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- In about 1810, James Austin was born in Ballygrott, Bangor, County Dow n , Ireland. Family history goes that James Austin´s father met one o f th e Greville sisters when he was a tutor for the Greville family i n Warkw ick Castle, England. She fell in love with him and they elope d and came b ack to Ireland to live. This is not verified though as th ere is no ment ion of a Susan Greville being born at the castle. It ma y be that record s were erased.
BANGOR, a parish and sea-port and market-town and post-town, chiefly i n t he barony of ARDES, county of DOWN, and province of ULSTER, but pa rtly i n the barony of LOWER-CASTLEREAGH, ll.5 miles (N. E. By E.) fro m Belfas t, 21 miles (N.) from Downpatrick, and 9l.5 miles (N. By E. ) from Dubli n; containing 9355 inhabitants, of which number, 2741 ar e in the town.
The origin and early history of this ancient town are involved in som e o bscurity, and have been variously described by different writers . The m ost authentic records concur in stating that, about the year 5 55, St. C omgall founded here an abbey of Regular Canons, which may ha ve led to t he formation of a town, if one did not exist previously, a nd over which h e presided fifty years, and died and was enshrined i n it. In 1125 the A bbey was rebuilt by Malachy O Morgair, then abbot , with the addition of a n oratory of stone, said by St. Bernard to ha ve been the first building o f stone and lime in Ireland and from whic h this place, anciently called t he Vale of Angels, derived the name o f Beanchoir, now Bangor, signifyin g the White Church, or Fair Choir.
The town is advantageously situated on the south side of Belfast Loug h o r Carrickfergus bay, and on the direct sea coast road from Belfas t to D onaghadee; in 1831 it contained 563 houses, most of which are i ndiffere ntly built, and is much frequented for sea-bathing during th e summer. T he streets are neither paved nor lighted, but are kept ver y clean and t he inhabitants are but indifferently supplied with water . There is a pu blic library; and an Historical Society has been recen tly formed in con nection with it. The cotton manufacture is carried o n to a considerable e xtent in the town and neighbourhood, and afford s employment to a great n umber of the inhabitants of both sexes in th e weaving, sewing, and orna mental branches.
The trade of the port is inconsiderable: black cattle, horses, grain , a nd flax are exported: the only imports are coal and timber. The ba y is w ell sheltered, and affords good anchorage in deep water for ves sels det ained by an unfavourable wind and the harbour is capable of g reat impro vement, although attempts made at the expense of individual s have faile d. A small pier was built about the year 1760, by means o f a parliament ary grant of 500 pounds to the corporation for promotin g and carrying o n the inland navigation of Ireland. The neighbourin g bays produce a var iety of fish; oysters of large size are taken i n abundance. The surroun ding scenery is pleasingly diversified, and e nriched in some parts with s tately timber, chiefly fir and oak; and i n the vicinity of the several g entlemen s seats are thriving plantati ons of beech, sycamore, ash and p oplar, of comparatively modern growt h.
Slate is found in several parts, but has been only procured in one qua r ry, which has not been worked sufficiently deep to produce a qualit y ca pable of resisting the action of the atmosphere. There are also m ines o f coal, especially on the estate of Lord Dufferin, whose fathe r opened a nd worked them on a small scale, since which time they hav e been abando ned; and a lead mine was worked here to some extent abou t thirty years s ince, in which copper ore and manganese were also fou nd.
Extracts from The Samuel Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 183 7 ( transcribed by Mel Lockie)
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1810 - Yes, date unknown
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