Irish History Synopsis: Restoration Charles II- James II

the Restoration of Charles II page 1

With the restoration of Charles II in 1661 and the coming thereafter
of the Act of Uniformity in `1662 establishing only one church, that
of theAnglican [Episcopalian] in all the English holdings.
this Act forbad all unlawful assembly of Presbyterian or Roman
Catholic worshipers and directed the sherrif to disperse them from
this worship.
The Episcopalian bishops under the leadership of Jeremy Taylor,
Bishop of Down closed down most of their churches. This lead to
Presbyterian League for redress called the Covanters.

However, Parliament passed an order condeming the Solomn League and
Covanant as treasonable, ordered it burned in the public market and
any upholding it be deemed an enemy to His Sacred Majesty, of the
Church and His Kingdom

The Bishops were able to get a second Act of Uniformity forbiding the
Presbyterians to be clergymen and to declare the oath that the Solomn
Covenant was illegal and impious.
Of the 70 Presbyterian ministers in Ulster 8 conformed. the rest
were deprived of their churches and imprisoned.
Most of the Cromwellian soldier settlers were non-conformists and
were discontent. Many of them sold their holdings and left the
country commensing the exodus of Prodestants from Ireland to New
England.
Many of the remaining Prespyterians, such as Blood and Leacky
attempted rebellion but were caught.
At the same time flax became a major production in Ulster helping to
relieve her stress and poverty from the preceeding wars.

During this period Charles managed to engage England in wars with
Holland, Denmark, France and the rest of the European provinces.

Several Lord Lieutenatnts were appointed as designated rulers in
Ireland.Such as Lord John Berkely of Stratton,Sir Arthur Forbes,The
Earl of Essex, and finally in 1677 James Butler, Duke of Ormond was
reapointed by the King.
A period of peace and general order prevailed in Ireland until
suddenly, on the 6th of Febuary 1685 at Noon Charles 2 died.

His brother James 2 succeeded him.
Ormond was recalled post haste turning in the Sword of State to the
Lord Justice, the Primate Michael Boyle and Sir Authur Forbes Earl of
Granard.

Colonel Richard Talbot was the militray leader at that time. He was
descended of an old Norman family of Leinster. He was nick-
named 'Lying Dick' and had served in the Low Countries. He was vain
and ambitious and had served Charles 2 as a secret advisor on Irish
affairs, and alligned himself with the most violent of the old line
party. In October 1685 he was appointed Lieuteant Governor of the
Irish Army and the Earl of Tyreconnell. His brother in law Henry
Hyde was appointed Lord Lieutenat in December 1685.

the restoration of charles 2 page 2


As Richard Talbot began a program to appoint his fellow Catholics to
positions of authority in the military, he began a process of
drilling the whole native population of the country. A sort of
universal military training. These he armed. Catholic judges
replaced Prodistant ones. Some Irish were admitted to the Privy
Council.
More Prodistant's sold and left for New England and Scotland.

By 1686 Tyreconnell had complete control of the Army of Ireland and
had replaced prodistant officers with catholics. Catholic natives
were also appointed as sherrifs and justice of the peace.
Most of the civil service was passed to the hands of native catholics.

Tyreconnell attemted to convinece the King to repeal the Cromwellian
Acts of Settlement. This he was not successful at. He did, however,
secure the appointement of Lord Deputy to which he seized the city
charters and boroughs. Some of these refused to submit to
Tyreconnell's intent and began to raize citizen malitias. One of
these towns being Londonderry.

In this instance 13 of the young men apprentise boys closed the gates
of the town on December 7, 1689,on the call of the AldermenTomkins
and Preacher Gordon.
Ezekill Hopkins, Bishop of Derry, opposed this and urged his
followers ]
The Inniskillen population than appointed Gustavus Hamilton as their
Governor.These turned all the country houses around Loch Erne into
garrisoned forts.

As Tyreconnell ,angered at this resistance, prepared to advance
against these rebel prodistants news reached him that William of
Orange had arrived unapposed in London, all England declaring for him
against King James 2.
Realising the folly of creating fresh enemies in Ireland, Tyreconnell
sent the master of ordinance Colonel William Stewart, Lord Mount joy
who had formerly commanded the Derry garrison.
Mountjoy set out at once with a regiment of Episcopalian English
with a smattering of Catholic troops.
He reached Armagh with these and his Lieuteant Robert Lundy where he
sent a message to the beleigered city of Derry requesting a meeting
ar Raphoe.
The city complied to the request welcoming the former commander
Stewart, but refused to admit any catholic troops in his regiment.
This could not be complied with and hence the seige continued.
Terms were agreed to whereby 2 companies composed exclusively of
prodistants would be admitted to the city . On this agreement
Phillips resigned the governorship in favor of Mountjoy who enterd
the city as their leader.
Tyreconnell, chief of Colonel Stewart, recalled him to Dublin where
he went and was sent with Lord Chief Baron Rice to Paris France where
Mountjoy was arrested and placed in the Bastille being a prodistant.
Rice a roman catholic remained free.


the restoration page 3

The Prince of Orange had reached Westminster. James had fled and
William of Orange admininstered the country of England.
Robert Lundy remained at Londonderry as Commander assuming the title
of Governor. He brought with him the 4 companies under his command;
purged of RC's and commanded byofficers whose commissions had be
revoked by Tyreconnell in favor of catholic natives.
Associations of Defence were formed in the Prodistant communities all
over the north and throughout Ireland.
These were formed in defence of the percieved threat to the
Prodistant religion,Their lives, liberties and property by popish
people and counsellors.
These local associates thought of themselves as purely defensive in
their areas not wanting to agress against the papist but to offer him
their protection as well as long as the popish people remained
peaceable and quiet amongst them.
They elected Hugh Earl of Mt Alexander, Clotworth Skeffington Esquire
as the commander of all forces in Antrim.
The Prodistant Defence Asssocation made there spread to other parts
of Ireland, laying in the seeds for the recent
'Troubles' and private defence associations still found in Ulster
today.

