30/1 Brexit The Aftermath | What Was The UK?.pdf
Conclusion
1. The UK was The United Kingdom of Great Britain (= England + Scotland) and Ireland: all created somewhat haphazardly over 927 – 1801
2. ‘King of the English’ 927 territory extended to all England and Wales: English control of Ireland meant ‘the Pale’ settlement around Dublin
3. Personal union of the Crowns of England and Scotland became Union of the Parliaments related to the failure of the Darien Scheme 1707
4. An Irish rebellion 1798 highlighted a similar constitutional uncertainty being resolved by merging the Irish Parliament into the British 1801
AR Research and Opinion
Discussion
The UK was The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland created haphazardly over 927 – 1801. The unification of the seven petty Anglo Saxon kingdoms by Æthelstan made him the first ‘King of the English’ 927. The Norman William the Conqueror established full control of what is now England notably excepting Welsh Cumbria. The Anglo Norman invasion of Ireland 1169 was later formalised with a Charter and Parliament 1217, but with increasingly limited effect as the country returned to its native practices, while within ‘the Pale’, a palisade, around the Dublin area English was used and English Law applied. This and the failed Kildare Rebellion 1534 – 1535 led to the Tudor Conquest, which also involved settlement colonies of Protestant English and Anglo Scots, the Tudor and Stuart Plantations, notably in Ulster. The House of Stuart as James VI of Scotland had become James I of England combining the two countries under one crown, but with separate Parliaments and legal systems. However, to compete with an England establishing trade colonies overseas, Sir William Paterson 1658 – 1719, a leading banker, launched the Darien Scheme with a proposed 80km route over the Panama Isthmus to connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans for trade. Some 400,000 pounds were raised domestically and the Scheme proved to be a failure with a total loss of the funds raised. He was later involved in negotiations with England for what became the two Acts of Union: by the English Parliament and Scottish Parliament 1707 on the policy grounds that Scotland should participate in England’s established colonial expansion rather than go-it-alone. Curiously 398,000.50 pounds were granted to Scotland in respect of accrued English national debt (Article 15 of the Articles of Union), while Article 1 states ‘…..Scotland and England shall…..be united into one Kingdom by the name of Great-Britain…..’ as modelled on the French La Grande Bretagne versus La Bretagne or Brittany. The Irish Rebellion 1798 was a major insurrection and a warning to control the excesses of the Protestant Ascendency. This led to a parallel two Acts of Union 1800 of the Parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland to regularise the personal union in the Crowns, as previously for Scotland, coming into force 1801 with the first merged parliamentary session 22 January.
AR Research and Opinion
Chronology
927 |
Petty Anglo Saxon kingdoms are unified, but William the Conqueror 1028 – 1087 takes full control of England cf Domesday Book 1086: ex Welsh Cumbria Yr Hen Ogledd |
1169 |
Anglo Norman invasion of Ireland imposes a feudal system with a Charter and Parliament 1217 then becoming a Kingdom of the English Crown with a Dublin Viceroy 1542 |
1216 |
The Principality of Wales Tywysogaeth Cymru is created, but it came under the English Crown of Edward I 1284 with a complete annexation made under Henry VIII 1543 |
16/17th c |
Ireland is caught between Papal authority and allegiance to Protestant England being a backdoor to England leads to the imposition of settler colonies termed ‘Plantations’ |
1603 |
On the death of the childless Elizabeth I, James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England in a personal union meaning separate Parliaments in London and Edinburgh |
1641 |
An Irish rebellion relating to the Plantations and policy on religion triggers the English Civil War 1642 to resolve King vs Parliament and certain arcane religious distinctions |
1649 |
King Charles I is executed and Cromwell institutes a military dictatorship over England cum Wales, Ireland and Scotland: a ‘Commonwealth’ now termed the Protectorate |
1660 |
Parliament declares Charles II the monarch since the execution of Charles I being crowned 1661 with the 1642 – 1661 period being put down a constitutional memory hole |
1688 |
Protestant William & Mary crowned: England and Scotland become ‘The United Kingdom of Great Britain’ 1707 with a British Parliament in London cf the ‘Darien Scheme’ |
1801 |
Irish Rebellion insurrection 1798 meant Ireland also becoming part of the UK for a reform of the problematic Ascendency with the Irish Parliament merged with the British |
AR Research and Opinion
Glossary
Ascendency |
Of the Protestant ‘Established Churches’ |
Those outside the Church of England/Ireland were excluded and dispossessed of land holdings and businesses |
Charles I |
1600 – 1649 House of Stuart son of James I |
Inclined to High Church Anglicanism holding to the Divine Right of Kings leading to Civil War and execution 1649 |
Charles II |
1630 – 1685 A Stuart being a son of Charles I |
Parliament of Scotland declared him King 1649 but was exiled to Europe only to be crowned King of England 1661 |
Dál Riata |
An Irish Kingdom extending into West Scotland |
Gaelic Celtic as opposed to Brythonic Celtic culture creating the ‘Scottish’ traditions of bagpipes, kilts, whisky etc |
Darien Scheme |
A Scottish colony on the Isthmus of Panama |
A colonial endeavour to compete with England bankrupting Scotland leading to their Union as Great Britain 1707 |
James VI & I |
1566 – 1625 House of Stuart replacing Tudors |
Elizabeth I was childless: James filled the succession gap with scholarliness and a presumed bisexual tendency |
James VII & II |
1633 – 1701 A Stuart succeeding Charles II |
Catholic replaced by Protestant William and Mary 1688: Battle of the Boyne defeat 1690 meant an exile in France |
Scotland |
Gaelic Alba Never coming under Roman rule |
Gaelic introduced via Dál Riata displacing the aboriginal Pictish only itself to be largely displaced by Scots English |
Wales |
Linguistically the Brythonic branch of the Celts |
Anglo Saxon settlement moved westward breaking the Brythons into the pockets: Cornwall, Cumbria and Wales |
Yr Hen Ogledd |
The Old North A major seat of Brythonic culture |
Notably Armes Prydein The Prophecy of Britain (c 940) with the Brythonic people driving out the Anglo Saxons |
AR Research and Opinion