Loyalist
Encyclopedia
In general, a loyalist is someone who maintains loyalty to an established government, political party, or sovereign, especially during war or revolutionary change. In modern English usage, the most common application is to loyalty to the British Crown.
. They included many Royal officials, Anglican clergymen, wealthy merchants with ties to London, de-mobilized Royal soldiers, or recent arrivals (especially from Scotland), together with many ordinary people. Colonists with Loyalist sympathies accounted for an estimated 20% to 30% of the white colonial population of the day, compared with about 40% who were 'Patriot'. This high level of political polarization causes some historians to argue that the American Revolution was as much a civil war
, as a war of independence.
The British strategy to win the war relied on mobilizing Loyalist soldiers, and they formed over 100 militia regiments during the Revolution. In the South after 1779, especially in South Carolina, Loyalist militias tended to use the same guerrilla tactics as their Patriot counterparts. Battles between Loyalist and Patriot militias in the South were often brutal, and atrocities occurred, as in the experience of young Andrew Jackson
.
Repression of leading Loyalists during the Revolution included property confiscation and driving people out of town. After the war 80% of the Loyalists stayed in the United States. However perhaps 70,000 Loyalists sought refuge elsewhere in the British Empire, often with financial help from the Crown. Most re-settled in Quebec and Nova Scotia
. Thus, the Loyalists, to whom The British gave free land and the nominal hereditary title 'UEL' (United Empire Loyalist) which their descendants may choose to bear even today, are generally regarded to be the founders of modern English-speaking Canada. This migration included native Loyalists like Mohawk
leader Joseph Brant
, the Black Loyalist
s, and Anabaptist
Loyalists (Mennonites).
who opposed Catholic Emancipation
, the extension of the franchise of the Irish Parliament and greater independence for Ireland from Britain. Prominent loyalists included John Foster
, John Fitzgibbon
and John Beresford. In the subsequent Irish Rebellion of 1798
, ultra loyalists were those most opposed to the United Irishmen, who wanted an independent Irish Republic. Loyalists founded the Orange Order in 1795 and served in the Yeomanry militia, which helped put down the rebellion. Some loyalists, such as Richard Musgrave, considered the rebellion a Catholic
plot to drive Protestants out of Ireland.
on 20 November 1792. Loyalist associations were created in order to counter a perceived threat from radical societies.
and Parramatta
Loyalist Associations, with approximately 50 members each, were formed in 1804 for similar reasons as the English ones and helped put down the Castle Hill convict rebellion
in the same year.
is typified by a militant opposition to Irish republicanism
, and often also to Roman Catholicism. It stresses Protestant identity and community with its own folk heroes and events, such as the misfortunes and bravery of the 36th (Ulster) Division during World War I
and the activities of the Orange Institution
. A loyalist is most commonly a unionist
who feels strongly in favour of the political union
between Great Britain
and Northern Ireland, although some also support an independent Ulster
. In recent times, the term is often used to refer to militant
s including several loyalist paramilitary
groups, such as the Ulster Defence Association
(UDA), Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Loyalist Volunteer Force
(LVF).
Although loyalists claim to speak on behalf of their communities and the unionist community in general, electoral results tend to suggest that their support is minimal and exclusively based in the urban working class. One pro-Belfast Agreement
loyalist party (Progressive Unionist Party
) won seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly
in 1999.
has declined since independence. Many of the southern Irish loyalists (along with many non-loyalists, who hoped this might lead to the introduction of Home Rule
) volunteered for service in the British Armed Forces
in World War I and World War II
; many of them losing their lives or settling in the United Kingdom after the wars. Partition saw mass movements of southern loyalists to Northern Ireland or to Great Britain,
although groups such as The Reform Movement
, The Border Minority Group and the Loyal Irish Union
have received publicity.
is someone on the fringes of Scottish unionism who is often stridently supportive of loyalism and unionism, although mainly concentrating on the Irish union issue, rather than Scottish politics. Scottish loyalism is typified by a strident, and at times militant, opposition to Irish Republicanism, Scottish independence
and the Roman Catholic Church - particularly the existence of Roman Catholic denominational school
s.
