in breadth with those to the north-and equally well circumstanced in every particular. Indeed it already became apparent that the new town, or as it had been called, South Prior's Land, which had been granted, as we have already seen, to an ancestor of the Earl of Limerick, would, in the course of a few years, supplant the old, and that the seat of trade and commerce, as well as of fashion and wealth, would be changed to the one, to the detriment, and ultimate decay, if not ruin, of the other and the more historic town. To name the streets of Newtown Pery was an object which, was soon accomplished. A palace for the Protestant Bishop, and a mansion house for the Earl of Limerick, were built close to each other, as early as 1784, in an open place, called Henry-street, which was speedily built on at either side, and which enjoyed a desirable situation parallel to the river, with noble views northward and westward.2

But we anticipate events: in 1780, Lady Hartstonge having resolved to bring fever, which now prevailed, under one roof, laid the ground work of one of the most useful charities of which the city of Limerick has had to boast viz., the Fever Hospital, by converting a small house which had been a guardhouse to the citadel of St. John, into a temporary hospital. An association was immediately formed-subscriptions poured in; the families of Hartstonge and Pery gave large sums; and in 1781, an act of Parliament was passed in sustainment of this invaluable institution.3 In the midst of the turmoil and excitement of the times, the Dominican Friars, whose order had been in the city for many centuries-indeed since the days of St. Dominic,

1 Few streets of Limerick (new) had particular names before the year 1786, in which year Sir Christopher Knight, Mayor, made many useful regulations for the city. In his mayoralty the city (old) was paved and lighted with globe lamps, flagged the footways, caused the ancient projecting windows, pent houses and signs to be taken down, most of the streets to be named and boarded labels fixed with the name of the street at each corner. The following are the dates

of some of the names of the streets :

William Street, N. end, July 1st, 1789

Do. S. end, June 2nd, 1789,
Both, 1789.

Crosbie Row, 1791.

Cornwallis Street, August 7, 1799 (called from Lord Cornwallis).
George's Street, 1770 (from King George).

In July and August, 1811, new Board Labels with the names of the streets, were put up through the entire of the new town by order of the Commissioners, for paving, lighting, and watching, &c. 2 The Bishop's palace continues to be the residence of the Protestant Bishop-the Mansion House of the Earls of Limerick has been purchased by Messrs. J. N. Russell and Sons as a store or warehouse in connection with their great linen factory on the North Strand, in which this enterprising firm give employment to great numbers of males and females.

3 This Hospital is capable of containing 500 patients, including convalescent wards, and has attached to it nearly three statute acres of land, airing ground for the patients; it continued to be of essential advantage to the poor of Limerick, until the year 1864, when the Corporation, which, since the enactment of the Improvement Act of 1853, has been the taxing body of the city, and which performs the functions of a Grand Jury in that particular, withdrew the sum which it had annually contributed, in continuation of the Grand Jury grant, for the support of this charity. Six members of the Corporation had been placed on the Hospital Committee some time before, but they withdrew when the grant ceased. In 1846, the Hospital was greatly enlarged, chiefly through the exertions of William John Geary, Esq., M.D. and J.P., lately one of the Medical Inspectors under the Poor Law Act. In times of epidemic it had been of much public service. The County of Limerick Grand Jury continues its support to the Hospital, which receives county patients; and a few patients from the city are also received, in consequence of

according to the ancient Book of the Friars Preachers of Limerick, preserved in the British Museum, rented a house in Fish-lane, off Mary-street' which in 1780 they converted into a chapel. The Augustinian Friars built an excel

certain bequests made for that purpose. The following are the particulars of estated property

...

...

...

