User:Jnestorius/Irish boroughs enfranchised

• User:Jnestorius/Resources#Irish Parliament
• Irish House of Commons#Constituencies

Quotes

"towns which had emerged by the 1370s as being of parliamentary status were Athenry, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford, Wexford, and Youghal."

before the Tudor conquest, largest was 12 towns [and 15 counties; but maybe when reduced to 4 counties there were extra towns within them?]

1299/1300 Parl, places taxed, may have been sort-of represented; two lists:

• • first list includes Drogheda, Dublin, New Ross, Waterford, Kilmeadan, Stradbally, Dungarvan, Limerick, Emly, Cork, Youghal, Cashel, Clonmel, Athassel Priory, Carrick-on-Suir?, Ardfinnan, Nenagh, Modreeny, Thurles, Fethard (Tipp.), Modeshil (Tipp.), Kilkenny.
  • second list (proctors of monasteries? all in Limerick?) includes Adare, Rathkeale [Rathgal], Askeaton [Inskefty], Dermoth, ___ Aisy, Grene [?= Grenan, ie Thomastown?]
• Better translation here.
• Betham 1834's scepticism partially supported by Clarke 1926.

Close Roll 3 Edward II No.63 (1310)

To all sheriffs [etc.]. ORDER to cause the election of two knights from every shire and two citizens or burgesses from every city or borough, to be at Kilkenny on 9 Feb. with full power on behalf of the communities of the said counties, cities and boroughs, to parley, treat and ordain with the Jcr and council and the other peers of the said land on the same matters, and to do and consent to the ordinances to be ordained by them there. This writ was followed on the roll by the proceedings in that parliament

1315 pseudo-assembly included Irish chiefs, English lords, and 7 boroughs: Dub Wat Cork Ross Drog Kilk Trim.

No names or numbers of boros from Edward II's poarliaments survive.

Annals of Kinsale

22 Nov., 1374. Writs were directed to Kinsale, among other places, to return members to parliament. Summonses bearing date 25 March, 137x, 22 Jan., 1377, 11 Sep., 1380, 29 April, 1382, were also directed to other places. No other Summons to Parliament remains upon record prior to 1559 (2d Eliz.) ; by which it appears that the House of Commons was then composed of 76 Members; and by the subsequent returns of the following members: 1559, 76 members ; 1585, 122 do.,. 1613, 232 do.,. 1634, 254 do.,. 1639, 254 do.,. 1661, 274 do.,. 1692, 300 do., which continued thereafter to be the number. (Lib. Mun.)

"Parliament, Places for which Writs were issued, for a General Election, from A.D. 1374 to 1559" Lib. Mun. Vol II Part VII page 161.

Martin 1843:

The most ancient summons extant for convening an Assembly or Parliament in Ireland, bears date 25 March, 1371, when the following places only were directed to return members to Parliament :—

County of Dublin (4 Knights,) Liberty of Meath, Cross of Meath, Counties of Loueth, Kildare, and Catherlagh, City of Dublin, and Towns of Drogheda and Dundalk. Total members summoned, twenty.

The writs hearing date, November 22, 1374, were, County of Dublin, (2 Knights,) Counties Kildare, Catherlagh, Loueth, Waterford, Corke, and Limerick; Liberties of Ulster, Meath, Wexford, Tipperary, and Kerry; Crosses of Ulster, Meath, Wexford, Tipperary, and Kerry; Cities of Dublin, Corke, Waterford, and Limerick; and Towns of Drogheda, Yoghill, Kinsale, Ross, Wexford, and Kilkenny. Total, fifty four.

In 1397, the writs were in number sixty-two ; and in addition to the foregoing places, the Counties of Clare and Longford are mentioned, also the Towns of Galway and Athney.

In 1380 and in 1382, the writs were reduced to fifty-eight.

No other summons to Parliament remains on record prior to 1559, (2 Elizabeth,) when the House of Commons was composed of 76 members. In 1585, the number was augmented to 122; in 1613 to 232; in 1634 to 254; in 1639 to 274, and in 1692 to 300 members, at which number it remained until the Union.

Norman Meath settlements:

The uppermost stratum was composed of the five walled boroughs of Trim, Kells, Navan, Athboy and Drogheda-on-the-side-of-Meath ... The intermediate stratum ... smaller, unwalled settlements, Slane, Nobber, Dunshaughlin, Dunboyne, Duleek, Skreen and Ratoath, which acted as capite baroniae ... Although they were unwalled, ... all possessed borough status.

Curtis:

[p.190] With the assembly, which was the response to the writs issued in 1295 to these nine counties and four liberties, the councils which dated from the reign of John expanded into Parliaments ; and the assemblies which met after 1295 were even better entitled to the name of Parliaments, as the classes of society represented were increased^ To one held in 1311, also under Wogan, not only knights for counties but citizens and burgesses for cities and boroughs were summoned; and in 1360 a further addition to the representation was made by the enfranchisement of portions of the counties of Meath, Kilkenny, Wexford, and Tipperary, which were under ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and were known as the Crosses [cites Ball who cites Lynch]

[p.193] Before Jeunes began his creation of boroughs there were in Ireland forty-four towns in which the municipal corporations are supposed to have existed by prescription, or in which there are traces of municipal bodies prior to the reign of James I.

