Results of the Cromwellian Settlement

The story of the Munster and of the Ulster Plantations was repeated. The English who remained, especially the soldiers, ignored the prohibition against intermarrying with the native Irish. They took to themselves Irish Catholic wives, and their children, following the mothers, became Irish in habit, tongue and creed. Some of the sons and daughters of Oliver’s soldiers, we hear, could not speak a word of English. How great a failure the Settlement had been, as regards the anglicization of Ireland or the spreading within its shores of the Reformed Doctrines, is clearly shown by the results of the Census of Ireland taken by order of the Parliament in 1659.

The figures for 27 of the 32 counties are extant, and show the following results : The relative proportions of Irish to English was in Leinster 13 to 2 ; in Ulster 5 to 2 ; in Munster 10 to 1 ; while, of 87,352 inhabitants of Connacht, only 7,672 were English. In this connection the term ” English ” may be taken as equivalent to ” Protestants,” and ” Irish ” to ” Catholics.”

It will readily be understood that official carelessness and official blunders were not likely to be less flagrant when only the transplanted Irish were concerned. Many of the exiles died of want while waiting for the judgment of the Commissioner on their cases. Others discovered, when they desired to take possession of the Connacht lands assigned them, that these had already been granted to others. People of the highest rank were reduced to utter destitution. Viscount Ikerin wandered about .” a miserable object of pity.” ” Viscount Roche’s daughter died for want of requisite accommodation.”

To ascertain the amount of land actually confiscated under the Cromwellian Settlement Scheme and the number of persons actually transplanted, is rendered extremely difficult by the evasions, frauds and mistakes already alluded to, as well as by the fact that many decrees were made which were never carried out.   The latest authorities consider that some 11,000,000 acres—somewhat more than half the acreage of Ireland—was confiscated, including the Connacht lands “setout” to the transplanted. Of this, however, much was subsequently occupied by Irish tenants.

The transplanted are said to have numbered about 50,000 persons ; whilst those banished, sent to the plantations, or who left the country of their own accord, were about 40,000. This then accounted for 90,000 out of a population of something over three quarters of a million. These figures can, however, be   considered only as rough approximations.

As soon as the Irish Papist landowners had been, to some extent, got rid of, that is to say in the Summer of 1653, the great work of settling the adventurers and soldiers on the lands which had been cleared was begun.

Already, indeed sometimes many months before this, numbers of the soldiers had sold the shares assigned them, sometimes for a few pints of beer or a couple of shillings. The purchasers were often the officers of the regiments, who thus, by buying up many shares, accumulated for themselves great estates at a nominal cost.

When the companies were marched down to the districts assigned them, and the lands portioned out to the individual soldiers, these were often discontented, even at first, and more discontented afterwards when they had made trial of the conditions under which they were henceforth to live. There was no good beer, they said, nor good cheese to be had, and there was no one to marry. To marry the Irish Catholic girls they were forbidden, unless these would change their religion, which they rarely were willing to do. In the end a good many abandoned their lands and returned to their own country.