The Volt House, Raphoe

The Volt House in the Diamond in Raphoe was built in 1738 by Bishop Nicholas Forster as a home for clergy widows. It was administered by the Bishop, the Archdeacon of Raphoe and the Dean of Raphoe. Now no longer a residence, the building has been tastefully restored in keeping with its 18th century style, and is used by several community organisations. Bishop Forster, a philanthropist, also built and endowed schools, including the then new premises of the Royal School, Raphoe, the Diocesan Library, and hospitals.

What the eccentric Earl-Bishop did for Derry

An article from the Derry Journal regarding a peculiar incident that took place in the current UK City of Culture some years ago.

It's doubtful that the mindless morons who burned a portrait of 18th century Earl Bishop of Derry, Frederick Hervey, knew anything of his radical support for Catholic rights in a time of persecution.

An ardent supporter of Catholic emancipation - a stance which invoked the ire of many of his contemporaries - Dr Hervey was honoured after his death by the people of his diocese, including a Dissenting minister and a Catholic Bishop.

At his family home in Ickworth in Surrey an obelisk was inscribed with a tribute which includes the following excerpt: "Sacred to the memory of Frederick, Earl of Bristol, Bishop of Derry, who during 35 years that he presided over that See, eandeared himself to all denominations of Christians resident in his extensive diocese. He was a friend and protector of them all."

According to various sources, the man whose family is well known for many reasons - including the famous sherry, Harvey's Bristol Cream - was extremely popular in Derry and is said to have brought the age of enlightenment to the city with his liberalism and tolerance.

In his book, 'Irish Eccentrics' Peter Somerville-Large says of Bishop Hervey: "He underwent that fierce metamorphosis that turns some English men into Irish patriots. In a time savage religious discrimination he openly supported the cause of Catholic emancipation."

He was well travelled, cultured, an art connoisseur, multi-lingual and an enthusiastic amateur geologist.

But Dr Hervey, was also bit of an oddball, packed full with peculiarities. He was widely regarded as an eccentric character and a host of bizarre tales infuse his lifestory.

On one occasion, according to Somerville-Large, the Earl-Bishop was enjoying a meal in Siena while on his travels and, as a procession of the Host passed under the window of his hotel, "he leaned out and threw a tureen of spaghetti at it".

On hearing of his appointment to the See of Derry, according to tradition, Dr Hervey was playing leapfrog with clergymen in the grounds of his palace at Cloyne. He's reported to have said: "Gentlemen, I will jump no more. I have surpassed you all! I have jumped from Cloyne to Derry."

The philosopher and utilitarian thinker Jeremy Bentham was impressed with Dr Hervey but also noted his failings.. "He is a most excellent companion, pleaseant, intelligent, well read, well bred and liberal minded to the last degree. He has been everywhere and knows everybody." However, Bentham also described the Earl Bishop as being "touched" and having a tendency to exaggerate.

The Bishop also had a habit dressing like Catholic Bishop, something which irritated the Vatican authorities on his frequent visits to Rome - a home from home for much of his life.

One aspect of his behaviour is described by Somerville-Large as "inexcusable". He spent nearly half of his 36 year tenure as Bishop of Derry out of the country. For the last 13 years he did not set foot in his diocese.

But his tenure, from 1768-1803, was notable for the way he used church collections to transform the Derry diocese, earning him the nickname 'The Edifying Bishop'.

Originally from Ickworth in Surrey, Hervey was appointed Bishop of Derry - regarded as the richest episcopal prize in the coutry - at the age of 39 through the favour of his brother George, Lord Bristol and a former Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

During his term in the diocese, he mined stone, built roads and developed ecclesiastical buildings but "perhaps the Bishop's greatest contribution to his adopted city", according to Brian Lacey in 'Siege City', was Dr Hervey's plans for the first bridge across the River Foyle.

He oversaw the plans and donated 1,000 to the initial project in 1769, although the wooden bridge did not come to fruition until 1790.

The Bishop even promoted new farming methods, introducing a "very neat kind of gate, the bars of which are oak rounded", according to one contemporary. He also built great mansions at Downhill and nearby Ballyscullion. The Downhill houses contained, among many other artefacts, galleries with paintings attributed to famous artists such as Rubens, Raphael, Murillo, Correggio, Tintoretto, Perugino, Van Dyke and Durer.

He enjoyed entertaining guests at Downhill, "rich and poor, Catholics and dissenters were all welcome", says Somerville- Large.

