Continued............. The Primates and the Church Lands (extract from The Primates and the Church Lands: Seanchas Ard Mhaca: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society, Vol 5, No. 2, 1970, pp. 370-397) O NEILL'S RENTS-SECULAR LAND LAWS The following interesting account given by Sir Toby Caulfield, who was appointed custodian of the escheated estates of the Earl of Tyrone (i.e. Hugh O. Neill) throws a sidelight on the methods adopted by the latter to collect his revenues from his clansmen: 1. That there is no specified portion of land set to any of O Neill's rent paying tenants. 2. Such rents as he reserved, were paid to him, partly in money and partly in provisions: oats, oatmeal, butter, hogs and muttons. 3. The money rents so reserved, were chargeable on all the cows that were milch, or in calf, which grazed on his lands, at the rate Of 7d. per quarter year. These cows were counted twice yearly, viz. at May and Hallowtide, by O Neill's officers, and so the rents were levied and taken up, at the said rents, for all the cows that were counted, except that the principal Creaghts, who lived better than those under them, whom they compelled to pay the said rents, were allowed part of the whole rents, which amounted to £700 a year (Irish) or thereabouts, communibus annis, which they retained in their own hands, by direction from the Lord Deputy, and so were never received. Butter and other victualling provisions were only paid by such as were termed horsemen, the Quinns, Hagans, Conlans and Devlins, at their own discretion as to who should give most to gain O Neill's favour, than for any due claim he had to demand the same. 4. All the cows on which rents were to be levied had to be counted in one day in the whole country, which requires much travel and labours and many people to put into a position of trust, in ascertaining the true record, as the country is replenished with woods, which greatly advantage the rentpaying tenants to get their cows away from the reckoning and also to such overseers as can be corrupted by the tenants to mitigate their rents by lessening the true number of their cattle. 5. The rent is uncertain because of the custom of the country which allows the tenants to remove from one Lord to another, every half year, as usually they do as the custom is allowed by State Authority. INDEXES A (1) NATIVE TENANTS IN OCCUPATION IN 1615 Cullen, Pearce Hovendon, Robert (married to widow O Neale) MacBrioge, William McConnor, Edmond, Henry & Philomy McCrorie, Bryan bog, Jas oge, Pat oge McShane, Jas. Obrennigan, Donnell Ocarre, Pat, Edmond, Pat Oge, Art Oge Oconree, Pat oge, Turlo Ocorr, Bryan Ocromee, Donogh, Teage Oconnelie, Hugh, Ed Oge, Ffernighee, Shane McDonnell Groone Odonnellan, Connor Offehgan, William Oflynn, Cormack, Connor More, Art, Connor Oge, Shane Ohahie, Collo, Connor Olappan, Hugh, Cormack, Pat oge, Turlo, Eoin, Cormac Modder Olappan, Owen Modder Oneile, Phyllmey McTurlo Brasslett Oneile, Conn McTurlo A (2) PLANTERS IN OCCUPATION IN 1615 Brooks, Edmund, Crante, T. B (1) CATHOLIC SUB-TENANTS IN 1714 Babe, John Blaine, Alex Blaine, Francis Brally, hugh Callyghan, Pat Cavanagh, John Carr, Murtha Coalman, Ed. Connellan, Art Cor, John Corrigan, Bryan Corrigan, Rodger Corrigan, Thomas Dennish, Wm. Donaghy, Laughlin Odonnelly, Art O Donnelly Pat O Donnelly Phil O Donnelly Turlo Dowdall Murtha Doyle, Owen Duffy, Philo Ffailon, Murtha Ffarelly, owen Ffenion, John Gildernew, Ed. Hedigan, Thos. Haggan, Ed. Hughes, Edmond Hughes, Henry Hughes, John Hughes, Neile Hughes, Pat Hughes, Philo Keane, Francis Kelly, William Kinney, Turlo Lappin, Cormack Lappin, Pat Lappin, Thos Lee, Leonard Madigan, Pat McCann, Murtha McCarney, Pat McCartan, Pat McCavill, Jas. McCavill, John McCavill, Laurence McCavill, Wm. McCavill, Turlogh McCoan, Edmond McCollon, John McConor, Murtha McCready, Denis McElcreedy, Turlo McGee, Eaver McGee, Edmond McGee, Jas. McGee, Jas. McGee, Pat McGurk, Bryan Mckelt, Neece McMullan, John McOwen, Pat McQuade, Art McQuade, Henry McQuade, Pat McRorey, Dan McRory, Pat McVeigh, Owen McVeigh, Pat Murphy, Thurlo Newgent, Thos Oconnelly, Art O Donaghy, Shane O Donnelly, Jas. O Donnelly, Philo O Donnelly, Turlo O Harnly, Bryan O Harnly, Hugh O Hall, Cor. O Harry, Philo O Hedigan, Pat O Hugh, Constant O hugh, Dan O Hugh Denis O Hugh Fferd O Hugh, Jas. O Hugh, Pat O Kelly, Art O Mackel, Turlo O Mallan, Neale O Neile, Philomey O Nerny, Philo O Quinn, Owen O Tonner, Ed. O Toole, Phil Raverty, Bryan Toner, Bryan Toner, Bryan Toner, Knogher Toner, Neale Toner, William Total: 101 (2 Bryan Toners) Catholic Sub-tenants