400 0 0

12 7 10

Interest on above £427 6s. 8d., new 3 per Cent. Stock, Rent of small houses purchased, 11 4 0 There were eighteen Governors for life in 1864. The Committee is composed of the following:-The Protestant Bishop of Limerick; Edward Bernard, Esq., J.P.; Richard Russell, Esq., J.P.; Joseph Gabbett, Esq.; Reuben Harvey, Esq.; Rev. David Wilson; Rev. John Elmes; John Wilkinson, Esq., M.D.; W. J. Geary, Esq., M.D., and J.P.; Patrick M Namara, Esq.

I have been furnished with the following interesting statistics of the number of patients that have gone through this Hospital for forty-five years to December, 1864. There was no record kept before the year 1820:

On stones in the wall of a house built in addition to the Hospital, are the following inscriptions:

H. S. Baker

Architect

T.' O Brien

M Gearin
Builders

A D 1828

Hughes Russel
Esqr
Treasurer A. D 1828

The following inscriptions on stones which appear to have been picked up from the ruins of the old walls, or those of St. John's Gate, are inserted in the walls of the Hospital, opposite to the gateway, being the first portion of the Hospital that was built:

The chapel, or what had been the chapel, may yet be seen in Fish Lane, and the pillars which propped the galleries, &c. remain in 1865, as they had been, though the chapel has been for some time used as store; and rooms over it, in which the friars lived, are occupied by poor artizans.

lent chapel in Creagh-lane-two years before-which they opened on the 6th of December, 1778. St. Michael's Parochial Chapel was opened in Denmarkstreet, on the 29th of September, 1781; and the Franciscans opened their new chapel in Newgate-lane, on Christmas day, 1782. These events show that the Catholics were at length assuming their place after unheard-of sufferings, cruelties, and horrors, which came in rapid succession after the violation of the Treaty of 1691, and that a spirit of toleration had begun to prevail very generally.

CHAPTER XLV.

A RETROSPECT.-HOW THE PENAL LAWS OPERATED.-LISTS OF CONFORMISTS.

WHILE recording the social, material, and political progress of Limerick, we cannot omit an important element in the construction of the frame-work of society, which has hitherto not received the attention to which it has a just claim for the effects which it has produced in the domestic relations, the position of families, and the transfer of property from one line to another. It is a curious fact in this age of exhaustive enquiry and patient investigation, that except a passing reference to changes of religion, we have nothing that at all resembles an account of how or when many of our principal Irish families changed their faith from the Catholic to the Protestant, although it is well known that change was in many cases attended by very important consequences, not only to the parties immediately concerned, but to the society to which they belonged; for not to multiply examples, the adoption of the new creed in several instances occasioned the substitution of the junior for the elder branches in some of our great Irish houses; and the intermarriages into Protestant families by the new conformist, gave a completely different colour to the tastes, the feelings, the habits, the politics, and the social status of the descendants of the original conformist, who from being more Irish than the Irish themselves, was often, or rather always converted into a most determined stickler for English interests, and for the promotion of his newly adopted views. Until we enjoy what England already in a great degree possesses, the advantage of county and family histories, we do not expect that this original and interesting department of history will receive any particular attention, more especially as the subject is what is generally considered a delicate one, and unless for those who have access to family memorials and public libraries, one which is attended with very considerable difficulty. The following documents will, we are convinced, possess a very high degree of interest for the general as well as the local reader. They have been obtained from the Egerton MSS. in the British Museum, and may be received with undoubting faith as the legalised and authentic records of the chief conformists in the counties of Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, as well as in other localities with which these counties have been associated by intermarriage and other means. We are not aware that any similar document has ever been published, or even exists in a collective form, and we hope that any of our readers who may have occasion to avail themselves of it will acknowledge the source from which they have derived their information. From the reign of Queen Anne to the time at which we are now arrived,

viz., about the year 1782-the following are the principal local conformists, with the places to which they severally belonged, and the dates at which they conformed. Earlier occurrences of the same kind are freely noticed in a few of our local annals, but in more recent times some hesitation was felt to open up what began to be regarded as family secrets, and to disturb the pleasing notion that certain families had been Protestants from the earliest period of the Reformation. My object in giving these particulars, is solely to add to the historical interest of this work, and I am convinced that so far from feeling offended at such details, such of my readers as are descended from the latest conformists among the local families, will do justice to my motives in publishing these unquestionable facts.

