Large numbers of Irish children were forced into indentured servitude in the 17th century, particularly during and after Oliver Cromwell's conquest of Ireland. Many of them were kidnapped, orphaned, or classified as "vagrants" by the English and transported to British colonies in the Americas.

Primary destinations
The Caribbean

British North America: Irish children were also transported to colonies in North America, including Massachusetts. In one documented instance, two children kidnapped from Ireland in 1654 were sold into servitude in Ipswich, Massachusetts.