Irish History Synopsis' TheBoyne to the Union

From battle of Boyne to the Union

After the death of William of Orange on March 8, 1702 the Parliament's passed under his reign thePenal Laws which forbad Mass being said under the penalty of death.
These laws passed sequentually in 1695, 1697,1699, 1704, 1709 and 1728 took away any catholic right to vote, to bear arms, to educate the child, to own a horse worth more than 5 pounds.

All professions , any army or naval service, any public office and legal practice were closed to these native peoples.
These were forbidden to purchase land and were required to take an oath of submission they could not take under the Test Act of 1673 and 1678.
A curious harrasment of the early law revolved around the ability of the English to 'lawfully' confiscate a horse if finding a horse in the possesssion of a catholic, the prodistant could simply declare the beast worth more than 5 pounds and hence obtain the animal which the holder was required to sell him for 5 pounds or less.
As an act of benevolance the native profession left open to them was that of Physician.

If a native was able to retain real estate and had under gavelkind distributed itequally amonst his children until it was so small as to be worethless ,the eldest son could hold the parcel together by promigeniture under which this child must take the oath as provided by the Test Act ,give up his religion and deny the leadership role of the Pope.

Ireland became a silent and lonely land under the entire reign of Queen Anne Stuart until her death on August 1 1714.
This was also the period of Johnathan Swift who was appointed Dean of St Patrick's Cathederal in Dublin.
The major people in Ulster during this period were prodistant settlers therfore the penal laws caused less disruption to the peasant household.

The English provided a tariff against Irish wool as it competed with Englands and substituted the formerly prosperous export trade with linin manufacture which did not thrive in larger Ireland.
Hence the settlers and investors established large linin weaving and bleaching establishments in the countryside and established company town to house ,and stores to serve the worker needs.
Many of these tariffs and restrictions had been passed in England before the Battle of the Boyne under the controversial book by William Molyneux called 'The Case of Ireland Being Bonded by Acts of Parliament in England'
This author being a member of the Irish parliament for University of Dublin which university held to the view of the Irish prodestant asendancy.
A contempory and friend of Molyneux ,John Locke who was going along with the same lines as his essay on the True Original Extent and End of Civil Government.
These writings stirred the English Parliament to condem them as
'a dangerous tendancy to the Crown and people of England, by denying the authority of the King and Parliament of England to bind the Kingdom and people of Ireland and the subordination and dependance that Ireland had and ought to hav upon England as being united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of England.'
This body went with this comdemnation to the King ,William urging him to discourage all things which might lessen the dependance of Ireland on England.
This aggressive attitude prevailed throughtout the 1700, 1800 up to the Rising of 1916-1921, when Parliament finally allowed Ireland a degree of Independance as a Free State under a Treaty., holding tenaciously to the main area of Ulster still under the Crown Union.

Under Anne the Sacramental Test Bill was passed excluding all prodistant and catholic and desenter from all public offices or trust who refused the Sacramental rite of the Established Church.
There was no disenting votes on the passage of this bill..
The Sacrament Act was contested by prodistants and was finally suceeded by an Act to Prevent the Further Growth of Popery which was proclaimed, ordering all priests to take the ABJUATION OATH before March 25 1710 .The punishment for noncompliance PRE MUNURE= forfieture home estate and life.

The Established Church Bishops cleared the entire corporation of Belfast and replaced these dissenting prodistant presbyterians with persons of little estate whose only qualification was to regularly attend Church (ie theEstablished Church)
The Church of England objected to the presbyterians marriage rite which they regarded as' a licence to sin' and therefore refused to recognise the children of all prodistants and non conformists as illigitimate.
Some of these parents were persecuted as well.
Stocks and arrests by the Bishops were used against any one found critizing these edicts..
England however, to assuage these non conformists and presybterians recalled the bill and the House of Lords recinded the Reghium Donem against Prodistants.
Meanwhile the declining state of trade and emmigration to the American colonys removed from Ireland the artisans and energy of the depressed economy.

boyne to union pg 2

With the assention of George I, a Hanover in 1714 Charles Spencer ,Earl of Sunderland became Lord Lieutanant of Ireland, as appointed by theRegency ,as George was not yet in England.
It was not customary for the officers to live in Ireland but to go there every 2 years when the Irish Parliament was sitting.The rule of the country was left to the Lord Justices.
The policy was to make as much profit as possible from Ireland which created a peculiar government rule.
Seats in the Irish Parliament were bought and sold among the anglo gentry.The chief occupation of these Lords Justices were to
contain any tendancy to independance;
to prevent interference in English trade;
discourage the growth of Popery.

