Some of the Houstons who had settled in Ulster were farmers holding leases from the landlords who had "planted" the colonists. A few were among the larger landholders and, as would be expected, some were ministers and some followed various occupations in the towns. They had endured religious persecution at times during the nearly 40 years since the first settiers came in 1603, but usually there was no bloodshed and the people as a whole had prospered. Life in Ulster for a time became fairly peaceful and comfortable. Families grew and the young married and founded their own families.

Now sudden disaster descended upon them. The native Irish who had been deprived of their lands around the turn of the century rose in bitter rebellion in 1641. There were two main causes of the revolt. First was the fear that the English government was about to destroy the Catholic religion in Ireland. The second was the desire of the natives who had been banished to the marginal and waste lands to regain fertile acres from the Scottish and English settlers.

Secret plans were carefully laid for the uprising throughout Ireland to begin October 23, 1641. Among the fortresses to be seized was the castle at Dublin but the plot there was revealed the day before the revolt and Dublin was saved to the government, but numerous other forts and garrisons were taken over by the rebels. Sir Phelim O’Neill, leader of the revolt in the Ulster area, had an army of 30,000, armed with knives, pitchforks, scythes and other weapons. Orders were to avoid bloodshed as far as possible and to kill none except in open battle. The Scottish settlers, being regarded as kinsmen, were not to be molested.

However, O’Neill was unable to control his irregular army. The angry Irish broke loose from all discipline. Country farm homes were attacked. People were stripped and turned out