Mid-1600s Acts affecting property in Ireland: the Acts of Settlement and Explanation

These lists are not intended to be comprehensive, but to give an outline of the mid-1600s laws which transferred much land-ownership in Ireland from (mainly Roman Catholic) inhabitants to (mainly Protestant) settlers.

Acts of the Long Parliament in the time of Charles the First

These Acts are usually referred to as Acts of 1640, the year in which the Long Parliament started to sit. This was in the 16th year of the reign of Charles the First, which can be referred to as 16 Charles 1, 16 Chas 1, 16 Cha 1, 16 Car 1, or 16 Carolus 1. In fact, they were all passed in 1642, just before the start of the Civil War in England.

These Acts were designed to allow the English government to borrow money to finance their Army in Ireland; in the event the sums raised were insufficient, and money had to be raised by other additional means.

Acts of the Long Parliament and other Parliaments during the Interregnum

The English Civil War started in 1642. Ordinances and Acts of Parliament made from mid-1642 until the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 were afterwards considered to be legally void, as they had not received Royal Assent. These "void" Acts of the Interregnum must have been considered to be of legal effect before 1660, so they have to be consulted. The Acts are referenced by the date on which they received final Assent.

The Long Parliament sat 1641-48; the Rump Parliament 1648-53; the Barebones Parliament Jul-Dec 1653; the First Protectorate Parliament 1654-55; the Second Protectorate Parliament 1656-58; the Third Protectorate Parliament Jan-Apr 1659; the Rump Parliament was briefly recalled in 1659 to legislate for the Convention Parliament and the Restoration of the Monarchy.

Acts of the Parliament of Ireland in the time of Charles the Second

These Acts are referenced by the calendar year (or sometimes by the regnal year) in which they received Royal Assent.

These Acts refer occasionally to the "pretended" Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, and cope with their subsequent illegality by explicitly overruling "strict letter of the law".

This page was last updated 5 Sep 2016