In 1724 the country was more or less ruled to these ends by Bishop Hugh Boulter of Bristol who was 13 times appointed a Lord Justice.
Inlistement in foreign service was forbidden and procecuted under George I.
Recruting agents were hung.
Much of the going population however had been driven to enlist by extreme povery and distress within the population.
The right to immigrate and serve in foreign service had been granted in theTreaty of Limerick obtained by Saresfield in 1691 under the terms of Surrender.

In 1723 copper coin was limited to 400,000 pounds.
Much of it was debased and counterfit. There was no small change in the country. Trade was hampered Thereby the weavers--prodistant mostly- were paid in cloth as no coin available to give them. This cloth was exchange for 1/2 its value.

Loose coin such as passed for a half-penny ,a 'rap' ,worth nothing.
Every application to England to suppy change was denied.
William Wood was thereupon charged to produce some Irish change.
This was met with objection and both Houses accused the patent of fraud.
Swift in the fever pitch over this base weightless half-penny coin wriote his Drapiers Letters.
Sir Isaac Newtown than master of the Mint surveyed the pieces and declared them to be in accordance with the patent.
The Privy Counceil refused to recind the half-penny patent.
The debased money was refused by all and hysteria prevailed.
Finally the English government withdrew the patent and compensated Wood.
A cataract of Immigration drove the Puritans out of Ireland bound for New England, Western Virgina, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Swift raged against the landlords and their rent rolls. Tenants made no improvements and lived in destitution and beggary.
The Scot settlers abode became as dirty and miserable as the Wild Irish.

On June 11 1727 George I died in his coach, of apoplexy.








boyne to union pag 3

In 1740 a severe frost in November distroyed th entire potato crop the basic staple of the peasantry.
At that time time was customary to leave the crop underground till Christmas.
400,000 died of starvation.

Contention and violent attacks continued against the Papists with murder in their thoughts.
The Scotish rebellion for Boney Prince Charlie Edward Stuart was crushed at Cullendon on 16 April 1746.

Ireland remained peaceful.

In 1756 the 7 Years War broke out between France and England in the American Canadas. The French won under General Wolfe in 1759 establishing the future on that continent.

Thurot of the French fleet attacked Carrickfergus Castle to provision his ships and to recover French prisoners held by the English there. He suceeded in these missions but was met in the Irish
Sea by 3 English ships where an attempt to board the Aeolus commanded by Captain Elliott was tharted when Thurot was shot in the heart.
His ship was shattered and 300 of his men and crew killed.
This captain Thurot was an Irishman named Farrell.

On 25 October the year 1760 George II suddenly died at Kensington and was succeded by his grandson George III.

In Ireland secret societys arose against government indifference to their plight.These groups where the White Boys in the south and the Weavers and small farmers in the north formed sinister organizations.There was no money available, no credit, excessive rents and heavy taxes.
Bread was high priced. Famine a step away.
Hearts of Steel Boys and Oak Boys ,excusively prodistant organizations ,arose over fines for lease renewals leveled by landlords. If the tenant could not pay the fines the family was evicted.
These organized resistance groups resisted payment of tithes and were semi republican in thought.

An act was passed for the summary execution of these prodistant insurectionist. Many escaped to America. Many who were charged were released by jurys unwilling to find them guilty.

Then came the Revolution of 1775 in the Americas.

Irish linin was completely closed by an embargo. Wool ,black cattle and land fell in value. Rents could not be collected.
It was made unlawful to export cloths, accountremonts for the Irish regiment abroad. A 5 shilling bounty placed on flax seed imported from America.
American fisheries were cut off and Newfoundland encouraged by the English Parliament.

England by 1779 was at war with America, France and Spain and threatened Ireland with invasion.
No funds were available to pay malitia to defend Ireland for the Crown.

A volunteer movement originating in Belfast spread throughtout the country.
Both the classes and the masses joined this volunteer movement.
Drilling because a usual Irish occupation.
The English government gave them arms but were unable to bring the volunteers under control or curtail them.
By 1780 the Volunters were 40,000 strong and well disaplined. After being accepted by the English government as a valid force they extended their interests beyond defence to the political questions of the day and became a creed.

boyne to union pg 4

By October 12 1779 when an address was carried of the meeting Irish Parliamnt the Dublin Streets were lined with Volunteers under the comand of the Duke of Leinster.They had than a lawers corps. Lord Norht alarmed at the conduct proposed a relief Irish Commerce to allow Ireland to export her wool and manufactures;
free trade with British plantations ;
and glass manufacture exports.
The Volunteers however having obtained free trade wanted Constitutional rights and a free Parliament in Ireland.
The armed associations communicated regularly to keep informed of actions and openly demanded the independence of Ireland.
Their opinions and decisions were printed in the newspapers ,as they are still ,declaring Ireland independant subject only to the King and Irish Parliament, the only body qualified to make Irish law.

