Tha Ulstèr-Scotch Leid Societie, mintit at giein a heft tae tha Ulstèr-Scotch leid, oor ain hamelt tongue

The Ulster Scot: His History and Religion

Four Kingdoms of ScotlandJames Barkley Woodburn's The Ulster Scot remains a classic history of the Ulster-Scots. There seems no better way to describe the content and nature of this book than to quote from the horse's mouth, so to speak. The following is taken from Woodburn's Preface to The Ulster Scot: His History and Religion:

"In Ireland there are three main divisions of the people,—the Irish, the Anglo-Irish, and the Scoto-Irish, which are represented by the three principal Churches, the Roman Catholic, the Protestant Episcopal, and the Presbyterian. These do not entirely coincide, as some of the Anglo-Irish are Catholic, and some of the Scoto-Irish have become Episcopalians, but roughly speaking the three divisions may be distinguished according to the Church to which each belongs. All these people are largely of Celtic origin.

My subject deals with the third class, the Scoto-Irish, who are often called the Ulster Scots. I have used the latter title, because 95 per cent. of the people live in the Northern province.

I have written chiefly for the ordinary man who has neither the time nor the inclination for detailed work, and it is my sincere hope that he may find my book interesting. Some chapters have been devoted entirely to the religion of the Ulster Scot as it is inseparable from his history and is the source of his strong and striking characteristics.

I have consulted very many manuscripts and contemporary documents together with all the chief modern works,—a list of which will be found in the following pages. It has been a most difficult task to make my way through so much conflicting evidence, but I have tried to give an accurate account without exaggeration or suppression. I wish especially to acknowledge my indebtedness to the historians of the Irish Presbyterian Church, and to Froude, who writes from the Protestant standpoint, to D'Alton, who writes from the Roman Catholic standpoint, and in the greatest degree to Lecky, who gives the fairest account of the 18th century,—the most debatable part of recent Irish history."


Search


Navigation