Dr Hervey also built Mussenden Temple on the cliffs above Magilligan Strand - which he dedicated to 22 year-old Mrs Frideswide Mussenden, whose beauty he "admired". The temple included an underground room intended for priests to say Mass, safe from religious persecution.

In 1778, Dr Hervey inherited an Earldom with the death of his brother Augustus and he became the first Earl-Bishop since Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and Earl of Kent, seven hundred years earlier.

Having, thrown himself into the radical political agitation of the period, Dr Hervey also had military aspirations. He was appointed Colonel of the Londonderry Corps of the Volunteers and made his military debut at the Volunteer meeting at Dungannon in September 8, 1783 which demanded a Grand General Convention of the Volunteers to lobby for greater legislative freedom for the Dublin Parliament.

At the convention in Dublin 1783, Dr Hervey mounted a leadership challenge against his long-term enemy James Caulfield, Earl of Charlemont - the commander of the movement. However, when his challenge failed Hervey was unable to influence any reform. One contemporary wrote: "The volunteer of Derry is of no consequence."

Nonetheless, liberals and Catholics were grateful. Somerville-Large quotes one tribute: "We trust that heavens' providence points you to us as one enobled instrument to raise our injured kingdom from infamy to glory, from misery to felicity."

But Dr Hervey's political enthusiasm waned as did his liberal views and by the time he died in July, 1803 - five years after the United Irishmen's failed rebellion - he had become "utterly reactionary".

In 1798 he was imprisoned by the Napoleon's force at Milan as a suspected spy, remaining in custody for 18 months. He died outdoors at Albano from "gout of the stomach", according to one contemporary and was buried in Ickworth Church.

However, despite all his oddities, he was remembered by Catholics, dissenters and his Anglican flock in Derry as a great patron, liberal agitator "friend and protector".

Those who saw fit to burn his portrait in a bonfire placed on a main city artery would do well to take note.

William Alexander 1824-1911 Bishop of Derry and Raphoe 1867-1896

William Alexander was born in Londonderry on the 13th April 1824. He was the son of Robert Alexander, Rector of Aghadowey and Dorothea, daughter of Henry McClintock of Ballyarton, Co. Donegal. Educated at Tonbridge School, Kent, Alexander won an exhibition to Exeter College, Oxford, but later migrated to Brasenose, where he graduated B.A. 1847. At college he seems to have been somewhat a spendthrift and consequently fell heavily into debt. Fortuitously, he was bailed out by his parents, but promised nevertheless to repay them when he received an income (the loan was repaid shortly before he became Bishop). During his time at college it was the profound influence of the "Oxford Movement" and in particular John Henry Newman's sermons which affected young Alexander deeply. After Newman's conversion to Rome, the young student himself contemplated following his example. He took his name of the college books, wrote to his mother stating his intention of converting and then left Oxford. But questions began to arise on his journey home. Along the way Alexander seems to have been touched by the calming influence of a Quakeress. This combined with a torturous night of soul searching in a cheap hotel in Birmingham, appears to have finally resolved the doubts that were present in the mind of the future Bishop of Derry and Raphoe. Many years later he would reflect on this spiritual evolution.

"At first I was carried away by the sheer aesthetic pleasure; later, at a great crisis, I was shown by those (Newman's) sermons the hidden things of my own soul; but later again, when the ignorant undergraduate had learned to read and think, he found many drawbacks in his paragon of other years. I owe him, no less, a deep debt of gratitude for an awakening of the soul, although I came to see that he had no profound exegesis, for he was not a profound scholar"

Will be updated at a later date. +Frederick, Derry. 

William Higgin 1793-1867 Bishop of Derry and Raphoe 1853-1867

William Higgin was born at Lancaster on the 27th September 1793. He was educated at Lancaster and Manchester Grammar Schools and Trinity College, Cambridge graduating B.A 1817, M.A. 1823, D.D. 1849. He became Curate of Clifton, near Bristol until 1820 when he moved to Ireland to act as tutor to the sons of Henry Goulburn, chief secretary of Ireland. Shortly afterwards he was appointed Chaplain of Richmond Penitentiary, Dublin. In 1823 Higgin became Rector of Roscrea, in the Diocese of Killaloe, and subsequently became Vicar-General of the Diocese. He was appointed Dean of Limerick in 1845. In this position Higgin appears to have been active in trying to relieve distress caused by the Great Famine. The local community's appreciation for his actions led the Corporation of Limerick to lobby for his promotion to the bishopric of Limerick. Four years later he was translated to the See of Derry.

