Treaty of Limerick From the 17th century to the early 19th century, penal laws imposed legal disabilities on persons who were not members of the established church. These laws were accompanied by other legislation that reinforced the position of the established church and imposed various stages of penalties and restrictions on other churches. The laws were aimed at Protestant dissenters and Catholics. The anti-Catholic laws […]
Easing of Penal Laws The Papacy had stopped recognising the Jacobite cause on the death of the “Young Pretender” in 1766. The authorities feared that the American rebellion of 1775 might inspire a rebellion by Catholics in the Kingdom of Ireland. The Catholic Relief Act 1778 was passed by the British Parliament was the first Act for Roman Catholic relief. Later in 1778 it was […]
Catholic Relief GB The Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1791 relieved Catholics of certain political, educational, and economic disabilities in Britain. It admitted Catholics to the practice of law, permitted the exercise of their religion, and the existence of their schools. Chapels, schools, officiating priests and teachers were to be registered. Assemblies with locked doors, as well as steeples and bells to chapels, were forbidden; […]
Land Ownership By the early 18th century landholding was generally consolidated in about 2000 estates of between 2,000 and 4,000 acres. Many comprised parcels of land in different counties. Others were consolidated. Some were administered by resident landlords. Larger estates were usually administered through agents. Absenteeism was endemic. Perpetual leases granted to absentees represented a drain from the local economy. Much of the land had […]
Subordination The Irish legislature was subordinate to the British Parliament. The British Parliament claimed the right to legislate for Ireland. In practice, the British Parliament did not impose direct taxation or legislation in relation to contentious matter. Under Ponying’s Law, the Irish Parliament could not meet until the Lord Lieutenant or justices and the Irish Privy Council had transmitted bills to the King and the […]
Revenue At the end of the 18th century most revenue was raised from customs and excise. Excise duties covered a wide range of goods and materials including hearths, windows, mould, paper, leather , coaches, and even male servants. There were licence duties and tax on a wide variety of matters and things such as hearts, windows, servants, coaches and numerous other articles. An income tax […]
Poor Law The English Poor Law system was not extended to Ireland. No Poor Law system developed until 1838. The established church established a number of alms-houses seeking to sought t to limit the places where beggars could beg. An Act of 1703 provided for the erection of a workhouse in Dublin city for employing and maintaining the poor. It provided for the creation a […]
English Legislation & Irish Industry In the original English Navigation Act 1660, the Irish vessels had the privileges of English ones. This legislation was amended in 1663 and Ireland was deprived of colonial trade. European articles could not be imported into the English colonies, except from England in ships built in England and manned by English sailors, principally. Articles could not be brought from the […]
The Courts The major courts in the 18th century were the Chancery, Kings Bench, Common Pleas, Exchequer and Prerogative Court. There was an appeal from the Prerogative Court to the Court of Delegates in Chancery. There was a County Palatine court in Tipperary in the Ormond Palatine. This ceased when the Duke was attainted. There was a Court of Admiralty which was subordinate to the […]
Lord Lieutenant In the 18th century, Ireland was a kingdom with its own parliament, courts and government. The King of Great Britain was also King of Ireland. The country was ruled by a chief governor appointed by the crown. The chief governor was an appointed British nobleman titled the Lord Lieutenant. The Lord Lieutenant was a member of the British Cabinet. In the later 18th […]
General Local authorities conducted a great deal of the limited public administration that existed in the 18th century.Local government was notionally the same in Ireland and England. The 32 counties of modern Ireland had been created by the early 17th century. Each county was divided into Baronies and civil/Church of Ireland parishes. Some of the parliamentary boroughs which have been chartered were small and were […]
End of Crown Government Queen Mary died in 1694 and King William III, who reigned until 1702, had external commitments. Queen Anne, sister of Queen Mary and daughter of King James II who succeeds him was in poor health, dying without an heir in1714. Ultimately George I, II, III and IV of the House of Hanover who succeeded her under the Act of Settlement 1701 […]