Tyreconnell continued his catholic call to universal arming which was
readily responded to.The regiments expanding to some 48.
Richard Hamilton was raised to General against the prodistant rebels.
The Jacobite Army advanced to Newry which Sir Arthur Rawdon had to
abandon. The prodistant field could not hold Hillsborough.
The Jacobite Army consiting of much rabble and untrained men gave
themselves up to collecting booty. This gave Rawdon 's 4,000 troops
time to rally and fortify the t own.They held.
Blaney was unable to hold Monahan and Armagh in the Jacobite advance
of 15 March 1689 and made his way to Coleraine and Derry.

On the 12th of March James 2 landed at Kinsale from the Court of
Louis XIV who had given him refuge.
He than marched to Dublin than on to Derry which he had been advised
and himself felt ,would surrender to him as the rightful King.
He had as his commander Cout Rosen and Maumont his Lieutenatnt
General both provided by Loius XIV along with 500 captains,
lieutenants, cadets and gunners along with arms for 10,000 men and
500,000 crowns in gold.

As James proceeded north from Dublin to Charlemont the country was
found desolate. No humans nor animals to bee seen along the roads.
Dwellings and houses were unoccupied with roofs gone and windowless.
No food could be procured, nor hay for the horses.
the French were unaccustomed to this harshness of travel.
Omagh was in ruin,the willful distruction of the inhabitants.
The weather was windy and rainy.

King William, in the meantime sent to Loch Foyle 2 regimentsw by ship
under the command of Colonels Cunningham and Richards.
These however, were not landed the Counsils found the city so deviod
of provisions and the place untennable.
Lundy.the governor, therupon sent a messsgte to James II suggesting
the ciy would surrender peacebily.
Many of the city officers were sneaking off to the waiting ships. The
citizens on discovering this and to prevent there desertion killed
them.
On April 18 the transports departed for England being unwilling to
accept tenure in the failing defence works.
The Irish Army now surrounded Derry completely with its regiments,
many from the southern provinces, including some McCarthy Clan and
Fitzgeralds.
Lundy meanwhile continued to his attempts to negociate a peace and
surrender.
This was thwarted by indignant citizens who attempted to kill the
peace envoy and deposed Lundy

restoration page 4


A counsil of war was held in the city and mayor Sir Henry Baker was
elected th new governor who requested a colleague to help him. The
counsil than appointed Reverend George Walker of Donaghmore parish.
These two prevented a second convention to be sent to James' camp for
a peace at any price conference.
They were refused permission to leave and violenetly driven back by a
mob.
Lundy fearing for his life stole off.
The Jacobite army remained unaware of these changes with the beseiged
detached their men along the Bogside and a windmill nearby.
This was seenas a threat and the city requsted the Irish troops be
withdrawn. Rosen did not respond and killed the messsenger.
As James approached the south gate with the advancing troop the cry
of "NO Surrender" was heard while fire was shot upon the Irish.
Several fell. Captain Troy being by His Majestys side dropped dead.
James hastened to get out of the reach of the cannon fire.
The army was thrown into confusion.
The weather was rainy.

On the 20 of April the Battle of Pennyburn Mill was fought the
Londonderry ulstermen sallying forth against the Irish troop under
Captain Murry, Saunderson, Thomas and Blair.
The Jacobite horse persuing the retreating sally of Pennyburn Mill
were most killed by prodistant infantry arrising from ditches inthe
Bogside.The Irish lost some 200 men and officers.
In the frey Murry escaped and was resqued by The Reverend Walker.
The battle of Windmill hill was fought May 5 and 6 1689.
The Ulstermen attacked from the city under Reverend Walker and were
able to capture the windmill battery from the Irish dragoons under
Ramsey who was killed.

Enniskillen under Col Lloyd were able to attack the Irish forces at
Belleek on May 7 1689 where they were defeated, fleeing to Sligo.
Colonel Lloyd toward the end of May flushed with his rout at Belleek
sent his forces to county Cavan to attack the garrison at Red Hills.
The holders there fled at his coming.
Lloyd proceding to Castle Bally na Carrig one of the strongest
castles in Ulster which surrendered to him. The Lloyd soldiers looted
the deserted castle than fired it leaving a pile of ashes.

In June many Irish horses had been put to graze near Omagh. Governor
Gustavus Hamilton of Enniskillen displaced two dragoon troop under
Captains Francis Gore and Arnold Crosby to garrison at Tillesk.
Within two days the captains returned to Innishkillen with 80 horses
and 300 cattle which they had captured on an overnight prey.
This dismounted 3 troop of the Irish.
The seige continued through June with skirmishes and battles.
The garrison of Derry by July 2, 1689 had been reduced from 7500
effective men to 5700 skeletons.



End of Volume3 History of Ulster by Ramseey Colles 1919 published by
Gresham Publishing Coy Ltd.

Judi Donnelly
Copyright Aug 1 2007



Sat Jul 7, 2007 4:36 pm