TRANSLATION OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ARMAGH.

James, by the grace of, God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, and so forth, to all to whom these our present letters shall come., greeting. Know ye that we, as well at the humble petition of the inhabitants of the town of Ardmagh, in our county of Ardmagh, in our province of Ulster, in our kingdom of Ireland, as for the peopling, and planting, according to the form of government excellently established in our kingdom of England, the northern parts in our said kingdom, depopulate, and wasted, and for the better progress and perfecting of that new plantation of late happily begun; of, our special grace, and of our certain knowledge and mere motion, with the consent of our well-beloved and faithful counsellor Arthur Lord Chichester, of Belfast, our deputy general of our said kingdom of Ireland, as well according to the intention and effect of certain letters of ours, signed with our own hand and, given under our signet, at our Honor of Hampton-court, the 26th day of September, and of our reign of England, France and Ireland the 10th, and of Scotland the 46th, and now in the roll of our Chancery of our said kingdom of Ireland entered; we appoint. declare and ordain, by these presents, that the aforesaid town of Ardmagh, and all and singular castles, messuages, tofts mills, houses, edifices, structures, curtilages, orchards, gardens, wastes, farms, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, lying or being in or within the said town of Ardmagh, or within the precincts of the same, in the county of Ardmagh aforesaid, may henceforth be, and in all future' times shall be, one entire and free borough of itself, by the name of the borough of Ardmagh, and 'they shall henceforth be named, styled, and called the borough of Ardmagh, and all thee things into one entire and free borough of itself, by the name of the borough of Ardmagh, we erect, constitute and ordain, by these presents; and further, we will, ordain and appoint by these presents, that within the borough aforesaid be one body corporate and politic, consisting of one superior, in English a sovereign, twelve free burgesses, and of the commons; and that by virtue of these presents, they the inhabitants within the said town land aforesaid, henceforth and at all times hereafter are and shall be one body corporate and politic in thing, fact and name, by the name of the sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough of Ardmagh, and them by the name of the sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough of Ardmagh aforesaid, a body corporate and politic in reality, fact and name really and fully for us, our heirs and successors, we erect, make, ordain and constitute by these presents, and that by the same name they may have perpetual succession, and that they by the name of the sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough of Ardmagh aforesaid, be and shall be in all time to come persons fit and capable in law to have, ask, receive and possess lands, tenements, liberties, privileges, jurisdictions, franchises and hereditaments whatsoever, of whatsoever kind, nature or species they shall be, to them and their successors in fee and perpetuity, and also goods and chattels and all other things of whatsoever kind, nature or species they shall be, and also to give, grant, demise and assign lands, tenements, hereditaments, goods and chattels, and all and singular other acts and things to do and perform by the aforesaid name, and that by the name of the sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough of Ardmagh aforesaid, they may plead, be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and be defended, before us, our heirs and successors, and, before any of the justices and judges, of us, our heirs and successors, and of any others whomsoever, in any other courts whatsoever, of us, our heirs and successors, and every where else, of and in all and every actions, forfeitures, complaints, pleas and demands whatsoever against them or for them in any manner to be prosecuted or obtained, so as they the said sovereign and free burgesses of the borough of Ardmagh aforesaid and their successors for ever, have full power and authority to choose, send, and return two discreet and fit men to serve and attend in any parliament in our said kingdom of Ireland, hereafter to be held, and that such men so chosen, sent and returned, have full power and authority to treat of and consult upon those things and matters which to them and others shall be there set forth and declared and upon their votes and suffrages freely to give, and to do and perform all other things as freely and fully as any other burgesses of any other ancient borough in our said kingdom of Ireland of in our said kingdom of England, were in parliament there accustomed to do or perform. Wherefore we will and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we give and grant to the aforesaid sovereign and free burgesses, and to their successors, and also charge and firmly for us, our heirs and Successors, command all sheriffs, officers and ministers of us our heirs and our successors whomsoever in out said county of Ardmagh, for the time being, to whom any writ or writs of ours for electing burgesses for parliament in our said county of Ardmagh at any time shall be directed, that every such sheriff, officer or minister to whom any writ of this sort, or any of our writs of this sort shall have been directed as aforesaid, shall make his precept to the Sovereign and free burgesses of the said borough of Ardmagh for the time being, for the electing and returning of the said two burgesses, according to the form and effect of the said writ or writs, and those our letters patent, or a record of them, shall be as well to the sovereign and free burgesses of the borough aforesaid, and to their successors as to all and singular sheriffs, officers and ministers of us, our heirs and successors, sufficient warrant and exoneration in this behalf, and to the intent that it may appear to future times, that this new incorporation was at the very first composed of men of probity and honest, we make, constitute and name Mark Usher, Esq. to be and become