Plantations Flashcards
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.