In 1781 reviews of the Volunteers were held in all parts of Ireland.
Mr John O Neill proposed a Resolution thanking the Volunteers.This Resolution was opposed by Fitzgibbon [Lord Clare].
However the motion was carried and considered a triumph for Ulster.

Lord Caulfield, Earl of Charlemont Commander of 1st Ulster Regiment met at Armagh on 28 Dec 1781 to consult.
From this came an invitation of all Volunteers Associations in the provence to send delegates to a convention at Dungannon on 15 February 1782.

These citizen soldiers were usually steady, peaceable and self reliant.

143 Volunteer Crops responded ,the government powerless to prevent the gathering.
21 Resolutions were adopted by this force of mostly landed propriotors.

Resolved that the taking up of arms did not diminsh civil rights;
that Ireland held the power to create her own laws and any other were uunconstitutional;
that the powers of the King's counsel were unconstitutional;
that Irish ports belonged to Ireland and open to all foreign countiries not at war with the King;
that a mutiny bill wss unconstitutional;
that judges wer and should be independant;
that private judgement was theirs in matters of religion;
that the penal laws should be relaxed against the roman catholics.

The entire Volunteer force in Ireland adopted these Resolutions.

When in 1782 on February 22 Henry Grattan motioned in the Irish Parliament to petitioned the King of the address of the Volunteers to support constitutional rights for Ireland the motion failed.
However Lord Norths admininstration fell.
Carlile relieved the Duke of Portland and became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
The King asked for an agreement on Irish demands. and the repeal of George I c5 asserting dependancy of Ireland and any appellate jurisdiction by Irish Lords shoud be restored, unconstitutional powers of the Privy Counsil abolished and the mutiny Bill repealed.
These embodying the Dungannon Resolutions were unanimously adopted.
These measures passed both Lords and Commons in the Eglish Parliament.

These concessions were announced by Lord Portland.
A great bloodless victory for the Volunteers.

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Two parties subsequenty formed in Dublin between Grattan and Flood in 1782 when the governement of both countries again changed.

Flood held that a Declaration of Parliament repeal was not sufficent.
Grattan contened that Ireland had gone to England with a Charter and had requested England cancel any objection to it.

Flood demaned a Bill of Rights in addition to the obtained Declaration of Rights.
Parliament adopted Grattans side, the Volunteers Flood 's side with the Lawyers Corps.

4000 armed Volunteers appeared at Belfast to be reviewed by Charlemont.
An address was madeexpressing disatisfaction with the setlement.
Major Dobbs made a clause in the address in satisfaction with the concessions of Great Britain.
The Volunters continued their politcal campaign towards Parliament reform.
A convevention was again held at Dungannon where it was resolved on 8 September 1783 to hold a
Grand National Convention at Dublin on November 10, 1783..this convention took place on November 3.
Flood recomended the disbandment of the Volunteers.
lthoughthe volunteers were linked to the English not the Irish Celts by social, literary and religious ties they were in the first stages of Irish nationalism by the unwise policy of England.
A Parliament debate was engaged in which Floods motion was regected.

Since the Volunteers had demanded this the die was cast for violence between the Irish Parliament and the Volunteers. However Lord Charlemont on Dec 2 1783 ajourned the Convention sealing the fate of the Volunteers. Now their influence adn prestige was gone forever.

The Volunteers their power broken, protested and paraded but gradually disolved and became a democratic association and the society of United Irishmen.
Training all classes and sects in the use of arms.
The government in Dublin raised a staunch army of 15,000 men creating a malitia, fed and clothed and funded with 20,000 pounds.
The Volunteers however would not cooperate with civil authoritys and violence arose between the Patriotic Party and the government of Ireland forces.
Wolfe Tone being one of the leaders declared them to be of republican persuasion.

