| dc.description.abstract | This thesis re-examines the Scottish migration to the province of Ulster, Ireland in the early seventeenth century, from 1603-1625. The Plantation of Ulster, initiated by the English government in 1609, marked the beginning of a new era in Ireland. The following will argue that the Scots, as a mobile people with experience of migration prior to the seventeenth century, provided a significant contribution to the English plantation scheme. The Plantation lasted from 1610 to the 1690s, but this thesis focuses primarily upon the first two decades of the seventeenth century, arguing that it was these years which were most significant to see if the Plantation would last. The Scots were a highly mobile people in the early modern period, already from the fifteenth century. At this time, they were already travelling to various European countries for shorter or longer periods of time – for trade, education or similar reasons. This thesis argues that Scottish migration to Ulster proved invaluable for the Plantation scheme and contributed significantly to the stability of the British settlement during its first decades. There were several push- and pull-factors that drove the Scots to emigrate, among others that the rising population in Scotland made for a sort of inland migration. During the early seventeenth century, this inland migration moved abroad across the Irish Sea. In East Ulster, a significant number of Scots settled in private plantations that would later inspire the official Plantation in 1609-10. Lastly, this thesis will argue that it was the unique Scottish determination and willingness that made for a lasting British presence in Ulster. | eng |