the first and present sovereign of the said borough, to be continued in the same office until the feast of St. Michael the archangel, immediately after the date of these presents, and likewise we make, constitute and name John Usher, Mathew Usher, Richard Usher, Thomas Dawson, Thomas Smith, John Rudworth, Peter alias Pearce Williams, Joseph Powell, Peter Eales, William Bennet, Nathaniel Lord, and John Hays, to be and become the first and present twelve free burgesses of the borough aforesaid; to be continued in the same offices of free burgesses of said borough, during their several lives, unless in the interim for their behaving themselves ill, or for any other reasonable cause, from their aforesaid office they shall be removed, or any one of them shall be removed, and all the inhabitants of said town and all and every such other men as the sovereign and free burgesses of said borough, for the time being, into the freedom of said borough shall admit, We will, constitute and ordain to become of the commons of the borough aforesaid; and further we will that the aforesaid Mark Usher, whom by these presents we have made sovereign of the borough aforesaid, shall come before our justices of assize at the general sessions to be held in the county of Ardmagh aforesaid, next after the date of these presents, and in due manner shall take as well the oath of the commons called in English the oath of supremacy, as his corporal oath well and truly to fulfil the office of sovereign of the borough aforesaid until the feast of St. Michael the archangel next to come, as aforesaid, and that the sovereign of the borough aforesaid be annual and elective, arid therefore we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we grant to the aforesaid sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, that said sovereign and free burgesses of said borough, for the time being, annually for ever, on the feast of the nativity of St. John the Baptist, can and may gather themselves together in some convenient place within the borough aforesaid, and that the said sovereign and free burgesses thus assembled, or the major part of them, before they depart thence, may elect one of the more discreet of the free burgesses of said borough to the office of sovereign of said borough, to be filled for one year from the feast of St. Michael the archangel then next following, and till such time as one other of the burgesses of the said borough to that office in due manner be elected, appointed and sworn, and that any sovereign so elected before he be admitted to execute the office aforesaid, or shall be or be esteemed sovereign, shall take as well the aforesaid oath, commonly called in English the oath of supremacy, as also his corporal oath well and truly to execute the office of sovereign of the borough aforesaid, on the feast of St. Michael the archangel next ensuing, after such election before the sovereign of the borough aforesaid who went before him in the same office in the preceding year, and we grant full power and authority to every such last predecessor of any sovereign of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, the aforesaid oath of any such sovereign newly chosen to receive, and moreover of our like special grace, and from our certain knowledge and mere motion, we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we grant to the aforesaid sovereign and free burgesses and commons of the said borough and their successors, if and as often as it shall happen that the sovereign of said borough, for the time being, shall die or by any mode whatever vacate his office aforesaid within one year after he is so as aforesaid chosen and sworn to the office aforesaid, that then and so often the free burgesses and commons of the said borough and their successors another fit person out of the number of free burgesses, for a sovereign of the borough aforesaid, for the remainder of that year, for the ruling and governing of said borough, within fifteen days after such vacancy they can and may elect, and that every such person or persons so as aforesaid elected into the office of sovereign of the borough aforesaid, may and can exercise the office of sovereign of said borough even till the feast of St. Michael the archangel next following after such election, having first taken the aforesaid oath called in English the oath of supremacy, and also the aforesaid oath for the due execution of his office of sovereign of the said borough as aforesaid set forth in these presents; and farther of our special grace certain knowledge and mere motion, we will, and by these presents for us our heirs and successors, grant to the aforesaid sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough aforesaid, and to their successors, that if any one or more of the aforesaid free burgesses of the aforesaid borough so as aforesaid in these presents named, or any one or more of the free burgesses of said borough hereafter to be chosen should die or be removed from that office, which free burgesses and any one or more of them not conducting himself well in that office, we will to be removable, at the good pleasure of the sovereign and major part of the free burgesses of said borough for the time being, the sovereign and the rest of the free burgesses of the borough aforesaid; for the time being, within seven days next after such free burgess's death or being laid aside, can and may gather themselves together in some convenient place within the borough aforesaid, and that the said sovereign and free burgesses thus assembled, or the major part of them, before they depart, may elect one or as many as are wanting of the aforesaid number of twelve free burgesses, of the better and more honest inhabitants of said borough, in the place or places of such free burgesses or free burgesses so dead or removed from their office, to be continued in the same office during their natural lives, unless in the interim for bad governing or behaving themselves ill, in that behalf they be removed, or some one or more of them be removed, and that every such person so chosen into the office of a free burgess of the borough aforesaid, before he be admitted to execute the duties of that office, shall take his corporal oath for well and