Ulster Since 1600

Surveys the history of the province from the plantations of the early seventeenth century to partition and the formation of Northern Ireland in the early 1920s, and onwards to the 'Troubles' of recent decades. A major contribution to the history of Ireland and to Ulster's contested place in the British and the wider world.

When the first edition of this book appeared in 2005 as Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors it was quickly recognised as an essential work of reference for family historians researching Ulster ancestors in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It filled an important gap in providing reliable guidance on sources for perhaps the most critical period in understanding a family's links with the north of Ireland. This is territory where some family historians fear to tread. But they need not. This guide opens up avenues for research; drawing attention to the riches of archives inside and outside of the island of Ireland, demonstrating the benefit of often undervalued, rare, even quite unconventional, yet accessible sources - if you know where to look - which can help document your ancestors back to the 1600s. At more than twice the size of the original, this new edition is a massively expanded version of the first volume. It includes additional information on church records and landed estate papers, as well as new chapters looking at records relating to law and order, emigration, business and occupations, diaries and journals, and clubs and societies. The extensive appendices to the book include a summary breakdown of the sources available from this period for every parish in the historic nine counties of Ulster (including a listing of surviving pre-1800 church records); a detailed description of around 350 collections of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century landed estate papers; and a listing of more than 500 towns and villages in Ulster with parish locations. Whether your ancestors are of English, Scottish or Gaelic Irish background, whether their religious affiliation was Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic or other, whether they were farmers, merchants or labourers, this volume will be of enormous value to anyone wishing to find out more about their Ulster roots.

One of the greatest frustrations for generations of genealogical researchers has been that reliable guidance on sources for perhaps the most critical period in the establishment of their family's links with Ulster, the period up to 1800, has proved to be so elusive. Not any more. This book can claim to be the first comprehensive guide for family historians searching for ancestors in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Ulster. Whether their ancestors are of English, Scottish, or Gaelic Irish origin, it will be of enormous value to anyone wishing to conduct research in Ulster prior to 1800. A comprehensive range of sources from the period 1600-1800 are identified and explained in very clear terms. Information on the whereabouts of these records and how they may be accessed is also provided. Equally important, there is guidance on how effectively they might be used. The appendices to the book include a full listing of pre-1800 church records for Ulster; a detailed description of nearly 250 collections of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century estate papers; and a summary breakdown of the sources available from this period for each parish in Ulster.

"The early seventeenth century was a period of momentous change in Ulster. Crucial to understanding the ways in which the province was transformed is an awareness of the impact of the plantations, both official and unofficial. First published in 1975, this updated and expanded edition of Plantations in Ulster makes available to a new generation of researchers R.J. Hunter's meticulous examination of documents relating to Ulster in the early 1600s" -- Back cover.

"This book is designed as an aid to family historians researching their origins in Ayrshire"--P. v.

The first volume in the new series of Ulster-Scots history deals with many aspects of life, including social and economical.

During the reign of James I, an official scheme was drawn up for the "plantation" of West Ulster. However, the actual area settled by new colonists was much more extensive. With them came innovation. Permanent dwellings of a more sophisticated construction became the norm. The spread of hedged enclosures heralded innovations in agriculture. The settlers also brought with them a new language, new surnames, new religion and of course a change in political and historical allegiances. This account shows how colonisation on the ground was not as much influenced either by the London Government or by the new landowners as has often been assumed. The author also demonstrates how seeds of bitterness were quickly sown between the Protestant settlers and the Catholic natives whom they had displaced, with consequences that last to this day.