Dingle (Dingle-i-cushe) was given a grant of murage dated 14/12/1585.
This was in the form of:-
Grant of money:- £20 p.a. for 15 years
Other aid:- Borough Charter Starting 14/12/1585 running to 13/12/1600.
Wording
The Queen to Sir John Perrott, Lord Deputy, the Lord Archbishop, and the Council of Ireland, granting to John Walsh and William Trant, in the name of the rest of the inhabitants of the town of Dingle-i-cushe, in the county of Kerry, for the restoration of their ruinous and decayed estate, through the late rebellion there, for their relief, and in the hope of the continuance of their faithful and dutiful behaviour; that they may be incorporated by the name of Sovereign of Dingle-i-cushe, and that they shall have their charter granted, with such reasonable liberties as Drogheda hath, with all cocket and petty customs of wares coming to the town, the import of wines only excepted; and that they shall have the issues of all the amerciaments and fines growing in the town, cessed by themselves; they shall have the superiority and commandment of the two harbours and roads next adjoining, that is to say, the Ventry and {Smerwick} within three miles, with the Ferters creek, with all customs, (imports and wrecks excepted), that are to be received there; they shall for ever have for common pastures, two plowlands called the Harperstowne, and a house in the town sometimes belonging to John Hussey, lately attainted, to make of the same a gaol and a common court-house. All which particularities our will and pleasure is to grant unto them in this their charter of incorporation: "we will and command you therefore to cause our grant of corporation to be accordingly made unto them in due and sufficient form of law of all the above premises, and the same to be orderly and duly passed and delivered to the inhabitants of Dinglecushe, by letters patent under our great seal, for the assurance of the town and the inhabitants, to be incorporated in manner above said. Another point of their suit is that we would bestow upon them of our gift the sum of £300 in money towards the charges of walling their town with stone, three-quarters of a mile compasse; although by our above mentioned grant of their charter, they have great cause to acknowledge our favour and princely liberality to them, yet towards the performance of so good a work as the walling of their town, we are further pleased to grant to them £300 sterling, current money of England, which we will shall be allowed and paid unto them after £20 sterling every year, out of the import of wines there, until the sum of £300 shall be fully rendered them; and to that end you shall give order and warrant to the farmers and other our officers and dealers for the import of wines there, for the due payment of the same, binding the corporation in reasonable bonds to accomplish the walling of the town in such convenient space as you our Council shall think meet."—Richmond, December 14, 1585, 28° Elizabeth.
Granted by Elizabeth I. (Regnal year 28). Granted at Richmond.
Primary Sources
Morrin, J. (ed), 1863,
Calendar of the Patent and Close Rolls of Chancery in Ireland, from the 18th to the 45th of Queen Elizabeth Vol. 2 p. 105
online copy
Secondary Sources
Thomas, A., 1992, The Walled Towns of Ireland Vol. 2 (Irish Academic Press) p. 68-70
Comments
a single murage grant is known, dated 1585, and made at the request of the inhabitants who retailed their sufferings resulting from the Desmond wars. The Queen incorporated the town as 'fully as Drogheda' and granted, 'for a stone wall three-quarters of a mile in compass', as proposed £300, to be acquired at the rate of £20 p.a. from the import of wines there (CPCR II 5) (Thomas)
Record created by Philip Davis. This record created 31/03/2009. Last updated on 30/04/2012. First published online 5/01/2013.
