[Ads-l] Ulster Scots, Scots-Irish, Scotch-Irish

[James Eric Lawson]

Regarding 'Ulster Scots', the earliest use I find is in the work cited 
by OEDO:

1640   None is soe dim-sighted but sees the gen’all inclination of the 
Ulster Scots to the Covenant. G. Radcliffe, Letter 8 August in *Life & 
Correspondence* (1810) 209.

*Oxford English Dictionary*, s.v. “Ulster Scot, n. & adj., Etymology”, 
July 2023. <https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/2293158311>

In the work cited (1810 publication), the quoted text follows two 
appearances of 'Scots in Ulster' (pp 207, 208), circumstances that 
suggest the term was not fully lexicalized. Thus the 1640 work may 
represent a (although probably not the) coining (*ab reductio*) of the 
term. See

1640  Thomas Dunham Whitaker *The life and original correspondence of 
Sir George Radcliffe, the friend of the Earl of Strafford* (HathiTrust) 
None is soe dim-sighted but sees the gen’all inclination of the Ulster 
Scots to the Covenant: and God forbid they should tarrie there till the 
Earle of Argile brings them armies to cut our throats, to our apparent 
disturbance, if not certayne ruyne.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ien.35556009557950&seq=235&q1=Ulster


The next use I find is this:

1649  Ireland Lord Lieutenant Ormonde *The Marquesse of Ormond’s 
declaration, proclaiming Charles the Second, King of England, Scotland, 
France, and Ireland, &c.:  With his summons to Colonel Jones for the 
surrender of Dublin, and the answer of Colonell Iones thereunto. Also a 
perfect relation of their forces, and the present affairs of that 
kingdom. Together with a true copie of the articles of agreement between 
the said Marquesse, and the Irish. Also a representation of the province 
of Vlster concerning the evills and dangers to religion, lawes and 
liberties, arising from the present practices of the sectarian army in 
England, &c. Imprimatur. G. Mabbot.* (EEBO TCP 2)  The Ulster Scots have 
now declared, and that whole Province (as to your interest) is lost in a 
moment.

http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A90182.0001.001


On 9/1/23 16:29, Stanton McCandlish wrote:
> A couple of different but topically related matters.
> 
> 1) Some of you are very good at ferreting out earliest findable uses of a
> term.  How would I go about finding a source for earliest known use (or
> even actual coining) of the term "Ulster Scots" or "Ulster-Scots", in
> reference to the Scottish population who settled in the north of Ireland
> primarily during the Plantation of Ulster (officially 1606–1641, but
> informally starting as early as the 1570s, and preceded by centuries of
> piecemeal immigration in the form of gallowglass mercenaries)?

-- 
James Eric Lawson

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