Black Castle, on the east bank of the river Barrow, at Leighlin bridge. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary.*

King Henry III. died at London, on the 16th of November, 1272; after a protracted reign of fifty-six years.

CHAP. VII.

Reign of Edward I. A.D. 1272 to A.D. 1307.

EDWARD I., (from the shape of his person, styled LongShanks), succeeded his father.

We find two persons named William le Gras (or Grace) governors of Carlow, in the years 1268 and 1275. They served as deputies to the earls of Norfolk, lords palatine of the district.

Thomas, bishop of Leighlin, died on the 25th of April, 1275, being twenty-three years since the period of his election.

He was followed by Nicholas Chevers, a Franciscan friar and archdeacon of Leighlin, who was duly elected by the chapter, and obtained the royal assent on the 16th November, 1275. He was not, however, restored to the temporalities until the year 1277; the reason of which delay is not exactly known. The circumstance is conjectured to have arisen from the fact, that the see of Dublin was then vacant and continued so for several years; so that the bishop elect could not apply to his metropolitan for confirmation. This cause is in some degree implied in a bull of pope John XXII., dated 28th of October, 1276, and directed to John, bishop of Clonfert, the pope's nuncio, and others: in which having noticed the election, the vacant state of the see of Dublin, and the application of bishop Chevers to the court of Rome for confirmatian, he authorizes his commissioners to make inquiry into the said election, and the merits of the person elected, and to confirm him, if no objection existed. His confirmation immediately ensued.+

A.D. 1281. The Irish were very turbulent at this period. Mortagh MacMorrough Kavanagh and his brother Art, two of their leaders, were beheaded at Arklow,+

In the year 1296, William de Ross, prior of Kilmainham, was appointed deputy on the departure of Sir John Wogan, late goverThe rule of a priest had no terrors in the eyes of the Irish;

nor.

• Ware. Archdall. Ware mentions a nunnery founded at Graney, in 1200; which Harris states, that he incorrectly places in the county of Kildare instead of county Carlow; but this generally accurate antiquary is here in error. Graney is a parish in the barony of Kilkea and Moone, county Kildare--there is no such townland or parish in the county Carlow; and therefore Sir James Ware is right. Graney borders on the county Carlow, and hence, probably, the mistake of Harris.

+ Harris's Ware.

Hanmer. Cox. Kavanagh pedigree.

who, finding a favourable opportunity, arising from this cause, as well as the absence of most of the nobility and gentry, who were in attendance on the king in Scotland, forthwith broke out into rebellion in various parts of the country. The insurgents of Slieumargy burnt Old Leighlin and other towns. This deed led to a charter from the succeeding king, Edward II., empowering the, peaceable and well-disposed inhabitants of Leighlin to take effectual steps for their protection against these marauders. This document will be found in its proper place.

About the year 1300,* a preceptory was built at Ballymoon, in our county, by the Knights Templars; who, however, did not long enjoy the possession of it.

A.D. 1301. The Irish of Leinster were in a state of open insurrection at this period.

Felix was prior of St. Stephen's at Leighlin, but the time is not known. In 1304, Philip was prior, and the year succeeding John held the office.t

On the 1st of April, 1307, Morrough Ballagh (probably one of the Kavanaghs) was beheaded at Merton, by Sir David Caunton, Knt.; who was afterwards hanged for it in Dublin, anno 1309.‡

King Edward I. died on the 7th of July, 1307, in the thirty-fifth year of his reign, and sixty-eighth of his age. During the period he held the sceptre, the condition of Ireland was most deplorable. Being himself actively engaged in the affairs of Great Britain, it necessarily followed, that the government of Ireland should be entrusted to other hands. And unfortunately, the wise or benevolent measures of the deputy of the day, met with little support from the barons or clergy; who seem to have indulged in the gratification of their selfish passions, rather than in attachment to the course which duty dictated.

CHAP. VIII.