[p.194] In England, not every corporate borough sent members to the unreformed House of Commons ; but in Ireland, from the reign of Charles II to the Union, every city and corporate borough could elect two members. From 1692 they all elected

Ball:

[p.12] Sir John Davis asserts that until the 34th year of the reign of Henry VIII. , when Meath was divided, the number of members of the House of Commons could not have amounted to over a hundred. The counties previously ere, he says, twelve besides the liberty of Tipperary, the cities four, and the boroughs not above thirty. [See Address of Sir John Davis, as Speaker of the House of Commons, to Sir Arthur Chichester, then Deputy, afterwards referred to. Davis treats Tipperary as two counties : this is because there was the liberty of Tipperary, and the cross of Tipperary. ] Any addition to these numbers before the reign of Queen Elizabeth could have been only from the subdivision of Meath and the formation of the King's and Queen's Counties. Her first House of Commons, called immediately on her accession to the crown (A.D. 1560), seems to have numbered only 76 ; twenty members from ten counties, and fifty-six from twenty-eight cities and boroughs.

Davis 1613 cited by Ball:

Lynch 1831

• It appears that no class of ancient cities or towns was empowered by charter to send members to Parliament ; on the contrary, writs were sent to the Sheriffs of counties, ordering them to summon all cities and towns within their jurisdiction; but as to the number or names of the places to be summoned, such writs were wholly silent. The Sheriffs however, in whose local knowledge, discretion, and fidelity the King necessarily confided, summoned all places, whether incorporated by charter or otherwise, of sufficient importance at the period ; but when the same places afterwards declined in population and consequence, they were not summoned by the succeeding Sheriffs, in whose returns it will be frequently found stated that there were not within their jurisdiction any cities or boroughs which could send citizens or burgesses to Parliament, propter eorum paupertatem et debilitatem. (p.16)
• No Parliamentary Rolls of Henry [III]'s reign now exist in Ireland; but the frequency of those writs, and several entries of supplies in men and money voted to the King on different occasions, leave little doubt that Parliaments were accordingly convened, and that the third estate, including Citizens and Burgesses, then had summons to and voices in the Parliament of Ireland (p.24)
• In the third of Edward the Second [1310], the King sent his writ to the Justiciary of Ireland to convene a Parliament for obtaining assistance against Robert Bruce; accordingly the Justiciary issued his writs of summons for a Parliament at Kilkenny to the Prelates, the Peers, and to the Sheriffs, to summon two knights out of every county, and TWO CITIZENS or BURGESSES OUT OF EVERY CITY OR BOROUGH, (p.28-29)
• Writs for a similar aid were sent by the King into Ireland in the year 1313, to the Prelates, Peers, and to the Mayor, Bailiffs, and "probis hominibus^^ of Dublin, Ross, Waterford, Cork, and Limerick, and to the Bailiffs and "probis hominibus" of Dundalk, Wexford, Youghal, Cashel, Kilkenny, Carlow, and Trim, requesting their " consilium et juvamen. These writs are preserved on the Rolls in the Tower ; but as there is no Close Roll now in Ireland of that year, we cannot trace the Justiciarys writ of summons, or the proceedings of the Parliament so convoked. (p.29)
• Commons resolution of 1614 that any borough in 1585 or earlier Parl retained right for future Parls. (pp.31-32)
• In a statute also which was passed soon after [Stat. Roll, Chan. Dub. 1 Rich. III (=1483–4)], the Legislature recognised the franchises and liberties of those towns to be vested in the inhabitants, citizens or burgesses, without distinction ; for on that occasion it was enacted that the coin then newly issued should pass current ; and that if the inhabitants, citizens or burgesses of Waterford, Wexford, Ross, Kilkenny, Dungarvan, Youghal, Cork, Kinsale, Kilmallock, Limerick, Galway, and Athenry (all ancient Parliamentary boroughs) should refuse same, they should forfeit and lose their franchises until they paid a fine to the King ["Forfaicte et perdire lour fraunchizes" &c.] (pp.47-8
• Inistioge 1593 pled "returned members to Parl from time immemorial" (pp. 54-55)
• "In the Exchequer Roll of the year 1300, and in many other Court Rolls both before and after that period, we find the word “Communitas” set down with reference to Tullaghrath, Athmean, and other inconsiderable villages, which never at any period were Parliamentary boroughs, or had within them a corporate body by charter or prescription; and in this way it may be perceived that the word was used in its extensive signification when introduced into records of that age" (p.64)

Graham's 1988 list of medieval Irish "mercantile town"s (a higher category than "borough", many of which latter were rural):

Major

Cork, Drogheda-Louth, Drogheda-Meath, Dublin, Dungarvan, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford, Wexford, Youghal

Lesser

Ardee, Carlow, Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Clonmel, Dundalk, Kildare, Kilmallock, Loughrea, Nenagh, Thomastown, Thurles, Trim

Unlike Parliament of England, C14 personal summons to P of I did not create hereditary barony. List of such there includes (for years other than 1370) some of those listed by Butler as knight of shire elected in 1370. Someone else [ZZZ WHO?] (p.315) likewise says James de la Hyde (elected for Meath in 1370) got personal summons in 1374.