The death of Richard Ponsonby in October 1853 led to speculation that William Higgin, then Bishop of Limerick, would be his successor. The news was greeted with apprehension by the local newspapers of the day. The Londonderry Sentinel, in particular, expressed its position in no uncertain terms:

"There are various cogent reasons why the appointment of Dr Higgin would be objected to in this diocese"

The paper opposed Higgin on two counts. Firstly, it was the fact that he was an Englishman. The appointment of Englishmen to lucrative Irish benefices when Irish born clerics were ignored was a sore point and indeed an old grievance. The paper argued that there were few enough opportunities for native clergy to advance without the added competition of their English counterparts. Furthermore  English clergymen were regarded by the paper as "ignorant of the habits and feelings of the population" and would thus be ill-prepared to serve their needs. The second issue which the paper drew attention to was Higgin's "Ultra Views" concerning the National System Education. As a recently appointed  Commissioner of National Education, Higgin would be at odds, the paper argued, with most of the clergy in the diocese who favoured "scriptural education" (those who supported the Church Education Society) . Despite this local opposition, however, William Higgin was indeed translated to the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe.

The appointment signalled a distinct change in the administration of the United Diocese in more ways than one. In contrast to Ponsonby, Bishop Higgin proved to be an energetic reformer. His aim was to raise the standard of ministry in the diocese and provide for the growing  spiritual needs of those of under his care. In his visitation of 1863, Higgin looked back on his arrival in the diocese ten years earlier when he had found "many of the churches without baptismal fonts, and in some instances, without becoming means for the decorus celebration of the Lord's Supper". Moreover, he found Holy Communion administered infrequently in many of the churches. Ten years later, however, Higgin was pleased to relate that every church now had a font and that the celebration of the Holy Communion was administered more often, to greater numbers and "with becoming reverence". There was also a discernible rise in the provision of evening services with increased attendance recorded. The 1859 religious revival, which the Bishop supported  also contributed  to increased church commitment.

This new spiritual energy could also be seen in the building of seventeen new churches and the enlarging of twenty-seven during Higgin's episcopate. The restoration of St. Columb's Cathedral was a case in point when, again on his arrival in the diocese, he had expressed sadness at the poor condition of the building and it's unfitness for the proper conduct of worship. In November 1858 the Bishop addressed the Vestry on plans for it's restoration which were eventually carried out in the period 1861-62 at the cost of approx £4000. The scheme saw the removal of the south and north galleries, the introduction of gas lighting and the erection of riga oak pews, the bishop's throne, western screens and stained glass windows.

During his episcopate, Bishop Higgin also sought to defend the church from attacks in parliament and the newspapers calling for its disestablishment. These attacks became more intense and more frequent as the 1860's progressed. To Higgin, therefore, it was all the more important that a high standard of clerical conduct was observed as a way to defend its establishment against such criticism. He consistently emphasized the duties which were expected of his clergy. Not only were they to ensure that church property was to be kept in good order, but by actions they were to set a good example to their congregation and acquaint themselves with the condition of their spiritual beliefs.

One case which proved to be indicative of Bishop Higgin's more vigorous administration was his suit against the Revd Moore O'Connor, the "soi distant" rector of Culdaff, in the consistorial court of Armagh in 1857. O'Connor, with no offcial clerical training, had successfully conned his way into serving the Anglican Church. After holding various curacies in England and Ireland, it appears in 1851 that he obtained the rectory of Culdaff through an act of simony. After Higgin's translation to Derry, however, O'Connor's colourful past eventually came under episcopal scrutiny, forcing the Bishop to act against him. In this curious case, which cost Higgin a small fortune (£1000), Moore O'Connor was finally deprived of his living. On this occasion Higgin's strict enforcement of clerical discipline won particular praise from the clergy of the diocese.

In other areas of his administration, however, the Bishop provoked "feelings of extreme dissatisfaction". On the question of clerical appointments, charges of nepotism and favoritism were made by the local press concerning the advancement of the bishop's sons-in-law and "palace favorites". Their quick rise in promotion to financially lucrative benefices at the expense of longer serving clerics in the diocese led to sustained protests in the early months of 1864 when a number of pamphlets were published by those defending and attacking the bishop's use of patronage.

William Higgin also attracted ill-feeling when, in 1860, he interfered with the celebrations marking the anniversary of the Relief of Derry.

