|
The Plantation of Ulster.
Lord Deputy Chichester to the Earl of
Salisbury 3rd October 1610
Cited in Old Belfast, Ed R.M.Young (1896)
For the
instrumentes of the Plantation, I meane the Brittysh
Undertakers, those from England are for the most part
plaine countrie gentlemen, who maye promise much, but geve
unto us small assurance or hope of perforrninge what to a
worke of such moment doth appertains. If they have monie
they keepe it cloase, for hitherto they have disbursed but
lyttle, and if I maye judge by the utter apparance, I
conceive that the least trouble or alteration of the tymes
here wyll scare most of them from us. It is sayd by
themselves, that since the denomination of the parties att
fyrst by the Lords that were Undertakers, some have
exchaunged their portions, and others solde them outright.
In one precynct of those that have appeared, two are
Churchmen and one a youth of some 18 or 19 yeares olde,
whose names I have noted in the sedule sent by Sir Olever
Lambert.
The Scottysh came with greater part and
better accompanied and attended; but it maye be with lesse
monie in their purses; for some of the princypall of them
upon their first entrance into their precynctes were
forthwith in hand with the natives to supply their wantes,
or att least their expenceis, and in recompence thereof do
promise to gett lycense from His Matie that they maye
remayne upon their lands as tennantes unto them ; which is
so pleasinge to that people that they wyll strayne
themselves to the uttermost to gratifie them; for they are
content to become tennantes to anie man, rather than be
removed from the place of their byrth and education,
hoping, as I conceive, att one tyrne or other to finde an
opportunitie to cutt their landlords’ throtes for sure I
am they hate the Scottyshe deadly, and out of their malice
towards them they beginne to affect the Englysh better
than they have byne accustomed.
They sell awaye both corne and cattle,
and when they are demanded why they do so, their aunswer
is that they know not what else to do with them, nor to
what place to carie them, the portion of land assigned to
each of them beinge too lyttle to receive and feede the
goods he hath for his own perticulare.
They seeke by all meanes to arme
themselves, and have undoubtedly some peecies in store,
and more pikes, and therof can make more dayly; but powder
and lead is scars with them. I wyll do my best to prevent
their revolte, but I greatly doubt yt, for they are
infinitly discontented.
We are now all of us become buylders
and planters here and not wasters and destroyers as in our
younger yeares, an would gladly rest in quiett if our yll
neighbours wyll permit us; and that makes us the more
sudious to prevent their revolt, and to settle peace and
quietnes amonge them.
|
