Petty's Census 1659 - Curious as to what Downpatrick is under for the location

[IrishAussie16]

I hope this area is ok to post on this topic, I wasn't sure where else to ask this.

I have just been reading through Petty's Census from 1659 and one of the areas I wanted to view was Downpatrick. If anyone else has read it, is Downpatrick under Parish Downe, Townlands Downe Town ? I couldn't find a listing of Downpatrick per se.

I was a little disappointed that they didn't include more surnames for Downe. Does anyone know with the principal Irish names, the ones listed, were they the most common ones in that area at the time?

[Elwyn Soutter]

According to this link the town was originally known as Down.

http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=12718

Penders (or Petty's) Census wasn’t a full census in the modern fashion with every resident identified. He just listed the main names and key occupants together with notes as to whether they were Scottish, English or Irish.

[IrishAussie16]

I just found it fascinating to read the most common/used surnames in each town at that time.

Have you ever read the Down Survey? Did they have any different information included in that? All heads of house or just land owners?

[Elwyn Soutter]

You can view the survey here:

http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down-survey-maps.php#c=Down

No land was forfeited in Downpatrick so it isn’t listed in the survey. But mostly what is shown are maps, not lists of occupants.  The Down survey was created to provide an accurate record of forfeited land. Land seized by Parliament from the native owners, as reparations after the 1641 uprising.

The Down Survey isn’t named after Co. Down. The name comes from the word down, and refers to laying a measurement down. (Measuring land by using a chain which was laid down during the process. This led to the survey being called the Down survey. Bit obscure).

[IrishAussie16]

Kind of odd to name it Down Survey for that reason  Especially when there is a county named the same. Oh well, thanks for the link. I will have a look.

[Elwyn Soutter]

The Down survey contains details of land right across Ireland, not just in Co Down.  That's just a coincidence.