Devon Commission
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The Devon Commission (officially 'Commission on Occupation of Land (Ireland)'[1]) was a commission that was appointed by Sir Robert Peel to research the problems with land leases. It was formed by a queen's proclamation issued 20 November 1843 and reported 14 February 1845.[2] This was a positive step for the government as it made the Irish believe that reform would come soon afterwards. This was the first time that a British government had taken a step towards reforming the unfair leases.
The Devon Commission was headed by William Courtney, the 10th Earl of Devon,[3] and it reported in 1845 that the population of Ireland had increased from 6 million people to close on 8 million people. Similarly they concluded that the leases were unfair and were favourable to the landowners (who were usually Anglo-Irish). The majority of Irish tenants had no form of protection, they could be, and often were, summarily evicted. They also had no claim to the Ulster Custom of landholding - this would have granted tenants the "3F's": Free sale, fixity of tenure, and fair rent.[2] The Devon Commission had wide reaching consequences and though too late to prevent the famine, it did galvanize change afterwards.
References[edit]
- ^ The Irish Problem and How to Solve It, Elibron Classics. Google Books
- ^ a b Ryan, Stephanie (23 August 2023). "Foreshadowing the famine disaster in Ireland: The Devon Commission, an inquiry into the occupation of land in Ireland 1843-1845". State Library Of Queensland. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
- ^ House of Lords biography
- The Irish Problem and How to Solve It, Elibron Classics. Google Books
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Further reading[edit]
Devon. (1974). Devon Commission report from Her Majesty’s Commissioners of Inquiry into the State of the Law and Practice in respect of the Occupation of Land in Ireland : with minutes of evidence, supplements, appendices and index, 1845. Irish University Microform