Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-05
THE LAND STORY TOLD
How the Irish Were Crushed
and Their Land C0nfiSCated.
ENGLISH UNDERTAKES
From Dunqueen to Cashel Voice
less Waste.
IRELAND'S MAMMA POTATOES
Sir Walter Raleigh the Father Of
Potatoes and Cherries in Ire
land-The Great Earl Desmond.
IRELAND'S MAMMA POTATOES
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
.cial Correspondence Of The Star and
Hhfoano Rocord. Herald

BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
YOUGHAL. July %, 1908.
In the year of Queen Elizabeth's sue
cession to the throne a terrible rebellion
broke out in Ireland, led by the Earl of
Desmond. chief of the Geraldines. the
most powerful of the clans. 1t was put
down by Lord Grey of Wilton, who came
over from England and laid the kingdom
of Munster in ashes. The great Earl Of
Desmond, who had been master Of almost
half of Ireland and the owner of numer-
GUS castles. was declared an outlaw. and
was hunted from one hiding place to an
other. In order to repopulate the coun-
try the vast estates belonging to him
and 40 of his adherents were confis-
Gated, and proclamation was made
throughout all England inviting gentle
men to undertake" the colonization of
this rich territory at the rate of or 3
pence an acre.
"Undertakers'' in Ireland.
None but English settlers were allowed
this privilege, and tracts Of land from
1000 acres and upward were granted to
favorites of the throne. to enterprising
English noblemeh and to worthless adj
venturers, very few of whom ever saw
the property. These settlers. or under
takers" as they were called. organized
colonies and sent them over in charge of
agents.
Edmund Spenser. the poet. author Of
the famous poem. 1.-THE Fairie Queene.'
then the private secretary to Lord Grey.
received 1900 acres in County Cork. in
which. near the town of Buttevant, are
visited by tourists still. Sir Walter Ra-
leigh got $4,000 acres-also from the
Desmond estate. in the counties of
in what is now known as Myrtle
Lodge, in the ancient town of Youghal.
His house still stands very much as it
was when he left 1t. and is owned by
Sir Henry Blake. who was recently re-
British colony of Hongkong in connec-
ton with a rather distressing scandal.
Lady Blake is a relative of the Duchess
of ST. Adams. whose husband is de-
scended from the illegitimate son of
Charles II and Nell Gwyn. He is one
of the most influential peers In the
United Kingdom. and kindly looks after
his king. The previous owner of the
property, curiously enough, was Sir
Sir Henry Blake as governor of Jamaica.
of Ceylon and Of Hongkong.
Sir Walter Raleigh.
home from the time he first came to
Ireland as a captain in the command Of
Lord Grey. He was then twenty-eigh
years old and. according to the records
received salary Of four shilings a day
for himself. two shillings a day for his
lieutenant, fourteen pence a day each
for four non-commissioned officers and
eight pence a day for every common
soldier They were also provided with
good furniture" that Is. suitable ar
NOR and trappings at the expense Of
Deyonshire men, like their captain, full
of reckless courage and energy. and the
amount of damage they committed
under Sir Walters leadership was en-
tirely out OF proportion to their num-
bers and their pay.
Sir Walter lived at Myrtle Grove
Lodge when he studied the chronicles
of the Spanish and Portuguese expIor-
there upon his Inflated expedition to
Virginia. He returned to this home
whenever he could escape from the
presence of his affectionate but tickle
queen It was there, too. he wrote most
OF his poems and letters and com
menced his History Of the World After
he lost his power and influence and was
committed to the tower as traitor all
this property was conf1scated. Lady
Raleigh was deprived of everything he
left her, including an estate called IT.
wolf and several other residences in the
neighborhood of Cork. and was actually
in want of bread when James I, in re,
Spouse to a touching petition, granted
her a pension Of e4OO per annum and a
home for life. She was granted another
highly. After Sir Walters execution
his head was sent to her. She had It
embalmed and carried 1t about with her
wherever she travelled. At her death
the CHASTITY relic was left to Carew
Raleigh. who treasured 1t as highly as
his mother had done. but, fortunately
for subsequent generations. stipulated
that it should be buried with him in his
coffin when he died.
Raleigh's estates went to Sir Richard