The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-06-03
A RELIC OF OTHER DAYS.

MIR. Macarthur, the city electrician, ls
possessed of an interesting relic of the
past century in the form of land lease
given by Arthur, Earl of Donegal to
John Macarthur and signed on the fifth
day of August, 176s, more than 122
years ago. The document measures
about two feet and a half by fourteen
inches The material is of parchment
and is accompanied by surveyors plat.
The seal is of red wax, but is broken and
cracked so that outlines of what may
have been the Earl's coat of arms are
not distinguishable. The signature,
''Donegall," is in bold, well-written
hand, ard is witnessed by David Nc
Cool and Geo. Cortis. On the back it is
described as the ''Lease of two Ballyboes
of the Quarter Lands Carrowreagh."
What ballyboes may mean the writer
knows not, but the Celtic bally or bal
means a town.
The lands involved are said to contain
by "admeasurement 1923 acres and two
roods plantation measure and the annual
rent is SO pounds sterling with ten shil-
lings additional as "duties." The lands
lie in the 'tparish of Templemore in the
barony of Inishowen and county of
Donegal. The indenture says that it
"Hath demised, leased, set and to farm
letten, and by these presents doth de-
mise, lease, set and to farm let,". etc.
The earl reserves, among numerous other
things, "Fishings, Fowlings, Free War
rem and Chase" with liberty to fish,
fowl, hunt and hawk upon the same"
The lease binds the lessee or his heirs to
pay for and in lieu of 'Herriot" the sum
of twenty shillings on the death of John
Macarthur and ''every Chief-Tenant dy-
ing in possession of the said demised
premises 1t also binds the lessee to
pay an annual rent of forty shillings
sterling for "every acre that shall be
plowed or sown with corn or grain of any
kind, within one year within the three
last years before the expiration of said
term, over and above one-three of the
arabic pasture of the premises" 1t also
binds the lessee ''to render suit and SER
vice at the. Courts-Leet and Courts
Baron, and to pay for every Head-Ten
ant of the Premises, Four-pence and for
every Under-Tenant Two-pence sterling
in the Name of .Head-Money or Leet-Sil-
yer, at every Court-Leet to be held
within the same" The lease further
binds the renter to .sgrind all such Malt,
Corn or other Grain as shall be expended
as shall be sown) or that he shall grind
for sale at such mill or mills not exceed
ing two miles distant from it's Place of
Growth, as the said Earl, shall at any
Time or Times, during the said Term by
and Writings under his Hands appoint"
And the renter further binds himself and
his under-tenants each to build twenty
perches annually of new fence 'of good
single Earth Ditch, in straight lines,
with Grip or Trench on one Side, six
feet wide at the Top, two feet wide at
the Bottom and five feet deep below the
Surface" or in lieu of such to build "a
good Stone wall or Ditch in straight
two feet thick at the Bottom and one
foot thick at the top, capped with Sods,
half foot high above the Stones"
Trees were to be planted, SO many feet
apart along the sod fences and in default
tine of two-pence for every tree not SO
planted was imposed. All of which goes
to show that these old earls knew toler-
ably well how to take care of themselves
and that human greed is at least as old
as the eighteenth century.
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