Though only consisting of a small fraction of the Scottish population
, and less so in comparison to their Northern Irish
counterparts, their profile has become more prominent with strident demonstrations of their beliefs since the establishment of a Scottish Parliament
. Scottish loyalism is visible through participation at Orange
parades with supporters from Rangers
, Heart of Midlothian F.C
and Airdrie United
. Although far less active and organised in Scotland than their Northern Ireland counterparts, loyalists have been involved in a small number of activities related to The Troubles
in Northern Ireland. Some loyalists in Scotland support paramilitary groups such as the Ulster Defence Association
(UDA) and Loyalist Volunteer Force
(LVF).
Loyalists in Scotland mostly live in small working class
enclaves in the major urban centres or industrial villages, notably Glasgow
, Lanarkshire
(especially Larkhall
), Renfrewshire
, West Lothian
and Ayrshire
. There are relatively few loyalists in areas such as the Highlands
, Borders
and the northeast (including Aberdeen
). Although loyalists claim to speak on behalf of Protestants and unionists, they do not have widespread political support. Most of the political representatives in their areas are from the Scottish National Party
. It's aim is for a referendum on Scottish Independence in the next four years.
North America
In North America, the term 'Loyalist' characterizes American colonists who rejected the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. They included many Royal officials, Anglican clergymen, wealthy merchants with ties to London, de-mobilized Royal soldiers, or recent arrivals (especially from Scotland), together with many ordinary people. Colonists with Loyalist sympathies accounted for an estimated 20% to 30% of the white colonial population of the day, compared with about 40% who were 'Patriot'. This high level of political polarization causes some historians to argue that the American Revolution was as much a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
, as a war of independence.
The British strategy to win the war relied on mobilizing Loyalist soldiers, and they formed over 100 militia regiments during the Revolution. In the South after 1779, especially in South Carolina, Loyalist militias tended to use the same guerrilla tactics as their Patriot counterparts. Battles between Loyalist and Patriot militias in the South were often brutal, and atrocities occurred, as in the experience of young Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
.
Repression of leading Loyalists during the Revolution included property confiscation and driving people out of town. After the war 80% of the Loyalists stayed in the United States. However perhaps 70,000 Loyalists sought refuge elsewhere in the British Empire, often with financial help from the Crown. Most re-settled in Quebec and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. Thus, the Loyalists, to whom The British gave free land and the nominal hereditary title 'UEL' (United Empire Loyalist) which their descendants may choose to bear even today, are generally regarded to be the founders of modern English-speaking Canada. This migration included native Loyalists like Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
leader Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
, the Black Loyalist
Black Loyalist
A Black Loyalist was an inhabitant of British America of African descent who joined British colonial forces during the American Revolutionary War...
s, and Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
Loyalists (Mennonites).
18th century Ireland
The term loyalist was first used in Irish politics in the 1790s, to refer to ProtestantsProtestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
who opposed Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
, the extension of the franchise of the Irish Parliament and greater independence for Ireland from Britain. Prominent loyalists included John Foster
John Foster, 1st Baron Oriel
John Foster, 1st Baron Oriel was an Irish peer and politician.He was the son of Anthony Foster of Louth, an Irish judge . He was elected Member of Parliament to the Irish House of Commons for Dunleer in 1761, a seat he held until 1769...
, John Fitzgibbon
John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of Clare
John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of Clare PC , later known as Earl of Clare or Lord Clare, was Attorney-General for Ireland in 1783, then Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1789, in which capacity he was first promoted to the Irish peerage.He was a controversial figure in Irish history, being described...
and John Beresford. In the subsequent Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
, ultra loyalists were those most opposed to the United Irishmen, who wanted an independent Irish Republic. Loyalists founded the Orange Order in 1795 and served in the Yeomanry militia, which helped put down the rebellion. Some loyalists, such as Richard Musgrave, considered the rebellion a Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
plot to drive Protestants out of Ireland.
England and Wales
Nearly every English and Welsh county formed a Loyalist Association, with the first being formed in WestminsterWestminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
on 20 November 1792. Loyalist associations were created in order to counter a perceived threat from radical societies.
Australia
SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
Loyalist Associations, with approximately 50 members each, were formed in 1804 for similar reasons as the English ones and helped put down the Castle Hill convict rebellion
Castle Hill convict rebellion
The Castle Hill Rebellion of 4 March 1804, also called the Second Battle of Vinegar Hill, was a large-scale rebellion by Irish convicts against British colonial authority in Australia...
in the same year.