EGERTON MSS. 77 IN BRITISH MUSEUM-LIST OF CONVERTS AND PROTESTANT SETTLERS IN IRELAND.

1. Alphabetical List of Converts from Popery to Protestant Religion in Ireland, from Commencement of Reign of Queen Aune, to 1772.-P. 1 to 153, filed in Rolls Office, Dublin The P. seems to mean Parish-D. Diocese.

There are Limerick names so far as Counties stated, but many of the names have no Counties, and many Country people came up to Dublin to perfect their papers, and are so described as of Dublin. A County Limerick man can read the names easily.

A.

Arthur, A-, of Ennis, Co. Clare. May 26, 1754
Audly, and Castlehaven, Lord. July, 21, 1758

B.

Butler, Wm., Co. Tipperary.
Bourke, Wm., of Bruff, Dio. Limerick.

Browne, Vall. of Ellestrin, Dio. Tuam.
Dec. 24, 1726
Bernard, alias Pierce Mary, of Tralee.
March 31, 1728
Burke, Lucy, Daughter of Lord Riverston, wife
to Doragan Burke. January 12, 1734
Butler, John, of Kilcash, Co. Tipp. July 15, 1739
Brenan, Bridget, alias D'Lacy, wife to John
D'Lacy, of Kilkenny, Gent. Feb. 24, 1739
Browne, John, of Elinogery, Co. Limerick.
June 21, 1721
Feb. 9, 1744
Dec. 7, 1746
Barry, Frances, of Limerick, Spinster.
Sept 13, 1747
Brien, Michael, of Cloheen, Co. Tipperary, and
Brien, Catherine, his wife. Sept. 27, 1747
Bourke, M Michael, now of Dublin. May 24,1761
Bourke, Walter, P. St. Mary, Limerick, Gent.
July 6, 1760
Bourke, Edmund, P. St. Munchin, Limerick.
Dec. 18, 1763
Boland, M. Anthony, of Limerick. May 20, 1765
Barry, David, of Rath, Co. Limerick, Farmer.
July 10, 1766
Bourke, David, Co. Mayo. July 18, 1767
Barnewall, Thos. Lord Tremlestown, May 2,1767
Blewitt, Anne, of Limerick, Spinster, Oct.30, 1770
C.

Connor, John, a Priest. April, 29, 1739
Cave, Thos., of Tullybraky, Co. Limerick.
March 21, 1741
Callaghan, Jeremy, of Ballysalagh, Cahercon-
lish, Co. Galway.
Jan. 5, 1745
Cantillon, John, P. Croom, D. Lim., Gent.
March 1, 1746
Creagh, Bridget, of Lk., Spinster. July 15, 1750

Croker, M. Pierce, P. Whitechurch. July 7, 1751
Comane, John, of Drew's Court, Lk., Farmer.
August 2, 1752
Conloghty, John, P. Fedamore, Lk. July 18,1753
Considen, Daniel, of Limerick, Merchant.
Sept. 26, 1756
Canny, Miss Jane, of Limerick. April 1, 1759
Cholmondeley, Hon. Mrs. Mary. July 23, 1760
Creagh, Miss Mary, of Coonagh, Co. Limerick,
Spinster.
April 22, 1760
Corban, Martin, of Nenagh, Co. Tipperary,
Farmer.
January 1, 1764
Carpenter, Elinor, wife of Joseph Carpenter, of
Limerick, Gentleman.
Collipy, Edmond, of Clahane,

June 25, 1769 D. Limerick. Sept. 17, 1769

Furnell, John, of Kilkerilly, Co. Limerick, Gent. Leary, alias Marret, Anne, of Lk. July 26, 1767