Oakboys and the Lord Hertford
On 10 February 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years’ War between Britain, France and their allies. Ireland was not a separate party to the treaty: George III appeared in it as king of Great Britain, France and Ireland, and Irish people experienced the settlement as subjects within a widening British empire. Yet the peace mattered directly. Irish merchants, shippers, provision dealers and manufacturers operated within imperial routes whose risks and opportunities had been altered by war. The end of fighting brought prospects of more regular trade, while Britain’s enlarged territories and continuing military commitments ensured that imperial finance and administration remained pressing concerns.