Mural tower (Historic Town)

The National Monuments Service's description

Usher's House also known in the 16th-century as Mr William Usher's House was either a medieval house/castle of 14th century date that was possibly rebuilt or refortified with a 16th-century mural tower standing on Dublin City walls approximately 30m to the W of the Bridge Gate (DU018-020030-) and 30m NE of Harbard's Tower (DU018-020012-). The Historic Atlas of Dublin City recorded that Usher's House on the S side of Usher's Quay was 'Crenellated and turreted tower at corner of city wall' to be built 1310 and to be completed in 1331 (Clarke 2008, 21).
Described in the Urban Survey of Dublin as; 'The distance between the tower and Usher's house was 47 yards. It was situated at or near the north-west corner of the city wall, where it met the Liffey. In 1310 Geoffrey de Mortone was granted permission to build a tower at the town end of the bridge of Dublin, and another at the corner of the town wall west of the bridge, and between them to build a fortified house (Healy 1973, 20) (Bradley and King 1987, 51). In 1560 the Dublin Assembly Roll made an agreement; 'that John Ussher shall have [of] the dydche of the cittie so moche as lyeth against his garden and orcharde during his lyfe, he keaping the same cleane and full of watyr contynuallie' (CARD Vol. 2, 12). In 1566 the Dublin Assembly Roll made an agreement; 'that Mr. John Ussher shall have the towne diche joyninge unto his orcharde on the west side of the towne wall for terme of lxi. yeres, paieng yerelie iiii.d. to the treasorer for the tyme being, and the said John making yt clene, to kepe yt replenished with water contynuallie (CARD Vol. 2, 44).
Mr William Usher's House was described in 1585 as follows; 'From the towre [DU018-020012-] in William Harbardes pocession to Mr. William Ushers howse is 140 foote [43m] distant, the wall 14 foote [4.3m] hie, and 5 foote [1.5m] thicke, and no rampier within nor buttris withowte The wall of one syde of the said Mr. Ushers howse to the Bridge gatte [DU018-020030-] is 104 foote [32m], the wall 4 foote [1.2m] thicke, and 19 foote [6m] hie, and the grounde is firme 5 foote [1.5m] hie within the said wall, and the Liffie goethe hard by, and at every ful sea it floes upe against the said wall, being a springe tyde' (CARD Vol. 2, 555).
On the 8th of November in 1598 the Civic Regulations for the Defence of Dublin stated that; 'At a meeting this day of the Mayor and aldermen it was resolved, for the more safety of this city, that the several gates shall be shut every night at five of the clock, and the wickets stand open till six, and then the keys to be brought to the Mayor. And, for the better warning to be given to all men to take knowledge hereof, the Mayor is to make proclamation and will all Saint Audoens [DU018-020075-] bells to knoll, to begin half an hour later and hold till six, by which those that have charge of the keys may the better keep their time of bringing the same to the Mayor, etc. It was likewise agreed that twenty-four faithful and sufficient men should be hired by the several wards within the city to watch the walls and gates in the form following, videlicet: at either gate two, whereof one to be placed at the top of the gate, at the castle of the Crane one man; upon the tower in Mr. Stanihursts background [DU018-020006-] one man; upon the tower [DU018-020007-] at Jenevylls Inns, one man; upon the wall betwixt Saint Nicholas gate [DU018-020022-] and New gate [DU018-020377-] in three several places most convenient, three men; uppon the tower in John Cars background, one man; uppon the tower in the Widow Habards background, one man; and the little new tower [DU018-020013-] in Mr. Ushers background, one man; which men, being furnished with armour and weapons, shall begin the watch every night at six, and continue till six in the morning; they shall be visited and searched every night by one sufficient man, to be chosen and agreed upon to be captain of the watch, and he to call them forth at the hour aforesaid, and see them placed in form above mentioned. It is thought also meet and resolved that twenty-four men shall attend every night upon the man that shall be appointed to visit the watch, which shall come by turns upon the inhabitants of the city, and the said captain to visit the watch at the gates and walls every hour lest they should neglect their charge; the standing watch to be [supplied with] shot, and the rounning watch to be [supplied with] shot, and pikes to be furnished by their several wards' (CARD Vol. 3, 527-8).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 7 July 2023

References

Clarke, H.B. 1978 Dublin c. 840 - c. 1540: the medieval town in the modern city. Dublin.

Healy, P. 1973 The town walls of Dublin. In E. Gillespie (ed.), The Liberties of Dublin, 16-23. Dublin. O'Brien.

Bradley, J. & King, H. (1987) Urban Archaeological Survey, Dublin. A report commissioned by the Office of Public works (Unpublished).

Calendar of Ancient Records of Dublin: In the Possession of the Municipal Corporation of that City.

Clarke, H.B. 2002 Irish Historic Towns Atlas No. 11: Dublin, part I, to 1610. Royal Irish Academy. Dublin.

Speed, J. 1611-12 The theatre of the empire of Great Britaine: presenting an exact geography of the kingdomes of England, Scotland, Ireland. Atlas.2.61.1, Cambridge University Library.

Rocque, J. 1756 An exact survey of the city and suburbs of Dublin. Available at https://libguides.ucd.ie/findingmaps/mapshistDublin Accessed on 5 January .