Northern Ireland
Ideologically, a loyalist in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
is typified by a militant opposition to Irish republicanism
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, and often also to Roman Catholicism. It stresses Protestant identity and community with its own folk heroes and events, such as the misfortunes and bravery of the 36th (Ulster) Division during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the activities of the Orange Institution
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
. A loyalist is most commonly a unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
who feels strongly in favour of the political union
Political union
A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller states. Unlike a personal union, the individual states share a common government and the union is recognized internationally as a single political entity...
between Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Northern Ireland, although some also support an independent Ulster
Ulster nationalism
Ulster nationalism is the name given to a school of thought in Northern Irish politics that seeks the independence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom without becoming part of the Republic of Ireland, thereby becoming an independent sovereign state separate from England, Scotland and Wales...
. In recent times, the term is often used to refer to militant
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
s including several loyalist paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
groups, such as the Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
(UDA), Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Loyalist Volunteer Force
Loyalist Volunteer Force
The Loyalist Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed by Billy Wright in 1996 when he and the Portadown unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force's Mid-Ulster Brigade was stood down by the UVF leadership. He had been the commander of the Mid-Ulster Brigade. The...
(LVF).
Although loyalists claim to speak on behalf of their communities and the unionist community in general, electoral results tend to suggest that their support is minimal and exclusively based in the urban working class. One pro-Belfast Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
loyalist party (Progressive Unionist Party
Progressive Unionist Party
The Progressive Unionist Party is a small unionist political party in Northern Ireland. It was formed from the Independent Unionist Group operating in the Shankill area of Belfast, becoming the PUP in 1979...
) won seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
in 1999.
Republic of Ireland
Loyalism in post-partion IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
has declined since independence. Many of the southern Irish loyalists (along with many non-loyalists, who hoped this might lead to the introduction of Home Rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
) volunteered for service in the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
in World War I and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; many of them losing their lives or settling in the United Kingdom after the wars. Partition saw mass movements of southern loyalists to Northern Ireland or to Great Britain,
although groups such as The Reform Movement
Reform Movement (Ireland)
The Reform Movement is an organisation whose goal is to have the Republic of Ireland become part of the Commonwealth and to promote British culture throughout Ireland....
, The Border Minority Group and the Loyal Irish Union
Loyal Irish Union
The Loyal Irish Union was a Unionist group formed in 1885.The organisation was founded by Thomas Bateson, Lord Londonderry, the Marquis of Hamilton, Robert O'Neill and other prominent unionists from Belfast. It represented the wing of the Conservative Party which prioritised opposition to the...
have received publicity.
Scotland
A loyalist in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
is someone on the fringes of Scottish unionism who is often stridently supportive of loyalism and unionism, although mainly concentrating on the Irish union issue, rather than Scottish politics. Scottish loyalism is typified by a strident, and at times militant, opposition to Irish Republicanism, Scottish independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
and the Roman Catholic Church - particularly the existence of Roman Catholic denominational school
Religious education
In secular usage, religious education is the teaching of a particular religion and its varied aspects —its beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, and personal roles...
s.
Though only consisting of a small fraction of the Scottish population
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
, and less so in comparison to their Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
counterparts, their profile has become more prominent with strident demonstrations of their beliefs since the establishment of a Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
. Scottish loyalism is visible through participation at Orange
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
parades with supporters from Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Heart of Midlothian F.C
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
and Airdrie United
Airdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...
. Although far less active and organised in Scotland than their Northern Ireland counterparts, loyalists have been involved in a small number of activities related to The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland. Some loyalists in Scotland support paramilitary groups such as the Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
(UDA) and Loyalist Volunteer Force
Loyalist Volunteer Force
The Loyalist Volunteer Force is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed by Billy Wright in 1996 when he and the Portadown unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force's Mid-Ulster Brigade was stood down by the UVF leadership. He had been the commander of the Mid-Ulster Brigade. The...
(LVF).
Loyalists in Scotland mostly live in small working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
enclaves in the major urban centres or industrial villages, notably Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
(especially Larkhall
Larkhall
Larkhall is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is around southeast of Glasgow. It is twinned with Seclin in northern France.Larkhall sits on high ground between the River Clyde to the East and the Avon Water to the West...
), Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
, West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
and Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
. There are relatively few loyalists in areas such as the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
and the northeast (including Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
). Although loyalists claim to speak on behalf of Protestants and unionists, they do not have widespread political support. Most of the political representatives in their areas are from the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
. It's aim is for a referendum on Scottish Independence in the next four years.