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The causes and course of the Irish rebellion,which broke out on the 22 October 1641, have been the subject of extensive research by historians. The thousands of Protestant ‘refugees’ who fled to England and Scotland, in response to the rebellion, however, have received very little attention from scholars. This article will explore the identities of the refugees, the volume and direction of refugee movement and the organisation and dispensation of local relief through a case study of the parish of Upton, Nottinghamshire. Upon their arrival in England refugees were expected to return to their parish of birth or last residence, leaving the responsibility of refugee relief firmly in the hands of parish churchwardens, overseers of the poor and constables. By focusing on the charitable response of these parish officials to the Irish refugees this paper will outline the motivations for the provision of aid at a local level. Moreover, this article will show how local officials were able to negotiate relief with respect to the economic and social position of the parish, particularly during the turbulent years of the British and Irish Civil Wars [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article explores the historiography of rebellion and the establishment of a Confederate Catholic government in Ireland during the 1640s. The author reflects on nobleman Ulick Burke, the fifth earl of Clanricarde, and revisionist historical interpretation on Burke's role in establishing the Catholic rebel administration. Historical evidence and testimony is presented to suggest that Burke supported Irish Catholic royalty to the English Crown and opposed the rebellion. The author argues that Burke identified himself as an English nobleman and played the role of mediator between king Charles I and the Irish rebels.