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From soldier to settler: the Welsh in Ireland, 1558-1641.

Morgan, Rhys David 2011. From soldier to settler: the Welsh in Ireland, 1558-1641. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the extent, nature and significance of Welsh involvement in Ireland between 1558 and 1641. By exploring this neglected dimension to Irish history, it offers valuable new perspectives on the colonial community there and integrates Wales more satisfactorily into British history. A significant Welsh presence existed within the ‘New English’ colonial community that emerged in Ireland under Elizabeth and the early Stuarts. The majority of the Welsh in Ireland were soldiers, but they also established themselves as military officers, governmental officials and planters. In the first full-scale analysis of early modem Welsh migrants outside of London, this study reconstructs the origins, motivations and careers of the Welsh in Ireland and assesses their importance to the colonial enterprise there. By examining the Welsh, this thesis applies a more thoroughly British perspective to colonists in Ireland, who are often conceptualised as a coherent and culturally English group. It demonstrates how the Welsh in Ireland formed a distinct community that settled together and cooperated in social and political networks based on ties of kinship, patronage and loyalty to countrymen. Furthermore it examines Welshness as a form of difference in Ireland and demonstrates that it was a source of significant tension among the colonists. It also identifies facets of a unique Welsh settler identity that could be seen as ‘New Welsh'. This thesis also reveals a neglected Irish dimension to early modem Welsh history. The Welsh community in Ireland maintained strong connections to Wales through networks of interaction and cooperation that spanned the Irish Sea. The thesis examines how such networks brought the Welsh into contact with Ireland and led to the emergence of Cambro-Hibemic figures with land and influence in both countries. This helps to create a more truly British understanding of Wales in the early modem period.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Status: Unpublished
Schools: History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D204 Modern History
D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D901 Europe (General)
D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
Funders: AHRC (Award No. 123321)
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 30 March 2016
Last Modified: 19 Mar 2016 23:29
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/54180

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