Margaret McNamara’s Statute
Archived: 31 October 2026
In 1707, Ireland’s brief Dublin parliamentary session exposed post-Williamite government: Protestant elites contested office and revenue, while efforts to admit Protestant Dissenters failed. Legislation created the framework for the Registry of Deeds, protecting property transactions while reinforcing Protestant possession. Margaret McNamara’s abduction prompted safeguards for heiresses and further controls on Catholic marriage. Penal measures restricted Catholic legal participation, religious observance and civic status, while anti-rapparee laws linked crime, vagrancy and suspected disloyalty. Dublin gained a Ballast Office, statutory security for Marsh’s Library, and St Anne’s parish. Measures promoted agriculture and manufacture. Britain’s Anglo-Scottish union excluded Ireland, leaving its parliament separate.