Moody 1939:

An act of 1542 provided that the representatives of both counties and towns were to be ' elected by the greater number of the inhabitants of the said counties, cities and towns being present at the said election,' but at the same time, following an English act of 1430 (8 Henry VI, c. 7), restricted the county franchise to persons having freeholds worth at least 40s. a year. It also required members of parliament to be resident in their constituencies.[33 Henry VIII, sess. 2, c. 1 {Ir. Stat., i. 205-7)]

At the first meeting of the lower house after the appointment of a speaker (21 Jan. 1569), Sir Christopher Barnewell, the opposition's candidate for the office, backed by most of the members for the Pale, and especially those for the counties of Dublin and Meath, denounced the parliament as illegal, on the ground (1) that burgesses had been returned for towns which were not incorporated, (2) that certain sheriffs and mayors had returned themselves, and (3) that numerous Englishmen had been returned as members for towns to which some of them were strangers and in which none were resident. It was this last grievance that rankled most. After four days of angry disputing, the matter was referred to the lord deputy, Sir Henry Sidney, and the judges, who decided that members to whom the first two objections applied should be dismissed from the house, but that the rest should remain. In other words, the residence requirement, though unrepealed, was to be regarded as obsolete and unenforceable.

• • uncited source for Barnewell The Svpplie Of This Irish Chronicle, Continued From The Death Of King Henrie The Eight, 1546, Vntill This Present Yeare 1586, In The 28 Yeare Of Hir Maiesties Reigne, Sir Iohn Perot Residing Deputie In Ireland by John Hooker

In 1560 Parliament seats for Privy Council of Ireland members were obtained in "decayed boroughs such as Carlingford and Carrickfergus".

Smith 1892:

p.379 Obscurity prevails as to the time when burgesses were admitted to the Irish Parliaments, but it was probably not earlier than the time of Edward III. They appear in 1341, when Edward's Lord Deputy, Sir John Morris, brought forward sweeping measures for breaking down the ascendency of the great Anglo-Irish lords. Great excitement prevailed over these measures, and in order to allay it the Lord Deputy summoned a Parliament lords. to meet at Dublin in October, 1342 ; but the Earl of Desmond and many others peremptorily refused to attend, and held a general convention or assembly of their own at Kilkenny in November, to which were summoned deputies from various corporations. This rebel Parliament adopted a long and spirited remonstrance to the King, setting forth the rights which they had inherited from their ancestors, their claims to the royal favour and protection, and the injustice of the ordinances now issued against them. Edward's reply was generally favourable; he confirmed the grants of his predecessors, and restored those lands granted by himself which had been resumed where there had been sufficient cause for the original gift. In an ordinance of 1359 the Commons are clearly specified as an essential part of Parliament ; but Coke Commons was of opinion that before this time " the conventions in Ireland were not so much Parliaments as assemblies of great men." Theoretically this view may not be strictly correct, but practically no doubt it is so.

pp.387-8 With regard to the Parliamentary representation of Ireland in the seventeenth century, it appears that in seventeen counties out of the thirty-two into which Ireland was finally parcelled, there was no town that returned burgesses before the reign of James I., and the whole number in the rest was not more than thirty. James created some forty boroughs or more, and the number of the Commons in 1613 was 232. From time to time it received augmentations, until it reached the high figure of 300 in 1692.

MCI 1835 Report p.6: In the course of our Inquiry we have observed traces, in the public records of early date, of the existence of Municipal Corporations, or authorities, in many other ancient towns but have not found any later indication or recognition of those bodies, or that the towns at any time returned Members to Parliament.

Patent Roll 6 Henry V No.14 sheriffs ordered to make proclamation [to Thomas Butler to answer in court] in "all cities, boroughs, market towns and other places within their bailiwicks"; lists of places in Dublin, Kildare, and Wexford follow.

MODUS TENENDI PARLIAMENTA (Patent Roll 6 Henry V No.15; 12 Jan. 1419)

[5] Also in the same manner the K. shall instruct the mayors, bailiffs, provosts of cities and free boroughs that by the common assent of their community they shall elect two citizens or burgesses etc., as mentioned above concerning the knights. And that the expenses of the two citizens or burgesses shall not exceed ½m a day.

[16] [...] if in these deliberations all or even the greater part of each grade do not agree, then from each grade of parliament except the K. one shall be elected. Let all of them or the greater number of them elect two bishops and three proctors for all the clergy, two earls, three barons, five knights of the counties, five citizens and five burgesses, which compose twenty-five persons, and from these they themselves shall be able to elect twelve and they shall reduce themselves, and these twelve to six, and they shall reduce themselves, and these six to three, and they shall reduce themselves, and then by the licence of the K. these three to two, and these two can reduce into one or the other who cannot disagree with himself, and his decision will be on behalf of the whole parliament, unless the greater number are able to agree, saving to the K. and council that these ordinances after they have been written are examined and corrected if it is so decided in full parliament and not elsewhere and with the full consent of parliament.