Meanwhile the King George III became insane in 1788.
This spured on the dissenters in Ireland.
They wanted a percentage tax against absenteee landlords;
comutation of tithes;
restoration of sail cloth manufacture;
protection duties;
reform of the pension lists ;

Disturbances arose between the Peep O Day prodistants and the Irish native Defenders.
This led to the formation of the society of the Orangemen after the battle of theDiamond at Armagh which was lost by the Irish Defenders.
The Orangemen followed the Diamond victory by persecuting the local catholics putting notes on their cabins saying,
"To Hell or Cannacht"
and physically removing the family if they did not go on their own, distroying the family goods and burning the house.
7000 were thus driven out of Armagh County by the Orange Society.

The King ,at this time had recovered his bout with insanity and the catholics natives petitioned for relief of their disabiliiteis.
Wolfe Tone a barrister and a prodistant, was selected to present their petition.
He was in Belfast at the invatation of the Volunteer Club composed of men such as Sam Neilson with North Star newpaper, Robert Simms and Tom Russell.

Outrages continued in Ireland until 1793.This provided Pitt ,the MP, to convene a secret committee to find out the cause of the disturbances.
As a remedy to the unrest the English governement passed the gunpowder Act in 1793.
'An Act to Prevent the Importation of Arms and Gunpowder and Ammunition into the Kindom and Removing and Keeping Gunpowder and Ammunition without Licence'.

A new Convention bill was considered necessary as the United Irishmen were training the peasants secretly to support the French Revolutionary principles, and in corresponding with Societys of like mind in France.

Lord Edward Fitzgerald a friend of Tom Paine renounced his title in Paris

In 1793 Napper Tandy fled to America after being charged of distributing seditious publications at Louth and holding communications with Defenders.

In May 1794 the British government suspended Habeus Corpus Act and passed an Act against seditious Assemblies.

In 1796 the InsurectionA ct was passed making taking of an oath like that of the United Irishmen punishable by death.
These acts were passed by Pitt in England not by the Dublin Parliament.

In 1797 General Lake placed Ulster under martial law ordering the surrender of all arms.
The lord Lieutenant took credit for this claiming he had ordered Lake to suspend civil liberties due to Ulster being in a state of disturbance.
Grattan claimed this was attaintment of an entire province of high treason.
He asked the Irish parliament to recind this Proclimation but was defeated 127-16.



boyne to union pg 6

In Armagh the United Irishman were reported to have 3000 guns, 1200 bayonettes, 300 pistols, 250 swords, 3500 pikes, 20,000 cartriges, 50,000 cannon balls, 900 lbs of powder, 8 cannons and 1 mortar.
General Lake increased military rigor. Houses were plundered by the soldiers and demolished on suspicion of United Irish connections.

TheMorning Star newspaper was seized.The printers arrested and sent to New Gate Prison.The paper was told to print a paragraph reflecting the loyalty of Belfast's people. When the paper editor refused the paper officers where physically attacked and the printing press distroyed.

The Ancient Britons Regiment under Sir Watkins Willams Wynne when they were wrongly informed about arms being in a Newry house than burned the house in frustration when no arms were found.The local peasants tried to extingush the fire and were killed,
30 of them with a woman and 2 children.
A 70 year old fleeing from the scene was overtaken and while on his knees pleading for mercy his head was struck off by one sword sweep of a calvary mans sabre.

William Orr of Antrim was charged with admininsteing the UI oath.The court kept this jury in session till it produced a guilty verdict.They had been plied with drink.

Justice Chambelain refused to allow this testimony.
When the victim was again brought before Lord Justice Yelverton he was pronounced a sentance of death.
The witness against Orr also contermanded his convicting testimony as false.
Resort was made to the Lord Lieuteant asking for a reprive were returned unheard

Much effort by family and friends all to no avail.
Lord Camden the LL refused to interfere and Orr was executed on October 14, 1795 protesting his innocence.The judicial murder compleated.


In 1798 the Rebellion Erupted in retaliation of tyrany torture and cohersion applied by General Lakes rampant troops converting the peaceful countryside into a hell.
Homesteads were on fire, provisions distroyed, families ruined. Rape and death appeared by strangulation or a bullet or floggings flaying the skin and muscle.

All trials were by martial law.
Many of the officers on the court were under age or Orangemen who had swore eternal hatred of the people they judged.
Flogging, Picketting and death were the usual punishment, or bannashment to the fleet. Many were sold to the Prussians.
Many of the troops drank all the time raped the wives and daughters of peaceful families returning from Mass.
In the union, ie the United Irishmen some wanted action others not. Dissention arose among them between catholics and dissenters, separating them.

On March 30 1797 all Ireland was under martial law.From battle of Boyne to the Union
boyne to union
pg 7
The English were claiming a treasonous conspiracy.

