Reported On This Day 280 Years Ago (July 17 1739): Dublin marks Boyne battle anniversary

From the Belfast News Letter of July 6 1739 (July 17 in the modern calendar):
The Belfast News Letter of July 6 1739 (which is July 17 in the modern calendar)The Belfast News Letter of July 6 1739 (which is July 17 in the modern calendar)
The Belfast News Letter of July 6 1739 (which is July 17 in the modern calendar)

DUBLIN. July 3.

Last Sunday being the anniversary of the memorable battle of the Boyne, when king William III. of glorious memory, defeated the army of the late king James, the same was observed here with the greatest demonstrations of joy; and the evening concluded with ringing of bells, firing of guns, bonfires.

[Sunday July 1 1739 was the Boyne anniversary in the old calendar, which still prevailed at the time of the 1690 battle and this 1739 celebration.

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The new calendar, that we use today, was not introduced until the 1750s. Converting to the modern calendar is complicated: for the 1690s you add 10 days, which means the battle was in fact fought on July 11 by our standards. For the 1730s you add 11 days, hence why this July 6 paper is actually a July 17 paper by the modern date.

Older News Letter readers at this time, those born in the early 1680s or earlier, and aged 55+ in 1739, would have remembered the Boyne victory]

Last Sunday his grace the archbishop of Dublin and several other persons of distinction, arrived here from England.

Last Sunday morning about eight o’clock died at his house on the bachelor’s walk, alderman John Porter, formerly lord mayor, a justice of the peace, and father of this city, as being a senior alderman.

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Yesterday and the day before, we had a very hot pressing on the Liffey for sailors; and we hear, that orders are come over for all justices of the peace, to give suitable encouragement to able bodied seamen, who are willing to serve his majesty.

On Wednesday last between the Royal Oak and Kilkenny a gentleman was robbed by two Highwaymen, well mounted, of 12 guineas. As they robbed him at six in the evening he intends to sue the county.

And on Friday morning last, within two miles of Thomas-town, two fellows stopped a man and demanded his money, but not having enough to satisfy them they cutt off his ears and part of his tongue.

From Waterford, we hear that on Friday the 9th of last month Henry Mason Esq; was elected mayor of that city for the ensuing year.

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Private letters from Madrid advise, that about the time when the 95,000l. should have been paid by that court to that of Great-Britain, in pursuance of the convention between them, the marquis de Villarias declared to Mr. Keene, that his Catholick majesty, without any regard to the South-Sea company’s refusing to pay the 68,000l. due to him from that company, would have caused the said sum of 95,000l. to have been paid at London, if he had not thought his honour wounded by the continuation of the British squadron in the Mediterranean.

That his Catholick majesty had just reason to complain, that this squadron, instead of remaining in either the port of Gibraltar, or that or Port Mahon, was lately almost constantly cruizing between them, which could not but greatly alarm the inhabitants of the Maritime provinces in that part of the kingdom, and make them afraid of putting their ships to sea.

His Catholick Majesty therefore demanded, that the promise made three months ago, that this squadron should be recalled immediately after the signing of the convention should be performed.

[War with Spain was on the verge of being declared. There had been longstanding tensions over Spanish treatment of British ships in the Caribbean, including an incident in which a British commander had his ear cut off. And so this was called the War of Jenkins’ Ear]

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