamentary interest, should be satisfied out of the remainder of the houses in Galway, the lord deputy again pressed the subject of the colonization and improvement of the town, as well on the inhabitants of Liverpool as those of Gloucester. He represented to them, that for building, situation and strength, the town was of very great importance to the security of the nation; was most advantageously situated for trade, having the sea open, and free for Spain, the Straits, the Indies and other places; and that, before the rebellion, it was inhabited by many wealthy and flourishing inhabitants; and that it would concern them to use their utmost diligence for speedily planting the place with English Protestants, by whom the houses, then ruinous, might be repaired, and commerce, which was then utterly decayed, might be revived. The reader may anticipate that all these designs proved abortive; the wished-for plantation never took place, having been perhaps only prevented by the unexpected and happy revolution which immediately afterwards followed.

The appalling scene of atrocities, hitherto opened to the view of the reader, is now drawing to a close. On the 15th of September, 1658, Richard Cromwell was proclaimed lord protector in Galway, with great rejoicings. The contemptible corporation of the day, having no more victims to persecute, began to quarrel amongst themselves; and their disputes became so violent that the government was obliged to interfere, and threatened to annul the charter, and abolish their privileges. On the 7th of August, 1659, an order issued to apprehend lord Clanricarde, Sir Richard Blake, and the other principal gentlemen of the county; and on the 22d, colonel Thomas Sadlier, the governor, was ordered to remove "all the Irish Papists" out of the town and liberties, and not permit them to return without licence from the commander of the forces. Other instances of persecution afterwards occurred, but they gradually decreased, both in number and severity; and some appearance of moderation and justice was finally introduced, and for a while established, by the restoration.

CHAP. VI.

FROM 1660 TO THE SURRENDER of GALWAY TO KING WILLIAM'S

FORCES, 1691.

On the restoration of Charles II. many of the new settlers disappear, and the old natives and former inhabitants return-Letters of the king to the lords justices, to restore them to their freedom and estates-Animosities and disputes between them and the new settlers-An instance of one of these contentions-Prejudice of the lords justices against the old natives-Opposition given to their claims-Excluded from corporate privileges, and finally expelled the town-New rules established-The corporation lands, with the charter and market duties, granted to Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton-The earl of Essex, lord lieutenant, opposes the grant-His description of the decayed state of the town-Colonel Theodore Russell purchases the charter and market duties, and is elected mayor-The king grants a new charter, containing many ample privileges-Population of the town considerably diminished, and the houses falling to ruin-Many of the old natives give security and are permitted to return to the town-They are soon after obliged to depart, owing to the clamors and discontent of some members of the corporation—Address to the king, on his escape from the Rye-house conspiracy-Accession of James II. to the throne-The Catholic inhabitants return to the town, and made free of the corporation-Catholic clergy established in the town-New charter granted-Troubles begin, and the fortifications of the town repaired-Resolutions to adhere to king James and his government—Protestant inhabitants removed out of the town-Battle of Aughrim-Siege of the town-It surrenders on articles-Treatment of the Roman Catholics-Fortifications built, to secure the conquest of the town and the islands.

ON the restoration of Charles II. such of the new settlers in Galway as were distinguished for the violence of their principles, or their hatred of the royal cause, apprehending prosecution and punishment, suddenly disappeared; while as many of the old natives, as survived the past scenes of destruction, hailed with joy an event from which they expected, according to the king's repeated declarations, not only the termination, but also the reward, of their manifold sufferings, and particularly the restitution of their usurped privileges and estates. Accordingly, one of the first acts of the king, after entering upon the exercise of his royal function, was an order to reinstate the ancient inhabitants of Galway in the possession of their properties and privileges, directed to the lords justices of Ireland, of the following tenor: