Catholic Emancipation

when were penal laws first introduced

• after 1695

what were the penal laws

• deliberate legislations designed to discriminate against Catholics so they might choose to recognize the Protestant Church of Ireland

• created William III’s win after the Battle of the Boyne

examples of what the Penal Laws included

• no intermarriage with Protestants allowed

• children in intermarriages had to be bought up protestant

• no religious education in catholic ideology allowed

• no Catholics could hold public office or military rank

• no Catholic was allowed to vote

• any Catholic found to have converted  Protestant to their religion could be executed 

• no Catholic could inherit land from a protestant

what % of the population was Catholic

• 80%

what was the distribution of land ownership like?

• 95% land belonged to 20% of Protestant population

how were Catholics restricted from buying land

• disallowed from buying land or renting it for more than 31 years

• appealed by Hercules Langrise and John Monch Mason

what did Luke Gardiner do

• proposed Catholics could take leases of 999 years

1774 Oath of Allegiance

• allowed Catholics and non Church of Ireland Protestants to declare their loyalty to the king

• did not offer any specific benefits

• was attempt to break down anti-Catholic sentiments around trustworthiness and loyalty

First Catholic Relief Act

• 1778

• allowed Catholics who had taken the Oath of Allegiance to bequeath landholdings to their heirs and buy land

• allowed inheritance of whole parts of land

why did Britain make the First Catholic Relief Act

• Britain was scared that Irish Catholics would side with France in the war

• the act was forced through in Irish Parliament

• aim was to encourage positive feeling towards the British Gov at a time the Gov was feeling threatened

• it was intended 10,000 Irish Catholics would be enlisted for defense

Second Catholic Relief Act

• 1782

• Catholics can buy land as long as its not in a parliamentary borough- meaning they would not actually get a vote

• removed restrictions against education and the Catholic Clergy

why was the Second Catholic Relief Act made

• wanted to gain support in Ireland and isolate Irish volunteers

1792- limited Act

• Catholics were allowed to practice law

• pushed for by Catholic Committee

• fear of United Irishmen

Third Catholic Relief Act

• 1793

• introduced by Robert Hobart, pushed by Catholic Committee

• Catholics able to hold most civil and military posts

• could vote in local and general elections

why was Third Catholic Relief Act made

• Britain needed to gain soldiers for war in France

• passed at the same time as the Militia Bill which proposed enlisting 20,000 Irishmen for defense of that country in the event of war

when was the Catholic Committee 

• late 18th century

When was the Catholic Board

• 1811-1814

who was part of the Catholic Board

• led by Daniel O’Connell

• mainly middle-class progressive Catholics

• did have a wide voter base

aims of the Catholic Board

• committed to Catholic emancipation without veto

Motion for Catholic emancipation 1812

• a motion was passed 225-106 for the issue to be considered

• PM Lord Liverpool allowed the bill

• the bill was similar to 1808 and included a veto and church appointments

• the Board rejected the bill- although aristocratic members thought the rejection was too aggressive

when was the The Catholic Association

• 1823

• restarted in 1826

who was part of the Catholic Association

• wide social bade, aimed to recruit as many as possible

how did the Catholic Association make money

• collected a rent of one penny a month at mass

how much money did the Catholic Association make

• in its first year £1000 a week

• was able to invest £10,000

what did the Catholic Association  do

• published pamphlets

• funded public meetings

• would sponsor activities 

• promoted emancipation

what was the British Government’s reaction to the Catholic Association

• banned them in June 1825

• posed a threat to stability

what was the membership of the Catholic Association by the end of 1823

• reached 6 figures

what were the tactics of the revived Catholic Association

• avoided fiery rhetoric

• coincided with a general election

• Counties of Roscommon, Louth, Longford and West Meath rejected their existing candidates in favour of their existing supporters

Background to the County Clare Election 1828

• cabinet shuffle would result in a local by-election

• MP for Co. Clare William Vesey Fitzgerald was selected to be President of Board of Trade

County Clare election candidates

• Vesey Fitzgerald- he was a good MP and landowner but represented opposition to Catholic reforms

• O’Connell- Catholic leader- no law forbidding him to stand for election but he would not swear the oath- had backing of Catholic Association

what were the results of the County Clare Elections 1828

• 2057 to 982

• O’Connell won- was mainly supported by tenant farmers

• Fitzgerald was supported by the gentry and wealthy farmers

background to 1829 County Clare elections

• PM Wellington and Home Secretary Robert Peel sought a bill allowing Catholics to sit in parliament

• now allowed same political opportunities

• was not made retrospective- meaning O’Connell could not take his seat without being re-elected or taking oath of supremacy

• his seat was declared vacant

Result of 1829 County Clare elections

• O’Connell stood unopposed and was re-elected 

• first Catholic in House of Commons

why was the Roman Catholic Relied Act signed

• Tory Gov was unstable

• to deny catholic emancipation would create unrest and rebellion

• needed to win over the King with reform- who was worried the liberals would get voted in

• Wellington threatened to resign as PM and so George IV consented to the Bill

Roman Catholic Relief Act

• 1829

• allowed Catholics to sit as MPs in Westminster

• Catholics could stand in most public offices

Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act

• 1829

• increased the qualifying for voting from the traditional 40-shilling freehold to a £10 freehold

how did the number of Irish voters change after the Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act 1829

• fell from 215,901 to 39,872

significance of the Roman Catholic Relief Act and Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act 1829

• O’Connell took his seat- was resented by some poorer Catholics who became disenfranchised

• removed the last of the penal laws

• still limited political role of Catholics

the problems with Irish trade

• Irish economy had be dominate by the British for many years

• Navigation Act 1651- forbade use of foreign ships by colonies for trade with one another

• Wool Act 1699- limited the amount of wool Ireland could produce and sell, thereby giving British wool merchants better trade opportunities

• left Irish economy reliant of British support

Situation of Irish trade by end of 18th century

• Ireland relied on trade with USA in beef and textiles- these trade links were disrupted due to War of Independence

• embargoes were put in place with USA and France in 1778

• 1/3 beef going to France in 1764 fell to nothing by 1780

• beef trade reduced to 40% in 1772-80 and took years to pick up

Growing demand for reform of Irish trade

• Irish parliament demanded reforms to trade agreements

• 1779- began to consider only passing short money bill, meaning they would grants funds for 6 months rather than annually, to force British gov to consider requests as they would have to accept the poor financial position the Irish gov was in

• this would mean the Irish gov would not be able to meet all the costs and needed to borrow; was unable to fund Irish regiments abroad

• in 1778 the Irish gov had to borrow £30,000 from a private bank

who supported the reform for Irish Trade

• Grattan, Hussey Burgh and Flood

• Protestant landowners and members of Irish parliament forced the loose group called the patriot group

• drove debate for free trade and passed resolution in Dublin parliament in October 1779 to formally demand unlimited trade rights from Britain

• also supported by Dublin wide boycott on British goods

• policed by Irish volunteers who published the names of those breaking the boycott in the local papers

• used intimidation

methods used to reform Irish Trade

• 4/11/1779  King gives a non-committal response to reform

• Irish Volunteers parade in military regalia and with a canon

• Ireland was vulnerable due to war

• straight after this the Irish parliament passed short money bill and lord lieutenant had to accept as parliament needed money

repeal of trad restrictions

• Lord North was slow to consider threat

• in December 1779 introductory proposals to commons to repeal all commercial restrictions

• In January 1780 Ireland permitted to trade directly with other parts of empire as long as they set equal duties to British

• March 1780 Ireland allowed to import gold and silver from England

• by 1780 Ireland effectively in same position as Britain except East India Company

Significance of Irish Trade reforms

• now encouraged campaign for greater legislative autonomy

• led by Grattan and patriot group

• 19/4/178 he made a formal declaration of independence in Irish commons- backed by Catholics, Protestants and Irish volunteers

• debate adjourned by 136-97

Constitution 1782

• 1781- All Ulster Volunteers Convention in Dungannon 

• Britain were weak after loss in USA

• Poyning’s Law was adjusted and Declatory Act was repealed

• Irelan had legislative power over domestic affairs but were limited due to lord lieutenant

Negative impacts on Irish Economy following removal of restrictions of trade

• American War continued to depress markets and interrupt trade

• bad harvests in 1782 and 1783

• Britain placed cap on Irish wool goods

• imports were place on British imports- Ireland could not afford to do this due Britain demanding textiles that were 9/10 of Irish exports

• Absentee Landlordism withdrew approximately £800,000 from the economy that produced £4 million annually

positive impacts on Irish Economy following removal of restrictions of trade

• 1780- interest rate on borrowing decreased from 6% to 5%

• custom House was built for RIver Liffey

• Bank of Ireland Act 1782

• Absentee Landlords returned to the country