Nobber was once an important town in the Kingdom of Meath, and the Rectory of Nobber was united to this dignity; thus the holder was sometimes called Rector of Nobber, Parson of Nobber, or most commonly styled Archdeacon of Nobber.[3][4] In medieval times, "Kells" is called Middle English: Kenlys, Kenlis, Keneleis, Keneles, with "Nobber" expressed as Middle English: Nobire, Nobbir, Nobir, Nebyre, Nobyre, Nober. Confusingly, the archdeacon of Kells held the Rectory of Nobber, while the archdeacon of Meath held the Rectory of Kells.[5][n 1]
In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. An archdeacon is often responsible for administration within an archdeaconry, which is the principal subdivision of the diocese. It is nearly impossible to fully catalogue the succession of holders of this ancient office.[7] Nonetheless, the information below is preserved.
* aft. = after
* bef. = before
* d. = died
* res. = resigned
* att. = attainted
Dates
Name of holder
Extracts from papal, ecclesiastical and annalistic sources
"son of Gaethin, Archdeacon of the Abbey of Kells, died",[7][4]Irish: "Cúdúiligh, mac Gaithine, fos airchinneach[n 2] Cenannsa, décc" and "Cuduiligh, son of Gaithine Fosairchinneach of Ceanannus, died.".[11]
"elected Bishop of Meath",[7] "on 12th of July 1286",[12] "appointed Bishop of Meath in 1287",[8] and "died in a very advanced age, in December, 1320 or 1321".[13]
"1 December 1348: Henry Powel, Archdeacon of Kenlys".[15] and in 1362,[7][8][4] and in 1367,[16] and in 1369 when Archbishop Sweteman wrote to "Master Henry Powle, Archdeacon of Kenlys" on 28 August, seeking details of "revenues", and 19 September, "warning him of the consequences of disobedience to this, his second letter".[17]
bef. 1374 - bef. 1380
Nicholas Runnehy?
"appears as Arch deacon, either of Meath of Kells".[18]
"Adam Naas (1384-1415)",[4][8] "Adam del la Naas (1411)",[23] "24 Nov 1412: Adam del Naase, Archdeacon of Kenlis",[24] "17 Apr 1413: Adam del Naas, Archdeacon of Kenlys".[25] died before 1417.[26]
Styled in 1417 as "Archdeacon of Nobber",[7] with "Mandate to collate and assign to Robert Sutton, .. the still void archdeaconry of Kenlys .. which, on its voidance by the death of Adam le Nase, Robert obtained by collation[27]". He retained possession in 1418,[4] but the "archdeaconry, .. possession of which Robert unlawfully detained", was confiscated on 17 July 1423.[26]
1423 - 1428 (d.)
Thomas Rosellis or Rossell
"1420, Thomas Rosell[is], perpetual vicar of St. Peter's, Drogheda, .. bachelor of canon law. Reservation of the canonry and prebend of Swerdes in Dublin, ..; notwithstanding that he holds .. the canonry and prebend of Glemethan in Dublin and the archdeaconry of Kenlys in Meath, which .. he has not got possession, and about which prebend and archdeaconry he is litigating in the Roman court",[28] "1423, Thomas Rosell[is], .. litigating .. about the .. archdeaconry of Kenlys .., to which is annexed the parish church of Nobyre, of which (quorum) he has not got possession, .. was adjudged to him and perpetual silence imposed on Robert" in 1423.[26] Died circa 1428.[29]
1423 - 1428 (res.)
John Stanyhurst
"the late Thomas Rosellis, archdeacon of Kenlys, in his cause long ventilated in the apostolic palace against John Stanyhurst, .. of which John was unduly detaining possession, as he still does, Rosellis obtained a definitive sentence by which the archdeaconry was adjudged to him and perpetual silence imposed on John",[29] in 1428.[30]
1428 - aft. 1428
Thomas Barby
"On 8th March 1429, To Thomas Barby, archdeacon of Kenlys in Meath, I.U.B. Collation and assignment of the said archdeaconry, .. to which is annexed the parish church of Nobir".[29]
bef. 1434 - bef. 1467
John Stanyhurst
"9 Aug 1434: John Stanyhurst, archdeacon of Kells in Meath.",[31] and "Archdeacon of Kells, and parson of Nobber in 1435".[32] and 1464.[7][4]
bef. 1467 - bef. 1525
James Porter
"archdeacon of Kells (de Kenlys) in the church of Meath, bachelor of canon law".[33]
"Cahir Magranyl, or McRanell,[19] "Chale Mac Gravyll",[37] "McRaynal, Charles Raynall .. died of an incurable fever the day before the Pope was due to appoint him Bishop of Elphin and Clonmacnoise, .. 15 July 1535".[38]
"In 1543 King Henry VIII. united the Rectory of Nobber to the Archdeaconry of Kells".[7][19]
aft. 1543 - 1565 (d.)
Thomas Lockwood
"After the separation of this dignity from its brief union with the Bishopric of Meath, we find Lockwood again Archdeacon in 1547",[19] holding office until his death, in April 1565.[39]
"styled archdeacon of nobber".[19] "Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland) in 1568". "On account of the Poverty of his See, he had a Licence dated 26 March, following his Consecration, to hold in Commendam, ... the Archdeaconry of Kells, together with the Rectory of Nobbir";[41] died 1584.[42]
Dissolution
In 1543, Edward Staples, Bishop of Meath, appropriated the Archdeaconry of Kells and the Rectory of Nobber to his Episcopal see,[8] or rather the temporalities of the offices.[43] The union was sealed by license from the king, dated 27th December, 1544.[44] Nonetheless, the Archdeaconry of Kells expressed itself again in 1547, with Thomas Lockwood still incumbent. The reason for the brief union of offices is unclear, but it is known many religious houses in Ireland resisted dissolution until well into the reign of Elizabeth I. On 12th March 1569, Thomas Lancaster, an English Protestant clergyman, consecrated Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland) on 12th June 1568, was given license to hold in commendam the post of archdeaconry of kells, and the rectory of Nobber.[41] According to the "Regal Visitation Book", sometime before 1622, the office of "Archdeaconry of kells, or Nobber", was permanently united to the bishopric of Meath.[4]
Notes and references
Notes
^Lawlor (1912) writes: "In Sweteman's rent-roll of Nobber, a place is mentioned by the name of Brakschise : it is elsewhere called Braktys. The first syllable of this name is evidently breac. Can it be Brittas in the parish of Nobber?".[6]
^See McInerney - "Irish: airchinneach" translates as "erenagh":- "Hist: Hereditary steward of church lands",[9] and "Irish: fos airchinneach" translates as "Vice-Erenagh",[10] so sources are erroneous to call "Cuduiligh" ("Fosairchinneach") an "Archdeacon".
^Healy (1908) erroneously lists "The Bishop of Telese in Campania" as Archdeacon in 1401, misinterpreting text: ".. bishop of Telese, the archdeacon of Kells (Kenllis) .. , and the official of Armagh." in Calendar of Papal Registers
Lawlor, H. J. (1911). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (ed.). "A Calendar of the Register of Archbishop Sweteman"(PDF). The Library, Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto, Canada: Dublin: Hodges, Figgis & Co., Ltd., London: Williams & Norgate. pp. 235, 236, 285. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
Gwynn, Aubrey (1946). W. Tempest, (ed.). The Medieval Province of Armagh, 1470-1545. Dundalk: Dundalgan Press. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)