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Wood’s Halfpence, Carteret, and the government of Ireland, 1723–6

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Patrick McNally
Patrick McNally*
Affiliation:
Department of History, Worcester College of Higher Education
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Extract

The Wood’s Halfpence affair has long been recognised as one of the most serious disputes to have occurred between the Irish and British political establishments during the eighteenth century. There is no doubt that the conflict — caused by Irish resentment over the patent granted to William Wood to coin copper halfpence for Ireland — was one of the most serious ruptures in Anglo-Irish relations between the Williamite war and the ‘patriot’ campaign of the 1750s. The simple fact is that in 1723–4 the British administration was unable to implement its policy in Ireland. The Irish parliamentary managers declined to co-operate in the implementation of Wood’s patent, the Irish privy council failed to offer advice about how the conflict might be resolved, and the Irish lords justices refused to obey the positive orders of the British government.

In the past historians have argued that, shocked by the demonstrable unreliability of its Irish servants during this episode, the British government adopted a systematic policy of appointing English officials to the highest offices of Irish state and church. The appointment of Hugh Boulter as primate of the Church of Ireland in 1724 and of Richard West as lord chancellor in 1725 seemed to support such an interpretation.

Type
Research Article
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 30 , Issue 119 , May 1997 , pp. 354 - 376
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1997

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References

1 McCracken, J.L., ‘The undertakers in Ireland and their relations with the lord lieutenant, 1724–1771’ (unpublished M.A. thesis, Queen’s University, Belfast, 1941), pp 26–53 Google Scholar; Hayton, David, ‘The beginnings of the “undertaker system”’ in Bartlett, Thomas and Hayton, David (eds), Penal era and golden age: essays in Irish history, 1690–1800 (Belfast, 1979), pp 32–54 Google Scholar; McGuire, J.I., ‘The Irish parliament of 1692’ in Bartlett, and Hayton, (eds), Penal era and golden age, pp 1-31Google Scholar; Goodwin, Albert, ‘Wood’s Halfpence’ in E.H.R., li 1936), pp 647-74CrossRefGoogle Scholar, repr. in Mitchison, Rosalind (ed.), Essays in eighteenth-century history from the ‘English Historical Review’ (London, 1966), pp 117-44Google Scholar; Connolly, S.J., Religion, law, and power: the making of Protestant Ireland, 1660–1760 (Oxford, 1992), p. 108 Google Scholar; Dickson, David, New foundations: Ireland, 1660–1800 (Dublin, 1987), pp 66–71.Google Scholar The most recent detailed account of the Wood’s Halfpence dispute is Burns, R.E., Irish parliamentary politics in the eighteenth century (2 vols, Washington, D.C., 1989), i, 134–216Google Scholar. The best analysis of the implications of the dispute for Irish parliamentary politics is Hayton, David, ‘Walpole and Ireland’ in Black, Jeremy (ed.), Britain in the age ofWalpole (London, 1984), pp 95–119 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, esp. pp 103–10.

2 King to Grafton, 10 July 1722 (T.C.D., King correspondence, MS 750/7, pp 159 a, b, c).

3 Irish revenue commissioners to Edward Hopkins, 7 Aug. 1722 (P.R.O., SP 63/380, f. 110).

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7 Walpole to Grafton, 24 Sept. 1723 (P.R.O., SP 63/381, ff 141–4).

8 Grafton to Walpole, 24 Sept. 1723 (ibid., ff 145–7).

9 Walpole to Grafton, 3 Oct. 1723 (ibid., ff 190–92).

10 Townshend to Grafton, 25 Oct. 1723 (ibid., ff 192–4).

11 Walpole to Townshend, 6 Nov. 1723 (Coxe, Walpole, ii, 285–6).

12 Walpole to Grafton, 23 Oct. 1723 (P.R.O., SP 63/381, f. 11).

13 Grafton to, 2 Nov. 1723 (ibid., SP 63/382, ff 1–2).

14 Walpole to Townshend, 6 Nov. 1723 (Coxe, Walpole, ii, 285–6).

15 For an account of the conflict between Walpole and Carteret see Plumb, J.H., Sir Robert Walpole (2 vols, London, 1956-60), ii, 40–77Google Scholar.

