A Comparison and Analysis of Irish and English Marriage Laws Following the English Conquest of Ireland
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NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL PART: A COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS OF IRISH AND ENGLISH MARRIAGE LAWS FOLLOWING THE ENGLISH CONQUEST OF IRELAND. By EMILY SMITH Master of Arts in History Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 2010 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS May, 2010 NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL PART: A COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS OF IRISH AND ENGLISH MARRIAGE LAWS FOLLOWING THE ENGLISH CONQUEST OF IRELAND. Thesis Approved: Thesis Adviser’s Name Here Kristen Burkholder Thesis Adviser Committee Member Name Here Joseph Byrnes Committee Member Name Here Michael Logan A. Gordon Emslie Dean of the Graduate College ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my parents, J.R. and Elizabeth Smith, for their love and support throughout this journey. They listened to my rants, let me practice my defense, and helped calm me down when the process seemed overwhelming. Throughout my time in this program, their continued confidence in my abilities helped me to continue, even when I doubted myself. Finally, their love and patience have helped me to overcome the challenges I have faced, and I am forever grateful to them for it. I would also like to thank the late Doctor John Thompson, without whom I would not have discovered my love of history. His passion for the subject, as well as the students he taught, inspired me to emulate his methods and helped me to realize that I wanted to share my enthusiasm with my own students. Without his influence, I would not be pursuing this career and I will always be thankful for his impact on my life. Doctor John Maple’s love of European history, particularly Medieval England, sparked my own love of the subject, and my fascination with European history throughout the ages. Doctor Matt McCook’s class on women’s history convinced me to study gender issues as part of my general research. Doctor Kristen Burkholder has been a wonderful adviser, answering my numerous, and sometimes insane, questions with patience and grace. If she ever suspected my sanity during the writing of this thesis, I never knew it. Next, I would like to thank my friends, in particular Rebecca Odum and Nancy Keel, who have supported and encouraged me as I wrote the thesis. They have listened to my explanations of the intricacies of Irish law with the patience of monks, and I thank them for allowing me to think aloud on numerous occasions. I would also like to thank the numerous members of my church iv family who have prayed for me and encouraged me. Finally, I am grateful to God, and His Son Jesus, for watching over and aiding me throughout my life. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. A HISTORIOGRAPHY OF TUDOR IRELAND ......................................................1 II. IRISH MARRIAGE LAWS ....................................................................................18 III. ENGLISH MARRIAGE LAWS ............................................................................36 IV. THE ENGLISH CONQUEST OF IRELAND .......................................................... V. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................31 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................41 vi CHAPTER I A HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE TUDOR CONQUEST OF IRELAND The expansion of English rule into Ireland during the reign of the Tudors has generated a tremendous amount of historical writing. Within this subject, several schools of thought have emerged. One has examined the English invasion in light of the Tudors themselves. These historians have discussed the way the invasion affected the English political situation and the effect of the wars on England’s economic circumstances. The second group has examined the same invasion from the standpoint of the Irish, noting the destruction wrought and the complete shift in culture and governmental structure which occurred. Thirdly, some historians have examined the cultural exchanges of both peoples, noting the effects on language and the perceptions of the Irish throughout this period. This final group has examined specific aspects of the question, such as the incidents surrounding certain counties, the effects on the religious orders, and the experiences of the conquerors. This chapter will present a detailed examination of each of the above interpretations, discussing both their strong points and shortcomings. 