The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. II, 1899Various
History
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. II, 1899
Various
American-Irish Historical Society -- Periodicals; Ethnology -- United States -- Periodicals; Irish Americans -- Periodicals
Prendergast in “The Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland,” states the
following: “As one instance out of many: Captain Vernon was employed by
the commissioners for Ireland into [from] England, and contracted in
their behalf with Mr. David Selleck and Mr. Leader, under his hand,
bearing date of 14th of September, 1653, to supply them with two hundred
and fifty women of the Irish nation, above twelve years and under the
age of forty-five, also three hundred men above twelve years of age and
under fifty, to be found in the country within twenty miles of Cork ...
to transplant them into New England.” These men and women were seized
and sold in New England at a profit for the English commissioners.
Prendergast further states in this connection: “How many girls of gentle
birth must have been caught and hurried to the private prisons of these
men-catchers none can tell.” “But at last the evil became too shocking
and notorious, particularly when these dealers in Irish flesh began to
seize the daughters and children of the English themselves, and to force
them on board their slave ships; then, indeed, the orders, at the end of
four years, were revoked.”
If we take into consideration the total number of “Puritan Fathers” in
New England at this time, it would seem not improbable that these two
hundred and fifty young Irish women, with many others sent over from
Ireland about the same time, must have all eventually been transformed
at least into Irish Puritans. If so their progeny must in time have
given quite a Hibernian tint to the blue blood of the descendants from
the _Mayflower_. I have not found that the New England writers have
noted these facts, but probably they failed to do so on evidence that
they were not “Scotch-Irish” women.
From the time that William of Orange possessed himself of the British
crown and until the beginning of our Revolution, a steady stream of
emigrants passed out of Ireland to this country. The English government
manifested a determination to destroy utterly every Irish industry, and
this policy was maintained until the Volunteer movement, when for a
period a portion at least of the Irish people had charge of their own
affairs.
William, of “Blessed Memory,” in consequence of his hatred of the Irish
people, both Catholic and Protestant, caused the destruction of all
woolen manufactories, and other industries of the north of Ireland. The
so-called “Scotch-Irish” were chiefly the sufferers at this time, and as
a consequence thousands of them emigrated to France, where, with the
assistance of the French government, these people established in that
country woolen and silk industries which, for nearly two hundred years,
have been a constant menace to England’s trade.
After the departure of a large portion of these people from Ulster, the
country became again gradually settled up from England, and by Catholic,
Presbyterian, and Protestant Irish from different parts of Ireland, who
were not Scotch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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