Acts affecting property in Ireland: the Acts of Settlement and Explanation

These lists are not intended to be comprehensive, but to give an outline of the mid-1600s laws which transferred much land-ownership in Ireland from (mainly Roman Catholic) inhabitants to (mainly Protestant) settlers.

Acts of the Long Parliament and other Parliaments during the Interregnum

The English Civil War started in 1642. Ordinances and Acts of Parliament made from mid-1642 until the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 were afterwards considered to be legally void, as they had not received Royal Assent. These "void" Acts of the Interregnum must have been considered to be of legal effect before 1660, so they have to be consulted. The Acts are referenced by the date on which they received final Assent.

The Long Parliament sat 1641-48; the Rump Parliament 1648-53; the Barebones Parliament Jul-Dec 1653; the First Protectorate Parliament 1654-55; the Second Protectorate Parliament 1656-58; the Third Protectorate Parliament Jan-Apr 1659; the Rump Parliament was briefly recalled in 1659 to legislate for the Convention Parliament and the Restoration of the Monarchy.

There were Acts extending and amending the Adventurers Act:
  28 May 1642: an Ordinance for raising men for Ireland
  5 Jul 1642: an Ordinance for raising 5000 Foot and 500 Horse for Ireland

Further provision for Adventurers in Ireland (the Doubling Ordinances):
  14 Jul 1643: an Ordinance for the encouragement of Adventurers
  13 Nov 1647: an Ordinance for Limiting a time for payment of the fourth part of Adventurers for Land in Ireland

Royalist supporters must forfeit some or all of their lands; forfeiting proprietors are to be transplanted into forfeited lands in Connacht or Clare; Protestants can pay fines instead of forfeiting property:
  12 Aug 1652: an Act for the Settlement of Ireland
  2 Sep 1654: an Ordinance for admitting Protestants in Ireland to Compound
  9 Jun 1657: an Act for the assuring, confirming and settling of Lands and Estates in Ireland

Soldiers could be paid in debentures for forfeited land:
  25 Aug 1652: an Act for stating and determining the Accompts of Officers and Soldiers
  8 Aug 1653: an Additional Act for stating the Accompts of the Officers and Soldiers of the Army in Ireland

Land is to be surveyed by the Surveyor-General; forfeited lands in Connacht and Clare within 4 miles of the Shannon or the sea are to be reserved to settlers:
  26 Sep 1653: an Act for the speedy and effectual Satisfaction of the Adventurers for Lands in Ireland
  23 Jun 1654: an Ordinance for the Further Encouragement of the Adventurers for Lands in Ireland

This page was last updated 5 Sep 2016