Williamite confiscations

Williamite confiscations, the disposal of land forfeited by supporters of James II following the Williamite War. Confiscation was by individual indictments for treason, leading to outlawry and forfeiture of possessions. The immunities offered by the articles of Galway and the treaty of Limerick were generally honoured: of 1,238 claims for protection under their terms heard before the Irish privy council (1692–4) and a court of claims (1697–9) all but 16 were accepted. Confiscation was thus largely confined to those killed or captured, or taking protection from the Williamite authorities, during the war, along with those choosing to go to France at its conclusion. In addition relatives of forfeiting proprietors were allowed to claim a complete or partial interest under family settlements, while 24 outlawed proprietors received royal pardons. Overall just over half a million Irish acres were confiscated, reducing the Catholic share of landed property from 22 per cent in 1688 to 14 per cent by 1703. Conflict over the disposal of these confiscated lands led to the contentious Act of Resumption. The confiscations differed from the Cromwellian land settlement both in their limited scale and in introducing no substantial group of new proprietors, the great bulk of forfeited land being eventually acquired by existing Protestant proprietors.