Reign of Edward II. A.D. 1307, to A.D. 1327.

Edward the second, son of the late king, succeeded his father. In the year 1308, the king, having received the commands of the pope, caused all the Knights Templars in Great Britain and Ireland to be made prisoners, and their property sequestrated. Being a formidable body of men, it was necessary that much caution should be observed in the management of this

Monast. Hib. p. 36. Archdall erroneously states the place to be, BallyMacWilliam-Roe. He is also incorrect in stating it to be "near Clonegal';" from which place it is distant at least twelve miles.

† Monas. Hib.

Cox.-Chron. of Ir. 1587.

affair. Accordingly, the king issued a precept to all sheriffs in England, ordering them to cause a specified number of knights, or persons on whom he could place reliance, to assemble at a place named in the writ, on the Sunday next after Epiphany; and commanding the said sheriffs not to fail in their attendance on the occasion, in order to execute such matters as might then be communicated to them. This writ is dated at Westminster, 15th December, and first year of the reign of Edward II.-The subsequent precept was conveyed to the sheriff, by a chaplain, who was authorized to administer an oath to that officer, by which he was bound to observe strict secresy as to the object of the assemblage, until the same was carried into effect. The instructions delivered to him were that he should arrest all the Templars within his district; for which purpose he had authority to command the aid of as many of the knights, and others, as he deemed necessary. He was further ordered, to seize all their lands, cattle, and goods, and to cause an inventory of the same to be made in presence of the warden of the place, whether he were Templar or not, and in presence of respectable persons of the neighbourhood; retaining one copy of the inventory himself, and leaving the other in the hands of the warden. And further, to place the said goods and cattle in safe keeping, and to have the lands manured and cultivated to the best advantage. He was prohibited from committing the Templars to prison, or subjecting them to irons; but was ordered to preserve them in safe custody in some convenient place. He was ordered to preserve charge of the goods and chattels, till he received the commandment of the king, as to their final disposal. And lastly, he was to render an account of his proceedings under the writ, to the court of Exchequer, on the morrow after the purification. This last document was dated 20th December.*

There was likewise a writ directed to John Wogan, lord justice of Ireland, informing him of the proceedings adopted in England for the apprehension of the Templars, and seizure of their goods, and commanding him to proceed in a similar manner against those in Ireland; but the time and place for the assembling of the sheriffs and their followers, was left to the discretion of the said lord justice and the treasurer of the exchequer.-It was, however, ordered that the writ should be executed before the Templars could learn the proceedings against the members of the order in England.

In pursuance of these commands, the establishments of the knights Templars at Killarge and Ballymoon, in our county, were suppressed.

In the fourth year of the reign of Edward II., a charter was granted by him to the town of Old Leighlin, of which the following is a translation. The privileges here granted were rendered imperatively necessary by the frequent incursions of the Irish, and the unprotected state of the town.

Chron. of Ireland.

