William Petty

“ The Counties, Baronies and Parishes, of Ireland, are now become marvellously unequal, so as some are twenty times as big as others, the County of Cork seeming in respect of people and Parishes to be 1⁄8th of the whole Kingdom, and other Counties not being above the 20th part of the County of Cork; It hath been found very difficult to get fit persons for Sheriffs, and Juries ”

“ The number of people in Ireland is about 1100,000 [5] , viz. Three Hundred Thousand English, Scotch, and Welch Protestants, and 800,000 Papists, whereof 1⁄4th are Children unfit for Labour, and about 75,000 of the Remainder are, by reason of their Quality and Estates, above the necessity of Corporal Labour; so as there remains 750,000 Labouring Men and Women, 500,000 whereof do perform the present Work of the Nation. ”

“ The multitude and proportion of Alehouses abovementioned, is a sign of want of Employment in those that buy, no less than those that sell the Drink.
7. There being but 800 Thousand Papists in Ireland, and little above 2,000 [14] Priests; It is manifest that 500 Priests may, in a competent manner, Officiate for the said number of People and Parishes. And that two Popish Bishops (if any at all be necessary) may as well Govern the said 500 Priests, and two Thousand Parishes; as the 26 Bishops of England do Govern near Ten Thousand Parishes. ”

“ This Civil Militia, and the rest of the Irish Papists being about 800,000, are influenced and guided by about 3000 Priests and Fryars, and they governed by their Bishops and Superiors, who are for the most part, of the Old Irish Gentry, men of Foreign Education, and who depend upon Foreign Princes and Prelates, for Benefices and Preferments.
12. The Irish Papists (besides Sundays and the 29 Holidays appointed by the Law) do one place with another, observe about 24 days more in the year, in which they do no Corporal Labour, so as they have but about 266 Working-days ”

“ The said 1100,000 people do live in about 200,000 Families or Houses, whereof there are but about 16,000 which have more than one Chimney in each; and about 24,000 which have but one; all the other Houses, being 160,000, are wretched nasty Cabbins, without Chimney, Window or Door shut, and worse than those of the Savage Americans, and wholly unfit for the |117| making Merchantable Butter, Cheese, or the Manufactures of Woollen, Linnen or Leather. ”

“ The expence of the whole people of Ireland is about four Millions per Ann. |119| the 1⁄50 part whereof being 80,000l. and the Quarter of Annual House-Rent [7] being about 60,000l. together with 450,000l. more, being the value of half a years Rent, Tythes and Quit-Rent, do make 590,000l. as that sum of Money which will compleatly and plentifully drive the Trade of this Kingdom. ”

“ See Essex to the Lords Justices, 4 December, 1675, in the Capel Letters, 418. ↑ H, 'Wall.' ↑ H, 'Garden.' ↑ 17 & 18 Charles II., c. 9, Ireland, An Act for the Advancement of the Trade of Linen Manufacture, provided that tenants of cabins outside cities should have not less than one Irish acre of land each, and sow one eighth part of it with hemp or flax. ↑ H, 'little above 2000,' altered by Petty to 'about 3000.' The correction obviously represents Petty's intention for he goes on to speak of 500 requisite and "25 Hundred superfluous Churchmen." ”