THE SCOT IN ULSTER
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to Moses Hill, "sometime lieutenant of his horse-troop." From this Moses Hill is descended the Marquis of Downshire. Hill was busy building a new castle on the site of the old ruin, for the defence of the ford on the river Lagan, and near it "the town of Belfast is plotted out in a good forme, wherein are many famelyes of English, Scotch, and some Manks-men already inhabitinge, and ane inn with very good lodginge, which is a great comforte to the travellers in these partes." The Settlement Commissioners passed along the north shore of Belfast Lough, finding everywhere houses springing up, and in every part of the Lord-Deputy's lands "many English fame-lies, some Scottes, and dyvers cyvill Irish planted." [1] At Carrickfergus the Commissioners found a pier and town-wall being built, and all through South Antrim--in island Magee, at Templepatrick, at Massereene, and along the shores of Lough Neagh to Toome--settlements of English and Scots, and houses and "bawns" being erected. [2] While South Antrim was thus "planted" mainly by English settlers, the northern half of the county was opened up for settlement, without the violent transference of land from Celt to Saxon which was carried out in other parts of Ulster. The north-east corner of Ireland had been long held by the Macdonnels, a clan which also peopled the island of Jura, and Cantyre on the mainland of Scotland. The chief of these Scoto-Irishmen, Randal Macdonnel, after Tyrone's rebellion, resolved to throw...continue reading »
[1] Benn's History of Belfast, p. 86.
[2] Ibid., pp. 674-676.
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Page 26
The Scot in Ulster:
Sketch of the History of the Scottish Population of Ulster
by John Harrison
1888