APPENDIX III
125
MISCELLANEOUS William Lymsey and Humfery Johnson in England On 11 June 15941 William Lymsey, Recorder, and Humfery Johnson, Alderman, were chosen to go to England as agents “for the obtaynenge of thear auntyent Lands & Comons”. The text of their petition, their answer to an objection from Lord Burghley, and an early description of the limits of the lands belonging to Carrickfergus are all available. All three carry the same date of 25 July 1594 which may be the date of their filing in the state archives. Petition of Agents for the Town of Carrickfergus, 25th July, 1594.2 To the Right Honble. the Lord Burghley, Lord High Treasurer of England. Most humbly beseecheth your honorable Lordship, William Lymsey and Humfrey Johnson, agents for the town of Carrickfergus, to consider the substance of our demands, consisting in these two points following:- First, to have granted all the ancient land and common belonging to the town, which have continued in the possession and maunrance of the Corporation time out of mind the same being commanded by Her Highness to Sir Henry Syddney to allot and appoint, which yet remains undone by reason of his revocation, as in our petition is more at large expressed. The like warrant we now crave to the Lord Deputy. Together also with the land belonging to the Abbey of Woodborn, adjoining to the town, which we now hold by concordatum from Her Highness, the same being surveyed at 20 Irish acres, which we are content shall be chiefly to the use of the garrison there resident, so that in time of war we may have some relief thereof, for which we are content to pay the yearly rent reserved to Her Highness, being 15s, sterling. Secondly that it wd. please Her Majesty to finish the walling of the town, and make up the Peare as is specified in Her Highness’s gracious letters patents to us granted, and now in force; whereupon we do yield and agree to pay yearly £40 rent to Her Majesty as in the said letters patents is mentioned. If your Honor did know the often slaughters, burnings, preys, spoils, and stealths made upon us, it were most lamentable, the which we could in particular lay down but for troubling your Lordship. And now of late since March last, upon bruit of the Earl of Tirone’s going out, the country, taking that opportunity, did prey and spoil the most part of Her Majesty’s subjects in those parts, and the garrison being then called away by him that had the command of them, the town left naked and open to the enemy. Our Mayor then, with all the townsmen, were constrained to work all day and watch every night for their own safety and defence of Her Majesty’s town, which, being walled, they might with some boldness have issued out and resisted the enemy and saved their goods, as oftentimes they have done. And the land being alloted they would have ditched and entrenched the same, leaving some few and narrow passages to the enemy, whereby they should have been less able to do harm, and with more advantage be encountered, where now the townsmen durst not issue out for hazarding the town and their few goods in it. Right Honorable, if the great extremities by famine and otherwise were thoroughly made known to Her Majesty, your Honor, and the rest of her honourable Council, no doubt Her Highness would think this too little, but would yield us much more than we now demand. And where it is enformed your Lordship the unreasonableness of our suit in seeking to take all from Her Majesty, as namely, the abbey or palace, albeit the same is 1 2
Page 13 above. Young (1896), page 18.
