Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T18:29:35.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Suppression of the Irish Presidency System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Liam Irwin*
Affiliation:
Mary Immaculate College of Education, Limerick

Extract

The suppression of the Irish provincial presidencies in August 1672 has received scant attention from historians. Scarcity of surviving source material has resulted in little serious scholarship being devoted to this particular form of regional government. This basic handicap was intensified by the circumstances of the decision to terminate the system. No serious abuses existed in its operation and no demand for its removal was evident yet the decision was implemented without official explanation. As a result most writers on restoration Ireland have confined themselves to brief and guarded generalisations when dealing with the subject.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Falkiner, C.L., Illustrations of Irish history and topography, (London, 1904),Google Scholar is still the most valuable account: neither Simms, J. G., ‘The restoration 1660–85’ in Moody, T W, Martin, F X. and Byrne, F J (ed.), A new history of Ireland(Oxford, 1976), 3, pp 420–53,Google Scholar nor Beckett, Mod. Ire., the most distinguished, modern writers on restoration Ireland, make any reference to it.

2 Orrery papers, intro. vi, Smith, Cork (1815 ed.), p. 189; Mooney, C., Boethius MacEgan of Ross (Killiney, 1950), p. 22 Google Scholar; D.N.B, s. v Roger Boyle, 1st earl of Orrery.

3 Morrice, T, Memoir of Orrery prefixed to a collection of the state letters of Orrery (Dublin, 1743), with separate pagination pp 82–3Google Scholar. Roger Boyle, Baron Broghill (162Í–79) was the fourth son of Richard Boyle first earl of Cork: he was granted the office of president of Munster in August 1660 by Charles II and in September 1660 was created first earl of Orrery.

4 Falkiner, , Illustrations, p. 131.Google Scholar

5 Ormonde to Arlington, 10 Feb. 1666 (P.R.O., S.P 63/320/40).

6 B.L Add Mss 37 206–8 Passim Bodl. MSS Carte 37, 48, 69, 70, 145–7

7 Ormonde Mss. n.s iii, 442–3. Bodl.Ms carte 69 f 131, 70 419, 147 ff 86–7, 94.

8 Skeel, C, A, J. The council in the marches Walves(Londen, 1904),p.283 Google Scholar; Kenddey, Dennis J. The Prisedency of marches Munster under Elizabeth & James I (UnPublished M.A thesis.U.C.C., 1973),p. 330.Google Scholar

9 Williams, P, The council in the marches of Waless (Cardiff, 1958)Google Scholar; Reid, R.R., The king’s council in the north (London, 1923)Google Scholar; Brooks, F W, The council in the north (London, 1953).Google Scholar

10 Repport of the earl of the Sussex, 1562 (Cal Carew MSS 1515–74, pp 330–49. pp 330–9.

11 Sidney’s opinion on Ireland, 20 May 1565 (P.R.O. S.P 63/13/46).

12 Canny, N., The Elizabethan conquest of Ireland (Sussex, 1976), pp 4850.Google Scholar

13 Report to Cromwell 1533 (S.P Hen. VIII, ii, p. 173); Chancellor Allen on Ireland (L & p. Hen. VIII, xxi, pt. i, no. 915); Sir Thomas Cusack to Northumberland, 1552 (P.R.O. S.P 63/54/29).

l4 P & p Hen. Viii, xvii mo. 491 S.P Hen. VIII, iii, 398; Bradshaw, B.The beginnings of modern Ireland’ in Farrell, B. (ed.), The Irish parliamentary tradition (Dublin, 1973), pp 75–8.Google Scholar

15 Liber mun. pub. Hib. i, pt 2, p. 184; Collins, A. (ed.), Letters and memorials of state (London, 1746), 1, 48–9.Google Scholar

l6 Canny, , Elizabethan conquest, pp 108–16.Google Scholar

17 Kennedy, Presidency of Munster, passim., Rawlinson, R. (ed.), The history of that most eminent statesman Sir John Perrott (London, 1727), p. 103 Google Scholar; Instructions to Sir William Drury, 1676 (B.L. Cotton MS Titus Β xiii, ff 215–21); privy council to Drury, May 1576 (Acts privy council 1575–7, p. 114).

18 Delany, V T.H., ‘The palatinate court of the liberty of Tipperary’ in Amer Jn. Legal Hist., v. no. 2 (April 1962), pp 95117 Google Scholar; Sidney to privy council, 15 Dec. 1575 (Cal. Carew MSS pp 30–5; Sidney to privy council, 27 Feb. 1476 (Letters and memorials of state, i, 89–97

l9 Cal. S.P Ire., 1603–6, preface lvii, ff; Kennedy, op. cit., 223 ff.

