‘Making of a Town’: 17th-Century Lisburn
‘Making of a Town: 17th Century Lisburn’ tells the story of the foundation and early history of Lisnagarvey (Lisburn). Under the stewardship of the Conway family, and their agent George Rawdon, the ‘wild and barbarous’ land of Killultagh (south Antrim) was transformed, and the town of Lisnagarvey was established. Formally laid out in a plan in the 1620s, the town was settled by an influx of English and Welsh planters, and the right to hold a weekly market was granted by Charles I in 1627. Although looted and burned during the 1641 rebellion, the town thrived in the 1650s, and the hugely-influential Anglican Bishop Jeremy Taylor moved to the area, under Lord Conway’s patronage, in 1658. His presence was influential in Charles II granting a charter in 1662, which not only elevated the town’s church to the status of a diocesan cathedral, but offered the right to elect representation to the Irish Parliament.
Lisburn, as it was now known, continued to grow throughout the second half of the 17th century, gaining increasing importance as an ecclesiastical and military centre. Although linen weaving was an established part of the town’s commercial life, this was strengthened in the 1690s by the settlement of Louis Crommelin and the French Huguenot community.
This exhibition celebrates the rich history of the Lisburn area, and the 400th anniversary of the birth of Bishop Jeremy Taylor.