In the County of Longford 2067 2 348 9 9 4530 6 9 In the C. of Lowth and 'T of Drogheda 22508 Â 6331 11 Â 82310 3 Â In the County of Cork 244320 Â 32133 12 6 417737 2 6 In the County of Kerry 90146 Â 3652 11 9 47483 12 9 In the County of Clare 72246 Â 12060 17 Â 156791 1 Â In the County of Waterford 21343 Â 4190 10 Â 54476 10 Â In the County of Limerick 14882 3 4728 10 6 61470 10 Â In the County of Tipperary 31960 3 8888 12 Â 115552 2 6 In the County of Gallway 60825 Â 10225 4 Â 83528 19 Â In the County of Roscommon 28933 Â 5808 15 Â 69767 2 Â In the County of Mayo 19294 Â 3186 5 6 37598 3 Â In the County of Sligoe 5562 2 998 17 6 12985 7 6 In the County of Antrim 10103 3 1944 18 6 25284 Â 6 In the County of Down 9079 Â 1016 6 Â 13212 4 6 In the County of Ardmagh 4962 Â 688 Â Â 7644 Â Â In the County of Cavan 3830 1 478 12 6 6222 2 6 In the County of Monaghan 3832 Â 558 16 Â 7264 8 Â In the County of Fermanagh 1945 Â 389 Â Â 5057 Â Â All these Lands in the several Counties aforesaid as far as we can reckon by Acres being added together make 1060792 Acres worth per an 211623 l. 6 s. 3 d. value total 2685130 l. 5 s. 9 d. besides the several Denominations in the said several Counties to which no number of Acres can be added by reason of the imperfection of the Surveys which we humbly represent to your Honours as the gross value of all the Lands forfeited in Ireland since the 13th day of February 1688. 15. Next we think it our duty to acquaint your Honours what proportions of these Lands have been restored to the old Proprietors by virtue of the Articles of Limerick and Gallway and by his Majesty's favour 16. Three Letters one from her late Majesty Queen Mary of ever blessed Memory dated the 15th of March 1691 2 to the Right Honourable the Lord Sdn-y Sir Charles Porter Knight and Thomas Lord C-n-ngs-by then Lords Justices and Chief Governours of this Kingdom one other Letter from her said late Majesty dated the 6th day of May 1693 to the said Lord Viscount S-dn-y then Lord Lieutenant and General Governour of this Kingdom and to the Privy Council there for the time being and one other Letter from his Majesty dated the 24th day of May 1694 to the Right Honourable Henry Lord C-pel Sir Cyril Wich Knight and William Duncombe Esq then Lords Justices of this Kingdom and to the Privy Council there for the time being were severally sent unto them empowering them to hear and determine the Claims of all persons pretending to be within the Articles of Limerick and Gallway and in pursuance of the said Letters 491 persons were adjudged within the Articles aforesaid The names of which persons with their Additions and times of their Adjudications appear in a Book delivered in with this Report N. 3 17. Afterwards a Commission dated the 25th day of February in the 8th year of his Majesty's Reign passed under the great Seal of Ireland impowering the Judges of the several Courts here or any five of them to hear and determine the Claims aforesaid And in pursuance of that Commission 792 persons were adjudged within the Articles aforesaid The names of which persons with their Additions and the times of their Adjudications appear in a Book delivered in with this Report N 4. 18. The Estates that the persons have been restored to by virtue of their Adjudications contain 233106 Acres of Land amounting in yearly value to 55763 l. 6 s. 6 d. value total 724923 l. 4 s. 6 d. The particular number of Acres belonging to persons adjudged the County and Barony in which they lye with the yearly value and what the whole Interest is worth appears in the Book N. 2. 19. And here we presume not to judg whether the Letters from his Majesty or the late Queen to the Lords Justices did give them any legal authority to summon the Subjects from all parts of the Kingdom give Oaths adjudg without Jury and levy Money under the name of Fees we finding no Act of Parliament to warrant the same which we humbly submit to your great Wisdom 20. Further we think it necessary to inform your Honours that the Fees in the said Courts were so extravagant that Mr. Palmer who acted as Register in the right of Mr. Poultney and divided the profits with him demanded of Mr. Luke Dillon for the Fees of his Fathers Adjudication eighty six pounds and Mr. Steel Cryer of the Court fifteen pounds more Nor could Mr. Dillon get out the order to reverse his Fathers Outlawry till he had paid fifty two pounds in ready Money to Mr. Palmer and gave him his Bond for fourteen pounds more and had paid Mr. Steel five pounds besides ten pounds which he had paid Mr. Palmer for Orders the Cause being continued in the Court near two years Nor was this a single case for many more have paid great Summs of Money on the like account the charge of entring a Claim only before we acted in our Commission being near five pounds tho by express words in the Articles of Limerick no person ought to pay any Fees but to writing Clerks 21. We may add to this that the proceedings