BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS, CHIEF PROPERTY OWNERS, MASONIC HALL, SHIEL 'S INSTITUTION, DRELINCOURT CHARITY, BLIND ASYLUM, COUNTY INFIRMARY, LUNATIC ASYLUM, GAS WORKS, BANKS, UNION WORKHOUSE, TONTINE BUILDINGS, COURT HOUSE, GAOL, THE CAMPBELL-BOYD DUEL.

URING the past twenty years building improvements of a most substantial nature have been made in various parts of the city. Hartford Place, Mall, received several handsome additions, notably the houses of Mr. James Best, and Mr. William J. Best, J.P., and those occupied by Mr. John S. Riggs and Mr. W. W. B. Faussett. The two latter belong to Mr. Joseph Anderson, J.P. He built Winder Terrace, Victoria Road, 5 houses, in 1877, and The Mall houses in 1879 ; in 1880 Richmond Terrace, Victoria Road, 6 houses, and in 1887-8 Grantham Villas, Victoria Road, 6 houses. Mr. Thomas George Peel, coroner, built Mel Villas, just outside the city boundary, above Deansbridge, and Oulart Villa, further away in the same direction. There are two handsome brick villas at Deansbridge, erected within the time mentioned. They belong to Mrs. Boyd. Mr. George A. Edwards, J.P., in 1886, built Edwards ' Terrace, Railway Street, 5 houses, and in 1887-8 Edwards ' Street, 20 houses. The Masonic Hall, First Presbyterian Church, Post Office, and Parochial House are new buildings. The Masonic Hall was erected in 1884, at a cost of £1,400, from a design by Mr. J. H. Fullerton, F.R.I.A.I. It is in the early Gothic style. The principal gable faces The Mall, next to the First Presbyterian Church, and is flanked on one side by a tower and spire, and on the other by a circular-ended staircase with steep conical roof. The largest lodge room is 40 feet by 20. Full accommodation is provided for the four lodges (39, 299) 400 and 623) which indicate the flourishing condition of Masonry in Armagh. The chief owners of property in Armagh are Colonel George Dobbin, Colonel Rbt. Simpson, Cuppy House, Enniskillen ; Colonel H. Robinson, Lord Dartrey, the Lyle Family, Mr. John Y. Burgess, Tyrone ;

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The Misses Waller, Clarinda Park, Kingstown ; Mr. Joseph Anderson, Messrs. James Best & Sons, Mr. William Couser, Mr. Geo. A. Edwards, Vicars Choral, Madame Ferris, Paris ; Mr. Samuel Davidson, Miss Sarah Bella Thompson, Belfast ; Representatives of Geo. Dunbar, Representatives of H. L. Prentice, and Miss Mary Ann Quinn.
Sheil 's Institution comes under the head of recent improvements. It occupies a part of Tower Hill, an eminence within the city limits, embracing five statute acres. The buildings include 25 houses, one of which is occupied by Mr. Simeon Hicks, the Superintendent, and date from 1868. Each adult inmate receives £10 a-year, children between 10 and 15 years old, £5, and under that age £2 10. The design of the founder was to help persons of small income, who have seen better days. He was a native of Killough, County Down, who made a substantial fortune in Liverpool.
In 1738 the widow of Dean Drelincourt endowed a school or "hospital" for the maintenance and education of 20 boys and 20 girls. The Corporation of Armagh granted waste lands for the buildings, &c. From time to time circumstances required modifications in carrying out the trust, until at length, in 1878, the school came partly under the jurisdiction of the National Board of Education. The charitable intention is fulfilled as far as possible. This year 27 boys and 27 girls received a full suit of clothing each, as a reward for good conduct ; and last winter 100 children were provided with boots. A limited number of the best boys are given an apprentice fee of £6 each. Mr. Geo. Strong, is Principal of the Male Department, and Miss Susanna Strong, of the Female Department. The Schoolhouse is in Charter School Lane.
Arthur Jacob Macan, who died in India in 1819, made a bequest to the Sovereign and Burgesses of Armagh, under which an Asylum for the Blind was opened in 1854. Until the death of Mr. Richard Macan, last surviving nephew, the full amount of the bequest was not available. The Fever Hospital, built in 1825 by Lord John George Beresford, and fitted at an expense £3,500 was purchased by the Trustees for £1,200 Applications for admission are received from Louth, Down, and Tyrone, but natives of Armagh receive the preference. The inmates this year, 1888, number 17. Basket-making is the chief occupation. Armagh merchants are the best customers for the work turned out. The officers are Mr. Thomas Smith, Secretary, Dr. Henry Frazer, Physician, and Miss Margaret Wilkin, Matron.
The County Infirmary is situated near the Public Library, in the vicinity of the ancient Cathedral of St. Patrick.

