MANNERS OF THE IRISH.
The following are extracts from a MS. volume of the sixteenth century, containing, inter alia, notes of the Manners and Superstitions of the
Celtic Irish. Some of our readers may be able to elucidate the obscure references:
"The Irish men they have a farme,
They kepp the bread,
And make boyranne.
They make butter and eatt molchan.
And when they haue donne
They have noe shamm.
They burne the strawe and make loisbran.
They eatt the flesh and drinke the broth,
And when they have done they say
Deo gracias is smar in Doieagh."
The next appears to be a scrap of a woman's song:
"Birch and keyre 'tis wal veyre a spyunyng deye a towme.
I am the geyest mayed of all that brought the somer houme.
Justice Deyruse in my lopp, and senscal in my roame," &c.
John Devereux was Justiciary of the Palatinate Liberty of Wexford in the early part of Henry VIII.'s reign. That Palatinate was then governed by a seneschal or "senscal." The justice would seem to have been a gallant and sensual man, and the song may have been a little satirical. Among the notes of the "Manners" of the Irish, it is declared that—
"Sett them a farme—the grandfather, father, son, and they clayme it as their own: if not, they goe to rebellion."
Will any antiquary versed in Celtic customs explain whether this claim of possession grew out of any Celtic usage of tenancy? And also point out authorities bearing upon the customs of Celtic agricultural tenancy?
The next extract bears upon the communication at Vol. vii., p. 332.:
"An Ultagh hath three purses. He runneth behind dore to draw his money: one cutteth the throte of another."
Now, was an Ultagh an Irish usurer or money-lender? Your correspondent at page 332. requests information respecting Roger Outlaw. Sir William Betham, in a note to the "Proceedings against Dame Alice Ugteler," the famous pseudo-Kilkenny witch, remarks that "the family of Utlagh were seated in Dublin, and filled several situations in the corporation." Utlagh and Outlaw are the same surnames. The named Utlagh also occurs in the Calendar of Printed Irish Patent Rolls. William Utlagh, or Outlaw, was a banker and money-lender in Kilkenny, in the days of Edward I. He was the first husband of the witch, and brother of Friar Roger Outlaw. In favour of the latter, who was Prior of Kilmainham, near Dublin, a mandamus, dated 10 Edw. II., was issued for arrears due to him since he was "justice and chancellor, and even lieutenant of the justiciary, as well in the late king's time as of the present king's." He was appointed Lord Justice, or deputy to the Lord Lieutenant, by patent dated Mar. 15, 9 Edw. III.
Many of the Irish records having been lost, your correspondent will do an obliging service in pointing out the repository of the discovered roll. Perhaps steps might be taken for its restoration.
H.
[The following communication from our valued correspondent, the Rev. H. T. Ellacombe, affords at once a satisfactory reply to H's Query, and a proof of the utility of "N. & Q.">[
Roger Outlawe (Vol. vii., p. 559.).—Thanks to Anon. and others for their information.
As for "in viiij mense," I cannot understand it: I copied it as it was sent to me. B. Etii was an error of the press for R. Etii, but I purposely avoided noticing it, because my very first communication on the subject to "N. & Q.," under my own name and address, opened a very pleasing correspondence, which has since led to the restoration of these Irish documents to their congeners among the public records in Dublin; a gentleman having set out most chivalrously from that city at his own cost to recover them, and I am happy to say he has succeeded; and in the English Quarterly Magazine there will soon appear, I believe, an account of the documents in question. It would not, therefore, become me to give in this place the explanation which has been kindly communicated to me as to the meaning of the last conquest of Ireland; but I have no doubt it will be explained in the English Quarterly.
H. T. Ellacombe.
Rectory, Clyst St. George.