estates were very small, and that they lay not altogether, but scattered in different townlands.[1]
Against this scheme of a plantation the O'Ferralls urged possession for centuries, the injustice of raking up an old forgotten title three hundred years old, the services to the Crown of some of them, their conformity to the laws, and above all the solemn promises of the late Queen and the present King, the Lord Deputy Devonshire, and the Lords of the Council.
But no attention was paid to their complaints, and a more or less voluntary submission was finally extracted from them. In theory three-quarters of the best part of the country was to be given over to the old inhabitants. But as usual, deductions were made from this to satisfy special favourites of the King or the Deputy, to redeem charges granted away by the Crown, to provide for forts and corporate towns. There were false admeasurements, the officials and the surveyors lived on the country during the survey and helped themselves to estates[2]; some of the old inhabitants by influence got more than their shares, others were deprived of what they were entitled to. The small landowners were swept away. Anyone who, after
- ↑ The Inquisitions in the printed Volume of Inquisitions "Lagenia" show a minute subdivision of land especially in Wicklow. We read of one man having one-sixty-fourth part of each of certain lands, another having one-seventh of one-sixteenth, another having one-seventh of one-fourth of some lands, one-seventh of one-sixteenth of others and one seventh of one-sixth of others. These fractions are due to distribution by gavelkind. From the analogy of Wales it is possible to conclude that not the lands but the profits from them were really sub-divided, the lands being tilled or pastured in common.
- ↑ Such as Sir Christopher Nugent, H. Crofton, and Thomas Nugent of Collamber.
