3C. Catholic Emancipation Flashcards
When were the first Penal Laws passed, and under which monarch?
1695
William III
What did the Penal Laws under William III enforce?
- No intermarriage with Protestants; any children of existing marriages to be raised Protestant
- No religious education in Catholic theology; children were not to be sent abroad for a Catholic education either
- No Catholic could hold public office or military rank
- No Catholic was allowed to vote
- Any Catholic found to have converted a Protestant could be executed
- System of gavelkind applied to Catholic inheritance
What was Gavelkind?
Gavelkind describes a system of inheritance whereby land is divided equally between male heirs
This results in the dispersion of wealth over generations between successors resulting in lower overall wealth.
When was the Oath of Allegiance passed?
1774
What did the 1774 Oath of Allegiance allow?
- Allowed Catholics and non-Anglican Protestant sects to declare loyalty to George III
This offered them the chance to start breaking down anti-Catholic sentiments that revolved around perceptions of disloyalty and untrustworthiness.
Why was the 1778 First Catholic Relief Act passed?
Fear of Irish sympathy for America following start of American War of Independence after 1775, as well as war with France (a Catholic nation) which declared war on Britain in 1778
When was the First Catholic Relief Act passed?
1778
What did the 1778 First Catholic Relief Act allow?
Catholics who had taken the 1774 Oath of Allegiance could now:
- bequeath landownings to their heirs (without gavelkind)
- buy land
- obtain long leases up to 999 years
Why was the 1778 First Catholic Relief Act significant?
It opened the door to further reform - first major step in dismantling Penal Laws
What happened in London in 1780?
Anti-Catholic Gordon riots took place in London, killing 700 people.
Why was the 1782 Second Catholic Relief Act passed?
- Hoped to create support within the Irish Catholic population to isolate the Irish Volunteers (Protestant, created 1778) who had 60,000 men by 1782.
When was the Second Catholic Relief Act passed?
1782
What did the 1782 Second Catholic Relief Act allow?
- All Catholics had the right to buy land, so long as it was not in Protestant boroughs.
- Restrictions against Catholic education and the Catholic clergy were removed
Why was the 1792 Third Catholic Relief Act passed?
Passed in response to the Catholic Committee, which began to petition the Irish Parliament for additional Catholic rights in 1791
What did the 1792 Third Catholic Relief Act allow?
Catholics may practise law - lucrative!!!
When was the Third Catholic Relief Act passed?
1792
When was the Fourth Catholic Relief Act passed?
1793
What did the 1793 Fourth Catholic Relief Act allow?
- Catholic were able to hold most military and civil posts
- Catholics could vote in local and general elections
Why was the 1793 Fourth Catholic Relief Act passed?
After the credibility of the Catholic Committee to represent all Catholics was called into question, an all-Ireland Catholic convention was arranged in Dublin in December 1792.
This convention sent a delegation to London to discuss the abolition of the remaining Penal Laws with Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger.
What did Grattan’s 1808 Bill suggest?
Grattan introduced a bill in May 1808 that would grant Catholic emancipation with a government veto on Church appointments.
He suggested this as English anti-Catholicism believed that Catholics could never be loyal subjects as they held allegiance to the papacy in Rome.
A veto would thus allow the Crown to block politically unreliable placements.
Why was Grattan’s 1808 Bill not passed?
- Although many of the aristocratic Catholics in Ireland accepted the terms, the middle classes saw it as a betrayal of their Church and of their national interests.
- The level of discontent that the veto raised upset Catholic bishops, who decided to reject it in September 1808
What was the effect of the rejection of Grattan’s 1808 Bill?
The rejection of the bill undermined the position of the aristocratic Catholic activists, as it became apparent that they did not share the interests of the wider Catholic community.
What were the features of the 1811-14 Catholic Board?
- Led by Daniel O’Connell, an Irish barrister and one of the first Catholics to be called to the bar.
- Intended to coordinate the growing demand for Catholic emancipation among the emergent Catholic middle class.
- Wider representative base - several aristocratic members but overwhelmingly middle-class Catholics committed to emancipation without veto.
Why did the 1811-1814 Catholic Board collapse?
In June 1812, a motion was passed for the issue of Catholic emancipation to be considered. As such, Prime Minister Lord Liverpool introduced a bill in February 1813.
However, the bill contained a veto on Church appointments similar to its 1808, and thus was rejected by the Catholic Board.
This rejection fractured the Catholic Board as aristocratic members supported the veto, leading to political infighting which spilled into the public domain.
The Catholic Board dissolved in June 1814.