Ireland’s English Centuries

21463464

HIS10310

4th December 2021

1. Why and in what ways was transfer and control of land in Ireland so

important in the period covered by this course?

Land and its redistribution are two factors which illustrate the narrative of Irish

history across the mid sixteenth century to the beginning of the seventeenth century,

particularly during the period from 1540 to 1625. From English plantations in Ireland, to the

monarchy’s role in the ruling of the country, and the role of lords and viceroys, the period is a

time marked by a battle for land between the Old Gaelic families, the Old English settlers and

the settlers who attempted to replace them. This battle was one significant in shaping the

historiography of the country.

Changes in the form of government that the Irish experienced under British rule held

great influence on the ownership and loss of land throughout the period. The English had a

particular interest in forming a functional governmental system in Ireland, rather than ruling

through lordships as they had been doing previously. The Crown also experienced a distaste

towards the disparity between those living in Ireland, depending on their outlook they held

towards the Crown.1 This distaste was outlined in the 1541 act of kingly title, which stated

“the Irishmen and inhabitants within this realm of Ireland have not been so obedient to the

king's highness and his most noble progenitors, and to their laws, as they of right and

1
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 112
 Ireland’s English Centuries 2

according to their allegiance and bounden duties ought to have been” 2.To do so, the English

introduced a new policy of “surrender and regrant”.3 Under this new system, Gaelic lords

would be renamed earls and would confirm land they already owned. They were also

required to swear oath to Crown. Descendants of these earls would be still be considered as

being under this oath. This led to an intensification of the power of the Earls, as well as the

overall authority the Crown held over the Irish. It meant that they had acknowledged the

Crowns jurisdiction in Ireland. An example of this was Turlough O’ Toole, who, in 1540,

was granted a district of Fercullen called Powerscourt by the Crown. O’Toole, who was

previously chieftain of a Gaelic clan4, had now accepted the power of the Crown in Ireland,

this transfer of the control significant in marking a movement towards the recognition and the

accepting of Crown control in Ireland.

The death of King Henry VIII in January of 1546 brought about the ascension of his son,

Edward VI. Just nine years old at the time, Edward was given a group of “guardians” who

would assist him in his dealings with his new duties as king. The court of Edward VI also

saw attempts at the military subjugation of Gaelic land under the English through

plantations.5 This group, however, held ideas about military solutions to deal with the Old

English families and Gaelic clans of Ireland. The court of Edward VI was dominated by the

parties of Protectors Somerset and Northumberland, 6 with Sir Leger acting as chief

governor.7 Sir Edward Bellingham and Sir James Croft were also key military leaders that led
2
An Act for Kingly Title, 1541

3
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 112

4
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 112

5
Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 116

6
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 118

7
Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 114
 Ireland’s English Centuries 3

armies in Ireland.8 They spent large sums of money on establishing campaigns, garrisons and

settlements in order to enforce militaristic rule of Irish land throughout the period.9 The sum

of money that they had spent on these strategies stood at about £52,000 by 1552.10 The use of

martial law forts also enabled them to claim the land they stood on as Crown land. For

example, a garrison was established a Leighlinbridge in 1549. Land was often given to

military men in order for them to establish their own garrisons and maintain the land as their

own. This occurred in the case of men such as Nicholas Bagenal and Andrew Bremerton.11

This appointment of land to maintain me at that there was an intensification of militarisation

in Ireland, as well as an increase in British controlled and owned land in Ireland.

Perhaps the most prominent and effective method of gaining control of land in Ireland was

through the method of plantation. Such plantations occurred in various regions of the country

throughout the period, such as Munster, Ulster, as well as in Laois and Offaly. In the case of

Munster, the native people were greatly opposed to anything they seen as an enforcement of

the Crowns jurisdiction in Ireland. Feudal lords appointed by the British were often involved

in physical disputes for this reason.12 Lord Deputy Sir Henry Sidney was appointed in 1565.13

He was also president of a council known as the Council of the Welsh marches, which aimed

to claim Irish land in Munster for themselves, holding more jurisdictional power than the

lords that already ruled during the period.14 Sidney appointed Sir Werham St. Leger as
8
Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 114

9
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 119

10
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p).

11
Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 115

12
Lennon, C.Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 119

13
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 149

14
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 151
 Ireland’s English Centuries 4

president designate as well as special commissioner of Munster, who in turn gave him land in

Kerrycurrihy in County Cork.15 This marked the beginning of a period of British ownership

of land in Munster. More drastic measures were also used, such as in south west Muster,

where settlers exploited the lands natural resources such as timbers and minerals.16 Scorched

earth policies were also used against those who rebelled against the settlement of the English

on the land. Throughout the period of this plantation, around ninety of the New English

families were given land to claim as their own and build English villages. Although a rapid

and aggressive form of claiming land, the Munster plantation did not see the results that it set

out to achieve. By 1592, there was far less settlement than they had expected, around 3000

settlers, much less than the 11000 that they had previously envisaged. Nonetheless, the

Munster plantation did allow for the introduction of the “New English” in Ireland, leaving the

Old English families labelled as traitors, limiting their loyalty and allegiance to the Crown

that they had previously felt.

The plantation of Ulster in 1609 was also successful in the claiming of Irish land for Crown

control. After the death of Elizabeth I in March 1603, James V became James I of Ireland.17

As a result, in addition to the New English settlers there was an influx of Scottish settlers to

Ireland. James I wanted to establish one legal system and currency in Ireland, as well as

implement Protestantism as the predominant religion of both the new settlers and the native

Irish people. The church was therefore made up of mostly inward migrants rather than native

Irish. After the defeat of Gaelic rebels in Ulster18, the period of peace that followed allowed

for the establishment of improved political systems, attracting Scottish and English settlers as
15
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 151

16
Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 152

17
Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 278

18
Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 281
 Ireland’s English Centuries 5

they now began to see Ireland as much more civilised. The Scots and English mainly settled

in areas such as Donegal, Fermanagh, Coleraine, Tyrone, Armagh and Cavan. There was a

dominance of Scots over the English settlers, who were better suited to the land and therefore

had better agricultural practices. The English aided in the development of other industries

such as iron smelting,19 brought about by the settlers., essential to the success of such

industries. For example, the English commonly used Irish natural resources such as timber,

which was significant as England was running low on such resources.20 This use of land by

the settlers during the Ulster plantation portrayed to them a new use of Irish land, therefore

attracting even more settlers to the region.

The claiming and redistribution of land shaped the history of Ireland throughout the period,

the dynamic shifts in the predominant settlers leading to a variation of culture, identity and

violence in the country. These variations were made possible by influences such as the

differing identities of the leaders of the Crown, and those who revolted against them. These

changes in land ownership and reclamation were accessed through the plantations of settlers

over the course of the period.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

An Act for Kingly Title, 1541

Secondary Sources

Lennon, C. Sixteenth Century Ireland, (Dublin, 2005), p(p). 19-82

19
Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 282

20
Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 282
 Ireland’s English Centuries 6

Canny, N. Reformation to Restoration, (Dublin, 1987), p(p). 60-89

Connolly, S. Contested Island, (Oxford, 2009), p(p). 73-171

Ellis, S. Ireland in the Age of Tudors, 1447-1603: English expansion and the end of Gaelic

rule, (London, 1998), p(p). 243-351