Book Review: “The Scottish Migrations to Ulster in the Reign of James I” by M. Percival-Maxwell.

Published by the Ulster Historical Foundation first in 1973, ISBN 0-901905-44-5

 

 

 

 

What began as a doctoral thesis research project has yielded us a wonderfully detailed view of this period and its ongoing impact on Ireland. 

 

First, we had Elizabeth I (1503-1603) and her plantation efforts, attempting to tame this wild land with her mostly failed schemes in Munster.  Then, James I (James VI of Scotland, 1566 – 1625) united Scotland and England under his crown.  During his reign, he sought to establish a strong British hold on the island with imported settlers sometimes labeled as the Jacobean Plantation.  

 

The author delivers a meticulously researched volume that describes the background and driving forces that produced the plantation effort.  He describes the economic and religious forces at work, including the never-ending royal court intrigues.  James provided great attention and detailed meddling in the scheme.  He rewarded loyalty (especially if you were a servant of the bed chamber) and privilege (to loyal Scottish Lairds) with land grants that eventually witnessed some 14,000 Scots migrating to Ulster.  The migrants faced robbery on their way to the exit ports, ruinous shipping fees and upon arrival in Ulster, more robbery, deceit, and endless land disputes.  This is the period of the “Flight of the Earls” which the author details the driving forces and individuals. The “flight” provided a huge tract of forfeited land.  

 

For genealogists, we have the names of the principal undertakers and much more, including short biographies of each and the associated maps of the holdings.  We see the detailed requirements for plantation – buildings and manpower and James’s constant threat of forfeiture if his specifications were not met.  Multiple surveys (Carew, Bodley, Pynnar, Nicholas) and endless committees of investigation have provided much of the data for this period. 

 

Take a trip through a pivotal period in the history of Ulster that generated severe reverberations that are still with us to this day.  

 

Ron Gilmore

Last Updated: January 23, 2022