creations. And it seems difficult to believe that thirty years after the Restoration there were still twelve Catholic peers as Murray says, or fifteen, if we follow King, whose attainders, often resting merely on their opposition to Cromwell, had not been reversed.[1]
Davis, on the other hand, giving authorities for each name, declares that the total number of peers who sat was fifty-five. Among them he names the Archbishop of Armagh and five other Bishops of the Established Church, and at least nine of the temporal peers, whose names he gives, would appear to have been Protestants.[2]
It is admitted that many of the Acts of this Parliament are distinguished by ideas of tolerance and an appreciation of the economic needs of the country far in advance of the general ideas of the age. They may be found set out in Davis' work. But two of the Acts passed have been the subject of the severest strictures from the majority of historians.
- ↑ A "List of the Nobility of Ireland in 1688" printed at the end of the pamphlet "The State of the Papist and Protestant Proprieties" gives only twenty-one Catholic peers, among them Baltimore, Castlemaine, Baresford (sic.) and Bronkart. It gives Clancarthy and Clare among the Protestants; also Howth, Kerry, Kingston and Kinsale. Omitted are Limerick, Louth, Trimleston, Netterville, Dunsany, Dunboyne, Mountgarret, and several others.
- ↑ It appears that the Archbishop of Armagh though summoned was excused attendance on account of age. Two others, Killaloe and Waterford, were also excused; but sent their proxies against the repeal of the Act of Settlement. Lords Kinsale, Kerry, Howth, Kingston, Cavan, Longford, Granard, Ross, Monaghan, Ballyshannon are all given by Davis, the three first were old Anglo-Irish, the others new English. Lord Ikerrin was a Protestant in 1698. King gives Barrymore and Malone, Baron Glenmalun and Courchey.
