of a
town in 1898. Before 1885 it returned one member, and before the Union
in 1800 it returned four members to the Irish parliament.

From the close of the 12th century, certainly long before the
Reformation and for some time after it, the primates of Ireland lived in
Drogheda. Being mostly Englishmen, they preferred to reside in the
portion of their diocese within the gate, and Drogheda, being a walled
town, was less liable to attack from the natives. From 1417 onwards
Drogheda was their chief place of residence and of burial. Its proximity
to Dublin, the seat of government and of the Irish parliament, in which
the primates were such prominent figures, induced them to prefer it to
_Ardmacha inter Hibernicos_. Archbishop O'Scanlain, who did much in the
building of the cathedral at Armagh, preferred to live at Drogheda, and
there he was buried in 1270. Near Drogheda in later times was the
primates' castle and summer palace at Termonfeckin, some ruins of which
remain. In Drogheda itself there is now not a vestige of the palace,
except the name "Palace Street." It stood at the corner of the main
street near St Lawrence's gate, and its grounds extended back to St
Peter's church. The primates of the 15th century were buried in or near
Drogheda. After the Reformation five in succession lived in Drogheda and
there were buried, though there is now nothing to fix the spot where any
of them lies. The last of these--Christopher Hampton--who was
consecrated to the primacy in 1613, repaired the ruined cathedral of
Armagh. He built a new and handsome palace at Drogheda, and he repaired
the old disused palace at Armagh and bestowed on it a demesne of 300
acres.

DROIT (Fr. for "right," from Lat. _directus_, straight), a legal title,
claim or due; a term used in English law in the phrase _droits of
admiralty_, certain customary rights or perquisites formerly belonging
to the lord high admiral, but now to the crown for public purposes and
paid into the exchequer. These _droits_ (see also WRECK) consisted of
flotsam, jetsam, ligan, treasure, deodand, derelict, within the
admiral's jurisdiction; all fines, forfeitures, ransoms, recognizances
and pecuniary punishments; all sturgeons, whales, porpoises, dolphins,
grampuses and such large fishes; all ships and goods of the enemy coming
into any creek, road or port, by durance or mistake; all ships seized at
sea, salvage, &c., with the share of prizes--such shares being
afterwards c