The Memoirs are a uniquely detailed source for the history of the northern half of Ireland immediately before the Great Famine. They were written in the 1830s to accompany the 6" Ordnance Survey maps, but with one exception were not published at the time. In this new edition they act as a nineteenth-century Domesday book and are essential to the understanding of the cultural heritage of our communities. The Memoirs document the landscape and situation, buildings and antiquities, land-holdings and population, employment and livelihood of the parishes.
This volume contains the Ordnance Survey Memoirs for the parishes of Aghanloo, Dunboe and Magilligan, a coastal region in the lower Roe Valley of county Londonderry which includes the important seat of Down Hill. The material paints a fascinating picture of life in these rural communities, detailing antiquities, agricultural methods, education and occupations of the people. It provides a marvellous insight into life in this unique region over 150 years ago.