Crooks 2010:

One noticeable trend in the period 1370–1420 was the emergence of a clearer demarcation between 'lords' and 'commons', as lists of major landholders in Ireland who received individual summonses to parliament became standardised. (p.22)

The list of those who received writs of summons to the Dublin Parliament of Hilary 1375 is extensive: some 42 lay nobles were summoned. In the early years of the reign of Richard II, this number slumped to 28 and then 22; by the close of the Middle Ages, the average number of parliamentary peers had dwindled to 12. Many of those who received a personal summons in the 1370s must, therefore, have been relegated to the status of elected representatives within a few short years. It is also likely that the knights elected for their shires were commonly junior members of families whose head was emerging as a parliamentary peer. (p.23)

Clarke 1926 [Crooks 2010 is very critical of her]:

Parliament, as a gathering of estates including representatives of the commons, cannot be traced further back than 1297, when the Justiciar summoned not only the magnates, but representatives of shires and liberties, to assemble at Dublin. By the end of Edward II's reign the practice of summoning citizens and burgesses had been established. The main work of Parliament seems to have been either judicial business or legislation and arbitration between factions. The idea of revenue based on parliamentary taxation did not appear until the succeeding reign, and even then it was received with surprise and anger. ... In 1300, for example, Edward I demanded a subsidy for the war in Scotland, and sent a general writ to his earls, barons, knights and faithful subjects, and special writs to the cities and boroughs of Ireland. The Justiciar, John Wogan, summoned a Parliament; before it met he visited twenty-three towns in Leinster and Munster and extracted promises of contribution varying in amount from one to 260 marks. Parliament requested him to raise the rest of the subsidy by further piecemeal negotiation. The counties, liberties, cross lands (ecclesiastical estates), and boroughs contributed in this way £2,361 6s. 8d.; the magnates served in person in the Scottish campaign of 1301. [pp.66-7]

Aubrey Gwynn 1953:

The first occasional appearance of representatives of the commons, from town or county, in the Irish parliament is due to the need of gaining consent for some special, perhaps local levy ; but the regular appearance of these representatives does not become a normal feature of parliament in this country until the end of the fourteenth century. Presumably they stood with their speaker below the bar of the house, as at West minster-but all details are lacking. In the parliament of 1420-21, for which we have better documentation than usual, we know that eleven counties and ten towns were represented by twenty-four knights and eighteen burgesses. [p.217]

Carew MS p.135 [1611]:

The ancient cities of Ireland will return Protestants, as we conceive, Dublin, — 1 ; Waterford, Limerick, Cork, cities newly created, Kilkenny, Derry, — 2.

Ancient borough towns which are also counties : Drogheda, Gallowaye, Knockefergus, 2.

Ancient boroughs which are not counties, but send burgesses to the Parliament : Kinsall ; Youghall, 2 ; Kilraalocke ; Rosse; Wexford; Dungarvan; Athenrye; Tryme, 1; Athboye; Navan ; Kells ; Down Patricke, 1 ; Dinglecoush ; Atherdie ; Dundalk ; Cai'lingford, 1 ; Swords, 1 ; Callane ; Enistioge ; Thomastone ; Clonmell ; Cashall ; Naas ; Kildare, 1 ; Molingare ; Phillipstone, 2 : Marlborough, 2 ; Fetherde [which?].

Boroughs newly created with power to send burgesses to the Parliament : Athlone, 1 ; Cavan, 1 ; Gauran.

We find that all the cities and towns before named sent burgesses to the last Parliament, held in the time of Sir John Perrott's government, (the city of Derry, and the towns of Athlone, Cavan, and Gauran excepted,) which are since that time created and enabled to send burgesses likewise. Out of these 40 corporations we may expect 28 Protestants and may hope for more, by reason many of them sent men of that religion the last time.

Moody 1939 on boroughs disallowed 1613 as charter postdated writs: MPs sat in first session. Also ?Gowran disallowed as not eligible; did a later charter re-enfranchise?

Ellis 2014:

Scarce evidence about the precise level of attendance in late medieval parliaments suggests that at the first parliament held in accordance with Poynings' Law, at Dublin in March 1499 and at the recently rebuilt town of Castledermot in August, representation in the commons was 32 out of a possible 46 members

Journals HCI

Index to Journals of the House of Commons of Ireland Vols. 1-11 sv "Borough" pp.110–112:

1614	Agreed by the Committees, that no cities or boroughs that ſent citizens or burgeſſes to Parliament in the twenty-eighth of Queen Elizabeth or before, ſhall be queſtioned; and entered as an order of the Houſe	I. Vol. P. 15.
	Warrants awarded from the Houſe to the Rolls to bring into the grand Committee the enrollments of two charters, one of the College of Dublin, another of Newcaſtle near Lyons, enabling them to ſend burgeſſes	I. Vol. P. 15.
1634	The King's Attorney General deſired admittance, and being admitted, informed the Houſe on behalf of his Majeſty, that burgeſſes are returned to this Parliament for the towns of Fower, Clonmyne, Tamun and Bannoe, and that he hath made ſearch and doth find no charter on record, whereby the ſaid towns are made corporations, and therefore deſired they might ſhew by what charter, privilege or preſcription, they challenged to ſit as Members of the Houſe	I. Vol. P. 115.
	The Burgeſſes of the ſaid towns ordered to attend the Committee of privileges, to ſhew by what charter, privilege or preſcription, they are returned as Burgeſſes	I. Vol. P. 116.
	Ordered, that the ſovereign or chief officer of the ſaid ſeveral corporations have further warning by the burgeſſes returned for the ſame, to appear the firſt meeting of the next ſeſſion, to ſhew what authority they have to ſend burgeſſes to Parliament, and alſo that notice be given to the ſheriffs of Weſtmeath and Wexford, to appear at the ſame time, and ſhew what authority they had to ſend their precepts to ſaid Corporations	I. Vol. P. 150.
	The conſideration of the ſaid corporations referred to the Committee of privileges	I. Vol. P. 156.
	Ordered upon queſtion by the Houſe, that the liſt of the names of the corporations preſented to this Houſe, which were petitioned againſt, ſhall not be received into this Houſe, but is rejected	I. Vol. P. 150.
	Ordered, that Mr. Juſtice Donnellan and Mr. Martin, ſhall ſearch the records for all ſuch corporations that ſhall be objected againſt, and ſhall make report of their doings therein	I. Vol. P. 150.
	The burgeſſes of Ardfert, Old Laughlin, Downe and Clogher, ordered to attend the Committee of privileges, to ſhew by what charters or preſcriptions they come into Parliament	I.Vol. P.172.
	Committee of privileges impowered to ſend to any perſon or perſons for any writings, charters or evidences, concerning the town of Downe or any other corporation	I. Vol. P. 175.
1640	The Speaker ordered to renew his warrants to the Clerk of the Crown of his Majeſty's high Court of Chancery, for iſſuing writs to return burgeſſes for the boroughs of Newcaſtle, Naas, Atherdee, Bannow, Taghmon and Clonmyne	I. Vol. P. 269.
	The borough of Fower in the county of Weſtmeath, re-committed to the Committee of privileges	I. Vol. P. 269.
1641	Ordered, that as many corporations have been vexed of late with quo warrantoes, allowances being formerly given to their franchiſes, the Houſe diſſolve itſelf into a grand Committee, to confider a remedy for the ſaid grievance	I. Vol. P. 453.
1662	Sir William Domville, Attorney-general, informs the Houſe, that certain boroughs which are not capacitated to ſend, nor ever before ſent Members to Parliament, have now ſent; but he would not file quo warrantoes till he had the pleaſure of the Houſe ſignified to him.
	A Committee appointed to inquire into the ſame	II. Vol. P. 31.
	The Houſe make anſwer to the Attorney-general, that they judge the caſe of quo warrantoes to be cognizable by themſelves	II. Vol. P. 39.
	The Attorney-general replies, that informations were given to him againſt the corporations of Drogheda and Galway, and explains the grounds of the ſame, and the duty incumbent on him to ſend out quo warrantoes	II. Vol. P. 40.
	A Committee appointed to deſire the Lords Juſtices may interpoſe and ſuſpend the iſſuing of quo warrantoes, till a further ſettlement of the Kingdom	ibid.
1692	Referred to the Committee of privileges to conſider and report how they find the matter of fact as to new charters granted to the boroughs, which have notheretofore ſent Members to Parliament both in reſpect to the charters and the trade and circumſtances of the boroughs	II. Vol. P. 590.
	Reſolution, that Blefington is legally a free borough, confirmed by the Houſe	II.Vol. P. 594, 595.
	The report concerning the other boroughs is recommitted	II. Vol. P. 595.
	Report confirmed, that Middleton, Caſtlemartyr, Rathcormuck and Doneraile, are legal boroughs	II. Vol. P. 608, 609.

On which, MCI I "Fore" p. 175 s.2 has:

It appears, by an entry in the Journals of the Irish House of Commons, vol. i. p. 115, that the then Attorney General informed the House that “ Fower" returned Members to Parliament, although he could find no charter on record relating to them. The burgesses were ordered to attend the House, and ultimately two Members were appointed to search the records "for all such corporations" as were objected to, and to report accordingly. I have searched in vain for the report.

CSPI 1611–14

Index p.565 s.v. "Boroughs"

No. 643. Counties and Boroughs sending Burgesses to Parliament

[1 April 1613.] The names of the counties, and of the boroughs within each county in this kingdom, which are enabled, by charter, to send burgesses to the Parliament, with a distinction of the old boroughs from the new.