CHARTER GRANTED BY KING EDWARD II. TO THE BURGESSES OF OLD LEIGHLIN,

THE king to his well-beloved Adani le Bretoun health. Whereas, at the supplication of certain nobles of our realm of Ireland, and gentlemen of the town of Leighlin, we, for the public good and to resist the wickedness of the Irish living in the neighbourhood of Leighlin, have granted to the said men, a muragium (i. e. grant for building walls) for enclosing their town aforesaid and whereas the said men have come before our beloved and faithful ( ) Wogan,* our lord justice of Ireland, on the Lord's day next following the feast of St. Valentine the martyr last past, supplicating at his throne the aforesaid muragium which we had so granted to them, we are pleased to grant unto you who have taken ( ) a certain stone tower near the aforesaid town, between the said town and the Irish aforesaid ( to complete the said tower ( ) and the aforesaid town become better fortified against the said Irish, to the great advantage of the said town and country, and especially because the muragium aforesaid amounteth to so small a sum of money. ) time allowed them because the said town cannot thereby be enclosed and the said tower may be erected with less expense than the said town could be surrounded with a stone wall. And whereas it is found by enquiry made before our lord justice aforesaid, that it would be more for the advantage of the whole country aforesaid at the rate of ten marks per ann., and likewise of the said town at forty shillings per ann. if the said muragium were granted to you for building the tower aforesaid, than for enclosing the aforesaid town, if you maintain for ever three men of arms and two hobillers for the defence of the aforesaid town and country, as you have engaged to keep and maintain before our said lord justice: we therefore grant unto you for the support of the aforesaid men at arms and hobillers, from the day of the completion of these presents, for the five years next following, to enjoy in the aforesaid town the customs hereafter recited (then follows a long enumeration of tolls and customs with market privileges &c.) and therefore we permit you to exact these customs aforesaid in the said town, as well from burgesses of the said town as from others, to the end of the aforesaid term of years, after which period the said customs shall utterly cease and be extinct. In testimony whereof we, &c. Witness our lord justice aforesaid, in Waterford, this 4th day of March, in the fourth year of our reign.t

The unsettled state of our district, may further be collected from

• Sir John.

† 4. Mar. 1310. An. 4. Edw. II. E Rot. Par: 3, 4, Edw. II. in. 7d, The blanks, as above, are to be found in the original document. It should be observed, that Sir John Wogan was lord deputy at two different periods.

K

a patent, dated third year of the reign of Edward II., 26th January, which notices the many robberies, depredations, &c. lately committed in the county of Carlow, and in order to check same, appoints J. de Bonevill, in his majesty's castle of Carlow, seneschal of Carlow and Kildare.

Nicholas Chevers, bishop of Leighlin, died at a very advanced age, on the 20th of July, 1309; having directed this see for a period of thirty-two years from the time of his restitution to the temporalities. After his death, John Chevers, dean; and Ralph le Brun, chancellor of Leighlin, forged various grants, to which they affixed the episcopal seal. But the fraud was subsequently discovered, and the delinquents underwent suitable punishment.

Maurice of Blanchvill, canon of Leighlin, being lawfully elected, was duly confirmed on the 13th November, 1309. He governed this see during a period of nearly eleven years, and departed this life in the year 1320.

Miler le Poer succeeded. The king having issued his license to the dean and chapter, they proceeded to an election, when this individual, who held the office of chanter of Leighlin, was the object of their choice; on the 5th November, 1326. He was descended of a noble family. On the 29th January following, he was duly confirmed by his metropolitan, Alexander Bickner, archbishop of Dublin. He was afterwards (as Friar Clynn says,) consecrated at Waterford, on Palm-Sunday, 1321, and held the direction of the see of Leighlin for upwards of twenty years.†

It appears that the noble lords who possessed the palatinate of Carlow, having large estates in England, directed but a small portion of their attention to the care of their Irish territory, and did not even, in some cases, visit this country. They, for a time, collected, in an irregular and imperfect manner, the issues and profits of their principality, until, at length, they observed that these revenues daily decreased in amount; and were convinced, that some effectual steps must be taken to secure their rights, if the total loss of them would be averted. But, unfortunately, the remedy adopted proved worse than the disease. They retained one of the Kavanaghs, as a kind of military agent, who might employ the law of the land, or the sword, as circumstances would require. Kavanagh was thus placed in a situation peculiarly tempting to a man of turbulent and ambitious character; and we should not feel much surprise, that in about twenty years after his appointment, (and commencement of the present reign), he seized upon a great portion of the counties of Carlow and Wexford, of which he declared he was the rightful owner. (7) He further assumed the title of MacMorrough, and speedily acquired much power; to which he added, by an alliance with the Byrnes and Tooles. Their combined forces were shortly afterwards found sufficient to secure a great portion of the district situate between Carlow and the Irish channel, by which the authority of the English was much weakened for centuries afterwards.