20 Council book of Munster 1601–22 (B.L. Harl. MS 697).

21 Hand, G.V & Treadwell, V W (ed.), ‘His majesty’s directions for ordering and settling the courts and course of justice within his kingdom of Ireland’ in Anal. Hib., no. 26(1970), pp 179212.Google Scholar

22 Davies, J., A discovery of the true causes (London, 1612; ed. Shannon, , 1970), pp 265–6.Google Scholar

23 Reid, , Council in the north, p. 445 Google Scholar; Brooks, , Council in the north, p. 30 Google Scholar; Skeel, , Council in Wales, p. 161.Google Scholar

24 Barnard, T C., Cromwellian Ireland (Oxford, 1975), pp 268–74.Google Scholar

25 Skeel, op. cit., pp 166–70.

26 Monck had originally insisted on being granted the office but in Nov. 1661 he resigned in favour of Ormonde whose position in Ireland and service to the royal cause made his appointment almost inevitable.

27 Not least because they were of equal status and thus avoided intensification of the acute jealousy between Broghill and Coote which resulted from Coote’s attempt to claim the credit for initiating the Irish role in the restoration. Villiers to Hyde, 1 May 1660 (Cal. Clarendon S.P., v, p. 4); Lynch, K., Roger Boyle, 1st earl of Orrery (Knoxville, Tenn., 1965), p. 108.Google Scholar

28 B.L. Egerton MS 2542, f. 334; A collection of the state papers of John Thurloetáed. Birch, T. (London, 1742), 7, 909.Google Scholar

29 B.L. Egerton MS 2551, ff 69–70.

30 Liber mun. pub. Hib., i pt. 2, p. 185.

3l T.C.D. lib. MS 808 f. 558.

32 Egmont MSS, i, 539–40.

33 Instructions to Perrott, 14 December 1570 ( Collins, , Letters and memorials of state, 1, 4859)Google Scholar; instructions to Drury, 1576, (B.L. Cotton MS titus Β xiii, ff 215–21); instructions to Thomond, 20 May 1615 (Desid. cur. Hib., ii, 1–36).

34 Royal instructions to Orrery as president, August 1660 (B.L. Egerton MS 2551, ff 69–70).

35 Liber mun. pub. Hib., i, pt 2, p. 189; Cal. S.P Ire., 1660–2, pp 481–2.

36 Ormonde to Arlington, Dec. 1665 (P.R.O S.P 63/319/246); Ormonde to Arlington, Feb. 1666 (P.R.O. S.P 63/320/40); Kingston to Arlington, Feb. 1666 (P.R.O. S.P 63/320/44/; Orrery to Arlington, Jan. 1666 (P.R.O. S.P 63/320/22); Liber mun. pub. Hib., i, pt 2, p. 189.

37 Earl of Carbery to King, Mar 1672 (Cal. S.P dorn., 1671–2, p. 218); D.N.B, s.v. Richard Vaughan, 2nd earl of Carbery.

38 See my unpublished thesis, ‘The presidency of Munster 1660-72’ (U.C.C. Μ.Α., 1976).

39 Report on the state of Kerry in 1673 printed in Cusack, M.K., A history of the kingdom of Kerry (Dublin, 1871), p. 284 Google Scholar; Herbert corresp., p. 214.

40 B.L. Stowe MS 205, f. 344; N.L.I., Orrery MS 33, f. 234.

41 V & A. Mus. Forster MS 427, 2 vols of letters from Orrery to Southwell and Ormonde containing numerous references to such activities; Orrery to Southwell, Sept/Oct 1677; (Ormonde MSS, ii (1899), p. 264); Ormonde to Arran, March 1678 (Ormonde MSS n.s. iv, 243); Orrery to Ormonde, Dec. 1678 (ibid., p. 260); Orrery to Lord Chancellor Boyle, Nov. 1677 (Bodl, MS Carte 147, ff 208–11), reports from Orrery, 1678–9 printed in Burke, W.P, The Irish priests in the penal times 1660–1760, (Waterford, 1914), pp 52–3, 66–7, 100.Google Scholar

42 Cal. S.P dorn., 1671–2, p. 218; D.N.B., s.v Richard Vàughan, 2nd earl of Carbery.

43 Skeel, , Council in Wales, p. 175.Google Scholar

44 King to L.L., Mar & May 1672 (Cal. S.P dom., 1671–2, pp 173, 437); Kingston to Arlington, 27 Feb. 1672 (P.R.O. S.P 63/331/35).

