Repopulating the Gift

[Tywin Manderly]

From: ASoS - Jon V

Quote

His lord father had once talked about raising new lords and settling them in the abandoned holdfasts as a shield against wildlings. The plan would have required the Watch to yield back a large part of the Gift, but his uncle Benjen believed the Lord Commander could be won around, so long as the new lordlings paid taxes to Castle Black rather than Winterfell. 

Where do you think that Ned would have gotten the people needed to repopulate the Gift? Would the venture of repopulating the Gift have been a success if Ned would have gotten round to it?

[corbon]

1 hour ago, Tywin Manderly said:

From: ASoS - Jon V

Where do you think that Ned would have gotten the people needed to repopulate the Gift? Would the venture of repopulating the Gift have been a success if Ned would have gotten round to it?

From anywhere in the north. Possibly from further afield even, if he had been interested in taking such.
Key points. 
Raising new Lords. Giving them Lands.

Its a huge opportunity. Not easy, or risk free, sure. But its an opportunity that simply doesn't come around almost ever. Look at the land rushes in the american west...

Would t have been a success? That probably depends on the people, more than anything else. It seems to me that it would have been in Ned's character to make a big effort to help them make it a success, which may well have tipped the scales.

[Universal Sword Donor]

16 hours ago, Tywin Manderly said:

From: ASoS - Jon V

Where do you think that Ned would have gotten the people needed to repopulate the Gift? Would the venture of repopulating the Gift have been a success if Ned would have gotten round to it?

Same way the Americans enticed people west, free land to work. 

Same way Bonifer Hasty was to reward followers, hides of land to work.

Raising new lords with the king's blessing too, as Jon himself notes. Being a lord in the far end of the north would entice a lot of people over being a commoner elsewhere. Plenty of younger noble sons would probably chip in too. We know Bran was expected to rule holdfasts in Robb's name. Those would have to come from somewhere.

[CassDarry]

16 hours ago, Tywin Manderly said:

From: ASoS - Jon V

Where do you think that Ned would have gotten the people needed to repopulate the Gift? Would the venture of repopulating the Gift have been a success if Ned would have gotten round to it?

I imagine second/third sons of already established lords or even sold off the land to ambitious Houses or even unhappy houses with there current lands. Manderly’s, Umbars and Mormonts may want a piece or even southrons but I doubt the Starks would sell to them, maybe the Blackwoods. 

Jojen said it’s good soil so should be a success if they can stop the wildling raiders 

[Tywin Manderly]

16 hours ago, corbon said:

From anywhere in the north. Possibly from further afield even, if he had been interested in taking such.

 

1 hour ago, Universal Sword Donor said:

Being a lord in the far end of the north would entice a lot of people over being a commoner elsewhere. Plenty of younger noble sons would probably chip in too. 

 

58 minutes ago, CassDarry said:

Manderly’s, Umbars and Mormonts may want a piece or even southrons but I doubt the Starks would sell to them, maybe the Blackwoods. 

Southrons of First Men descent who follow the old gods like the Blackwoods would most certainly be an option. Perhaps members of House Royce and other southron houses which are proud of the First Men descent. Candidates could also come from individuals descended from Northmen who remained in the South after the Hour of the Wolf. 

[Vaith]

10 minutes ago, Tywin Manderly said:

Southrons of First Men descent who follow the old gods like the Blackwoods would most certainly be an option. Perhaps members of House Royce and other southron houses which are proud of the First Men descent. Candidates could also come from individuals descended from Northmen who remained in the South after the Hour of the Wolf. 

I don't think that regular southrons would be banned from being made lords, either. Ned's not really that prejudiced and built a sept for Cat and has allowed a septa to educate his daughter, so he probably wouldn't need someone to prove they have northern pedigree before settling.

Most from down south probably wouldn't want to volunteer to rebuild dilapidated castles and fend off against potential wildling incursions in a freezing climate, anyway. It would probably end up being cadet branches of mountain clans or far north houses like Mormont or Umber who settled there.

[Tywin Manderly]

23 hours ago, Vaith said:

I don't think that regular southrons would be banned from being made lords, either. Ned's not really that prejudiced and built a sept for Cat and has allowed a septa to educate his daughter, so he probably wouldn't need someone to prove they have northern pedigree before settling.

Most from down south probably wouldn't want to volunteer to rebuild dilapidated castles and fend off against potential wildling incursions in a freezing climate, anyway. It would probably end up being cadet branches of mountain clans or far north houses like Mormont or Umber who settled there.

Land and Lordships would be quite the incentive to draw suffiient numbers of the ambitious and the adventurous to the Gift, even those from hailing down below the Neck, for this unique opportunity. It still is very much to prefer than being a commoner elsewhere. Disgraced nobles, bastards, and even the unwanted legitimate offspring of nobles would be heading North to hold a castle there if they knew of Ned's plan. Hedge knights, sons of wealthy merchants, landed knights with poor holdings, second and third sons, you name it. They all would be glad to move to the North to become what they cannot become where they presently are.

The likes of Lothor Brune, Hosteen Frey, and Waymar Royce would have no qualms with putting wildlings to the sword irrespective of the harsh northern winters, and the notion of rebuilding a castle in your own image with the (financial) support of the Warden of the North and potentially even the Iron Throne would be very appealing, even to Southrons.