Act of attainder

The Great Act of Attainder

In 1688, King James II of England (VII of Scotland), driven off by the ascent of William III and Mary II in the Glorious Revolution, came to Ireland with the sole purpose of reclaiming his throne. After his arrival in 1689 the Parliament of Ireland assembled a list of 2,470 Protestants reported to have been disloyal to him in a bill of attainder, naming them as traitors subject to confiscation of property and their lives. While many viewed this as unwise, it was the only way to raise money for the taxes voted by Parliament; after defeat, it was used to justify a new round of confiscations.