Armagh City Directory for 1862

From Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory for the Year 1862

Armagh, an inland city and parliamentary borough in Armagh barony and county, and Ulster province, 64 miles N.N.W. from Dublin; lat. 54° 20' 51.4" N. ; long. 6° 39' 31.8" W.; comprising within its ancient boundary an area of 1,147 acres, and within its present municipal boundary 269 acres. Population in 1834, 10,764, of which 3,586 were of the Established Church, 1,532 Protestant Dissenters, and 5,546 Roman Catholics; population in 1841, 10,235, inhabiting 1,493 houses, averaging 7 persons to a house. Population in 1861, 8,933, inhabiting 1,453 houses. It is the seat of the archiepiscopal see of the Primate of all Ireland, whose ecclesiastical province comprises 6 consolidated dioceses: 1. Armagh and Clogher; 2. Tuam, Ardagh, Killala, and Achonry; 3. Derry and Raphoe; 4. Down, Connor, and Dromore ; 5. Kilmore and Elphin; 6. Meath.

The town stands on the acclivities of a hill, of which the Cathedral, lately repaired and beautified, chiefly at the expense of the present Primate, tops the summit; there are also a Protestant Chapel of Ease, a Roman Catholic Chapel (a second is being built), 2 places of worship for Methodists, 3 for Presbyterians, and 1 for Independents. The other public buildings are the County Court House, Prison, Infirmary, Fever Hospital (supported at the expense of the Lord Primate, and capable of accommodating 40 patients); the District Lunatic Asylum, situate near the city, for Armagh, Cavan, and Monaghan counties, containing 135 patients in 1851; the Macan Asylum, for the Blind, opened in April, 1854; the Royal School, styled the College, a Public Library, built and endowed by Primate Robinson, in 1771, and lately rebuilt and improved— (it contains about 14,000 volumes, some of them considered very scarce, and open to the Public daily from 12 to 3 o'clock)—a Market House, a Linen Hall, a Yarn Hall, Music Hall, and Tontine Buildings (in which is a large public assembly room, and a spacious News room), Drelincourt's School, founded 1732, a Sunday School, a School for the Choristers, which is maintained by the Vicars Choral; Rokeby Green, a place of public recreation, an Observatory, with a very superior astronomical apparatus, and the Natural History and Philosophical Society's house on the east side of the Mall. Near the city is the archiepiscopal palace, with a domestic Chapel; also Barracks for 200 men. In the city are Tanneries and flour-mills. The Callen, which empties itself into the Blackwater, passes near the town, and the Ulster Canal within 4 miles. The Ulster Railway now connects the town with Belfast, and that from Newry to Armagh, when completed, will be of great benefit to the city and the surrounding neighbourhood.

The Corporation, which was styled "the Sovereign, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Borough of Armagh," was abolished by the provisions of the Municipal Reform Bill. The Borough returns 1 member to Parliament, constituency, in 1859, 408. The lighting, cleansing, and watching the streets is vested in Commissioners, under 9th Geo. IV., c. 82. The Borough rates for 1860 amounted to £517, of which £501 was applied to watching, lighting, paving, and cleansing the town. In 1860, there were 184 houses valued at £20 and upwards; 217 valued at £10 to £20; 378 valued at £5 to £10; total value of the property rated, £12,312. Markets are held on Tuesdays, for general purposes, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays for grain; and a Fair for the sale of horses, cattle, sheep, &c, on the first Thursday in each month. The tolls have been bought up by the inhabitants for the improvement of the town. Since 1800 water is supplied by pipes, the management of which is vested in the Police Commissioners and Dean and Chapter; and the city is lighted with gas. There are two newspapers published in the city, the Armagh Guardian and the Ulster Gazette.

Member of Parliament for the City.

Joshua Walter M'Geough Bond, esq. (1859), The Argory, Moy; Drumsett House, Armagh; Sackville-street Club, Dublin; Carlton and Army and Navy Clubs, London, S.W.

Magistrates.

Boyle, Hugh.

Craig, Andrew.

Dobbin, Thomas.

Kidd, Joseph.

Miller, W.M. (Res. Mag.)

Paton, William.

Robinson, George.

Winder, John Gervais.

Clerk of Petty Sessions, Mr. Wm. Barnes, 20, Scotch-st.

TOWN COMMISSIONERS.

Winder, John G., Chairm.

Cardwell, William F.

Hughes, John. Campbell, Henry.

M'Parland, O.

Boyle, Hugh, J.P.

M'Kee, Francis.

Riddall, Robert.

Lavery, Philip.

Paton, William, J.P.

Savage, Henry.

Savage, Mark Anthony.

Stanley, John.

Vulleby, Francis.

Close, Charles.

M'Cann, Thomas.

Wynne, James.

Boyd, William, sen.

Barker, William.

Devlin, James.

M'Watters, John.

Bell, Matthew.

Treasurer, The Ulster Bank.

Town Clerk, Robert Cochran, esq.

Collector, Mr. Nicholas Colvan.

Staff Officer of Pensioners, Lt.-Col. W. O'Neill, unat.

STAMP OFFICE, SCOTCH-STREET.

Distributer, Thomas A. Prentice, esq.

POST OFFICE, RUSSELL-STREET.

Postmaster, Mr. R. Birch.

LOCAL LAW COURTS.

Court House, College-st.—Where the Assizes are held twice, Quarter Sessions four times, a-year, and Petty Sessions every Thursday; Chairman of Quarter Sessions, Hans Henry Hamilton, esq., Q.C.

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS.

Astronomical Observatory—Erected A.D. 1793, and founded and endowed by Primate Robinson.—Astronomer, Rev. Thomas Romney Robinson, D.D. ; Assistant Astronomer, Mr. Neil M'Neil Edmondson.

Armagh Natural History and Philosophical Society.Patron, His Grace the Lord Primate; President, Rev. T. R. Robinson, d.d.; Secretaries, B. Peebles Davidson and Louis G. Mills, esqrs.; Treasurer, Angus J. Mulligan ; Librarian, J. Fullerton.

Public Library, Abbey-street.—Librarian, Rev. Jas. Hogan; Deputy Librarian, Mr. Edward Rogers.

BANKS.

Branches of the Bank of Ireland, Provincial Bank, Belfast Bank, Ulster Bank, and Northern Banking Company.

METROPOLITAN REGISTRY OFFICE, VICAR'S-HILL.

Registrar, G. Scott, esq.; Deputy Registrar, Mr. Robert Riddall, N.P. ; Clerk, Mr. George D. Hughes.

COURT OF PROBATE.

Registrar, Robert Riddall, esq., N.P. Cleric, Mr. Geo. D. Hughes.

ARMAGH UNION.

The Board of Guardians meets every Tuesday.—For List of Officers, &c, see Armagh County.

NOTES:-

* Have served the office of High Sheriff of the County.

† Are members of the Board of Superintendence of the County Prison.

‡ Are Governors of the District Lunatic Asylum.