Hamilton manuscripts

19
Con's title being but a claim by tanistry, whereby a man at full years is to be chosen and preferred to the estate (during
his life) before a boy, and an uncle before a nephew-heir under age, whose grandfather survived the father ; and so
O'Neyle, and all the rest of the said Lords and captains,
came, by their owne voluntarie accord, into the presence
of your Majestie's said Deputie, being then in Ulster, and
there, with signs and tokens of great repentance, did
humbly submit themselves, their lives, and lands, into your
Majestie's hands, craving your mercy and favour, with
eolemne oathes, arid humble submissions in writing, never
to swerve from that their professed loyaltie and fidelitie to
your Imperiall Crown of England. And, therefore, we
your Majestie's ancient, obedient, time, and faithful sub-
jects of this your realm of Ireland, with these your strayed
and new-reconciled people, fleeing now under the wings
of your grace and mercy, as their onely refuge, most
humbly and lowly make our humble petition unto your
most excellent Majestie, that it would please the same to
behold with your pitiful! eyes the long endured miserie of
your said strayed people, and rather with easie remission,
than with due correction, to looke into their offences past,
and not onely to extend unto them your gracious pardon of
their lives, but also to have such mercifull consideration of
them, as each according to his degree and good hope and
desert may receive of your most bounteous liberalilie such
portions of their sayd several countries to live on by Eng-
lish tenure and profitable reservations, as to your Majestie
shall seem good and convenient ; in the distribution
whereof your Highnesse said Deputie is best able to in-
form your Majestie, as one which by great search and
travayle doth knowe the quantity of the said countreys, the
nature of the soyles, the quality of the people, the diver-
sities of their lynages, and which of them hath best de-
served your Majestie's favor to be extended in this be-
half." And it would appear, from the following documents,
that, in pursuance of the foregoing provision in the statute
of Elizabeth, Con M'Neale Oge, the then captain of Clane-
boy, was not only allowed to remain in peaceable possession
of his lands from the date of the foregoing Act, passed in
1569, but that he became a dutiful subject of her Majesty,
by whom he was knighted ; and that, in 1586, he surrendered
his manor and lordship of Castlereagh, for the purpose of
being re-granted to him to be held of her Majesty, her
heirs and successors ; and that, in 1587, it was re-granted
to him accordingly, in consideration of his faithful services
and allegiance : —
" 24th March, 1586— 28th Elizabeth.— To all to whom
these presents shall come, Con M'Neal Oge, Knight,
sendeth greeting : Know ye that I, the aforesaid knight,
for divers good and reasonable causes me thereunto spe-
cially moving, and for the better government of the County
of Downe, in the Province of Ulster, of my free will, have
given, granted, surrendered, and confirmed to the most
illustrious Princess and Lady, Elizabeth, Queen of Eng-
land, France, and Ireland, and Defender of the Faith,
&c, my whole manor or lordship of Castlereaghe, iu the
County of Downe, and all and singular other manors,
lordships, castles, messuages, lands, tenements, rents,
reversions, towns, townlands, or hamlets, mills, waters,
water-courses, meadows, pastures, feeding of pasture,
trees, woods, underwood, houseB, edifices, granges, dove-
cotes, fisheries, annuities, weirs, pools, advowsons, pat-
ronage of churches, chapels, and courts of every kind,
courts leet, views of frank-pledge, and all the rights, pos-
sessions, lands, and temporal hereditaments whatsoever, of
whatever kind, nature, or species, that may be, or by what-
soever names they are commonly known, with all and
singular the rights, members, and appurtenances to the
aforesaid manor or lordship of Castlereagh and the other
premises aforesaid, belonging, or in any manner apper-
taining, situate, lying, and being in the aforesaid County
of Downe, or elsewhere within this Kingdom of Ireland,
and also the rents, issues, and profits of all and singular the
aforesaid premises above expressed and specified, To Have,
Hold, and enjoy the aforesaid lordship or manor of Castle-
reagh, and all and singular near the aforesaid lordships,
manors, territories, tenements, and other hereditaments
whatsoever above mentioned, with all and singular their
rights, members, and appurtenances to the aforesaid Lady
our Queen, and her successors for ever, to the use of the
said Lady the Queen, her heirs and successors. In testi-
mony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal, this 2-lth.
day of March, in the 29th year of the reign of our aforesaid
Lady, Queen Elizabeth, a.d. 1586.
" Sib Con, X his marke.
(Seal.)
" Memorandum — That the aforesaid Knight, on the day
and year* aforesaid, made and delivered this his surrender
to the use of the said Lady the Queen, in presence of us
whose names follow, at the Chancery, Dublin.
" RoG. WlLBRAHAM.
"Ro. Legge."
' ( 30th March, 1587— 29th Elizabeth— By the Lord De-
puty Perrott. — Letters Patent enrolled in the Chancery of
Ireland. — To all to whom these presents shall cume, greet-
ing : Whereas our beloved subject Con M'Neale Oge, of
Castlereagh, in the County of Downe, Knight, of his own
free will, in writing, under his seal, sealed, bearing date
the 24th day of March, in the 29th year of our reign, in
this Chancery of Ireland, of record, and enrolled, gave,
granted, and confirmed to us, our heirs and successors, his
manor or lordship of Castlereaghe, in the aforesaid County
of Downe, and all and singular other lordships, manors,
castles, messuages, lands, tenements, rents, reversions,
towns, townlands, or hamlets, services, mills, water-courses,
meadows, pastures, feedings, trees, woods, underwoods,
houses, edifices, granges, dove-cotes, fisheries, waters,
weirs, pools, annuities, advowsons, patronage of churches,
chapels, and courts of every kind, courts leet, views of
frank-pledge, and all privileges to the same belonging, and
all the rights, possessions, customs, privileges, liberties,
and temporal hereditaments whatsoever, of whatever kind,
nature, or species they may be, and by whatever names
they are commonly used or known, with all the rights,
members, and appurtenances to the said lordship or manor
of Castlereagh aforesaid, and other the premises aforesaid
belonging, or in any way appertaining, situate, lying, and
being in our said County of Downe, or elsewhere within
our Kingdom of Ireland, to the intent that we, by our Letters
Patent, should re-grant all and singular the ■premises to the
said Con Oge O'Neile, Knight, and his Jieirs, To Hold of