1. 1641 in Ireland: Rebellion, Massacres and Refugees
Dr John Cunningham

2. Lecture Outline The Early Modern Context Why do the 1640s matter?
What happened in 1641?
Sources & Problems

3. Columbus, Luther & Copernicus

4. Early Modern Terminology - in fashion since 1970s
Chronology / /
/ /

5. Early Modern Europe State Formation
Religious Reform / Confessionalisation
State Formation
Major Wars e.g. the Thirty Years’ War,
Technology – e.g. in Warfare
Population Growth
Urbanisation
The Body

6. Early Modern Ireland
From a Bi-Cultural Society to a Society characterised by a dominant and sub-ordinate culture (with multiple areas of intersection)
Gaelic Ireland
English Ireland
Protestant Ireland
Catholic Ireland

7. Early Modern Ireland Conquest Plantation & Colonisation Migration
Anglicisation
Centralisation
Towns & Market Economy

8. Early Modern Ireland
Key Groups - Old English /New English / Gaelic Irish / Ulster Scots
Key Questions - Why did the Reformation Fail?
Kingdom or Colony?
Atlantic World or European?

9. Why do the 1640s Matter? Major War, 1641-1653
Catholic Defeat / Protestant Victory
Land Transfer
Demographic Disaster
Map from downsurvey.tcd.ie

10. Conflicting Interpretations /Memories
Protestant
Premeditated General Massacre
Enormous Fatalities
Barbaric Irish Catholics
Time of Punishment / Trial
Victory for Protestantism
Triumph of English Civility
Catholic
Reaction to Oppression
Defence of Constitution
Quest for Equality/Supremacy
Independence
Government Overreaction
Oliver Cromwell

12. Protestant & Catholic Versions of 1641 (London, 1662)

16. 19th Century Debate – 1641 & Cromwell

17. Images - Germany (Vincent, 1638) & Ireland (Cranford, 1642)

18. Samuel Clarke, Generall Martyrologie (1651)

19. Cranford (1642) / Clarke (1651)

20. Matthew Taylor, England’s Bloody Tribunal
(London, 1769).

21. Debate on ‘anti-sectarianism’ at Stormont 10 Sept. 2002
On Saturday 15 June 1991 Portadown District LOL No 1 held a mini- twelfth Orange pageant in commemoration of the drowning of Protestants in the River Bann in November Portadown bridge, coupled with the contemporary massacre of 17 men, women and children in the parish of Drumcree, has come to epitomise for them all that occurred throughout Ulster in the year of the 1641 rebellion. It was at that time that the sectarian battle lines that have dogged Ulster to this day were drawn.
Dr Ian Adamson, MLA Belfast East

22. What Happened in 1641?
Catholic Rebellion in Ulster, Oct Plan to Seize Strongholds and Secure Concessions from Government (Scottish Example)
Unrest Spreads across the Island
Social Order Breaks Down - Robberies, Strippings, Killings
Government & Protestant Forces - Spiral of Violence
Most of Ireland comes under Catholic Control
From Catholics Negotiate with the King
Oliver Cromwell’s Conquest Phelim O’Neill

23. Recent Historiography
Killings occurred, but numbers have been grossly exaggerated
Aspects other than the violence also merit attention – social, economic, cultural, religious, gender, identity, language
The 1641 Depositions can be used to explore all of these areas

24. The 1641 Depositions
c. 8,000 witness statements and related material concerning the rebellion
Traditionally advanced as evidence for an enormous massacre of Protestants – estimated death tolls up to 600,000 (John Milton)
Depositions from Protestant Survivors – details of their experiences
Examinations of Prisoners & Others – miscellaneous information
All freely available online at 1641.tcd.ie and cultura-project.eu

25. Wexford Delinquency Depositions, 1653-4 (TCD MSS 818-19)
513 Statements taken from 112 Deponents
3 Women & 109 Men
104 Stated their Age
64 Could Sign their Names
94 Identified their Occupation

26. Wexford Delinquency Depositions, 1653-4 (TCD MSS 818-19)

27. Wexford Delinquency Depositions, 1653-4 (TCD MSS 818-19)

28. Medical Practitioners in the 1641 Depositions
16 Deponents
4 doctors of physic
1 ‘Professor of Physicke’
7 surgeons
1 surgeon’s mate
1 barber-surgeon
1 barber
1 midwife