PORTADOWN, in the barony of O'Neiland- West, in
the county of Armagh, is a small town, containing about one hundred
houses and nine hundred inhabitants. It is pleasantly seated on
the western bank of the river Bann. over which there is an excellent
bridge of thirteen arches. In the reign of Charles I. it consisted
only of four houses, and was at that time called Portnedown. It
lies about nine miles from Armagh, fifteen from Newry, twenty-two
from Belfast, and six from Lough Neagh. In the year 1631, the
estate on which the town stands was granted by Charles 1. to John
and Prudence Obins, in which family it still remains.
About twenty years ago, a number of handsome brick
houses and extensive stores, were added to the town, which has
since been much enlarged by a very neat row of houses, two stories
high, built by Curran Woodhouse, Esq. At the west end of the town,
there is a neat Methodist chapel which is the only house of public
worship in Portadown. The parish church and the Roman Catholic
chapel of Drumcree are situated at a distance of one mile from
the town.
In the year 1780, a wheat, and indeed, a general
grain market, was established by the late Major Obins and George
Woodhouse, Esq. which has rapidly encreased, and is now equal
to any in the north of Ireland. It is computed that about five
thousand tons of wheat are annually purchased in this market,
and resold to the several millers, in the county of Antrim, Besides
this, a considerable quantity of grain is shipped for England
and Scotland, by Curran Woodhouse, Esq. Messrs. John Atkinson,
Thomas Shillington, Wm. Overend, Roger Marley, There is also a
good linen and yarn market in Portadown, every Saturday, and a
monthly fair for the sale of cattle, on the third Saturday in
each month. Annual fairs are likewise held on Easter Monday, Whit
Monday, and the first Monday in November. There is a distillery
and two breweries in the town; but at present neither of them
are in use.