• Leinster.
  • The University of Dublin, new.
  • The county of the city of Dublin.
  • The county of Dublin. { Swords, an old borough ; Newcastle of the Lyons, new.
  • The county of Meath. — Trim, Athboye, Navan, Kelles, all old.
  • Westmeath. — Molengare [Mullingar] and Athlone, old ; Kilbeggan, new.
  • Longford. — None in the whole county, there being no town fit for it.
  • Louth. — Atherdie [Ardee], Dundalke, Carlingford, old.
  • The county of the town of Drogheda.
  • Kildare. — The Nasse [Naas], Kildare, old.
  • King's County. — Phillipstown, old.
  • Queen's County. Marieborough, old ; Ballynekill in Gallen Ridgway, new.
  • Catherlagh. — None in the whole county, there being no town fit for it.
    • [Note in margin in Chichester's hand: " The town of Catherlagh is, since the writing of the former, made a borough." ]
  • The county of the city of Kilkenye.
  • The county of Kilkenye.— Callen, Enishtioge, Thomastoune, Gowran, old.
  • Wexford. — Wexford, Rosse, old; Federd [Fethard], Eniscortie, new.
  • Wicklowe. — The town of Wicklowe, new.
• Mounster.
  • The county of the city of Waterford.
  • The county of Waterford. — Dungarvan, old ; Lismore, Tallow, new.
  • The county of the city of Cork.
  • The county of Cork. — Youghell, Kinselle [Kinsale], old ; Mallowe, Bandonbridge, Baltimore, new.
  • The county of the city of Limericke.
  • The county of Lymericke. — Kilmalocke, old ; Acketinge [Askeaton], new;
  • Clare, Enishe [Ennis], new ;
  • Kierye [Kerry], Dinglecuish [Dingle-i-Coosh], old ; Tralye, new ;
  • Crosse Tipperarie, Cashell, Fetherd, old.
  • The liberty of Typperarie. — Clonmell, old.
• Conaught.
  • The county of the town of Gallaway.
  • The county of Gallaway. — Athenrye, old ; Tuam, new.
  • The county of Roscomon. — Roscomon, Boyle, new.
  • Mayo. — Castlebarr, new.
  • Sligo. — Sligo, new.
  • Leytrime. — Carraghdrumruske [Carrick-on-Shannon], new.
• Ulster.
  • The county of the town of Knockfargus.
  • The county of Antrim. — Belfast, Colrain, new.
  • Down. — Down Patricke, old ; Newry, Bangore, Newtowne, Killaleagh, new.
  • Armagh. — Armagh, Charlemount, new.
  • Tyrone. — Dungannon, Agher, Strabane, new.
  • The county of the city of the Derrye.
  • The county of Dunegall. — Liffer, Ballashan [Ballyshannon], Donegall, new.
  • The county of Colraine. — Lemavadie, new.
  • The county of Fermanagh. — Enishkellan [Enniskillen], new.
  • The county of Monahan. — Monahan, new.
  • The county of Cavan. — Cavan, old ; Belturbett, new.

No. 821. QUESTIONS touching the ELECTIONS of KNIGHTS, CITIZENS, and Burgesses for the Parliament in Ireland

• And whether burgesses, being returned from old boroughs now and of long time waste and void of inhabitants, may be removed from the Parliament by the Lower House or not ?
• And whether, if such persons be returned by the sheriff or other head officers, the allowance of the Lord Chancellor doth not so enable them, as they may not be removed upon those exceptions, or whether they, being effectual, the Lower House are competent persons or judges to move or determine these points?

[no answer attached]

No. 864. The King to Lord Chichester

[7 August 1614] whereas the members who departed complain first of the multitude of the new boroughs erected just before the meeting of Parliament, have now acknowledged his lawful power, both to incorporate and to enable them to send burgesses to the Parliament, but have requested him to consider the fitness thereof, he now by the advice of this Council, declares that the burgesses of eight of the boroughs erected since the issuing of the writs of summons of this Parliament, shall forbear to sit in this Parliament only, viz., of Tullogh, Lismore, Clonakilty, Carlow, Fetherd (in co. Wexford), Agher, Belfast, and Charlemont. That the burgesses returned for Kildare and Cavan being found by the commissioners lately sent thither to be falsely returned, to forbear to sit in that House, unless re-elected. And the Clerk of the Rolls having certified that the boroughs of Clogher, Athlone, and Gowran have no power by charter or prescription to send burgesses to Parliament, shall likewise forbear to sit in this Parliament. But all the rest returned are to be admitted as lawfully elected ; all which he (Lord Chichester) is to make known to the House of Commons there.

Other notes

1420 parl 11 counties and liberties, 10 boroughs.

James I patent for Parsonstown (26 June 1620) had provision to make it a parliamentary borough, but this was never implemented.

More than two burgesses

Where CP lists more than 2 in 1585, return pp.141-2 sometimes only shows two, so third must be later that year?

• Galway B 1585 (Peter Lynche, Jonoke Lynce, Robert French Fitz-John --- Peter Lynch and Ja. Lynche)
• Dundalk 1585 (Richard Bellewe, Thomas Bathe, John Monye --- Ric. Bellewe, Tho. Bath, John Moore)
• Kells 1585 (Thomas Fleming, Nicholas Dax, Patrick Plunket --- Tho. Ffleminge and Ni. Dax)
• Kells 1661 (John Forth, Arthur Purefoy, Richard Stephenson jun, Robert Shapcott (returned by a separate indenture but did not sit.) --- NA
  • Same four and note in an 1854 source. I think Robert Shapcott may have sat elsewhere: so Kells 1661 is either double return or misattribution.
• Sligo C 1585 (Sir Valentine Brown [Kerry], John Crofton, John Marbury --- Sir Valantyn Browne, Ja. Crofton, Jo. Marbury)

Porritt notes 1613 three MPs for Cork County.

