men being deprived of their servants and assisting dependents might be rendered "calamitous."[1]
There are two interesting points in connection with the Cromwellian settlement to be cleared up, namely, the numbers actually transplanted and what proportion the landowners transplanted bore to the total number of Catholic landowners.
Our sources of information are unfortunately deficient, and as usual contradictory.
First there are what are called the "Connaught Certificates." Each landowner, on transplanting, was to present to the authorities a certificate giving details as to himself, those who were to accompany him, and what stock of cattle, &c. he possessed.
These certificates still exist for the five Munster counties east of the Shannon, and for eleven of the twelve counties of Leinster. The Ulster certificates are lost; but there can have been but few Ulster landowners transplanted, for, owing to the plantation under James I., most of that province belonged to Protestants who were dispensed from transplanting; and few of the Catholics could have come within those classes who were entitled to receive lands in Connaught.
For the Connaught and Clare landowners possibly no certificates were issued, as it was easy to find out particulars about them, on the spot; at any rate none have survived.
Some of these certificates are curious reading. I select the following from Prendergast:—
Sir Nicholas Comyn of Limerick was numb of one side of his body of a dead palsy, and was
- ↑ Journal of the Kilkenny Arch. Soc. Vol. 4 New Series, p. 72.