of the Court of Claims are almost universally complained of and we fear with too much reason Some persons having been adjudged without posting their Claims others within a day or two after before the Kings Councel or Witnesses could be ready which was contrary to the Rules of the Court it self that required fourteen days between the posting every Claim and the Adjudication It was also observable that if any person would disclaim his Estate he met with very little difficulty in being adjudged tho afterward there could be no obstacle in the reversing his Outlawry and consequently to be restored to his Estate In general it seems to us that there have been great miscarriages in the said Court and that in many cases the Articles of Limerick and Gallway have been expounded too beneficially in favour of persons Outlawed and often on the oath of one witness who we humbly conceive cannot not be convicted of Perjury either by common or Statute Law By this means we apprehend a great many persons have been restored to their Estates that upon review would be found to belong to his Majesty To come to a more particular knowledg of which we sent to the said Mr. Palmer for the Minutes of the Adjudications but he having taken them in Short-hand only and never since transcribed them we could not get such an account as was sit to lay before your Honours We shall only take notice of one thing that seems to us very extraordinary that more
persons were adjudged within Articles since the Commencement of our Enquiry than had been since the making of the said Articles 22. Next we are to acquaint your Honours what Estates have been restored to the old Proprietors by Reversal of Outlawries or his Majesty's Pardon 23. The Reversals are of two sorts such as have been in pursuance of Adjudications all markt in N. 3 and 4 in distinct Columns for that purpose the Estates restored by Reversals are already computed under the consideration of persons adjudged 24. The other sort are such as have been reversed by his Majesty's or the late Queen's Letters or Orders to the Lords Justices which with all Pardons and the considerations inducing the same past since the Defeat at the Boyne amounting to sixty five appear in a Book delivered in with this Report N. 5. The Estates restored to the several Persons pardoned or that have their Outlawries reversed by his Majesty's favour contain 74733 Acres worth per An. 20066 l. 8 s. 3 d. value total 260863 l. 7 s. 3 d. The particulars thereof what Estate belongs to each person in what County and Barony it lies what is the yearly and total value appear in the Book N. 2. 25. And here we think it proper to take notice to your Honours that as well by the general report of the Country as by several Observations of our own it appears probable to us that many of the persons aforesaid have obtained his Majesty's Favour by gratifications to such persons as have abused his Majesty's Royal Compassion But when we touch'd on this subject we found difficulties too great to be overcome most of these matters being transacted in private and with Persons out of this Kingdom however we shall lay before your Honours some instances where it appears to us that Mony has been given to restore persons forfeiting to their Estates 26. The Right Honourable the Lord B-ll-w released a Statute Staple of 1000 l. principal Mony and seven or eight hundred pounds Interest to the Lord R-by which was due from Sir William W-ntw-rth Father to the present Lord R-by to the Lord D-l-ke Father to the present Lord B-ll-w in consideration that he would use his Interest with his Majesty to procure his Pardon which he did accordingly and his Pardon soon after passed he also released to the Lord R-mny all the profits of his Estate which his Lordship had enjoyed near three years amounting to about as many thousand pounds in consideration his Lordship would not give him any molestation in passing his Pardon 27. John Kerdiff of Kerdiffstown in the County of Dublin Gent. gave to Mrs. Margaret Vniack 200 l. or thereabouts to make use of her Interest with the Lord R-mny to obtain his Majesty's Letter to have his Outlawry reversed which was accordingly done the the particular case of this Man deserved Compassion 28. Sir John Morris paid to Mr. Richard Vniack five hundred pounds whereof three hundred pounds were paid to Mrs. Vniack for her Interest in the Lord R-mny to procure his Pardon which was accordingly done 29. Henry Morris Esq gave one hundred pounds to Mrs. Margaret Vniack to obtain his Majesty's pardon which was accordingly done 30. John Hussey of Leistip Esq upon his being informed by Mr. Bray and Mr. Roscoe Agents to the Lord Athl-ne that he would not get his Outlawry reversed without giving him a general Release of all demands to the Lord Athl-ne he did it whereby a Mortgages of three hundred pounds which he had upon the Lord L-mr-ck's Estate then in grant to the Lord Athl-ne was released who appeared not to