1538. The Lord Deputy Gray burnt the church about this time, defaced the monuments of the Saints Patrick, Columb, and Brigid, and was guilty of many other sacrilegious acts." The prior of this house sat as a baron in Parliament. This monastery, with the appurtenances, a garden within the site, together with a carucate of land in Down, and the water called Loughdowne; divers lands in Narenagh, Carrickenebregie, Ballindonetie, Dromquillan, Reanyston alias Ballyvean, Ballymariscall alias Marshallston, Kiltaghlins, Ballygalgalme, Tobbertyne, Dellyen, Ballusrogh, Ardmyn, Ballyfroill, Ballynecrosse, Ballingreley alias Slivengreley, Loghmoney, Ballyalton, Balderenolde, Ballycroston, Ballycrotill, b War. Annals. At the dissolution the lands of this abbey were valued at £60 10s. od., and its appropriations at £65 13s. 4d. (Inquis. 3 Edward VI.) By an inquisition held in Downpatrick, April 9th, 1662, to inquire into the property held by Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Ardglass, it was found that that nobleman was possessed of the following properties formerly belonging to that abbey :-The site and a garden within the precincts of the abbey, "Hay-Island, otherwise Inishane;"" Conyisland, otherwise Hoggisland;" the "Roundmount, otherwise Donecoscue;" "Court-ground;" "half of the town of Crombane, half the town of Cromreagh, half the town of Sleevemoyle," "Parkenearle," one quarter of "Tolleshane," " 'Collis,' "Farrinfad," "Crottmore," Prior's Island, "Tacrecam, otherwise Acrecam ;" "Crannaghmore and Crannaghbeg ;", Knockrennan, otherwise Knocknegrenan ;" Friersbogg, "Tollynecroy; a head-rent of 40s. per annum from Walshestown, and a head-rent of 5s. per annum out of the two townlands of Ballydugan, Ringban, "Tollwoollenmore, Tollwoollenbeg, and Castledorras;" "the water called Loughdowne or Loughcoyne (Strangford Lough). in which ships or boats can sail to the port of Strangford, where salmon and other fish are taken ;” Carrickne bregie, otherwise Carricknecregie; Ballydonety, Drumquillians (Hollymount); Veanstown, otherwise Ballyvenees;" Marshallstown, "the two towns of Kintaghlins" (supposed to be Ballynoe), Ballygallum Tobermoney, Dillin, Ardmeen, Struell, Ballynagross, Slievenagriddle, Loughmoney, Ballytrusten, Ballymurry, two townlands of Ballybrannagh, Ballysallagh, Ballee, Ballyhossett, Ballyclander, "Ballymorett, otherwise Ballywannett;" Annacloy, "Ballydomanelly, otherwise Ballydonelly" "Carricknehawly," "Carrowcoolemuck, otherwise Quarter Colmuck," Crevis, Spittle Quarter, Bishop's Island; "Ballymoghtrimony, otherwise Ballynecremony;" Coyle Castle, "Rathcavan," "Carrigmavanagh, otherwise Coyletown;" Ballynacreg, Carrowvanny, Ullequarter (Saulquarter), Ballybeg, Sheeplandbeg, Grangewalls, Grangebane, together with two ferries. The site and extensive landed possessions of this abbey and of the other religious houses in Downpatrick were granted by the Crown to Gerald, Earl of Kildare, but they, by his death without male issue, and upon the decease of his widow, Mabella, were again escheated to the Crown, and in 1603 they were re-granted by James I. to Charles Blount, Lord Mountjoy, in consideration for his service against Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Mountjoy transferred his rights to Edward Cromwell, Baron Okeham, a nobleman of Devonshire. These estates, with the exception of some portions, remained in the Cromwell family up to 1704, when the male line having become extinct, the only surviving heiress, Lady Elizabeth Cromwell, married the Right Honourable Edward Southwell, Principal Secretary of State for Ireland, who obtained an Act of Parliament vesting these estates in the hands of trustees for the purpose of selling a portion to pay off certain incumbrances. The remainder descended to his grandson, Edward Southwell, who, in 1776, was created Baron de Clifford. He was succeeded by his son Edward, who died in September, 1832, without issue, when the property gavelled between his three sisters, and is at S Ballyvolmorey, Ballybrenough, Ballysallagh, Ballyveally Ballyhosside. Possevickeston, Clinder alias Ballyclinder, and Ballyvoret alias Barrettyston, all in this county; and the Grange of Ballincogher, Milten alias Mallimolin, Tullaghnere, Balliasdrine alias Lisseboy, and Balligalincheath; each denomination containing a carucate or ballyboe; all which were granted to Gerald Earl of Kildare. See Lismullen in county of Meath. The priory stands near the town, on the ascent of a hill, and is yet venerable, though in ruins; the roof was supported by five handsome arches, which composed a centre aisle of twenty-six feet in breadth, two lateral ones of thirteen feet each, and the whole structure is one hundred feet long. The present the property of David Stewart Kerr, Esq., whose father purchased it for £200,000 from the co-heirs of the late Lord de Clifford. Dr. Reeves has collected from various sources the following list of PRIORS OF ST. PATRICK'S, of down. A.D. 1183-William de Etleshale. (He is a subscribing witness to J. de Courcy's charter to St. Andrew's, and Jordan de Courcy's to Neddrum.) A.D. 1200-Circ. (He is named in two of J. de Courcy's grants to Down.) A.D. 1215-Circ. W A. D. 1237-1251-Robert. was prior. A.D. 1271-1276-Nicholas, who was also Treasurer of Ulster. A.D. 1276-John, who was also, or had been, Abbot of Deulacresse. A.D. 1313-Thomas of Bright, who became Bishop of Down in 1314. A.D. 1352-Richard Calf, who became Bishop of Down in 1368. A.D. 1381-1387-John Ross, who became Bishop of Down in 1387. A. D. 1412-John Cely, who became Bishop of Down in 1413. A.D. 1434-1448-William Stanley. A.D. 1470-Thomas Barkley. A.D. 1512-1526-Gelacius Magennis, Commendatory of Down, Prior of Saul, &c. A.D. 1526-John Swerdes. ST. PATRICK'S GRAVE. Near the centre of the ancient cemetery attached to the Cathedral, or, as it is called by aged people, the abbey, is a grave called "St. Patrick's grave," which is in no other way distinguished from the surrounding graves, except that a great portion of the clay has been removed from it by pious Catholics, who, when about to emigrate, carry with them to the most distant parts of the earth, some portion of "the mould from St. Patrick's grave.' There formerly stood over this grave an ancient granite cross, which some wicked bigots, on the night of the 19th of April, 1842, carried off, and, with the intention of breaking it, rolled it over a precipice. "On the next day," says a correspondent of the Vindicator, "hundreds of persons were visiting this grave, as if some great affliction had befallen them, while the Orangemen were furiously vociferating No St. Patrick,' and other such cries." The ancient cross was carried back, but having again been carried off and broken, it was for many years locked up in a portion of the Cathedral. The three largest fragments of it are now, however, placed with some other monumental stones, among which is the tombstone of Dr. O'Doran, Bishop of Down and Connor, at the east end of the Cathedral. The Catholics of Downpatrick remark that some terrible misfortune befel each of the iconoclasts. This |