45 Beckett, J.C., ‘The Irish viceroyalty in the restoration period’ in R. Hist. Soc. Trans., 5th Ser., 20 (1971)Google Scholar; McGuire, J.I., ‘Why was Ormond dismissed in 1669’ in I.H.S., 18, no. 71 (Mar. 1973), pp 295312.Google Scholar

46 De Croissy to Louis XIV, 13 Nov. 1669 trans. Dalrymple, J., Memoirs of Gt. Britain and Ireland (London, 1773), 2, 39.Google Scholar

47 Orrery to Conway, Jan. 1670 (S.P 63/348/86); Aungier to Williamson, 25 Oct. 1670 (S.P 63/329/77); Orrery to Conway, Mar. 1670 (S.P 63/327/37); Orrery to Hall 14 May 1670 (B.L. Add. MSS 37,208 f. 211); Bodl., MS Carte 37, f. 572.

48 Morrice, Memoir, p. 86.

49 Rawdon papers, ed. Berwick, E. (London, 1819), p. 240 Google Scholar; Bryant, A., King Charles II (London, 1955 rev. ed.), p. 162.Google Scholar

50 B. L. Add. MS 28,053, ff 48-51, Correspondence between Orrery and Osborne (later Earl of Danby); Orrery to Conway, 28 July a 1671(Cal.S.P dom., 1671, p. 411); Orrery to Ranelagh, 4 July 1672 (V & A. Mus. Forster MS 427, ff 34-5); Cal. S.P Ire., 1669-70, p. 267; Lenihan, M., Limerick; its history (Dublin, 1866), p. 612 Google Scholar; Moran, P.F, Memoir of the venerable Oliver Plunkett (2nd. ed., Dublin, 1895), p. 221 Google Scholar

51 V & A. Mus. Forster MS 427, f 48.

52 Plunkett to the internuncio, 9 Aug., 28 Sept. 1671 printed in Moran, , Memoir of Plunkett, pp 53, 60.Google Scholar

53 Arlington to Orrery, 22 June 1672 (Cal. S.P dom., 1672, pp 269–70).

54 Orrery to Arlington, 4 July 1672 and Orrery to King, 4 July 1672 (V & A. Mus. Forster MS 427, ff 38–42).

55 Morrice, , Memoir, p. 86 Google Scholar. Bodl., MS Carte 37, f. 512.

56 Petworth MS 13, 187, folder 11 (N.L.I., Ρ 7074, micro-film). Budgell, E., Memoirs of the Boyles (London, 1737),Google Scholar relates the story of the king’s response but provides no source for it.

57 Lynch, , Roger Boyle, p. 142.Google Scholar

58 Letters exchanged between Anglesey and Orrery, May, July and Nov 1672 q.v Lynch, op. cit., pp 142–4; Anglesey to Orrery, 20 May 1672 (H.M.C rep. 6, App., p. 318); Conway to Rawdon, 22 June 1672 (Hastings MSS, ii, 279–80); V & A. Mus. Forster MS 427, f. 38.

59 Murphy, J.A., ‘The politics of the Munster protestantsCork Hist. Soc. Jn., 76, no. 223 (1971)Google Scholar; Townshend, D., The life and letters of the great earl of Cork (London, 1904)Google Scholar; Irwin, Liam, ‘The presidency and the economic development of MunsterCork Hist. Soc. Jn., 82, no. 236 (1977), pp 102–14.Google Scholar

60 Barnard, T C., ‘Planters and policies in Cromwellian Ireland’ in Past & Present, no. 61 (1873), pp 3169.Google Scholar

61 L.L. to the King, 17 Sept. 1672 (Cal S.P dom., 1672, p. 628); Essex to Danby, 23 Aug. 1674 ( Essex papers, ed. Airy, O., (London, 1890), p. 251.Google Scholar

62 For the value and relevance of the Munster presidency after 1660, see, Irwin, L., ‘The presidency and the economic development of Munster’ in (Cork Hist. Soc. Jn., lxxzii, no. 236 (1977), pp 102–14Google Scholar; ‘The earl of Orrery and the military problems of restoration Munster’ in Ir Sword, xiii, no. 50 (summer, 1977), pp 10–19; ‘The Irish presidency courts, 1569–1672’ in Ir. Jurist, xii, n.s. (1977), pp 106–14.