In 1575, Sir Henry Sydney writes to the Lords of the Council: "I was offered skirmish by MacNeill Bryan Ertaugh at my passage over the water at Belfast, which I caused to be answered, and passed over without losse of man or horse; yet by reason of the extraordinaire Retorne our horses swamme and the Footmen in the passage waded very deep." The country round about was forest land.

It was so thickly wooded that it was a common saying that one might walk to Lurgan "on the tops of the trees." In 1612, Belfast consisted of about 120 houses, built of mud and covered with thatch.

The whole value of the land on which the town is built, is said to have been worth only 5L.

in fee simple.[19] "Ulster," said Sir John Davies, "is a very desert or wilderness; the inhabitants thereof having for the most part no certain habitation in any towns or villages." In 1659, Belfast contained only 600 inhabitants: Carrickfergus was more important, and had 1312 inhabitants.

But about 1660, the Long Bridge over the Lagan was built, and prosperity began to dawn upon the little town.