Strabane Corporation Minutes 1755-1812

Prior to 1841, local government in nearly thirty Ulster towns was controlled by a corporation. With the exception of Carrickfergus and Downpatrick, which were medieval boroughs, these corporations were seventeenth-century creations. Records relating to about half of these corporations have survived including those for Strabane in County Tyrone.

The corporation minutes for Strabane also contain other miscellaneous records such as Grand Jury presentment 1773-1810; Common council book 1813-1847 and Borough Court Book 1814-1816. I have extracted the names of the doctors and apothecaries that appeared in the Corporation minutes from 1775 to 1812.

In the Grand Jury records a recurring theme throughout the minutes was the state of the paths and roads often blocked by dung heaps and the lack of hygiene in the town was a constant source of irritation. Things got so bad that in 1780 the Grand jury imposed a fine of 10 pence on over sixty named individuals for failing to clear the dung heaps in front of their homes.

For those with ancestors from this area these records provide a rich source of names for hundreds of people who resided in the district from 1755 through to 1847.

Extracts from Strabane Corporation Minutes 1755-1812 (MIC159/1)

Page 15
Tuesday 21st September 1756 - notice for electing a burgess in place of
William Colhoun, Esq deceased.

Page 45
30 Sept 1765 Simon Rouse the present recorder of the Borough has resigned as
weigh master of the said Borough.

Page 65
22 June 1772 elected Michael Law, Esq, Doctor of Physick and George Buchanan, apothecary
both of Strabane to serve as two free burgesses.

Page 74
4 June 1774
Provost George Buchanan
Elected - Benjamin Fenton of Strabane, apothecary to serve as a free burgess in place and stead of John Hamilton, deceased.

Page 104
13 June 1781
George Buchanan, apothecary, deceased.

Page 114
12 August 1782
J Sproull of Strabane, Surgeon and Samuel Morton of the same, merchant elected freemen.

Page 140
7 June 1791
Michael Law, Esq Doctor of Physick, deceased burgess.

Page 175
29 September 1800
Eph'm Stannus, freeman of the borough

Page 180
16 September 1806
Nathaniel Eadie, Provost
Whereas John McCausland, sen, John Stewart Hamilton, Bart, Benjamin Fenton, John Barclay, George Sinclair and James Hamilton, Esq late burgesses of the said borough are now dead ---

Page 182
26 April 1806
Elected Brig Gen John Hamilton, James Sinclair Esq, Rev Archibald Hamilton, John Fenton Esq, John James Burgoyne Esq, Joseph Barclay Esq and William Fleming, merchant to serve as free burgesses in stead of (above named deceased).

Page 206
29 September 1809
Elected freemen
Doct John Gamel
Doct Pat'k Fleming

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At the back of the volume there was some earlier material:

29 December 1755
Apploters: John Graham and James Dunlap
William Balfore and Lazarus Firmy sworn in for year
Appraisers: John Clarke and Allan Campbell appointed
Sergeants: Thomas Egan and James Bredin

This material continues until 1840s
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Grand Jury Book 1773-1810

13 Jun 1773

George Keys --- from Back Street - Church Street
William Craig --- Irish Street - Shaw's Lane - Bowling Green
John Hollyday --- Castle Lane & By Sam Hyndman's
Sam Dinney --- To Dr Sproull's & Fenton's corner

Page 65
11 December 1780
resolved that a fine of 10 pence be levied on each of the following persons for neglecting to move their dung heaps from off the streets and other nuisances (about 60 names)

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https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/search-londonderry-corporation-records






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