1 This will establish some of the prevailing trends in the historiography of the Tudors in Ireland. Finally, the chapter will conclude with a discussion of the application of these interpretations to the topic of the thesis: marriage laws in Ireland and England. This chapter will present a detailed examination of each of the above interpretations, discussing both their strong points and shortcomings. The works covered within this chapter represent the continuing nature of this scholarship, as they span a variety of publishing dates, from the early 1900’s to the 2000’s. This discussion will establish some of the prevailing trends in the historiography of the Tudors in Ireland. Finally, the chapter will conclude with a discussion of the application of these interpretations to the topic of the thesis: marriage laws in Ireland and England. The first group of historians supported the English attempts to colonize Ireland. Cyril Falls, Nicholas Canney, and Grenfell Morton portrayed the Irish as being a threat to the security of England and further justified the colonization by glorifying it as the crowning achievement of Elizabeth’s reign. 1 Among the reasons given by those who supported the English was the belief that that the Irish were inferior to the English in almost every way. 2 Though Irish culture had a few good qualities, these were not enough to redeem it in the eyes of these authors. In addition to glorifying Elizabeth, Nicholas Canny denigrated the military abilities of two of the most famous, or infamous, men of the period, Shane O’Neill and Hugh O’Donnell. The consensus held 1 Cyril Falls, Elizabeth’s Irish Wars . (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1950); Nicholas P. Canny, Elizabethan Conquest of Ireland: A Pattern Established, 1565-76 (Galway: Harvester 1976); Grenfell Morton, Elizabethan Ireland (Belfast: Queen’s University, 1971). 2 Falls; Canny, 1-28; Morton, 3-13. 2 that, though these men were considered by some to be military geniuses, in actuality the English generals, and not the Irish rebels, deserved that title. 3 Several themes emerged justifying the English presence in Ireland. First, there was the argument that the English colonization of Ireland was necessary due to the attitudes of the Irish themselves. Morton and Canny described Gaelic society as being backward and in need of reformation. They maintained that the Irish lords were tyrants who oppressed the peasantry and extracted exorbitant protection rates from anyone who crossed through their lands. Also, they hindered the growth of the towns, by taking part of the proceeds from the goods that passed through the towns. 4 Morton also claimed that in addition to the rents, the lords were supported in other ways by the peasantry. 5 One of the examples given by Morton was the requirement that the peasants maintain the lord’s retinue as well as the lord. In order to perform this obligation, the peasantry paid various taxes that would be used to supply the lord’s army and those who travelled with the soldiers. 6 These financial obligations were seen as both unfair and tyrannical by Morton. This oppression by the Irish lords, Morton claimed, rendered the Irish peasantry one of the most desperate groups of people on the earth at this time, because they had no higher authority to appeal to should their lord take undue advantage of them. Thus, many Irish welcomed the new English system of landlords and rents, because it saved them from the arbitrary nature of their 3 Canny, 30-44. 4 Morton, 3-13; Canny, 1-28. 5 Morton, 10. 6Morton, 10. 3 own people. Furthermore, with the introduction of the rule of the Queen, they now had someone higher than their lord to whom they could make appeals. 7 Morton next maintained that the corruption of Irish society not only necessitated its reform at the hands of the English, it also implied the means that would be used. The English plantation system, whereby English lords and colonists would replace local Irish lords and their native tenants, was required because the troublesome Irish lords refused to cooperate with the English. Morton explained that this refusal to cooperate necessitated a forceful policy in order to tame the dangerous frontier. Morton was referring to several notable Irish lords, chiefly the O’Mores, the O’Dempseys, and the O’Connors, who were creating trouble for the English, in spite of the English habit of paying them a form of medieval protection money. In addition to these families, particular individuals also gave the English fits. Morton also mentioned a man named Brian O’Connor, who had abducted the Lord Deputy in 1528.8 Cyril Falls and William Palmer, historians who also supported English colonization, have examined the importance of Ireland to England’s national security. These historians shared the concerns of the Englishmen about whom they wrote, believing that if Ireland had allied itself with Spain, or any one of England’s numerous other enemies, England and her queen Elizabeth would surely have faced destruction. Thus, Ireland had to be pacified via any means necessary, in order to secure the safety of England. 9 This possible security threat was not an idle one. 7 Morton, 3-13; Canny, 1-28. 8Morton, 3-13. 9 Falls, 153-168,292-304; William Palmer, The Problem of Ireland in Tudor Foreign Policy, 1485-1603 (Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press, 1994), 139-143. 4 According to William Palmer, Irish rebels have maintained a tradition of seeking outside aid in their wars with England. 10 Furthermore, their relations with the neighboring countries, particularly France, influenced Irish policy under all of the Tudors.