extensive acreage and accommodated a considerable number of families. It would be strange if there were not a considerable number of Houstons among Robert Houston’s settlers.

The lands assigned to the "undertakers" were usually in tracts of 2,000 acres. The recipient of a grant was required to build a castle and "bawn," a large walled enclosure. This was in addition to his obligation to plant settlers. If he failed in either respect, his lands were forfeited, and given to someone else.

Though the greatest concentration of Houston settlers was in County Antrim, mostly within an easy day’s horseback ride of the town of Belfast, some were staking their future in at least six counties of Ulster. Few records are now available of the original settlers, but their descendants were found by the turn of the century living throughout the province.

Southward from Belfast on the Great Ards Peninsula in County Down, William Huston owned a substantial estate. Since it consisted of approximately 2,000 acres, the usual size of the original land grants, it would seem likely that the estate was established during the "plantation." Rentrolls now in the public records, show some 30 tenants on this estate around the years 1740 to 1750. The acreage of each tenant ranged widely from 50 acres to 215 acres.

Westward from Down, in the adjoining county of Armagh, there were Hustons who apparently settled sometime in the 17th century. William Huston of Forseighan appears in the public records with the filing of his will in 1723. His wife was Jean and he had at least five Sons and two daughters: John, William, hugh, David, Richard, Mary and Jean.

In the same county of Armagh, the will of William Houston, a shoemaker, of Lisdow was filed in 1728. His wife was Jean Hueston and they had a son, James. This was one of the few craftsmen among the Houstons of which records are found. Naturally, there were more occasions for records of persons involved with the land, either as owners or tenants. Richard Houston of Corseighan, Armagh, in his will filed in 1742, mentions a brother, William, but it it not known whether this was the shoemaker.

Records are found of Houstons in the other counties, such as in Tyrone where William Houston of Tullydowey mentioned lands of Derry Collance and Crosdell, settled on his son, Fran-