The Plantations in Ireland - Some tips on what's required.

The Plantations in Ireland

Key Points

During the 1500’s and 1600’s the English government began to put into action a new policy in Ireland. England at that time had many enemies in Europe, especially France and Spain. Both these countries were Catholic and Ireland was also nearly totally Catholic. England feared that her enemies might use Catholic Ireland as a base to attack England. Something had to be done to prevent this. Various methods were tried but eventually, a policy known as Plantation was adopted. The aim of this was to plant people in Ireland who would be loyal and trustworthy. The Plantation of Ulster proved to be the one that was most successful. We shall concentrate on the Ulster plantation in this Unit. However, it is important to study all the topics listed below.

Learning Objectives:
In this section you are expected to know:

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Why did England adopt a policy of Plantation?
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What happened during the Munster Plantation?
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What happened during the Ulster Plantation?
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What were the main results of the Ulster plantation?
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What happened during the Cromwell Plantation?


A person who came to Ireland during the Ulster Plantation

Your name is John Stewart

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You were born in Scotland
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You are a member of the Presbyterian Church
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You are very loyal to your King
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You came to live in Ulster in 1622

How you received the land

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You are called a Servitor
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You used to be an soldier in the King’s army
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You are owed money by the King for your services
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Given a 1000 acre estate in Count Fermanagh as payment

Rules you had to follow

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Had to pay a rent of £8 per year
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You had to build a house of stone
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Had to surround house with a bawn (stone wall)
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You could then rent parts of your land
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You were allowed some Irish tenants

Your new home in Ulster

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Build a large 2-storey stone and timber house
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Roof made of slate,
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Chimney built of red brick
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Very different from houses of native Irish

You farming methods

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You did not raise cattle like the Irish
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You began to grow lots of crops
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Introduced a new crop called the potato to the area
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You cleared large areas of forest and drained land
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Built lots of fences and ditches around fields

Your local town

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Lots of new people have settled there
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Many different craftsmen live there
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Town was specially planned
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Has wide, straight streets
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Has a central Square and important buildings
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Court House, Market House and Presbyterian Church
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Markets are held in the town every Friday

Your fears

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Feel that native Irish people really resent you
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Many are angry over loss of their lands
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Some of your friends have been attacked
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You too are afraid - keep loaded muskets in house
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Happy that English system of justice has been set up


Review Questions

1. Why did the English King and government wish to establish plantations in Ireland
2. Explain what was meant by “The Pale”
3. Name two powerful native Irish families in the 1500’s
4. What was the very first plantation in Ireland and what was the main result?
5. What happened during the Plantation of Munster?
6. How did a large part of Ulster become available for Plantation?
7. What was the “Flight of the Earls”?
8. How was the Plantation of Ulster organised?
9. Name the Ulster Counties that were to be planted?
10. Which English King was responsible for the plantation of Ulster?
11. Explain what was meant by the term “Undertaker” during the Ulster Plantation
12. Explain what a “Servitor” was
13. Where did most of the new settlers in Ulster come from?
14. What was the main religion of a majority of the new settlers?
15. How did Londonderry get that name?
16. Name three new towns built in the 1600’s
17. How were the new towns different than older Irish towns?
18. What happened to the native Irish people as a result of the Ulster Plantation?
19. Why was the Ulster Plantation the most successful?
20. What were some of the main results of the Ulster Plantation?


Answers

1. They wanted to have people in control of Ireland that they could trust to be loyal to England. These new loyal settlers would be Protestant and would introduce English laws and the English language.

2. This was the area around and including Dublin which was the only part of Ireland in the year 1500 that was under English control.

3. The O’Neill’s and the O’Donnells.

4. This was in Laois and Offaly. They were called King’s county and Queen’s County. Two-thirds of the land was to be re-settled with people from England. However the plantation was a failure because no settlers came from England and only eighty planters who were Englishmen born in Ireland actually came. This number proved to be too small.

5. The Earl of Desmond who owned most of Munster had just been defeated in a war. He was punished by the loss of his lands. The land was surveyed and mapped. It was divided into 36 estates. These estates were then to be given at low rents to people from England. However not enough people came and there was war between the Irish and the new settlers.

6. The two most powerful Gaelic chiefs, O’Neill and O’Donnell fled from Ireland which meant that a large part of Ulster was without strong leadership. The English King saw this as a good opportunity and he seized their lands and made plans to place new loyal settlers in Ulster.

7. This was when O’Neill and O’Donnell fled from Lough Swilly in Ulster to Europe in the year 1607.

8. The land was to be divided among three main groups: Undertakers, Servitors and Deserving Irish.

9. Derry, Donegal, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Cavan and Armagh.

10. King James I of England.

11. Undertakers were planters who were given very large Estates by the King. They had to take over at least TEN families. They were not allowed any Irish tenants. They had to build a stone castle with a barn.

12. Servitors were former soldiers in the English army who were owed money. They were also given land in Ulster.

13. Most came from the Lowlands of Scotland.

14. Majority were members of the Presbyterian church.

15. The city of Londonderry which was renamed after London merchants came to settle there.

16. Draperstown, Coleraine and Strabane.

17. These new towns such as Draperstown were carefully planned. They had a central Square or Diamond such as in Donegal Town today. The streets were wide and straight. All the main buildings were in the central area and included a Courthouse, a Jail, a Market house and a Protestant Church.

18. Many had their land confiscated from them and it was given to the new settlers. Some of the native-Irish became tenants on the estates of the new settlers from Scotland and England. However, others were forced to move away and they often led attacks on the new settlers.

19. Because more people from England and Scotland did come and they stayed. It also helped of course that Ulster was close physically to Scotland. Also a greater mixture of people came, farmers, tradesmen, former soldiers, ministers of religion etc.

20. Large numbers of people from Scotland and England moved to live in Ulster.

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Around 40,000 people came
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All were Protestants
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Most Scottish were Presbyterian
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Most English were Anglican
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Planters brought new farming methods
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Cleared many forest
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Grew huge amount of crops
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Flax grown for first time
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Potatoes grown for first time
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Over 20 new towns created
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Towns were carefully planned
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Donegal town and Enniskillen good examples
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Each town had a church, courthouse, townhall
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New and better roads built
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Great bitterness created between settlers and Irish