The November Land Declaration
Archived: 14 October 2026
In 1660, Ireland’s Protestant leaders used the General Convention to support Charles II’s restoration, proclaiming him king before his return to England while seeking to preserve parliamentary influence, episcopacy and Cromwellian landholdings. Former Commonwealth figures, notably Charles Coote and Roger Boyle, became royal brokers and regional magnates, while commissioners governed amid uncertainty. Charles’s November Declaration addressed competing claims of Catholic former proprietors, Adventurers and soldiers, protecting many possessors while offering limited restoration through proof of innocence. The Church of Ireland revived under bishops, yet Catholics remained excluded. Restoration restored monarchical institutions but postponed conflict over land, religion, loyalty and power.