The Glamorgan Treaty

Above : Painting Of King Charles I

In December, 1644, the King intimated to Ormond that the Earl of Glamorgan was coming to Ireland, ” to further the peace there.” Glamorgan was probably selected for this mission as likely, being a zealous Catholic, to be specially acceptable to the Confederates. He crossed to Ireland the following July and, on landing, at once proceeded to Kilkenny, where he exhibited privately to the Council an authorisation from King Charles, given under his signet, to negotiate and conclude a treaty. This authorisation was most explicit.

” We do by these,” so it ran, ” authorise you to treat and conclude with the Confederate Roman Catholics in our Kingdom of Ireland. If upon necessity, anything be to be condescended unto wherein our Lord Lieutenant (Ormond) cannot so well be seen, as not fit for us at this present publically to own, we charge you to proceed according to this our warrant with all possible secrecy. And for whatsoever you shall engage yourself, we promise, on the word of a King and a Christian, to ratify and perform the same that shall be granted by you.”
This was considered, not unnaturally, as conferring on Glamorgan the most ample powers, and on August 25th (1645), he concluded with the Confederates a treaty on the following basis : ” Free and public ” exercise of the Catholic religion should be permitted throughout Ireland. All statutes against the Catholics should be repealed.

All churches held by the Catholics since October 1641, should be retained by them. In return for all this, the Confederates should send 10,000 men to the King’s assistance. Whether, according to the words of the document on which his authority was based, Glamorgan was justified in absolutely concealing the whole of this transaction from Ormond, is doubtful; but at any rate he did so, and for several months the Lord Lieutenant remained in ignorance of it.