It was customary on these occasions for Derry's crimson flag to be flown above the cathedral's east window and for the cathedral bells to be rung. During this particular year, however, The Party Emblems Bill (a measure designated to reduce breeches of public order) was making its way through parliament. Higgin as a member of the House of Lords which passed the bill on its first reading, and in the absence of the Dean, reused to allow this display to take place. The Apprentice Boys of Derry, however, defied Higgin's command and raised the flag. Attempts made by Higgin to stop these proceedings proved unsuccessful and led to the Apprentice Boy's occupation of the belfry over a period of two days during which the flag was flown and the bells rung. The local newspapers launched scathing criticism on the Bishop's conduct, "The Lord Bishop of Derry has done a grievous wrong. He has committed an outrage upon the Protestant Community".

Bishop Higgin died on the 12th of July 1867, even his fiercest critics acknowledged he had a genuine faith-

"He had his faults, for he was a man, but none was more ready to acknowledge them... He may have been sometimes too impulsive, but he was a thoroughly honest man, and sound judgement soon re-asserted its ascendancy."

   

Richard Ponsonby 1772-1853 Bishop of Derry 1831-1853 and Raphoe 1834-1853

Richard Ponsonby was the third son of William, created Baron Ponsonby 1806 and great grandson of the 1st Earl of Bessborough. He was born in Kildare on the 5th October 1772 and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin where he graduated B.A. 1794, M.A. 1816. Having been ordained in March 1795, he became a prebendary of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin (Tipper) 1795-1801; Vicar of Mothell and Fews (Lismore)1817-1828; Precentor of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin 1806-1806-1817; Rector of Cleenish (Clogher) 1810-1813; Rector of Carnew (Ferns) 1813-1821; Vicar of Tallow (Lismore)1817-1828; Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin 1817-1828. In March 1828 Richard Ponsonby was consecrated Bishop of Killaloe and Kilfernora. He was translated to Derry in September 1831.

The nineteenth century witnessed the gradual political mobilization of the Roman Catholic populace in Ireland. Their leader Daniel O'Connell, having achieved Catholic emancipation in 1829, continued in the 1830s to demand further reforms from the English government. During the episcopate of Richard Ponsonby the established church represented a significant target for those who felt its privileged position in Ireland was an anachronism. This was felt not only by members of the Roman Catholic Church, whom O'Connell heavily relied upon for support, but also by those who held strongly utilitarian line over a church which had more archbishops, bishops, deans and chapters and parochial clergy than was necessary for its existence. Pressure was therefore brought to bear, and the result was the Irish Church Temporalities Act of 1833. Ten sees, which included the archbishoprics of Cashel and Tuam, were to be abolished and the revenues of the remaining twelve were to be reduced and indeed taxed. In particular, Derry was united with the diocese of Raphoe on the death of Bishop Bissett (Bishop of Raphoe) in September 1834 with a now reduced revenue. The savings were to be solely for ecclesiastical purposes. While this produced a somewhat leaner Church of Ireland, it failed to satisfy the aspirations of its opponents. In this case it acted as a prelude to more sweeping changes later in the century.

The bishop, who resided for a large part of his episcopate at Boom Hall on the outskirts of Derry, was not noted for any discernible desire to improve the spiritual life of his diocese. That is to say he did not reflect the growing demand within the Church of Ireland which called for a higher standard of conduct amongst its clergy. To support this view, one of his relatives, Major-General Sir John Ponsonby, supplied an unflattering account of the prelate:

Richard Ponsonby was a man of talent, handsome, of courtly manners, but lazy in business. In 1804 he married his cousin Frances, the daughter of the Right. Hon. John Staples, a beautiful woman, but reported to be the worst housekeeper in Dublin. He had but one vice, a passion for gambling, and not withstanding his deanery and afterwards his bishopric worth then £14, 000 a year, he was always needy and dunned by creditors.   

William Knox 1762-1831 : Bishop of Derry 1803-1831

William Knox was born in Dublin on the 14th June 1762 and was the fourth son of Thomas, Ist Viscount Northland (later Earl of Ranfurly). Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Knox graduated B.A. in 1781 and began his ecclesiastical career as a Curate in Limerick city. Shortly afterwards he was appointed Chaplain to the Irish House of Commons. His subsequent preferments included Rector of Kilmore (Diocese of Meath), 1784-6; Rector of Pomeroy (Diocese of Armagh), 1786-94; Rector of Callan (Diocese of Ossory), 1787-94. He distinguished himself in the last appointment by building a poor school in the parish. On the 21st September 1794 Knox became Bishop of Killaloe and Kilfenora. There he continued to pursue an interest in education and social welfare. In particular he was an active member of a society formed "for promoting the comforts of the poor" and published a paper on "the utility and management of Dispensaries, Poor Schools, and Schools of industry". His support for the government in voting for the Act of Union of 1800 earned Knox the promise of promotion to a more lucrative See. In September 1803 the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, The Earl of Hardwicke, honoured the promise by translating William Knox to the See of Derry.

Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke KG, PC, FRS 

"As a bishop,he was very much beloved by his clergy, for though he never compromised the duties of his high office, he yet governed with a mild and paternal hand. He encouraged zeal- fostered piety- rewarded talent"

Although William Knox resided only four months of the year in Londonderry, while spending the rest mostly in London, his episcopate was far removed from the scandalous excesses of his predecessor. Knox had no wish to emulate the travelling habits of the Earl-Bishop, still less his eccentric behaviour. Instead, he adopted a much more consistent and conscientious approach to fulfilling his episcopal duties. Such a direction can in part be ascribed to the increasing influence of the evangelical movement which took root in the late eighteenth century, but which rose to prominence during the nineteenth. It's influence led to exactly the sort of activities which characterizes Knox's episcopate. The growing concern for higher standards of clerical conduct, the building of churches and glebe houses, the importance of education provision, and the support of various charitable causes were all exhibited in Knox's time in Derry.  

Among charities Knox was influential in the foundation of the Mendicity Association, and the establishment of a Charitable Loan which lent small sums of money to the city's poor enabling them to buy fuel during winter. Further afield, famine conditions in the south and west of Ireland in 1822 led the bishop to advocate at a town meeting that clothes made from linen "the staple manufacture of the north" be sent to relieve the destitute of those regions. Knox stated that clothes would help preserve them form infection while giving employment to the weaver and seamstress at home. The bishop contributed £500 as well as providing two hundred shirts and two hundred shifts.

Knox's interest in education provision could also be clearly seen. He liberally donated £100 to the building of Foyle College and a further £100 per annum for its endowment. Similarly, £400 was given to the building of a poor school with an endowment of £20 per annum. In these endeavours the bishop was merely continuing the work already begun in previous appointments only now they were on a greater scale.

Within the church, Knox sought to ensure that his clergy faithfully carried out their ministry. In his visitation of 1824, for example, the bishop told his clergy that he intended to enforce recent legislation attacking the problem of non-residency in the church.Rising criticism against the church's established position during the 1820s also led Knox to demand higher pastoral requirements. As a response to these attacks, he appealed to his clergy "to endeavour, by attention to the duties of their scared office, and by strict and exemplary lives, to refute the calumnies of their enemies". Raising the standard of pastoral service in parishes, however, was only part of the drive for greater ecclesiastical efficiency. The building of churches and glebe houses remained equally important. Helped financially by recent legislation, Knox was able to increase the number of ecclesiastical buildings in the diocese. In fact, he personally contributed not only to to the building of churches of his own denomination such as Christ Church, Londonderry, but also the erection of a number of Roman Catholic churches. However, it was his contribution to improving St. Columb's Cathedral which was most significant. On his arrival to the diocese the shock he expressed by it's state of disrepair had led him to immediately contribute £1000 towards its restitution. Yet further repair work to the building in the early 1820s caused heated controversy and ironically led to fierce criticism of the bishop.

In March 1822 an inspection of St. Columb's Cathedral reported that the roof timber was in so ruinous a state as to be totally incapable of repair. Against the opinion of Bishop Knox, a contract was issued by the parishioners to a local firm for it's repair, which according to Knox entailed much greater expense than was necessary. In 1823 the lead roof was replaced with a slate on, but the slating was found to be defective. It was therefore stripped again with the result that for some time the cathedral lay roofless before it was eventually re-slated. In the process, the interior of the building suffered considerable damage. During this period worship continued in the nearby Presbyterian church.

