figure of 5% in 1776 given in Arthur Young's Tour in Ireland is probably an underestimate, although in 1778 only 1.5% of rent was paid to Catholics. Catholic gavelkind cemented a tradition of farm subdivision, which persisted beyond the act's repeal and contributed to the Great Famine of the 1840s. Lord Redesdale, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, remarked in an 1805 case, based on a disputed inheritance of an estate originally purchased before and after 1704 by a Catholic: The purpose of [2 Anne c. 6] was to disable papists from purchasing lands in future; and to make all lands of which any papist was or should be seised in fee or in tail, of the nature of gavelkind, and, if not sold in his life-time for money, really and bonâ fide paid, to descend accordingly, notwithstanding any other disposition, but subject to debts and provision for daughters: and in case of conformity of the eldest son, the act reduced the father to the condition of tenant for life, and gave the inheritance to the conforming son, subject to provisions for younger children. The second act [8 Anne, c. 3] is of a different kind. It was conceived that the first act was evaded in consequence of those who had a right to avail themselves of it not doing so. The second act, therefore, gives a right to any protestant to avail himself of the former act for his own benefit, and to file a bill for a discovery of all trusts or purchases made by, or on behalf of papists, contrary to the provisions of the former act, and to take the benefit of the same, as if made to or for such protestant discoverer. The result was, that although the first act made a purchase by a papist void, the second act made the purchase valid for the benefit of a protestant discoverer ; and thus, that which was void as between the parties, was good for the benefit of a third person. These acts had so embarrassed all the titles in the country, that if no other motive had occurred, it would have been a measure of policy to relax their severity: for no law is sufficient to restrain the desire of possessing landed property, and to evade these restrictive laws, contrivances were used, which perplexed almost every title, and made every protestant insecure in the possession