told you) was one of the greatest strengthes of the Irish, me thinkes it should bee very well to renewe that ould statute, which was made [o 1] in the raigne of Edward the Fourth in Ireland, by which it was commaunded, that whereas all [o 2] men then used to be called by the name of their septs, according to the severall nations, and had no surnames at all, that from henceforth each one should take upon himselfe a severall surname, either of his trade and facultie, or of some quality of his body or minde, or of the place where he dwelt, so as every one should be distinguished from the other, or from the most part, wherby they shall not onely not depend upon the head of their sept, as now they do, but also in time learne quite to forget his Irish nation. And herewithall would I also wish all the O's and the Mac's, which the heads of septs have taken to their names, to bee utterly forbidden and extinguished. For that the same being an ordinance (as some say) first made by [o 3] O Brien for
- ↑ in the raigne of Edward] An. 5. Edw. 4. Sir James Ware.
- ↑ all men] The statute referres onely to the Irish, dwelling among the English in the counties of Dublin, Moth, Uriel, and Kildare. Uriel, called also Ergallia, did anciently comprehend all chat countrey which is now divided into the counties of Louth and Monoghan, although it may be conceived, that Louth was onely intended by the statute, because Monoghan was then (in a manner) wholly possessed by the Irish. Sir James Ware.
- ↑ O Brien] The custome of prefixing the vowell O to many of the chiefe Irish surnames, began soon after the yeere M. in the raigne of Brien Bojioma (the son of Kennethy) king of Ireland, As for Mac in surnames,
