The last of our reproduced reports from 1739: ‘The Parliament of Ireland is to be prorogued now until October’

From the August 14 1739 Belfast News Letter (equivalent to August 25 in the modern calendar that is used today):
The front page of a Belfast News Letter from April 1739, one of the many that we serialised each day, beginning last year, when each edition turned 280 years old. The reports on this page today come from the August 14 (August 25 modern date) paper, which is the last surviving edition in that surviving nine-month batch of papers from 1738 and 1739The front page of a Belfast News Letter from April 1739, one of the many that we serialised each day, beginning last year, when each edition turned 280 years old. The reports on this page today come from the August 14 (August 25 modern date) paper, which is the last surviving edition in that surviving nine-month batch of papers from 1738 and 1739
The front page of a Belfast News Letter from April 1739, one of the many that we serialised each day, beginning last year, when each edition turned 280 years old. The reports on this page today come from the August 14 (August 25 modern date) paper, which is the last surviving edition in that surviving nine-month batch of papers from 1738 and 1739

This is the last serialisation of the last surviving edition of a largely intact nine-month batch of papers between October 1738 and August 1739. Most other editions of the News Letter, from its founding in September 1737 to early 1750s are lost. This particular paper was printed as Britain was only weeks away from going to war with Spain, almost exactly 200 years before it would go to war with Germany.

In the coming weeks, the News Letter deputy editor Ben Lowry will write about the historical importance of the 1738/39 News Letters:

BELFAST.

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The parliament of this kingdom, which now stands prorogued to Thursday the 16th of August instant, is further prorogued to Tuesday the 9th of October next, on which day it is his majesty’s pleasure that they should meet to do business.

[This kingdom means the kingdom of Ireland, which was essentially the same as the kingdom of England and Scotland. But it was not until the Act of Union 1801 that the island of Ireland was fully represented in the British parliament. The Parliament of Ireland, referred to in this report, was a part-time legislature]

BELFAST PORT-NEWS

[parts of the surviving newspaper are torn, hence the missing words]

Since my last arrived the Thomas, John R [missing] Whitehaven with coals; the Hamilton, Sa [missing] ... gowan from Port Nesock with white salt; ... perity of Mull, Angus Beaton thence with [missing] Nancy of Mull, Hector Maclane thence with [missing] Jane of Newry, John Agnew from Liverpool with white salt; the Margaret of Rosa, Archebald [missing] of Donnaghadee, ballast, the John of Newry, [missing] new, then with oat-meal; the Joseph [missing] John Allen from Bourdeaux, with rum; the Ty [missing] Pelafoutre, John Muckell, thence with oak-bark; Charlotte of Liverppo, John Goad, thence with rock salt, and two hogsheads of tobacco; the Nancy of Witehaven, John Harriman, from Dantzick, with pot ashes, staves, &c. the Friendship of Campbelton, James Ure, from Irvine with coals.

To be LETT,

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For a Term of Years from the First of November 1739, by James Hamilton Maxwell of Drumbeg, in the County of Downe, Esq;

SEVERAL good convenient large and small Farms of Land in Ballycowin near Purdisburn Bridge in the County of Downe aforesaid, four Miles from Belfast,Turn-pike Road, with good Houses very convenient for Farmers, Tradesmen, or Dealers, and Liberty to raise and put upon said Lands very good Marl contiguous to said Lands, within three or four Foot from the Surface of the Moss and about eight Footdeep, which may be raised without the Help of Pumps; with Sufficiency of good Moss for Firing near said Lands. There are two of said Farms wherein Bleaching-Greens may be well supply’d with sufficiency of Water.

N.B. There is a Quantity of Timber fit for Coopers, building Country Houses or other Uses, to be Sold by said Mr. Hamilton Maxwell, of Drumbegg, aforesaid,

Just imported

FROM Waterford, by JOHN GORDON, Merchant, ten Pair of Water Millstones, ten Ton of choice Wheat, five Ton of Horse Beans, a small Parcel of Beacon, and a Parcel of Oak Ship Timber, all which he will sell cheap for ready Money.

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Just Published in London, and to be sold by James Blow of this Place, Bookseller, [Price two British shillings]

A VIEW of the Present EVIDENCE for and against Mrs. Stephen’s MEDICINES, as a solvent for the STONE, containing a Hundred and fifty Cases, with some Experiments and Observations. By DAVID HARTLEY. [News Letters of 1739 were full of news about the much-discussed medicine to cure kidney stones]

PROPOSALS for PRINTING

By SUBSCRIPTION,

A COMPLEAT COLLECTION of the PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES in ENGLAND,

From the Year 1668 to the present Time; containing the SPEECHES in the House of LORDS and COMMONS, CONFERENCES between the two HOUSES, PROTESTS of the LORDS, and all the MEMORABLE TRANSACTIONS in PARLIAMENT during that Time.

CONDITIONS.

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THIS Work, it is computed, will be contained in ten Volumes Octavo, each consisting of about 500 Pages.

The Price of the ten Volumes will be forty British Shillings; of which ten are to be paid at the Time of Subscription, and three more upon the Delivery of each Volume in half Binding.

Three Volumes of this Work are already published, and the rest will be finished with all possible Diligence and Care.

No Part of this Work will be Delivered or Sold to any but Subscribers, before the whole is finished; and if any remain then unsubscribed for, the Price will be considerably advanced.

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SUBSCRIPTIONS are taken in by JOHN SMITH, Bookseller, at the Philosophers Heads, on the Blind Quay, Dublin, and by the Printer hereof.

To be Lett, For 3 Lives or 21 Years, from Allsaints 1739,

THE Town and Lands of CREAGMORE, lying between Randalstown and Toome, in the County of Antrim [containing 202 Acres, Plantation Measure] Part of the Freehold of Clotworthy O’Neill, Esq; and now in the Possession of John and Thomas Magroch and their Undertenants. PROPOSALS will be received by the said Clotworthy O’Neill at Shane’s Castle; or, in his Absence, by Mr. Charles O’Hara, at Sharvoga near Randalstown, who has a Power to treat with any Person or Persons for the same. N.B. On the said Lands are some Farm Houses in tolerable good Repair, and any Tenant inclined to improve thereon, shall have sufficient Encouragement. Dated the 7th Day of June, 1739.