Up until the middle of the 18th Century, Limerick was a small fortress City, enclosed within mediaeval walls. in 1760, Limerick was declared to be no longer a fortress and within a few years, the restrictive walls were taken down. At this time Edmund Sexton Perry, who inherited a large estate, proposed the development of that part of his lands which lay to the south of the City. This involved the building of a virtually new City, based on a grid of wide streets and squares. The attraction of this development was that it lay outside the City boundaries and therefore free of the City tolls and taxes. It was also beyond the control of what became known as the 'Corrupt Corporation', a clique of politicians who ran the City for their own benefit. An added attraction was that Newtown Perry was a far more pleasant place to live rather than the squalid mediaeval quarter. Built over 80 years, 1760 - 1840, Newtown Perry owes its existence to the vision of Edmund Sexton Perry. However, many other personalities played significant roles as developers, speculators and entrepreneurs - including families like the Arthurs, Russells and Roches.