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Besides, a plantation would quieten Ulster and secure the province against the risk of further native rebellion and foreign invasion.
The first thing to be done was to make a detailed survey of the vast territory to be colonised. ‘To avoid His Majesty’s further charge’, the decision was made not to attempt to measure the land but to conduct an enquiry. The traditional Irish local land divisions caused much confusion. The basic units were the townlands, called tates in Co Fermanagh, polls in Co Cavan and ballyboes elsewhere. Each townland was supposed to be enough to support one extended family – small and compact on good land and more extensive in mountainous and boggy areas. Groups of townlands made up larger divisions known as ballybetaghs and quarters. The commissioners making the enquiry found it all very perplexing. In the end they decided to make grants based on the ancient land divisions, keeping the Irish names in an anglicised form. Tattyreagh, for example, means the grey townland.
In April 1610 a detailed brochure was published in London. Readers of what became known as ‘The Printed Book’ could find out all the terms and conditions of the plantation. The confiscated land of each county was divided into baronies or ‘precincts’, and each precinct subdivided into large, middle and small estates or ‘proportions’.
It soon became clear that separation was the essence of the scheme.
The largest group of colonists, known as undertakers, had to clear their estates completely of native Irish inhabitants. Undertakers had to be English or ‘inland’ Scots who had taken the Oath of Supremacy – that is, they had to be Protestants – and, having removed the natives, they had to undertake to colonise their estates with British Protestants. Indeed, it was during the Ulster Plantation that the term ‘British’ came into general use – officials got tired of constantly saying ‘English, Scots, Welsh and Manxmen’. They paid rent of £5 6s 8d annually to the King for every thousand acres. Undertakers got over a quarter of the confiscated land.
Servitors were councillors of state, captains and lieutenants with military commands and other servants of the Crown who, between them, were assigned about one fifth of the Plantation lands. They did not have to remove the native Irish but they enjoyed reduced rents if they brought in British colonists. Their estates were not just rewards for past service to the Crown: the servitors had a key defensive role.
Between one quarter and one fifth of the confiscated lands were given out to what were described as the ‘deserving’ native Irish. This was less generous than it seemed because a number of these grants were for the lifetime only of those named in them.
The leading planters of all categories had to build towns, parish churches, schools and forts. The Church of Ireland received over a thousand townlands. Trinity College Dublin, founded in the reign of Elizabeth, also got generous grants.
It was not long before noblemen, adventurers, gentlemen and courtiers began applying to the King for lands in Ulster. King James wrote a special proclamation for Scotland, urging his original subjects to become planters:
Forasmuch as the King’s Majesty having resolved to reduce the north part of the Kingdom of Ireland, which now by the providence of Almighty God, and by the power and strength of his Majesty’s royal army, is freed and disburdened of the former rebellious and disobedient inhabitants thereof…his Majesty has taken a very princely and good course, as well for establishing of religion, justice, and civility within the said bounds, as for planting colonies therein, and distributing of the same bounds to lawful, answerable, and well affected subjects, upon certain, easy, tolerable, and profitable conditions, and although there be no want of great numbers of the country people of England, who, with all gladness, would embrace the said conditions, and transport themselves, with their families, to Ireland…yet, his sacred Majesty, out of unspeakable love and tender affection towards his Majesty’s ancient and native subjects of this kingdom…has been pleased to make choice of them to be Partners with his said subjects of England, in the distribution aforesaid…
The great migration to Ulster had begun, drawn from every class of British society.
[816 words, including titles, to here. To guide the actor – and for fun – I give the original text of the King’s proclamation which I "translated" from Lowlands Scots into the above extract]
Forasmeikle as the Kingis Maiestie haueing resolued to reduce and setle vndre a perfyte obedience the north pairt of the Kingdome of Ireland, which now by the providence of Almichtie God, and by the power and strength of his Maiesties royal army, is fred and disburdynit of the former rebellious and disobedient inhabitants thairof…his Maiestie, for this effect, hes tane a verie princelie and good course, alswell for establischeing of religioun, justice, and ciuilitie within the saidis boundis, as for planting of colonies thairin, and distributeing of the same boundis to lauchfull, ansuerable, and weill affected subiectis, vpon certane easie, tolerable, and profitable conditionis, and although thair be no want of grite nomberis of the cuntrey people of England, who, with all glaidnes, wald imbrace the saidis conditionis, and transport thame selfiss, with thair families, to Yreland…yit, his sacred Maiestie, out of his vnspeikable love and tender affectioun towards his Maiesties antient and native subiectis of this kingdome…hes bene pleasit to mak chose of thame to be Partinairis with his saidis subiectis of England, in the distribution foirsaid...
a death which they contemn more than any other nation living; they are generally so stupid by nature, or so tough or disposed by their priests, that they show no remorse of conscience, or fear of death.
Another force in north Donegal besieged Doe Castle, the strongest hold in all the province which endured 100 blows of the demi-cannon before it yielded. The Governor of Ballyshannon sailed up in five warships to hunt down O’Donnells who had retreated to the islands, took the castle on Tory island and slaughtered the defenders. When the O’Gallaghers’ castle of Glenveagh fell, the rebellion was over. The Crown forces had now control of country which, Chichester admitted, only recently had been as inaccessible as ‘the kingdom of China’. The Lord Deputy was not impressed by the scenery we appreciate so much today, it being one of the most barren, uncouth, and desolate countries that could be seen, fit only to confine rebels and ill spirits into.
From Coleraine the Attorney-General wrote to King James I assuring him that he had six counties now in demesne and actual possession in this province; which is a greater extent of land than any prince in Europe has to dispose of. Indeed the king had. The crushing of O’Doherty’s rebellion had resulted in the seizing of extensive lands to add to the vast territories confiscated from the Earls who had fled from Lough Swilly the year before. The scale of the ‘Plantation of Ulster’, the King’s ambitious scheme to colonise the province with loyal British subjects, was now greatly magnified. This was the era of colonial expansion when England sought to catch up with Spain, Portugal and Holland. Only a year before the first successful band of English settlers had crossed the Atlantic for Virginia. As for Chichester, he declared he would rather labour with his hands in the plantation of Ulster than dance or play in that of Virginia.
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