This book had its genesis ten years ago at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee where Professors John McGovern and James Brundage encouraged an interest in legal history and economic development that was subsequently extended to early modern Irish history. For their encouragement and advice I can only begin to make grateful acknowledgement.

It remains to enumerate my many other debts. This study owes much to friendly criticism volunteered by the seventeenth-century seminar at the Institute of Historical Research in London and by Professor G. R. Elton's Tudor seminar at Cambridge. For fair mindedness, wise counsel and warm encouragement it is necessary to make special thanks to Professor Elton whose uncommonly effective scholarly assistance is an experience shared by those who know both the man and the mind. Dr Paul Brand of University College, Dublin, and Mr Kenneth Nicholls, of University College, Cork, generously read and commented on an earlier draft of this work. I am also grateful for helpful criticism obtained from my former colleague Dr Mary O'Dowd of the Queen's University of Belfast and from Professor Nial Osborough of the Law Department at Trinity College, Dublin. Many others offered help, advice and encouragement, and I can only name a few. Much support was tendered by Dr Ian Roy of King's College, London, and by Professor David Harkness of the Queen's University of Belfast.