truly executing the office of a free burgess of the borough aforesaid, in less than seven days next after such election, before the sovereign of the borough aforesaid, for the time being, or before such of the rest of the free burgesses of the same borough as shall then be surviving and in that office remaining, or the major part of them, to which sovereign for the time being, or to such of the free burgesses or the major part of them for the time being, we give and grant full power and authority, by these presents, to receive said oath from any such free burgess newly elected, and so on as often as the case shall so happen; and farther of our special grace and certain knowledge and mere motion, we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we grant to the aforesaid sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, that they and their successors for ever shall have and hold and that they may and can have and hold one court in some convenient and open, place in the aforesaid borough, to he held before the sovereign of said borough for the time being, and in the same court to hold pleas every Friday, from week to week, of all and singular actions, debts, covenants, trespasses, withholdings, contracts and personal demands whatever, not exceeding the sum of five Marks sterling, happening or emerging in or within the aforesaid borough of Ardmagh or the liberties of the same, and that this court be and be reputed and held a court of record for ever. We also will, and out of our more abundant special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we grant to the sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough aforesaid, and their successors for ever, that they and their successors from time to time, as often as to them it shall seem more expedient, may and can assemble and meet together in some convenient place within the borough aforesaid; and in their assemblies there make, decree, ordain. and confirm acts, ordinances and statutes, in English bye-laws, for the good regimen and wholesome government of said borough and its inhabitants, such and of such kind as to them and the major part of them shall seem necessary, and that they have power and authority by fines and pecuniary mulcts to punish, chastise and correct all such persons as shall become delinquent against such acts, ordinances and statutes, provided the aforesaid ordinances, statutes, fines and mulcts be reasonable and not contrary or repugnant to the laws and statutes of our kingdom in Ireland; and further we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we grant to the aforesaid sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough aforesaid, and to their successors for ever, that they may have within the borough a guild merchant (mercat) and perpetually keep one common seal, engraved in such form and with such arms as to them shall seem best for the business of said borough, and that they can and may for ever from time to time, as often as they shall have occasion, chuse, constitute and ordain among themselves, two sergeants at mace and other inferior officers and necessary servants for the better governing of the said borough and its inhabitants, and whatsoever person or persons so from time to time may be chosen, constituted and ordained, we make, constitute and ordain to become and be sergeant at mace and other officers and servants of said borough respectively, and to be continued in their offices during their good behaviour or at the will and pleasure of the said sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough aforesaid, and that every such servant, officer or minister, before he be admitted to the exercise of his office, shall take his corporal oath before the sovereign of said borough for the time being, well and truly to perform his office; and further out of our like special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we will, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we give and grant to the aforesaid sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough aforesaid, and their successors for ever, that the sovereign of the aforesaid borough for the time being, for ever, be clerk of the market in the borough aforesaid and the liberties of the same, and from time to time may have full power and authority to do and execute all and singular things belonging or appertaining to the office of clerk of the market within the borough aforesaid, so as no other clerk of the market of us, our heirs or successors, into the aforesaid borough or the franchises of the same, shall enter to do or execute any thing therein appertaining or belonging to the said office of clerk of the market, nor in any office of the clerk of the market within the borough aforesaid or the liberties thereto belonging, shall in and manner enter; and farther of our more full special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we grant to the aforesaid sovereign, free burgesses and commons of the borough aforesaid, and their successors for ever, that these our letters patent, and every article and clause in them contained or set forth, shall be construed, interpreted and adjudged in the most advantageous, beneficial and favourable sense to the aforesaid sovereign, free burgesses and assembly of the borough aforesaid, and their successors, with respect to and against us, our heirs and successors, as well in all our courts as elsewhere in our kingdom of Ireland and every where else, without confirmation, license or toleration to any person hereafter to be procured or obtained, notwithstanding that our writs ad quod damnum have not issued to inquire concerning the premises before the framing of these our letters patent, and notwithstanding any other defect or any other thing, cause or matter whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding. And because express mention and so forth, any statute and so forth, we will also and so forth. In testimony whereof we have made these our letters patent, witness our aforesaid deputy general of our kingdom of Ireland, at Dublin, the 26th March, in the year of our reign of England, France and Ireland, the 11th; and of Scotland the 46th, by virtue of letters of our lord the king, seat from England and signed by his, own hand.