16 Manley to Delafaye, 19 May 1724 (P.R.O., SP 63/383, ff 227–8).

17 ‘The humble address of the lords justices and privy council of Ireland’ (ibid., ff 233–4).

18 24 July 1724. Proceedings of [privy] council’ (ibid., SP 63/384, ff 19–25).

19 Conolly to Delafaye, 15 Aug. 1724 (ibid., f. 40).

20 Newcastle to Walpole, 29 Aug. 1724 (ibid., ff 44–51).

21 Conolly to Delafaye, 15, 20 Aug. 1724 (ibid., ff 40, 42).

22 Pocklington to Abp William Wake, 10 Oct. 1719 (Christ Church, Oxford, Wake MSS, xiii, f. 115).

23 Walpole to Newcastle, 1 Sept. 1724 (P.R.O., SP 63/384, ff 54–5).

24 Ibid.; Newcastle to Walpole, 29 Aug. 1724 (ibid., ff 44–51).

25 Newcastle to Walpole, 29 Aug. 1724 (ibid., ff 44–51).

26 Walpole to Newcastle, 1 Sept. 1724 (B.L., Newcastle correspondence, Add. MS 32687, ff 54–5).

27 Carteret to Newcastle, 28 Oct. 1724 (P.R.O., SP 63/384, ff 139–56, 159–65).

28 Carteret to Newcastle, 14 Nov. 1724 (ibid., ff 182–8).

29 Newcastle to Carteret, 3 Dec. 1724 (ibid., ff 209–11).

30 Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 12 Dec. 1724 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, v, ff 106–7).

31 Carteret to Newcastle, 16 Dec. 1724 (P.R.O., SP 63/384, ff 226–8).

32 Boulter to Newcastle, 3 Dec. 1724 ( Letters written by His Excellency Hugh Boulter (2 vols, Dublin, 1770), i, 2–4Google Scholar).

33 Boulter to Newcastle, 19 Jan. 1725 (Boulter letters, i, 7–11).

34 See Beckett, J.C., The making of modern Ireland, 1603–1923 (2nd ed., London, 1981), pp 188-91Google Scholar.

35 See above, n. 32 (my italics).

36 Walpole to Newcastle, 1 Sept. 1724 (B.L., Newcastle correspondence, Add. MS 32687, ff 54–5). The term ‘prime minister’ was used by Timothy Godwin to describe Conolly (Godwin to Wake, 16 Jan. 1723 (Christ Church, Oxford, Wake MSS, xiv, f. 48)).

37 Thomas Brodrick to Midleton, 4 Apr. 1724 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 1–3).

38 Marmaduke Coghill to Edward Southwell, 23 Dec. 1725 (B.L., Southwell papers, Add. MS 21122, ff 27–8).

39 Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 15 Mar. 1725 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 169–72).

40 King to Francis Annesley, 28 Jan. 1725 (T.C.D., King correspondence, MS 2537, pp 208–9); Godwin to Wake, 18 May 1725 (Christ Church, Oxford, Wake MSS, xiv, f. 263).

41 Carteret to Newcastle, 16 Dec. 1724 (P.R.O., SP 63/384, ff 226–8).

42 Manley to [Delafaye?], 28 Jan. 1726 (ibid., SP 67/387, ff 25–6). Carter, M.P. for Trim, was one of the most important potential opponents of the government in the coming session of parliament.

43 King to Samuel Molyneux, 3 Oct. 1725 (T.C.D., King correspondence, MS 750/8, pp 31–2).

44 Liber mun. pub. Hib., i, pt 2, pp 38, 71, 76.

45 Irish lords justices to Stanhope, 23 Nov. 1715 (P.R.O., SP 63/373, ff 256–8); Midleton to [Walpole?], 21 Sept. 1723 (ibid., SP 63/381, ff 135–6); Conolly to Delafaye, 25 Feb. 1726 (ibid., SP 63/387, ff 77–8).

