Plantations Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is plantation?
Plantation is the colonisation, or settlement, of immigrants.
What is the pale
Centre of English power in Ireland.
What are The Anglo-Irish
Also known as the ‘Old English.’
• These were descendants of the Anglo-Normans, who first invaded Ireland in the 12th Century.
What are The Gaelic Irish
Gaelic chieftains, who followed Irish law (Brehon Law.)
• Brehon Laws dealt with civil matters, such as fines for harm caused and rules about property.
• Gaelic Irish did not recognise English authority in Ireland.
What was the brehon law
• Brehon Law was replaced by English common law during the Plantations because it was considered old-fashioned and unreasonable.
Who is Henry VIII
King of England from 1509-1547
• Married his brother’s widow (Catherine of Aragon) with permission from the Pope.
• Had a daughter, who became Queen Mary I
Why was Ireland Important to Henry and his heirs?
• To expand territory - only had control of the Pale.
• To ‘civilise’ the Irish.
• To spread the Protestant religion.
• To stop Ireland allying with other
Catholic countries.
• To prevent rebellion.
• To save money.
What is Surrender and Regrant
The first attempts at controlling Ireland were through a policy called ‘surrender and regrant.’
• Anglo-Irish and Gaelic Irish surrendered themselves and their lands to Henry VIII.
• He would then grant their lands back to them, with an English title.
• Local rulers acknowledged Henry as King of Ireland and had a legal right to their land.
• Henry could confiscate their land, if they were not loyal.
Results of the surrender and regrant
Land transfer laws changed. Now passed directly from father to eldest son.
• Under Brehon Law, a clan could choose its own leader and all land was owned as a group.
• Increased wealth for certain families.
• Led to confiscated land being rented to English settlers, known as
‘planters.’
• Planters would follow English customs and laws, defend their land from Gaelic Irish and spread the Protestant religion.
Who is Queen Mary l
Henry VIII died in 1547 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VI, at age nine.
• Edward died of tuberculosis in 1553 and was succeeded by his oldest half-sister, Mary.
• Mary had remained Catholic, like her mother Catherine of Aragon.
The Laois-Offaly Plantation
• The first official plantation in Ireland.
• It was ordered by Queen Mary as a way of protecting the Pale.
The Laois-Offaly Plantation (pt 2)
• Laois and Offaly were renamed ‘Kings County’ and ‘Queens County.’
• Each county was given a sheriff, to enforce English laws and customs.
• Portlaoise was renamed Maryborough and Daingean was renamed Philipstown (after Mary and her husband Philip I| of Spain.)
• The confiscated land was divided into estates (large farms) of between 300 and 1000 acres.
Results of the loaise ofallyvPlantation
• It was a failure.
• Not enough Englishmen were attracted to come.
Why did the Munster Plantation happen?
• Unlike her half-sister, Elizabeth I was a Protestant queen.
• Elizabeth’s main aim was to convert the Irish to be Protestant.
• Much of Munster in the 1500s was ruled by the Fitzgeralds of Desmond, who were loyal Catholics.
• Eizuentu iers eo claims handi, munster.
• She also appointed ‘presidents,’ men who imposed English law, the English language and the Protestant religion.
Undertakers agreed to…
• Split the land into enormous estates of 4,000-
12,000 acres.
• Only hire English farmers, labourers and craftsmen.
• Bring their own tenants, servants, sheep, cattle and horses from England.
• Pay rent to the English Crown.
• Spread Protestantism and English laws and customs.
• Prepare for Catholic attacks (feared a Spanish invasion and construct defences.
• Remove the Gaelic Irish from the land.
Results of Munster Plantation
Not enough people arrived. Hoped for 20,000 - only 4,000 came.
• Still had to rent to the Gaelic Irish.
• Gaelic Irish still continued to attack the plantations.
• New towns set up (Killarney, Lismore, Youghal, Mallow and Bandon.)
• New farming methods introduced to Ireland (crop farming became more popular.)
• New trades came to Ireland.
• Lessons learned for future plantations.
The nine years war
• In the Nine-Years War, the Gaelic Clans fought against the spread of English control.
• Hugh O’Neill won several battles (including the Battle of
Yellow Ford 1599.)
• Philip Il eventually changed his mind and sent 4,000 troops, but they were defeated and captured by the English at Kinsale (Cork) in 1601.
• The O’Neills and O’Donnells tried to help, but were also defeated at the Battle of Kinsale.
• The Treaty of Mellifont was signed in 1603, between the Gaelic clans and the English.
• It ended the Nine-Years War, but didn’t stop the English trying to control Ireland.
Flight of the Earls 1607
• Unable to stop the English advance, O’Neill and the other Gaelic chiefs left Ulster and went to Rome.
• This event became known as the Flight of the
Earls
• They hoped to gain support in Catholic Europe and return with troops.
• They never returned and the English saw this as an open invitation to fully conquer Ulster.
• Elizabeth I died in 1603 and the Ulster Plantation was organised by her Scottish cousin, King James I
