One last PRONI reference to our good preacher, Mr. Henry. 'EXTRACT FROM REV. HENRY'S DESCRIPTION OF COUNTY DONEGAL, 1739 "...On the North-East side of Lough Swilly lyes the great peninsula of Ennishowen, formed by the bays of Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly. This country consists of many high mountains, among which are most considerable green and gormly; among these mountains and along the sea coasts are many valleys of good soil, well cultivated and full of inhabitants; in this peninsula are some parishes, where the service of the Church of Ireland, is used in the Irish tongue. I can't pass by this article relating to the soil, without observing to the honour of the Scotch planters, who settled in this country, in indefatigable pains they have been at in tilling and manuring the ground. Though there is scarce any county in the kingdom whose soil is naturally more discouraging to the husbandman, they have, by continual labour, by liming and shelling and dunging, as it were, forced nature and made it fruitful to maintain a great number of people, and to afford some barley also for exortation. The English planters are easily known by the neatness of their houses and pleasant plantation of trees. The Scotch too much neglect this, yet make amends by applying themselves wholly to improving and meliorating the soil. Yet there are in several parts of this county, large plantations of trees, orchards of choice fruit, apples pears and plums, particularly about Donegal Letterkenny and places along Lough Swilly, and from which very good cider is made in some of these orchards, especially at Mr. Henderson's of Donaghmore, though it falls short, in spirit and taste of that made in Munster. The principal pulse and grains produced in it are potatoes beans pease barley and oats. The barley is most consumed by the distillers in making Aqua Vitae which possibly taken moderatly might sometimes prove a cordial against the damps of the lakes and mountains, but by the immoderate use made of it, serves only to infatuate, enervate and impoverish the people. The oats is the common bread of the inhabitants of this and most of the North-West counties, the soil being to cold and moist for wheat though in some places it grows well. But were it got in ever so great plenty, the inhabitants would chose rather the oaten bread, which is of a much hotter and stronger nature, and more apt to support men who labour hard. Except about Ballyshannon there are no large flocks of sheep, nor are there many herds of black cattle, but what grass there and about Horn Head. In spring there are not enough of either to supply the markets, yet this want is supplied by plenty of fish and poultry of all kinds. The chief riches of this county arise from the advanced progress they have made in the linen manufacture. The farmer generally contents himself with no more land than is necessary to feed his family which he diligently tills, and depends on the industry of his wife and daughters to pay by their spinning the rent, and lay up riches. These small partitions of land contribute vastly to the improvement of the county. It is usual to see 20 or 30 industrious Protestant families living happily together on one farm, called a townland; though a farmer in Munster and Cannaught and some parts of Leinster would think the laying waste half a score such farms for black cattle, little enough to support the family of one man, who does not contribute so much in the year either to the manufacture or natural improvement of the kingdom, as even the poorest of all these. I cannot, upon this occasion, forbear digressing so far as to observe that the poverty of Ireland is the continual (and , I am sorry to say, to just a) complaint, yet it is chiefly owing to ourselves, for until either by the wisdom of the Legislature or public spirit of estated-gentlemen, some effectual method is found out to encourage the industrious cottager, and put a stop to the infamous practice of land jobbers and land wasters, it is impossible for the soil to be improved, or the manufactue of flourish, which are the two natural (if not only) sources of a kingdom's riches. It is amazing that the happy success which this method of dividing the land into small partitions and encouraging the cottager and manufacturer, has had in enriching both landlord and tenant, in every instance where it has been tried, does not induce even those to fall into it, who have no other principal but self-interest. But if we consider the public good (wherin the most selfish man's private good is involved) how infinitely strong must be the inducement be? What secret joy (I was like to say raptures)does an observant traveller feel when passing through the estate of a Lord Limrick, a Cook, a Newburgh, a Brownlow, a Rawdon, an Upton, and many such like northern gentlemen. He sees them tilled like a garden, crowded with industrious Protestant inhabitants, the happy landlord living in the midst of this numerous family as a true father of his country, at once watchful for their good and advancing thereby his own, while flourishing tenants rejoice under his wing and pay him no less honour and love than to a natural parent. On the contrary how is he affrighted, when, after travelling some miles through other parts of Ireland which are naturally a better soil, he at length spies in the midst of a wide waste, a solitary house, the owner of which, without the comfort of doing the least good to mankind, or even enlarging his own fortune, reigns as a petty tyrant over a heard of beasts and a few slaves more wretched than the beasts. It is hoped that the spirit which some gentlemen in the southern provinces have taken up, to correct this fatal error, will soon diffuse itself universally..." If you remove the bias of this man's writings it is truely an outstanding look at life in early 18th century Ireland. Regards, Robert Cowan