Lifford

Lifford was incorporated by a charter of 1613 under the title of 'the Warden, free burgesses and commonalty of the borough of Liffer'. It envisaged quite an elaborate structure of by-laws, a borough court, a guild of merchants and various inferior officers. Letters patent were issued to Sir Richard Hansard.¹³² In 1678 Hugh Hamill purchased the Lordship of Lifford from Richard Hansard. From its Borough-Book, 1716-83, it does appear to have had some sort of corporate life. In June 1727 'Articles of agreement were made and concluded by Hon. Maj. Gen. David and Abraham Creighton, his son, and Col. Alexander Montgomery (1435) in relation to the borough of Lifford in Donegal Co.' Montgomery left no direct heirs and, during the long parliament of George II, it passed to the Creighton family, later Earls of Erne, who thereafter controlled it entirely. On 21 May 1776 the warden and three burgesses were present at the election of two MPs. The Earl of Erne received the £15,000 compensation for its disfranchisement in 1800.