46 Godwin to Wake, 14 July 1725 (Christ Church, Oxford, Wake MSS, xiv, f. 276). For a more detailed discussion of the fate of the Irish Tory Party after 1714 see McNally, Patrick, ‘The Hanoverian accession and the Tory Party in Ireland’ in Parliamentary History, xiv, pt 3 (1995), pp 263-83Google Scholar.

47 Carteret to Newcastle, 14, 24 Nov. 1724 (P.R.O., SP 63/384, ff 182–8, 196–200); Cateret to Newcastle, 31 Jan., 27 Mar. 1725 (ibid., SP 63/385, ff 25–34, 72–5).

48 Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 12 Dec. 1724 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 106–7).

49 King to Edward Southwell, 15 May 1725 (T.C.D., King correspondence, MS 2537, pp 339–41 ); Nicolson to Wake, 1 Jan. 1725 (B.L., Add. MS 6116, ff 137–8); Carteret to Newcastle, 8 June, 6 July 1725 (P.R.O., SP 63/385, ff 137–8, 263–5).

50 Lord Percival to Philip Percival, 30 July 1725 (B.L., Egmont papers, Add. MS 47030, f. 147).

51 Godwin to Wake, 14 July 1725 (Christ Church, Oxford, Wake MSS, xiv, f. 276). -Newcastle to Carteret, 13 July 1725 (P.R.O., SP 63/385, ff 271–2).

53 Carteret to Newcastle, 6 Aug. 1725 (ibid., SP 63/386, ff 5–8).

54 West to Newcastle, 6 Aug. 1725 (ibid., ff 9–10).

55 Delafaye to Carteret, 19 Aug. 1725 (ibid., ff 30–31).

56 Carteret to Newcastle, 16 Dec. 1724 (ibid., SP 63/384, ff 226–8); Townshend to Carteret, 29 Dec. 1724 (ibid., ff 231–5); Walpole to Townshend, 12/21 Oct. 1725 (Coxe, Wa/po/e, ii, 367); Commons’ jn. Ire. (3rd ed., 23 vols, Dublin, 1796–1800), iii, appendix, p. cccxli.For Midleton’s thoughts on this solution to the problem see Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 27 Aug. 1725 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 289–91 ).

57 Conolly to Delafaye, 2 Sept. 1725 (P.R.O., SP 63/386, f. 52).

58 Pocklington to Wake, 19 Aug. 1725 (Christ Church, Oxford, Wake MSS, xiv, f. 280).

59 Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 27 Aug. 1725 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 289–91).

60 West to Newcastle [1?] Sept. 1725 (P.R.O., SP 63/386, ff 54–5).

61 Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 16, 24 Sept. 1725 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 306–7, 314–19).

62 Boulter to Newcastle, 21 Sept. 1725 (Boulter letters, i, 34–5).

63 Boulter to Wake, 24 Sept. 1725 (ibid., i, 36–8).

64 Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 24 Sept. 1725 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 314–19).

65 Ibid.

66 Boulter to Wake, 24 Sept. 1725 (Boulter letters, i, 36–8).

67 Boulter to Newcastle, 23 Sept. 1725 (ibid., i, 35–6).

68 The poems of Jonathan Swift, ed. Williams, Harold (2nd ed., 3 vols, Oxford, 1958), iii, 1117–18Google Scholar; Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 2 Oct. 1725 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 324–5).

69 Coghill to Edward Southwell, 30 Oct. 1725 (B.L., Southwell papers, Add. MS 21122, ff 24–6).

70 Ibid. As a result of their quarrel, Carteret refused Forbes permission to buy a cornet’s post for his son and to allow him the advowson of an ecclesiastical benefice.