Henry Joy McCraken was appointed leader of the rebellion in Down and Antrim along with James Hope.

A letter was sent from Henry Joy to Colonel Dixon by John Hughes who was the communicant between Down and Antrim as to the May 21 signal for the rising. This was not materialised.

On June 7 1798 a Battle fought at Antrim town by McCraken with men from Kerry ,Dublin ,Armagh ,Tipperary and Monahan. During this fight Lord O Neill was attacked and shot his attacker whereby he was attached by rebel pikemen and out of his wounds died three days later.DR McCArtney his companion was not able to assist him.
McCartney joined Staples ,a member for Antrim County ,and they made their way across Loch Neagh by boat to Dungannon where they informed General Knox of the rising in Antrim.

More rebels arrived.Troops under Colonel Durham arrived for the government.The rebels broke and fled under cannon fire. 200 of them killed.

At the end of July Joy McCraken was arrested by the royalists, tried and executed at Belfast on July 17 1798.

Henry Monro a Scot linin trader continued the fight in Down sending Townsend to Ballinahinch.
Royalist troops under Nugent and Barber marched against Monro.This army took Creevy Rock and than got drunk but Monroe refused to attack them in this condition.
These troops the following day mowed down the rebels with artillery fire. A bugle sounding ,lead the rebels to believe reinforcements of royalists troops were coming , broke and fled.
Monroe was defeated at Ednavady. They surrendered with 150 men left in all. these marched out to surrender . Monro fled to the mountains but was betrayed, taken , tried and court martialed, condemed and hung at Lisburn by his own door.
His head was hung on the market house.

Meanwhile the south was desolate but fought on.
Wolfe Tone was in Paris to ellicit the help of the French Directorate.

General Humbert was appointed Commander of an expeditionary force of 1,000 men assembled at Rochelle.
3000 more under General Hardi
9000 under Kilmaine.

On August 22 1798 Humbert came to Kilala Bay with a squadron of 3 frigates and one small vessels.
Sailing under an English flag.
He managed to last until 8 September when he surrendered to General Lake in county Longford.

Where Hardi heard of Humberts surender he set sail for Norway on 20 September 1798.

Wolfe Tone with him on the Hocke on October 11.The Hoche was attacked by Admiral Warren of English Fleet.
The Hoche was bombarded and distroyed. When the crew was captured Wolfe was not recognised among the French prisoners but was finally found out at a French table by a fellow schoolmate ,George Hill from Trinity College Days. He ,Tone was sent in irons to Dublin to be tried by court martial ,condemed to be hung on November 12. However he cut his throat in prison cheating the hangman.


Pitt than proceeded to promote Union and annialate the Irish legislature. The Union was proposed on 22 January 1799.
The Irish bar regected this proposal 166- 32.

One side said Ireland was not safe but under the protection of England.
The other side that Parliament was incompetent and could not enact that issue.This regection positions was uphled in Irish Parliamnent by Saurin, Plunkett, Ball.Fitzgerald, Moore, Parnell, Bushe,. Oriel, Grattan , Curran, Ponsonby and Burrows.
The viceroy, Lord Cornwallis ,of American fame toured the south to poll it.

Daniel O Connell appeared opposing the Union on 15 Jan 1800 at the Irish Parliament opening.

Henry Grattan appeared in his Voluner Uniform with his pistols.The members rose.
He made his speach against the Union at 10 AM.The debate closed 138 votes for Union 96 against.

The citizens met to protest the Union. Guilds of Merchants met to protest.
The Orange, Catholics and Yoemen were called to resist the union on February 5, 1800.

Lord Castlereagh outlined the advantages of union.
Petitions for the counties and companies came against the measure.
On 26 May Grattan opposed the Union bill declaring:

'I do not give up my country, I see her in a swoon ,
but she is not dead;
though in her tomb she lies helpless and motionless ,
still, there is on her lips a spirit of life, and on her cheeks a glow of Beauty'.

Lord Casstlreigh [Stewart} contested this to be treason and reblellion
.Lord Curry of Tyrone made the final address against the Union.

7 June the bill read and passed in Commons.
Curran outside asked the UNITED IRISHMEN.
"Where are your 30,000 men now?'

1 August 1800 the Royal assent of King George IV eldest son of George III was given to the Act of Union.
The aniversary of the acccession of the house of Brunswick..

On January 1 1801 Ireland ceased to be.

Judi Donnelly
Copyright August 1 2007