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Montreal British History Seminar

鈥溾�業nnocent鈥� Rebels?: The Butlers of Mountgarret and the Power of Patronage in Ascendancy Ireland鈥�

Collin Bonnell
PhD candidate in History, Concordia University.

The Butlers of Mountgarret, an Old English family of Irish peers, remained Catholic in the seventeenth century despite facing increasing levels of political disenfranchisement and hostility. This environment had caused Richard Butler, the 3rd Viscount of Mountgarret, to join the Catholic revolt of 1641. Yet, despite this, the Mountgarrets fared remarkably well during the confiscations; many Catholic families who did not play a clear role in the revolt, but lacked the Mountgarrets鈥� political connections, fared far worse. The family would survive the turbulent seventeenth century, eventually conforming to Anglicanism and joining the Protestant Ascendancy in the eighteenth century. This paper explores the Mountgarrets鈥� curious experiences during this period, and considers their ability to draw on the patronage of their Ormond cousins to receive a more favorable restoration.

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Now in its 27th year, the MBHS provides a forum for faculty and graduate students sharing a research interest in any phase of British History (very broadly defined). Papers of about 45-50 minutes or pre-circulated papers are followed by discussion. For information, please contact Elizabeth Elbourne (elizabeth.elbourne [at] mcgill.ca) or Brian Lewis (brian.lewis [at] mcgill.ca).