1608 to 1610 - The Transplantation of the Septs

Small rebellions against land dispossession continued into the 17th century.  The natives of Queen's County, Ireland survived all-out war from Queen Elizabeth's generals and famine to be met by a new King James I (1603-1625) of England with no better imagination for solving the civil unrest than the already unsuccessful extirpation. A suspicious Englishman working for the government is said to have changed his name from Crossan or MaCrossan into Crosbie or Crosby and committed himself to any act to amass wealth.  He acquired lands in Kerry and undertook to induce and compel Queen's County families there.  Hopefully too far away to cause trouble.

It also seems from documentation that the transplantation of the septs was considered a 'proof of concept' before the colonisation of Ulster.

Patrick Crosbie purchased, with government funding, a large section of land in Tarbert on the border of Limerick and Kerry.  Keeping a significant amount of land for himself he offered reasonable rates of rent to the people of the Seven Septs at a time when thy were being pressured to leave Queen's County. 

On the 26th January 1607 Sir Arthur Chichester (a one time highway robber!) notified the Earl of  Salisbury that it was in hand "to remove the Moores and septs of Leixe, who had always been ringleaders in rebellion, and notablest disturbers of the peace of the kingdom, shooting at the recovery of the lands taken from them for their rebellion, and bestowed upon the English in the time of Queen Mary."

He adds that the putting down of the last rebellion has left the families so low as to make to improve the chances of a successful transplantation.  If allowed to remain in Leix they would rebel again in a few years.  He requested powers of force if nor successful but was confident that he would follow Leix with successful transplantations of other troublemakers from Offaly.

In April the Lord Deputy and Privy Council of Ireland informed the English Privy Council of the necessity to remove the Moores and their followers, the Kellies, Lalors, Clanmelaughlins [MacLaughlins], Clandebojes [MacEvoys], Dorans and Dolins [Dowlings] into some remote parts of the other three provinces.

A petition was sent to the king signed by the families including Dullinges but this was dismissed by the king as "little private men's suits" that carried no weight against his deputy, Chichester.  A second petition by Sir John Davys of Salisbury pointed out that there were no formal charges against the families and that there main work was land husbandry a much need commodity in the area.  This too failed and Crosbie commenced removal in January 1608 to find the septs refused to leave.

Chichester decided that they must be "constrained " to leave and ordered them to a meeting with he and Crosbie.  They refused again but seeing the machinations at work offered to leave if they could have freehold of the land rather than tenancy under Crosbie.

By no means unanimous the families undertook to travel where Crosbie sent them.  And so, the Seven Septs of Leix were transplanted to the west.   Some stragglers who would not go without 'very hard conditions' remained called "the idle" by Chichester.  However, he felt the 'nursery of all rebellions in Leinster' had been moved on.

On 16 March 1609 Chichester writes to the Privy Council to report the resolution of the problem.  In passing he points out that some young children remain of that name [probably referring to Moores but this would include Dowlings] within their borders.  He wished they were taken to England to loose their fierceness and pride which they should otherwise retain though they be but bastards of that name.

In 1610 an O'Moore in Kerry notes that in a whole week had been spent destroying the people there, seizing their cattle and all they possessed  and that a savage order was issued to hang any of the Sept remaining in their ancient principality.

Leix becomes quiet for the next few years to come. 

Partly sourced from: 

Page 498, History of The Queen's County compiled from the papers of the late V. Rev. John Canon O'Hanlon PP MRIA by Rev. E O'Leary PP MRIA anf Rev. Matthew Taylor -  Vol.II. History of the Territory from 1556 to 1900.  Published by Sealy, Bryers & Walker, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1914.  Reprint: 1981 Roberts Books Limited,  St. Kieran Street, Kilkenny, Ireland  ISBN: 0 907561 01 2.

Annala Rioghachta Eireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters ... to 1616. Ed. by John O'Donovan Dublin 1851. from Irish Families- Their Names and Origins, Edward MacLysaght (1972) Allen Figgis and Co Ltd.

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