The Anglican Archbishop of Armagh is the ecclesiastical head of the Church of Ireland, the metropolitan of the Province of Armagh and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Armagh.[1][2]
The diocese traces its history to Saint Patrick in the 5th century, who founded the see, and his current successor is the Most Reverend Alan Harper who was enthroned at St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh on the 16th March 2007.[3] Like his counterpart, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, he bears the title Primate of All Ireland.
Contents |
History
Saint Patrick, having received some grants of land from the chieftain Daire, on the hill called Ard-Macha (the Height of Macha), built a stone church on the summit and a monastery and some other religious edifices round about, and fixed on this place for his metropolitan see. In Irish times, the primacy of Armagh was questioned only by the great southern centre of the Irish Church, at Cashel. Another note-worthy incumbent was St. Malachy O'Morgair (1134-37), who suffered many tribulations in trying to effect a reformation in the diocese. St. Malachy is honoured as the patron saint of the diocese. When the English kings got a footing in the country, they began to intervene in the election of bishops. The English kings also began to claim possession of the temporalities of the sees during vacancies and to insist on the newly elected bishops suing them humbly for their restitution.[4]
Irish Reformation
During the reign of Henry VIII, George Dowdall, a zealous supporter of the king, had been elevated into the See of Armagh by that monarch, but on the introduction of the Book of Common Prayer in the reign of Edward VI, he left the kingdom in disgust. Thereupon the king in 1552, appointed Hugh Goodacre to the see. In the beginning of the reign of Mary I, Dowdall was again appointed to the see on account of the great zeal he had shown against Protestantism. He survived his consecration only three months. Adam Loftus (1563-67), from whom the Church of Ireland hierarchy derive their orders, was consecrated by Hugh Curwin, Archbishop of Dublin.[5][6]
Later primates
A most learned primates was James Ussher (1625-56), whose most important works were "Veterum Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge", published in 1632, and "Brittanicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates", which appeared in 1639. He left his valuable library, comprising several thousand printed books and manuscripts, to Trinity College, Dublin, and his complete works were published by that institution in twenty-four volumes. His judgment against toleration of Roman Catholics, i.e. "to consent that they may freely exercise their religion and profess their faith and doctrine is a grievous sin", was a signal for the renewal of persecution and led to the Rising of the Irish Catholics in 1641.[5][6]
John Bramhall (1660-63), another learned divine, succeeded Ussher. His works on polemic and other subjects have been published in four folio volumes. Narcissus Marsh (1702-13), another learned prelate, built the noble library of St. Sepulchre's in Dublin, which bears his name, filled it with a valuable collection of theological and Oriental works and liberally endowed it for the support of a librarian and deputy. Richard Robinson, 1st Baron Rokeby (1765-94), raised Armagh by his munificence from extreme decay to a state of opulence and embellished it with various useful public institutions. He built an episcopal headquarters, a public library, an infirmary, and an observatory.[5][6]
Lord John George Beresford (1822-62) was also distinguished by his munificence. He restored Armagh Cathedral and is said to have spent £280,000 in acts of public benevolence. On his successor, Marcus Gervais Beresford (1862-65), fell a large portion of the task of providing for the future organization and sustentation of the Church of Ireland, which was disestablished from 1 January 1871. Prior to the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in 1871, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh was entitled to sit in the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual, along with the other Archbishops in rotation.[5][6]
List of Office holders
| List of Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | Incumbent | Notes |
| 1521 | 1543 | George Cromer | Appointed 2 0ctober 1521; consecrated April 1522; broke allegiance from the Roman Catholic Church in 1539; died 16 March 1543 |
| 1543 | 1552 | George Dowdall | Nominated 19 April 1543; consecrated December 1543; deemed to have deserted the See of Armagh before 28 July 1551 |
| 1552 | 1553 | Hugh Goodacre | Nominated 28 October 1552; consecrated 2 February 1553; died 1 May 1553 |
| 1553 | 1558 | George Dowdall (reinstated) |
Restored 23 October 1553; under his tenure allegiance to Rome was briefly re-established; died 15 August 1558 |
| 1558 | 1562 | See vacant | |
| 1562 | 1567 | Adam Loftus | Nominated 30 October 1562; consecrated 2 March 1663; Translated to Dublin 9 August 1567; died 5 April 1605 |
| 1568 | 1584 | Thomas Lancaster | Formerly Bishop of Kildare (1550-1555); nominated 12 March 1568; consecrated 13 June 1568; died 1584 |
| 1584 | 1589 | John Long | Nominated 7 July 1584; consecrated 13 July 1584; died before 16 January 1589 |
| 1589 | 1595 | John Garvey | Translated from Kilmore; nominated 24 March 1589; by letters patent 10 May 1589; died 2 March 1595 |