71 West to [Newcastle?], 16 Nov. 1725 (P.R.O., SP 63/386, ff 308–9).

72 Coghill to Southwell, 30 Oct. 1725 (B.L., Southwell papers, Add. MS 21122, ff 24–6).

73 Ibid.

74 Godwin to Wake, 20 Oct. 1725 (Christ Church, Oxford, Wake MSS, xiv, f. 297).

75 West to Newcastle, 26 Oct. 1725 (P.R.O., SP 63/386, ff 214–16); Carteret to Newcastle, 16 Nov. 1725 (ibid., ff 292–1).

76 Coghill to Southwell, 30 Oct. 1725 (B.L., Southwell papers, Add. MS 21122, ff 24–6).

77 Coghill to Southwell, 23 Dec. 1725 (ibid., ff 27–8).

78 Newcastle toTownshend, 5 Nov. 1725 (B.L., Newcastle correspondence, Add. MS 32687, f. 178).

79 Boulter to Newcastle, 12 Oct. 1725 (Boulter letters, i, 39–40).

80 Boulter to Newcastle, 28 Oct. 1725 (ibid., i, 40–11 ).

81 Coghill to Southwell, 23 Dec. 1725 (B.L., Southwell papers, Add. MS 21122, ff27-8).

82 Edward Southwell to Lord Percival, 31 Dec. 1725 (B.L., Egmont papers, Add. MS 47031, ff 67–9).

83 Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 15 Oct. 1725 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, ff 330–31).

84 Lord Percival to Philip Percival, 24 Dec. 1724 (B.L., Egmont papers, Add. MS 47030, ff 122–4);Thomas Brodrick to Midleton, 27 Feb. 1725 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, vi, f. 153); Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 12 Mar., 26 May 1725 (ibid., ff 165–7, 241–2).

85 Townshend to Carteret, 29 Dec. 1724 (P.R.O., SP 63/384, ff 231–5); Carteret to Townshend, 23 Sept. 1725 (ibid., SP 63/386, ff 84–99); Newcastle to Townshend, 1 Oct. 1725 (ibid., ff 171–3).

86 King to General Gorges, 2 Mar. 1725 (T.C.D., King correspondence, MS 2537, pp 222–3).

87 Boulter to Newcastle, 11 Nov. 1725 (Boulter letters, i, 42—3); Boulter to Newcastle, 16 Nov. 1725 (ibid., i, 43–5).

88 Carteret to Newcastle, 16 Nov. 1725 (P.R.O., SP 63/386, ff 292–4).

89 Boulter to Delafaye, 22 Feb. 1726 (ibid., SP 63/387, ff 50–51).

90 West to Newcastle, 27 Jan. 1726 (ibid., ff 13–14); Carteret to Newcastle, 28 Jan. 1726 (ibid., ff 17–19); Manley to [Delafaye?], 28 Jan. 1726 (ibid., ff 25–6).

91 This point is emphasised by the fact that Carteret had been in Ireland for ten months before parliament met in September 1725.

92 Clutterbuck to Delafaye, 14 Dec. 1729 (ibid., SP 63/391, ff 260–61).

93 For the ‘English interest’ in Ireland see McNally, Patrick, ‘ “Irish and English interests”: national conflict within the Church of Ireland episcopate in the reign of George I’ in I.H.S, xxix, no. 115 (May 1995), pp 295–314 Google Scholar.

94 For the history of the bank bill see Ryder, Michael ‘The Bank of Ireland, 1721: land, credit, and dependency’ in Hist. Jn., xxv, 3 (1982), pp 557-82CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

95 Midleton to Thomas Brodrick, 4 Dec. 1720 (Surrey Record Office, Midleton MSS, iv, ff 367–9).

96 Walpole to Townshend, 26 Oct./6 Nov. 1723 (Coxe, Walpole, ii, 285–6).

97 See Victory, Isolde, ‘The making of the Declaratory Act of 1720’ in O’Brien, Gerard (ed.), Parliament, politics and people: essays in eighteenth-century Irish history (Dublin, 1989), pp 9–29.Google Scholar

98 I wish to thank Dr David Hayton for his helpful comments on an earlier version of this article.