us to have known of the said Mortage or to have had any benefit thereby 31. Edmund Roch Gent. gave Mr. Richard Darling Agent to the Lord R-mny five hundred pounds for his Interest in procuring his pardon which by the means of the Lord R-mny was obtained as we believe But the said Roch was outlawed on the Statute of Foreign Treasons tho never out of the Kingdom 32. John Bourke Esq commonly called Lord B-ph-n agreed to pay 750 l. to Mr. Andrew Card for the use of the Lord Alb-m-rle in consideration he would procure his Majesty's Letter to have him restored to his Estate and Blood three hundred pounds of the said Money was to be paid when he was restored to his Estate and the residue some time after In pursuance of the said Agreement a Letter was sent to the Lords Justices to be communicated to the Commissioners of the Court of Claims in favour of the Lord B-ph-n in order to have him adjudged within the Articles of Gallway but nothing being done thereon it was agreed that a Bill should be transmitted into England in order to pass into a Law in Ireland to restore the Lord B-ph-n to his Estate and Blood the consideration suggested in the Bill was to educate his Children in the Protestant Religion and let his Estate to Protestants It was further provided in the said Bill that nine thousand pounds should be raised upon the said Estate for payment of Debts and a certain part of the said Estate appropriated for the maintenance and provision of his Children but in reality 7500 l. of the said Money was to be paid to the Earl of Alb-m-rle and the remainder as we believe to the persons concerned in negotiating the said Agreement This Bill was brought into the House of Commons of Ireland but the Agreement taking wind and the House resenting that their Authority should be made use of to support such a clandestine bargain and finding several allegations in the said Bill false they rejected it Afterwards a new agreement was made viz. that there should be a Grant to the Lord R-ss in trust that the Money to be advanced for procuring the said Grant should be first raised out of the Estate and next that the Profits should be applied to the payment of Debts and after to the use of the Family of Clanrickard In pursuance of the Agreements aforesaid a Letter was procured from his Majesty and three thousand pounds paid to Thomas Brodrick Esq for the benefit of the Lord Alb-m-rle 33. Having now laid before your Honours an account of all the Estates belonging to persons outlawed since the 13th day of February 1688. and also what Estates have been since restored by Articles and what by his Majesty's favour we will proceed to acquaint your Honours what Grants have been made and also what Custodiums are yet in being of any of the said Estates and to whom 34. There have past since the Battle of the Boyne under the Great Seal of Ireland 76 Grants and Custodiums a Book whereof with the dates of the Letters Patents and the Considerations we have delivered in with the Report N. 6. Some of the most considerable Grants we here particularly lay before your Honours the number of Acres and Considerations 35. To the Right Honourable the Lord R-mny 3 Grants now in being containing 49517 Acres in consideration of Services
Book of Grants N. 6. and others affirm they have not yet received any Satisfaction the whole We believe are under the value of two thousand Pounds per annum 85. And here we may take notice that the Forfeitures in general notwithstanding they appear to be so considerable have been rather a charge than profit to his Majesty which might seem very extraordinary if we did not acquaint your Honours that many obscure Men that had little or nothing since the reduction of Ireland are now reputed Masters of considerable Estates and some of them very great ones nor does there appear any visible cause of their acquiring such suddain Riches but by fishing into these Forfeitures indeed the whole management has been so intricate as if it was design'd to make the knowledg of it a Mystery which has proved sufficiently advantagious to these Men tho very much to the detriment of his Majesty who by this means has been deceived in the value of his Grants and in many cases hath given much more than he intended as we conceive 86. There is nothing seems to us to have contributed more to it than the setting the forfeited Lands by Cant in the City of Dublin and not in the several Counties in the Kingdom For by that means very few persons would come to Town at a great Charge and neglect of their Affairs when they were sure to be out-bid by the Agents to Great Men who aimed only to get into possession and had Interest enough afterwards to have all or most of their Rents remitted Upon this consideration Mr. Attourney General and William Conmelly Esquire canted Lands in the County of Kilkenny worth about 200 l. per annum to more than 20000 l. per annum So that private Men who had no Interest found it in vain to contend