Montgomery manuscripts

212
The Montgomery Manuscripts.
he owned a favour to our Bishops, and allowed them pensions out of the rents of their bishopricks,
w h so pleased Maxwell, the diocesan of Kilmore and Ardagh, 61 that he addressed his Excellency
of Down and Antrim, respecting the subject of lay patronage and the
choice of ministers by a congregation, which having been taken into
consideration by the Council, on the 5th of May that year, it was
amongst other things ordered, that ' Patrons who have not forfeited
their right of presentation, be permitted to present the names of
ministers, as in and by ordinances (in that case provided as directed)
being persons fearing God, and qualified for the work of the ministry,
not scandalous in life and conversation, or delinquent to the State,
and of a sober and peaceable behaviour ; and such ministers shall
be forthwith admitted to enjoy their respective living, or otherwise be
comfortably and sufficiently provided.' By another part of the order
a congregation was permitted to choose a minister, similarly qualified
as above, subject, however, to a personal examination and approval
of a committee appointed by the Council, whose determination "was to
be final. These orders were signed by Thomas Herbert, Clerk of the
Council, and are to be found in the Council Book in Dublin Castle.
" The names and titles of congregations of the entire ministers who
received allowances from the Commonwealth are to be found in the
Civil Establishment Entries from 1654 to 1657, among the State
Papers in Dublin Castle, with the annual allowances ; and extracts
from these, but extremely defective, will be found in the appendices
to the second volume of Dr. Reid's History. The only ministers
whose names he has published, as stationed in the County Down, are
the following. We now insert in parentheses the congregational title
or parish where omitted: —
Thomas Johnston. Dromore, .. .. .. .. ^100
Thomas Skelton, Newry, . . . . . . . . 100
Patrick Duncan, Hillsborough (removed'to Drumgoo-
land\ ,£80 made 100
Andrew Wike, Lisnegarvey (should be the united
parishes of Donaghcloney and Tullylish), . . . . 150
Robert Echlin, Strangford (had been chancellor), .. 80
Anthony Buckworth, Maheralyn, .. .. .. .. 60
William Moore, Knock and Breda, ,£25 made .. .. 50
HughGraffan, Magheradrill (now Bally nahinch), ,£25 made 50
" The names of the ministers omitted in this country are 23 ; and, as
we feel assured a complete list will be interesting to the people of this
and the adjoining districts, we give it in extenso: —
Andrew Law, Dundrum and Kilmore, ,£50 made ,£60,
and then . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£100
James Gordon, Comber, .. .. .. .. .. 100
John Drisdale. Portferry, . . . . - . . . . . 100
John Gregg, Newtowne, . . . . . . . . - . 100
Gilbert Ramsay, Bangor, . . . . . . . . . . 100
Thomas Peebles, Kirkdonnell, . . . . . . .- 100
William Richardson, Kilhleagh, .. .. .. .. 100
Andrew Stewart, Donodee, . . . . . . . . 100
Andrew M'Cormick, Magherally, .. .. .. .. 100
Gabriel Cornewall, Balliwoollen, . . . . . . . . 100
Donald Richmond, Hollywood, . . . . . . . . 100
Barnham West, Kilwarly. .. .. .. .. 120
Robert Huettson, Rathfriland, .. .. .. .. 120
Henry Livingstone, Drumboe, .. .. .. .. 100
David Fearful, Drumkad (now Clough); he was Pre-
centor and Rector of Loughinisland and Drumca,
from 15th June, 1657, .. .. .. .. .. 50
Francis Redmeston, or Reddington, Upper Iveagh, .. 100
Anthony Shaw, Ballywalter, . . . . . . . . 100
Michael Bruce, Killinshy, .. .. .. .. 100
John Fleming, Bailee, .. .. .. .. .. 100
Hugh Sherwood, Doune, since March, 1658, . . . . 150
James Cambell, Loughbrickland, . . . . . . 100
Mungo Barnett, or Bennet, Drumaragh, not stated.
Alexander Hutchinson, Tonachnieve (now Saintfield), . . 60
"schoolmasters.
