WESTMEATH.
176
TORE.
REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONERS ON
BOROUGPI OF FORE.
Corporation by Prescription.
Corporation L TPIERE has not been any municipal Corporation in existence here since 1800.
Prior extinct.
to the legislative Union this borough returned two Members to the Irish Parliament.
It
belonged to the Marquis of Downshire, who received the compensation, £15,000, at the time of the Union, for the loss of the elective franchise.
.
' A few non-residents composed the corporation, which exercised no functions beyond that of
returning Members to Parliament.
No corporate magistrate is remembered in the district.
2.
No information could be obtained there as to whether Fore was a corporation by prescription or by charter, but it seems to have been a Corporation by Prescription only.
It appears, by an entry in the Journals of the Irish HoLise of Commons, vol.
i.
p.
115, that the then Attorney General informed the House that " Fower" returned Members to Parliament, although he could find no charter on record relating to them.
The burgesses were ordered to attend the House, and ultimately two Members were appointed to search the records cs for all such corporations" as were objected to, and to report accordingly.
I have searched in vain for the report.
Market, &c.
3.
There is no Market here.
There is one Fair annually held on the 30th of January.
There appears upon record, (Rot.
Pat.
14 Jac.
I.
p.
3.
m.
13.
d.)
a patent to Eichard Lord Delvin, bearing date the 12th February 1616, for a fair to be held on the loth August at Fower, or Fore Abbey, with a grant of the customs of such fair.
Tolls.
4.
Tolls and Customs are collected at the fair by the lessee of the Marquis of Westmeath;
they produce a very inconsiderable sum.
The tolls of Fore were mentioned in the Act of 2 Edw.
I.
c.
9.
(See Report on Athboy.)
5.
There is no court held in the town.
The inhabitants resort to the petty sessions of Castle-pollard, distant four miles.
On the Patent Roll, 16 Edw.
IV.
p.
1.
m.
9.
in the Tower of London, there is an entry of a grant ofthe manor of Fore, and other manors, to Thomas Danycll, Knight.
I have not been able to ascertain the date of this grant.
PopiiLAnox.
6.
Fore is a very inconsiderable village, consisting of 20 hoxises, and containing a population of 120 souls.
HENRY BALDWIN.
Inquiry held 2cl October 1833.
