 After the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and subsequent Cromwellian invasion, the English Parliament passed the Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 which classified the Irish population into several categories according to their degree of involvement in the uprising and the subsequent war.Those who had participated in the uprising or assisted the rebels in any way were sentenced to be hanged and to have their property confiscated.Other categories were sentenced to banishment with whole or partial confiscation of their estates.