The Honourable The Irish Society
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The primary conflict between the Tudor Monarchy in England and the Chieftans of Ireland ended in 1603. King James I did not settle for peace. He immediately set forth to defend against a future attack from within or without. In his survey, he found that the town of Derry could become either a great asset as a control over the River Foyle and River Swilly, or it could become an inviting back door if the people of the area were against him.
James planned for a self-sustaining plantation, the Londonderry, on the site. Instead of handing it over to warriors or chieftans, he planned to trade the plantation to a syndicate of twelve London-based companies for their investment in designing and constructing the plantation. Those twelve companies became known as 'The Honourable The Irish Society'.
The continued history of 'The Honourable The Irish Society' is nicely contained in the article on Derry/Londonderry.