John Newcome, Downpatrick, . . . . . . . . 20
William Halston, Lisnegarvey, .. .. .. . 40
John Cornewall, Belfast, . .. .. .. .. 30
"An account in Thurloe's State Papers (vol. vi., p. 596) shews the
entire amount paid in Ireland for ministers' and schoolmasters'
salaries, in the years 1656 and 1657, t0 nave Deen ^34. H 1 i3 5 8d;
the revenue received in 1656 from tirhes and glebes, bishops' and
crown lands in the Counties of Down, Antrim, and Armagh, being
^3,877 os 4d. At this time Coll. Henry Markham was receiver of all
rents, profits, and revenuesjrom parochial tithes and glebes, at the
annual salary of ^500.
"Dr. Reid observes that of the list published by him, with the ex
ception of six ministers, who were Presbyterians, and perhaps a
dozen Episcopalians, the remaining one hundred and thirty were
Independents or Baptists ; but however that may be, of the list it is
quite certain that many more Presbyterians received allowances, for
instance Fleming, of Bailee; Livingstone, of Drumboe; Gregg, of
Newtownards; Cornwall, of Balliwoollen: Richardson, of Killyleagh;
Hutchinson, of Tonaghnieve; Gordon of Comber; Drisdale, of Porta-
ferry; Ramsay, of Bangor; Peebles of Kirkdonnel ; Stewart, of
Donaghadee; M'Cormick, of Magherally; Campbell, of Lough-
brickland ; and Bruce, of Killinchy ; the latter being considered one
of the Fathers of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland: all being
ejected by Bishop Taylor for non-conformity in 1661 — Bennet of
Dromara ; Law, of Dundrum, afterwards Rector of Kilmegan and
Vicar of Maghera ; Graffan of Ballynahinch, afterwards Vicar of
Saintfield, being those who conformed. Considering the change in
the value of money, which Dr. Reid estimates as one to ten, making
the then allowance of .£100 equal to £t, 000 at present, we must admit
that Cromwell was anything but an illiberal supporter of the ministers."
— Account of the Parish 0/ Inch, printed in the Downpatrick
Recorder.
Appendix M. contains copy of a hitherto imprinted In-
quisition of 1675, in which the reader will find much
curious and valuable information relating to ecclesiastical
matters in the county of Down. The original is in the
possession of the right rev. Robert Knox, D. D. bishop of
Down and Connor, who kindly permitted it to be transcribed
for this work. The copy in the Appendix was carefully
made by J. W. Hanna, esq.
61 Kilmore and Ardagh. — This was Robert Maxwell,
eldest son of Robert Maxwell and Isabella Seton his wife.
Robert Maxwell the elder had come to Ireland in the year
1 609, and was, soon after his arrival, appointed chancellor of
Connor; in the following year he was promoted to be dean
of Armagh. His eldest son, Robert, mentioned in the text,
was a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, and, in 1622,
held the office of chaplain to the lord lieutenant. In 1625,
he succeeded his father in the two appointments of chan-
cellor of Connor and dean of Armagh. In 1628, he was
advanced by royal presentation to the archdeaconry of Down.
Whilst rector of Tynan (to which living he was presented
on the 22d November, 1625), he suffered much at the out-
break of the rebellion in 1641, the insurgents having
plundered his house and then burned it, together with all
his books and papers. On the 22nd of March, 1643,
(Cotton, Fasti, vol. iii. p. 167), he was appointed
to the bishopric of Kilmore, from which during the
time of the commonwealth, he received a yearly allowance
of £\io — equivalent to ^1,200 of our money. Henry
Leslie, bishop of Down and Connor, received a similar
allowance ; and John Leslie, bishop of Raphoe, got
;£ioo, which was increased, in 1655, to ,£120, on ac-
count of his distressed condition and numerous family. For
this liberality on the part of Henry Cromwell, bishop Max-
well expressed his gratitude by means of the Latin poem
referred to in the text, in which the lord deputy is truly de-
scribed as mitissi?nus prorex. Never, perhaps, did any
viceroy better deserve this title. DelicicE humani generis
was a phrase used by the Romans when speaking of their
good emperor, Titus Flavius, Sabinus Vespasianus, who
reigned from A.D. 79 to Si. He was the worthy successor
of his father, Vespasian. During his whole life, Titus dis-
played a sincere desire for the happiness of his people,
doing all in his power to relieve them during any period of