| 1595 | 1613 | Henry Ussher | Nominated 24 May 1595; consecrated August 1595; also Archdeacon of Dublin 1580-1613; died 2 April 1613 |
| 1613 | 1625 | Christopher Hampton | Nominated 16 April 1613; consecrated 8 May 1613; died 3 January 1625 |
| 1625 | 1656 | James Ussher | Translated from Meath; nominated 29 January 1625; by letters patent 21 March 1625; also Bishop of Carlisle 1641-1656; died 21 March 1656 |
| 1656 | 1661 | See vacant | |
| 1660 | 1663 | John Bramhall | Translated from Derry; nominated 1 August 1660; letters patent 18 January 1661; died 25 June 1663 |
| 1663 | 1678 | James Margetson | Translated from Dublin; nominated 25 July 1663, by letters patent 20 August 1663; died 28 August 1678 |
| 1679 | 1702 | Michael Boyle | Translated from Dublin; nominated 21 January 1679; by letters patent 27 February 1679; died 10 December 1702 |
| 1703 | 1713 | Narcissus Marsh | Translated from Dublin; nominated 26 January 1703; by letters patent 18 February 1703; died 2 November 1713 |
| 1713 | 1724 | Thomas Lindsay | Translated from Raphoe; nominated 22 December 1713; by letters patent 4 January 1714; died 13 July 1724 |
| 1724 | 1742 | Hugh Boulter | Translated from Bristol; nominated 12 August 1724; by letters patent 31 August 1724; died 27 September 1742 |
| 1742 | 1746 | John Hoadly | Translated from Dublin; nominated 6 October 1742; by letters patent 21 October 1742; died 16 July 1746 |
| 1747 | 1764 | George Stone | Translated from Derry; nominated 28 February 1747; by letters patent 13 March 1747; died 19 December 1764 |
| 1765 | 1794 | Richard Robinson | Translated from Kildare; nominated 8 January 1765; by letters patent 8 February 1765; created 1st Baron Rokeby 26 February 1777;[7] died 10 October 1794 |
| 1795 | 1800 | William Newcome | Translated from Waterford and Lismore; nominated 16 January 1795; by letters patent 27 January 1795; died 11 January 1800 |
| 1800 | 1822 | Hon. William Stuart | Translated from St David's; nominated 30 October 1800; by letters patent 22 November 1800; died 6 May 1822 |
| 1822 | 1862 | Lord John George Beresford | Translated from Dublin; nominated and by letters patent 17 June 1822; died 18 July 1862 |
| Between 1850 and 1886, the Diocese of Clogher was united to the Diocese of Armagh | |||
| 1862 | 1885 | Marcus Gervais Beresford | Translated from Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh; by letters patent 15 October 1862; died 26 December 1885 |
| 1886 | 1893 | Robert Bent Knox | Translated from Down, Connor and Dromore; elected 11 May 1886; died 23 October 1893 |
| 1893 | 1896 | Robert Samuel Gregg | Translated from Cork, Cloyne and Ross; elected 14 December 1893; died 10 January 1886 |
| 1896 | 1911 | William Alexander | Translated from Derry and Raphoe; elected 25 February 1896; died resigned 1 February 1911; died 12 September 1911 |
| 1911 | 1920 | John Baptist Crozier | Translated from Down, Connor and Dromore; elected 2 February 1911; died 11 April 1920 |
| 1920 | 1938 | Charles Frederick D'Arcy | Translated from Dublin; elected 17 June 1920; died 1 February 1938 |
| 1938 | 1938 | Charles Godfrey Fitzmaurice Day | Translated from Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin; 27 April 1938; died 26 September 1938 |
| 1939 | 1959 | John Allen Fitzgerald Gregg | Translated from Dublin; elected 15 December 1938; accepted 1 January 1939; resigned 18 February 1959; died 1961 |
| 1959 | 1969 | James McCann | Translated from Meath; elected 19 February 1959; resigned 16 July 1969 |
| 1969 | 1980 | George Otto Simms | Translated from Dublin; elected 17 July 1969; resigned 11 February 1980; died 1991 |
| 1980 | 1986 | John Ward Armstrong | Translated from Cashel and Ossory; elected 25 February 1980; resigned 1986; died 1987 |
| 1986 | 2006 | Robert "Robin" Eames | Translated from Down and Dromore; retired; created Baron Eames on 25 August 1995.[8] |
| 2007 | present | Alan Harper [9] | Translated from Connor; elected 9 January 2007; enthroned 16 March 2007.[9] |
See also
- Archbishop of Armagh (Pre-Reformation and Roman Catholic archbishops)
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh
Sources
- References
- ^ Diocese of Armagh: Homepage. Retrieved on 20 December 2008.
- ^ Crockford's Clerical Directory 2008/2009 (100th edition), Church House Publishing (ISBN 978-0-7151-1030-0).
- ^ Diocese of Armagh: Alan Harper. Retrieved on 23 January 2009.
- ^ Diocese of Armagh: History. Retrieved on 23 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (Third Edition, revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 379-380. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
- ^ a b c d Past Archbishops. Saint Partick's Cathedral, Armagh (Church of Ireland). Retrieved on 23 January 2009.
- ^ Peerages: Robson of Kiddington to Rosse. Leigh Rayment. Retrieved on 23 January 2009.
- ^ Peerages: Eames to Emly. Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Retrieved on 23 January 2009.
- ^ a b Diocese of Armagh: Alan Harper. Retrieved on 23 January 2009.
- Bibliography
- Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third Edition, revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 379-380. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
- Past Archbishops. Saint Partick's Cathedral, Armagh (Church of Ireland). Retrieved on 23 January 2009.
- The Succession of the Bishops of Armagh. Ulster Ancestry. Retrieved on 20 December 2008.
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