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 the name Adventurers—was a speculation, a risky one, for the Irish might never be subdued, and, as it turned out, the speculators got no return for their money until about 1654 or 55 when half the forfeited lands in ten counties were divided among them. There were about 1,360 of these Adventurers, including Oliver Cromwell, who subscribed £600, John Hampden, who subscribed £1,000, and Oliver Cromwell's servant Elizabeth Austrey who adventured 200 pounds.

The greater part of the rest of the confiscated lands were distributed to the officers and soldiers—those who had landed with Cromwell in 1649, those who before that date had served for the Parliament in Leinster and Ulster, and those of the Munster Protestant forces who could show that they took part in bringing about the betrayal of Cork and the other garrisons to Cromwell in 1649. These men all received lands instead of their pay, which had been in arrears for years. Besides this the contractors and others, who had supplied the army with food and munitions and who had never been paid, were to receive lands instead of the million and three-quarter pounds due to them.

The lands were divided by lot among the soldiers and adventurers. For this purpose a survey of all the forfeited lands was made, accompanied by maps, the latter being the well-known Down Survey. Most of the Down Survey still exists and from it we can tell who were the owners of any particular piece of land in Ireland in 1641, for each parish map has annexed to it a list of all landowners in it in that year and the part of the parish each held is clearly marked on the map.