15

THE

HISTORY OF THE SURVEY OF IRELAND,

COMMONLY CALLED

THE DOWN SURVEY,

BY

DOCTOR WILLIAM PETTY,

A. D. 1655-6.

EDITED,

FROM A MANUSCRIPT IN THE LIBRARY OF TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN,

WITH ANOTHER IN THE POSSESSION OF THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUIS OF LANSDOWNE,
AND ONE IN THE LIBRARY OF THE KING'S INNS, DUBLIN,

THIS COPY WAS PRINTED FOR

THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY, OXFORD

DUBLIN:

PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS,

BY M. H. GILL.

IRISH ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

FOUNDED MDCCCXL.

Patron:

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE ALBERT.

President:

HIS GRACE The Duke of Leinster.

Vice-Presidents :

THE MOST NOble the Marquis of Kildare, M.R.I.A.

THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF LEITRIM, M.R.I.A.
THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF DUNRAVEN, M. R. I. A.

Council:

REV. SAMUEL BUTCHER, D. D., M.R.I.A.
EUGENE CURRY, ESQ.

REV. CHARLES GRAVES, D.D., M.R.I.A.
WILLIAM E. HUDSON, ESQ., M.R.I.A.

THOMAS A. LARCOM, R. E., M.R.I.A.

JOHN O'DONOVAN, LL.D., M. R. I.A.

GEORGE PETRIE, LL.D., R.H.A., M. R.I.A.

REV. WILLIAM REEVES, D.D., M.R.I.A.

VERY REV. LAURENCE RENEHAN, D.D., President of

St. Patrick's College, Maynooth.

AQUILLA SMITH, M.D., M.R.I.A.

J. HUBAND SMITH, A. M., M. R. I.A.
REV. J. H. TODD, D.D., M.R.I.A.

Treasurer:

DR. AQUILLA SMITH.

Honorary Secretaries :

REV. J. H. TODD, D.D., AND JOHN O'DONOVAN, LL.D.

Assistant Secretary :

EUGENE CURRY, ESQ.

T had long been known that Sir W. Petty had left an account of the Down Survey. He refers to it in several of his writings, and makes mention of it in his "Last Will and Testament," published with the volume of his Tracts, printed in Dublin, 1769. In his "Reflections upon some Persons and Things in Ireland," he states: "A fourth treatise I have, far greater than any of those above mentioned, being an history of the survey and distribution of the forfeited lands in Ireland, and withall a series of my own services and sufferings with reference thereunto, and to that nation; which work consists chiefly of all Acts of Parliament, resolves of all general assemblies of the army, orders of the Council, acts of councils of war, results of committees, petitions of agents, references, reports and accounts, &c., relating to all and singular the premises."

In his will the following occurs: "I value my three chests of original maps and field-books, the copies of the Down Survey, with the barony maps, and the chest of distribution books, with two chests of loose papers relating to the survey, the two great barony books, and the Book of the History of the Down Survey, altogether, at £3000."

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