Coleraine Charter

The inhabitants received a charter of incorporation from James I., in 1613, by which the government was vested in a portreeve, free burgesses, and commonalty, and by another charter granted in the same year, which latter is the governing charter, in a mayor, recorder, chamberlain, coroner, twelve aldermen (including the mayor), and 24 principal burgesses, assisted by a town-clerk, prothonotary, serjeants-at-mace, and other officers. The mayor is elected by the common council from the body of aldermen, on the 1st of October, and is sworn into office on the 25th of March following. The aldermen are elected from the burgesses, and the burgesses from the freemen, though in general the burgess is made a freeman to qualify him for election: the freedom is obtained only by gift of the corporation.

The mayor, recorder, and four of the senior aldermen are justices of the peace within the borough and liberties; and the county magistrates, of whom, by virtue of his office, the mayor is always senior and sits on the right hand of the judge at the assizes, have concurrent jurisdiction. The corporation hold courts of record for the recovery of debts and the determination of pleas to any amount within the town and liberties, of which, according to their charter, the jurisdiction extends to the distance of three miles in every direction from the centre of the town; they are also empowered to hold courts of session for the borough, but do not exercise that privilege. Previously to the Union, the borough returned two members to the Irish parliament; the right of election was vested in the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses alone, but by the decision of a parliamentary committee it was declared to be vested also in the freemen.

Since the Union it has returned one member to the Imperial parliament; and since the passing of the act of the 2nd of William IV., cap. 88, the right of election is in the corporation, freemen, and £10 householders. A new boundary has been drawn round the borough, the details of which are minutely described in the Appendix. The number of electors is 214, of whom 26 are burgesses and freemen, whose rights are reserved for life, 184 £10 householders, and 4 occupiers of houses and lands of the yearly value of £10; of these, 185 polled at the late election for the borough, in 1835: the mayor is the returning officer.

The quarter sessions for the county are held here in April and October; the assistant barrister presides with the magistrates, for the trial of offences against persons and property, and alone in civil actions not exceeding £20. By the original grant each of the twelve proprietors of the county was empowered to hold a manorial court, but the business of these courts is generally transferred to the quarter sessions. Petty sessions are held on alternate Thursdays. The town-hall is situated in the centre of the square called the Diamond; it was originally erected in 1743, and has been more than once enlarged, and is now undergoing a thorough repair at the expense of the corporation: it is a lofty square building surmounted by a cupola, in which a clock was placed in 1830, at the expense of the Marquess of Waterford: the hall contains courts for the quarter sessions, apartments for transacting the corporation business and the election of members, a newsroom, library, ballast-office, and a savings' bank.