Other sources

• Re 1560 Parl: "All of the twenty-nine boroughs, excepting Kilmallock, appear to have returned two members each to the House of Commons."
• 1560 as well "Downpatrick and Carrickfergus made no returns ; but as the counties Cork and Sligo, for some unknown reason, each returned three, the actual number of members was 124"

Table

Borough	Year	Source	MCI 1835 page App.1 indexes: Pt.I Pt.II Pt.III
Antrim Borough	26 February 1665 [1666]		643
Ardee	1613 at latest		649
Ardfert	1639		275
Armagh Borough	26 March 1613		669
Askeaton	30 March 1613		281
Athboy	1560 at latest		117
Athenry	1378		285
Athlone	10 December 1606		123
Athy	1560 at latest		139
Augher	15 April 1613		975
Ballynakill	10 December 1612		147
Ballyshannon	23 March 1613		1003
Baltimore	25 March 1613		3
Baltinglass	1664		151
Banagher	1629		155
Bandonbridge	30 March 1613		5
Bangor	18 March 1613		687
Bannow	1692 at latest; after 1614		447
Belfast	27 April 1613		695
Belturbet	30 March 1613		977
Blessington	1670		161
Boyle	25 March 1613		1007
Callan	22 April 1585 exact		449
Carlingford	1613 at latest [13??]		735
Carlow Borough	19 April 1613		163
Carrick-on-Shannon	30 March 1613		1013
Carysfort	1629		455
Cashel	1585 at latest		459
Castlebar	26 March 1613		293
Castlemartyr	1676		11
Cavan Borough	15 November 1610		987
Charlemont	29 April 1613		789
Charleville	1673		15
Clogher	1692 at latest; after 1614		995
Clonakilty	5 March 1613		19
Clonmel	1359 at latest		477
Clonmines	1692 at latest; after 1614		491
Coleraine	25 March 1613		1017
Dingle	1585 at latest		297
Donegal Borough	27 February 1613		1053
Doneraile	1680 [right], 1692 [returned]		59
Downpatrick	1585		795
Duleek	1692 at latest; after 1614		171
Dundalk	1374 at latest		889
Dungannon	27 November 1612		909
Dungarvan	1560 at latest		61
Dunleer	1679		915
Ennis	27 February 1613		307
Enniscorthy	25 May 1613		493
Enniskillen	27 February 1613		1059
Fethard Tipp	15 April 1613 [returned]; April 1608 charter		499
Fethard Wex	15 April 1613		507
Fore	1692 at latest; after 1614		175
Gorey (also Newburgh)	1620		509
Gowran	April 1613 (15 September 1608)		515
Granard	1679		1089
Harristown	1684		177
Hillsborough	1662		919
Inistioge	April 1585 at latest		519
Jamestown	1622		1091
Kells	1560 at latest		179
Kilbeggan	27 February 1613		189
Kildare Borough	1560 at latest		195
Killybegs	1616		1097
Killyleagh	10 March 1613		925
Kilmallock	1560 at latest		67
Kinsale	1374 [1334]		73
Knocktopher	19 April 1661		553
Lanesborough	1642		335
Lifford	27 February 1613		1103
Lisburn	1662		931
Lismore	6 May 1613		85
Londonderry City	29 March 1613		1111
Longford Borough	1669		1245
Mallow	27 February 1613		89
Maryborough	1586 [1571]		201
Midleton	1671		93
Monaghan Borough	26 March 1613		939
Mullingar	1560 at latest		1255
Naas	1560 at latest		211
Navan	1560		225
New Ross	1359 at latest		555
Newcastle	30 March 1613 [1983 source suggests definitely this was the first date.]		233
Newry	27 February 1613		961
Newtown Limavady	30 March 1613		999
Newtownards	25 March 1613		955
Old Leighlin	1 July 1634		235
Philipstown	1585 at latest		237
Portarlington	1668		243
Randalstown	1692 [1683]		967
Rathcormack	1692 at latest; charter 1672	MCI I p.97 s.1	97
Ratoath	1692 at latest; after 1614		255
Roscommon Borough	27 February 1613		413
St Canice or Irishtown	8 May 1662		525
St Johnstown Donegal	1618		1283
St Johnstown Longford	1628		1287
Sligo Borough	30 March 1613		1261
Strabane	18 March 1613		1275
Swords	1585 at latest		257
Taghmon	1642 at latest		569
Tallow	1 May 1613		99
Thomastown or Grenan	January 1560 exactly		571
Tralee	31 March 1613		419
Trim	1560 at latest		263
Tuam	30 March 1613		429
Tulsk	1663		443
Wexford Borough	1359 at latest		619
Wicklow Borough	30 March 1613		633
Youghal	1374		103
Carrickfergus	1560 at latest		741
Cork City	1311? 1359 at latest		25
Drogheda	1359 at latest [1299]		801
Dublin City	1311? 1359 at latest		Dublin TOC & 11–16 TOC & 117–308 & errata
Galway Borough	1376 at latest [?recte 1378, ie 1 Rich II?]		315
Kilkenny City	1311? 1359 at latest		531
Limerick City	1311? 1359 at latest		339
Waterford City	1311? 1359 at latest		577