besides they were over-awed by the Authority often of those that bid against them which weighed much in this Country 87. By these methods when others were driven off the Stage they took the Lands at their own rates oftentimes as we conceive agreeing not to bid against one another particularly Thomas Brodrick Esq and the said Mr. Conmelly who took vast quantities of Lands and in a great measure governed the Cants few Persons daring to bid against them acted in Partnership in all they took in the Year 1695 and ever since and let it afterwards to under-tenants at greater Rents which is more observable in Mr. Brodrick who was a Privy-Counseller and appointed by the Lord C-p-ll to inspect the Cants having been informed they were managed much to his Majesties disadvantage 88. Nor cou'd it be expected they should be better regulated when many of the immediate Officers of the Revenue took parcels of these Lands and some were taken in trust for the very Commissioners themselves and particularly the Lands of Kerdiffs-town were let to Henry Fernley who was a nominal Person in trust for Mr. Culliford at 31 l. 16 s. per annum tho actually canted to 84 l. Several other forfeited Lands have been taken by Mr. Culliford and great quantities of Goods seized by him to his Majesty's use which he afterwards converted to his own 89. Besides the great abuses in the management of their Cants we humbly represent to your Honours one instance of a considerable Estate that was set without any Cant at all by direction of the Lords Justices for at least one thousand pounds per ann less than it was then worth and for a term of sixty one years tho by a Letter from his Majesty dated the _____ day of March 1698 they were commanded to Let it for a term not exceeding twenty one Years and at a time too when one Year and half was unexpired in another Tenant This is a Lease of the Estate of Sir Valentine Browne and Nicholas Browne Esq commonly call'd Lord K-nm-re within the Counties of Kerry and Limerick made to John Blannenhasset and George Rogers Esquires then Members of Parliament of this Kingdom 90. Having already laid before your Honours the most material parts of our Inquiry we now crave leave to make a short abstract of our valuations before we conclude our Report The whole forfeited Estates since the 13th day of February 1688 we value at 2685130 l. 5 s. 9 d. Â l. s. d. The Estates restor'd by Articles we value at 724923 4 6 The Estates restored by favour we value at 260863 7 3 The Debts affecting the Estates forfeited and found by Inquisition or allow'd by order of the Exchequer we compute at 161936 15 6 Against which we ballance the Estates due to forfeiting Persons not restored amounting to 120013 l. 13 s. as also all Houses Tythes Mills Fairs Markets Chief-rents and Ferries worth about 50000 l. Against the beneficial Leases we ballance all the Leases call'd unprofitable and also all the Woods yet standing upon the forfeited Estates which we compute may be worth about 60000 l. and the Chattles real of Persons adjudged within Articles never brought to any account But lest Allowances should not be thought sufficient we throw in all denominations of Lands that have no number of Acres annexed to them which we cannot believe will amount to less than seventy or eighty thousand Acres and consequently if valued in proportion with other Lands will come to at least 14000 l. The Estates yet undiscovered seem to us very considerable but we can make no probable valuation of them the Sums received by the Grantees from the Sale of their Estates amount to 68155 l. 3 s. 1 d. We have taken no notice of any Debts due to Persons restored or of any incumbrances affecting their Estates And after the several Allowances before-mentioned there yet remains 1699343 l. 14 s. which we humbly lay before your Honours as the gross of all the Estates forfeited since the 13th of February 1688. and not restored We shall now conclude our Report by laying before your Honours one other Grant of a considerable value which we are apprehensive does not fall within the Letter of our Enquiry but since the benefit of some forfeited Leases or Holdings are therein granted we chose rather to lay the whole Grant before your Honours than be thought defective in any part of our duty or what might be expected from us A Grant under the Great Seal of Ireland dated the 30th of May 1695 passed to Mrs. Elizabeth V-ll-rs now Countess of Ork --- y of all the Private Estate of the late King James except some small part in grant to the Earl of Athl-ne containing 95649 Acres worth 25995 l. 13 s. per annum value total 337943 l. 9 s. the Particulars whereof viz. the number of Acres in each County and Barony the value per annum and value total appear in a Book delivered in with this Report N. 9. There is payable out of this Estate two thousand Pounds per annum to the Lady Susanna B-ll-sis for her Life and also one thousand pounds per annum to Mrs. Godfrey for her