Later History

A rare object to survive from the 16th century, or thereabouts, is a decorated goblet made of yew, which probably came from the Tempo area.

Sir Josias Bodley surveyed Fermanagh in 1609 and prepared maps showing the land owned by the Church at that time and the confiscated lands available for English and Scottish settlers as part of the Plantation of Ulster. The Museum holds 19th century copies of these barony maps.

A silver seal of the Corporation of Enniskillen bearing the date 1612 marks the founding of Enniskillen town in that year.

Fragments of bricks and roof tiles found during excavations in 1990 beside Enniskillen Castle belonged to early 17th century buildings.

When small coinage became scarce later in the 17th century, Enniskillen tradesmen issued their own tokens. The Museum holds two of these tokens, one issued in 1657 by Abraham Clements, another issued in 1679 James Warnock.

During the Williamite Wars (1688-1691) Enniskillen supported King William against King James. In February 1689, the townspeople elected Gustavus Hamilton to lead their defence and a document survives recording Hamilton’s election and signed by the people of Enniskillen.

Remarkably, other original documents from Williamite commanders have survived from this period, letters from General Schomberg and General Kirke in 1689 and a letter from General Ginkell in 1691.

Also from this period are two portraits of King William and Queen Mary, (thought to be copies of portraits by Kneller), presented to Enniskillen in recognition of the support given during the war.

Not long afterwards, during the reign of Queen Anne, the town’s silver mace was made, in 1707-8, by David King of Dublin.

Enniskillen Castle and the surrounding barracks buildings reflect the development of Enniskillen as a garrison town in the late 18th and 19th centuries. The Castle was turned into a barracks and between 1796 and 1881 the other barracks buildings were completed. A print of the barracks by Robert O’Callaghan Newenham circa 1826 illustrates a stage of this development.

Two large scale plans of the town, one of them a unique example presented by R. H. Frith to the Hon. A. L. Cole in 1842, the other an Ordnance Survey plan of 1858, provide remarkable detail about the town’s buildings in the 19th century.

The Museum’s collection of prints includes an engraving of Enniskillen by Sandby in 1778, and two rare prints by J.H.Burgess in 1837, one of Enniskillen, the other showing coursing on Devenish Island..

Enniskillen’s importance as a market town is reflected in the Museum’s collection of weights and measures including the fine set of standard weights and measures made for the Borough in 1861.

While linen was an important production in the 18th century , farm produce, especially butter, overtook it in importance in the 19th century.

Locally grown corn was used for brewing and distilling and the production and selling of alcohol was part of everyday life.

The Museum holds bottles from Downes’ Brewery in Enniskillen, which had been previously owned by Armstrong and Innis. Leatherwork was also important and the Museum holds a medal awarded to Thomas Lowry of Enniskillen in 1850 for the best ’Dressed Shoe Band and Harness Leather’ at the town’s Industry and Science exhibition.