Footnotes

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References

Sources

Primary

• "CIRCLE: A Calendar of Irish Chancery Letters c. 1244–1509". Trinity College Dublin. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
• Justiciary rolls
  • Calendar of the justiciary rolls of Ireland. Vol. 1 1295-1303.
  • Calendar of the justiciary rolls of Ireland. Vol. 2 1305-07.
  • Calendar of the justiciary rolls of Ireland. Vol. 3 1308-14.
• "Parliaments of Ireland, 1559–1695.". Return of the name of every member of the lower house of parliament of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with name of constituency represented, and date of return, from 1213 to 1874. Command papers. Vol. C.69-I. HMSO. 1878. pp. 605–639.
• Russell, C. W.; Prendergast, John P., eds. (1877). 1611–1614. Calendar of the State Papers Relating to Ireland [CSPI]. Vol. Reign of James I, v.4. London: Longmans. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
• Calendar of the Carew manuscripts, preserved in the archiepiscopal library at Lambeth. Vol. 6: 1603–1624. Longmans, Green, Reader, & Dyer. 1873. Retrieved 17 July 2017.

Secondary

• Bagwell, Richard (1909–1916). Ireland under the Stuarts and during the interregnum. London: Longmans, Green. v.1. 1603–1642; v.2. 1642–1660; v. 3. 1660–1690
• Betham, William (1834). The origin and history of the constitution of England, and of the early parliaments of Ireland.
  • pp 273-281 are on the 1299 parliament of Wogan, naming towns (in Latin) which were taxed, and specifying 2, 3, or 4 MPs per shire and borough. Does not say whether named towns sent MPs. Betham doubts the proceedings merit the label "parliament", both for form and function; and most places named were "market towns of little note or character". Some other names -- abbeys and cantreds. All interesting.
  • Better translation in CJR below.
• Burtchaell, George Dames (1888). Genealogical memoirs of the members of Parliament for the county and city of Kilkenny, from the earliest record to the present time, and for the Boroughs of Callan, Thomastown, Inistiogue, Gowran, St. Canice, or Irishtown, and Knocktopher, from their earliest enfranchisement to the Union. Dublin: Sealy, Bryers & Walker. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
• Butler, Richard (1854). Some Notices of the Castle and of the Abbies and other religious houses at Trim (3rd ed.). Trim: W. H. Griffith. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
• Clarke, Maude Violet (1968). Fourteenth Century Studies. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OCLC 504313251.
  • Chapter I (pp.1–35) reprints Clarke, Maude Violet (1926). "Irish Parliaments in the Reign of Edward II". Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. 9: 29–62. doi:10.2307/3678393. ISSN 0080-4401. JSTOR 3678393.
  • Chapter VI (pp.146–241) reprints Clarke, Maude Violet (25 August 1932). "William of Windsor in Ireland, 1369-1376". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature. 41: 55–130. JSTOR 25515963.
• Crooks, P. (2010). "Representation and Dissent: 'Parliamentarianism' and the Structure of Politics in Colonial Ireland, c.1370-1420". The English Historical Review. CXXV (512): 1–34. doi:10.1093/ehr/cep407. ISSN 0013-8266. JSTOR 25639920.
• Hardiman, James (1842). "Appendix II (1560) and III (1585)". A Statute of the fortieth Year of Edward III., enacted in a Parliament held in Kilkenny, A. D. 1367, before Lionel Duke of Clarence, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Now first printed from a MS.in the Library of his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lambeth. With a Translation and Notes. Tracts relating to Ireland. Vol. Vol.II. Dublin: Irish Archaeological Society. pp. 134–142. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help) [1560, 1585 lists]
• Lodge, John (c. 1770). "List of the Members returned to serve in the Parliament of Ireland from the year 1559". Virtual Document Treasury of Ireland. pp. 1–3. NAI LODGE/20/1. [introduction has pre-1559 constituencies lists (1374Mar–74Nov–77–80–82), similar to Lynch 1831; p.2 list of 1377 includes Co. Longford?! — perhaps a misprint for some other county?]
• Lynch, William (1830). "Writs of Military and Parliamentary Summons". A View of the legal institutions, honorary hereditary offices, and Feudal Baronies, established in Ireland, during the reign of Henry II. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green. pp. 288–360. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
• Lynch, William (1831). The Law of Election in the Ancient Cities and Towns of Ireland Traced from Original Records: With an Appendix of Documents. London: Effingham Wilson. pp. Table between pages 30 and 31. {{cite book}}: Invalid |no-pp=Y (help)
• Moody, T.W. (1939). "The Irish Parliament under Elizabeth and James I". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 45 (6): 41–81: 72–75. JSTOR 25516023. [1560, 1585, 1613 lists]
• Richardson, H. G. (Henry Gerald); Sayles, G. O. (George Osborne) (1964). The Irish Parliament in the Middle ages. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved 8 July 2020. p.78 for 1375-78-80-82-94; p.155 for 1401-04; p.179 for 1420-21; p.180 for 1463-83-93; p.189 1444
• Stubbs, [Major-General] Francis William (1920). "County Louth Representatives in the Irish Parliament, 1613-1758". Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society. 4 (4): 311–317. doi:10.2307/27729225. ISSN 1393-2195. JSTOR 27729225.
• Weinbaum, Martin (2010-10-31). "Charters: Ireland". British Borough Charters 1307-1660. Cambridge University Press. pp. 191–229. ISBN 9781108010351. Retrieved 5 June 2017.