COLERAINE

In 1868, the parish of Coleraine contained the following places:

"COLERAINE, a parish, maritime town, and parliamentary borough, in the north-eastern liberties of Coleraine, in the county of Londonderry, province of Ulster, Ireland, 27 miles to the E. of Derry, 47 N. of Belfast, and 145 N. of Dublin. It is situated on the river Bann, about 4 miles from its influx into the sea, and 5 miles from Portrush, which serves as its dripping port, though vessels of 200 tons can discharge at the quay of Coleraine. Steamers go to Liverpool, Londonderry, and Glasgow. A bridge unites the Ballymena and Portrush and the Londonderry and Coleraine railways, immediately below the town, thus connecting it with Belfast and Dublin. The 3,000 acres that are in the town and liberties of Coleraine, were taken off the county of Antrim in 1613, when they were purchased by the Hon. Irish Society of London from Sir Randall McDonnell. At the Revolution the town was taken by James II. Previous to the Union it returned two members to the Irish parliament, but subsequently, its limits being much reduced within "the liberties," it returns one member to the imperial parliament. The constituency in 1859 was 274. The municipal area comprises 207 statute acres, including 1,079 houses, inhabited by a population of 5,628, which, according to the census of 1861, were thus distributed: Established Church, 1,524, Roman Catholics, 1,455, Presbyterians, 2,178, Methodists, 202, Independents, 113, Baptists, 127, other persuasions, 29. The town was anciently governed by a corporation, chartered in 1613, but its powers were transferred to a board of 18 commissioners, under the Towns Improvement Act. The property of the extinguished corporation, amounting in 1844 to £1,335, chiefly arising from rents, and the tells and customs, is now vested in the Town Commissioners, who have the management of the paving, lighting, water supply, &c. The gas-works have lately been erected. The town itself is large, and on the whole well built, consisting of five principal streets, a spacious square, called the Diamond, formerly used as a marketplace, and several smaller streets. A new townhall has been erected in the Diamond, at a cost of £5,000, and a nosy bank on the N. side by the Northern Banking Company; the Provincial Bank and the Belfast Banking Company also have branches in the town. The other public buildings are a court-house, market-house, Union-workhouse, custom-house, savings-bank, an endowed school, and a very handsome National model school in Waterside, adjoining the town. On the W. side of the river are the suburbs of Killowen and Waterside, with which Coleraine is connected by a handsome stone bridge of three arches, 96 yards in length by 32 feet in breadth, which cost £14,500. The new market-place is situated on the E. side of the town, and is commodiously fitted up for the various descriptions of agricultural produce brought there for sale. Coleraine has two parish churches, two Roman Catholic chapels, three chapels for Presbyterians, and one each for Methodists, Baptists, and Independents. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Connor, value £414, in the patronage of the Hon. Irish Society. The church, which was built in 1614, has several tombs and monuments of the first English families who settled here. The church of Killowen, also situated within the town, is built on the site of an ancient priory, close to where the castle stood. Besides the Irish Society's free school and the Model National school, there are several denominational and private schools. This town has been long celebrated for its manufacture of a fine kind of linen, known by the name of "Coleraines," the annual sales of which were estimated to amount to about £600,000, but latterly this branch of manufacture has fallen off, being principally transferred to Belfast. The other manufactures carried on here are those of hard and soft soap, candles, and leather. There are also a largo ale brewery and a distillery in the town. The general trade of the port, which is a bonding port, with Portrush as a sub-port, is very considerable, chiefly in grain, meal, pork, butter, linen-cloth, whisky, and salmon; this last is very productive, the number of salmon taken in the river Baim being in 1843, 21,660, and in 1844, 15,011, of which latter number 13,464 were exported. There are upwards of 300 persons employed as water-bailiff's in the protection of the river and its tributaries; the fishing of which is farmed by the Irish Society to Mr. Allen for £1,200 per annum. The imports are timber, iron, barilla, ashes, coal, and salt. Coleraine is a quarter sessions and chief police town, head of an excise district, and bonding port, with its customs, excise, and stamp offices. Petty sessions are held by the magistrates of the district every alternate Friday, and the board of guardians meets every Saturday. Two newspapers are published in the town. Coleraine is the seat of a presbytery, consisting of twenty congregations, and head of a Poor-law Union of twenty electoral divisions. Market days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for grain, besides a general market on Saturday. Fairs, for the sale of cattle. &c., are held on the 12th May, 5th July, and 3rd November."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018