St Mary's Church 400 year anniversary

Sunday 11 September 2022 was the 400 year anniversary of Macosquin Parish Church, St Mary’s Camus-juxta-Bann funded by the Merchant Taylors’ Company and completed in 1622.  The Master and Mistress accompanied by the Clerk and his wife attended the church service and celebrated the anniversary with members of the church.  

The history of Macosquin

The lands vacated by the Gaelic chieftans were given by King James I to English and Scottish settlers. The Company was heavily involved from the start in the Ulster Plantation of 1609, its contribution being the largest of all the City livery companies. In common with the other ‘Great Twelve’ companies, the Merchant Taylors were obliged to take a one-twelfth share in the Plantation. However, unusually, they also contributed part of a further twelfth, that of the Clothworkers. The Clothworkers therefore possessed part of their own holding in trust for the Merchant Taylors.

The Merchant Taylors own twelfth share of the Plantation was known as the ‘Manor of St John the Baptist’. It comprised 18,700 acres centred on the settlement of Camus and Macosquin, which was built by the Company. Shortly after the Plantation of Ulster, a Church was built. Records of 1622 note that the parish church, provided by the Merchant Taylors, was consecrated as the Parish Church of Camus and Macosquin by the Bishop of Derry, George Downham. This was the beginning of the Church in Macosquin. The North wall of the present Church includes part of the north wall of the Abbey.

This estate was sold in 1729. There remained a rent charge of £150 p.a., but this was finally abolished in 1901.The Company’s share of the Clothworkers’ twelfth was sold with the rest of the estate in 1871. From 1840, the Clothworkers and Merchant Taylors had taken direct control of this estate, in order to manage it from London upon sound principles.

Two further points are worth mentioning. Firstly, the historic cannon displayed on the walls of Londonderry include two demi-culverins. These were paid for by the Company in 1642 and bear its name. Secondly, the present-day Foyle College in Londonderry has its origins in Foyle Boys’ School. This school was founded entirely by Matthias Springham (Master 1617), during his Mastership.