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It dates from 1774, and originally cost £2,150. There are 72 beds, 36 for Male and 36 for Female free patients, and 2 beds for paying patients in a separate ward. The chief contribution to the maintenance comes from presentments by the Grand Jury. About £400 a-year is derived from Dr. Lill 's Charity, used exclusively for the treatment of scrofulous diseases. Dr. J. M. Palmer is Resident Surgeon, Dr. Henry Frazer, Apothecary, Registrar and Medical Assistant, Mr. James Gardner, Treasurer, and Mr. Samuel Gardner, Secretary.
In 1825 the Armagh Lunatic Asylum, first of the kind in Ireland, was opened for the reception of patients. A total sum of £20,900 was spent in the purchase of the site, erection of buildings, &c. It originally received patients from Monaghan, Cavan, and Fermanagh, but now the admissions are confined to natives of the County and City of Armagh. In 1825 the accommodation was for 122 patients. Now there are facilities for the treatment of 304. The asylum stands in handsomely- planted grounds. Of the total area - 32 acres, 2 roods and 8 perches -7 acres are under buildings. A pretty gothic chapel is used for worship by Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics. On the 5th May, 1888, the patients numbered 280, of whom 141 were males and 139 females. Dr. Wm. Graham has been resident Medical Superintendent since December, 1886.
Armagh was first lighted by gas in 1833. The works are in Callan Street Lane, and are in excellent condition. Although a liberal expenditure appears to be made for maintenance, and the general consumers are charged only 4/2 per 1,000 feet, the Company, a limited liability one, has managed to pay its shareholders 10 per cent. for some years past. Mr. John S. Riggs is Chairman, and Mr. James Whimster, Engineer and Manager.
There is probably no place in Ireland of the size that has so many banking establishments. It has branches of the Bank of Ireland, Provincial, Ulster, Belfast, Northern, and Hibernian banks, and one of the old-style institutions for savings (the Armagh Savings ' Bank), managed by Mr. Thomas Smith. This was founded in 1818, chiefly to encourage small depositors, but large ones also use it. The limit is £200 for one depositor. There were 4,031 depositors in November, 1887, and the amount of their deposits was £190,435 4s. 11d
The Union Workhouse occupies one of the prettiest sites in the city. It has a farm of 11 acres, the greater part of which is cultivated by the inmates. Mr. Robert Turner is clerk and returning officer, and Mr. David Gillespie master. The names of the officers and guardians appear in the directory.
The Tontine Building, in English Street, was erected by a company to provide the city with a music-hall, theatre, &c.
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As an enterprise it was not successful. The company gave it to trustees, by whom it is now managed. It has a hall capable of seating between 400 and 500 people, and rooms let for various purposes. The Town Commissioners have a part of the grounds floor for Office and Board Room. Accommodation is also provided for Grand jury dinners, &c.. A wine cellar is maintained. Each High Sheriff entertains the Grand jury here. Armagh has a very fine Court House with a handsome portico, in College Street, facing The Mall. It was built in 1809. At the south end of The Mall the front of the County Gaol occupies one side of the square to which it gives name. It is a substantial, sightly structure, with large windows, and, in fact, is very much more like a benevolent than a penal institution. This is the "old part" three stories high. The Governor, Captain J. A. Chippindall, occupies a portion of it, and the rest is used for offices, officers quarters, hospital ward, and cells, 9 in number, for the reception of prisoners awaiting examination by the doctor, preparatory to classification. The new portion of the prison dates from 1846. Here there is the usual Central Hall, with which the male and female wards are in communication. The cells in both wards are maintained in perfect condition, the most sensitive nose failing to perceive the faintest trace of that odor expected to be found associated with bolts and bars. There are two tiers of cells, one at each side of the ward. An iron gallery surrounds the upper tier, and a substantial rope netting covers the open space, as a precaution against suicide. There are good bathing facilities, and the sanitary arrangements throughout are excellent. A well filled bookcase in the central hall supplies material for improving the mind. During the first month of confinement the prisoner has an opportunity to become acquainted with the " plank bed" -a bare board. If he takes to it philosophically, he can earn two good conduct marks a day, and rise triumphant from the " plank " to a mattress in thirty days. The cells are each twelve feet by seven, and nine feet high, and are heated by Not-air flues. The buildings and premises include three and a-half acres. Prisoners are received from the whole of Armagh, Cavan, and Monaghan, and from a portion of Down and a portion of Fermanagh.
The last execution for murder was in 1876. In 1808 Major Alex. Campbell was hanged for killing a brother officer, Capt. Alexander Boyd, in a duel. Major Campbell was descended from an ancient Highland family, and had distinguished himself in Egypt, under Sir Ralf Abercrombie. He was transferred to the 21st Regiment from a Highland corps, and it is said that his promotion to a brevet majority gave offence to the senior

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captain. The 21st Regiment was quartered at Newry. Major Campbell commanded at the half-yearly inspection. After dinner Captain Boyd, in the course of conversation, sneeringly remarked that Campbell had given an incorrect order on parade. Later in the evening, while the other officers were at the theatre, Campbell and Boyd continued to converse in bitter terms. At last, heated with wine and stung by the remarks of Boyd, Campbell went to his room and returned with loaded pistols. He sent for Capt. Boyd and, with closed doors, insisted on immediate "satisfaction." At the first fire Boyd was mortally wounded. He was removed to his own quarters. Campbell immediately followed, and found him supported in the arms of his grief-stricken wife and surrounded by his young family. Campbell begged him to acknowledge that all had been fair. " Yes," said Captain Boyd, "it was fair; but you are a bad man. You hurried me." Having gasped out the completion of the sentence, he expired. Major Campbell, after some time, gave himself up. He was tried, found guilty of murder, and sentenced to death by Judge Mayne. A great deal of sympathy was excited for him ; but, although respited, his friends were unable to save his life. At the execution, a company of his old regiment formed the gaol guard.