The dilapidated appearance of the cathedral and the time taken to restore it naturally gave rise to criticism of those who were responsible for its repairs. Traditionally repairs to the cathedral were financed out of an economy fund. In Derry's case, however, there did not appear to be any such fund as all previous repairs seemed to have been carried out by parochial assessment. As the sum needed to "repair" the cathedral on this occasion was more than the parishioners themselves could afford (approx. £4000), parliament was approached in May 1824 to help in financing the immediate work and establishing an economy fund for future repairs. The parliamentary bill to enable such a scheme was defeated, however, as it was alleged that such a fund already existed . Parliamentary scrutiny therefore turned the spotlight on Bishop Knox, criticizing him for allowing the cathedral to fall into such a state of  disrepair and accusing him of failing to expend money on its upkeep. Knox also came under attack from radicals in the press. The Dublin Evening Post of 1 May 1824, in particular, launched a stinging attack on the bishop under the title "The Rich Church and the Ruined Cathedral". However, the offending article, denigrating the bishop's character, produced an impressive and heartfelt display of local support for Knox. An address presented to the bishop, and later published, was signed by a cross-section of the community, that included the Roman Catholic bishop of Derry and the local Presbyterian minister. The address provided evidence of the bishop's financial contributions to numerous beneficial causes in the community.

Bishop Knox clearly felt that a section of opinion had been misinformed concerning his responsibilities over the cathedral's repairs. He was therefore forced to publish a pamphlet entitled "A statement and Refutation of the Charge against the Bishop of Derry" (1824). The bishop's defence rested on a point of principle by denying himself of his successors legally responsible for the cathedral's repairs. In no instance argued Knox had the law required that cathedrals should be repaired from the private purses of bishops, deans or chapters. the pamphlet aimed to show that the bishop had not been at fault concerning the repairs to the cathedral roof. At the same time time, his argument did not preclude him from contributing to improvements on the building. The cathedral reopened in January 1826.

Bishop Knox died in London on the 10th July 1831.  

Frederick Hervey 1730-1803 : Bishop of Derry 1768-1803 (The Earl Bishop)

One of the most eccentric and colourful prelates to have been made Bishop of Derry was Frederick Hervey. Born 1st August 1730, the third son of eight children from the marriage of Lord Hervey and Molly Lepel (of Ickworth, near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk), his penchant for building palatial country houses rather than for engaging in any moral crusade earned him the title of the "Edifying Bishop". Educated at Westminster School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he first showed leanings towards the Bar. But a change of heart on the part of his brother, William, from choosing a career in the church to one in the army appears to have made Frederick reconsider his future and plumb for an ecclesiastical career.

It was some time, however before Frederick acquired a "suitable" benefice as his only real chance for advancement lay through the patronage of his brother George, Lord Bristol, who became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1766. The bishopric of Cloyne was the first to become available, and Hervey was duly consecrated on the 31st May 1767. Yet the new bishop was not satisfied for long as his real ambition had centred on the rich bishopric of Derry. Fortuitously for Hervey, the death of William Barnard of Derry came swiftly thereby fulfilling his aspiration and signalling in February 1768 the beginning of his remarkable thirty-five years episcopate in the northern diocese. Legend records that Hervey, reflecting his ever present sense of fun, was engaged in a game of leap-frog amongst friends (either at Cloyne or Dublin Castle) when news came of his translation. The bishop no doubt to great effect, halted proceedings by declaring, "I will jump no more. I have beaten you all, for Ihave jumped from Cloyne to Derry"

Hervey's playful antics and cosmopolitan image undoubtedly marked a break with tradition in the See of Derry. His skilful management of Derry's episcopal finances allowed him heavily to indulge his appetite for building grand country houses, acquiring Italian works of art and realizing an insatiable desire for a life of travel. Yet while such financial resources undoubtedly led to extravagance, the bishop nevertheless showed through his actions that a sense of duty and purpose also existed. On his arrival, for example, he conducted a diocesan visitation in an effort to ensure that care was taken for the welfare of his clergy. He established a superannuation fund, was keen to encourage the building of glebe houses and discountenanced the idea of appointing clergy to benefices from outside the diocese. The bishop also used his income for the building of roads, the development of agriculture, mining exploration, churches in the diocese, the building of a new bridge across the Foyle and in the erection of a new spire for St. Columb's Cathedral. Admittedly his greatest efforts went into the building of palatial houses to house his art treasures:

 
Downhill (with the Mussenden Temple)

    
the episcopal place and the "Casino" in Londonderry, Ballyscullion and at the ancestral home of Ickworth in Suffolk. Yet such artistic excesses had welcome economic consequences: Hervey became an important source of employment in each locality. Appreciation for the bishop in the diocese was not lacking either. He gained the freedom of the City of Londonderry, and after his death an obelisk to his memory was erected at Ickworth by all sections of the city's community. He was also remembered in the Siege Memorial Window in St. Columb's Cathedral alongside the Roman Catholic Bishop of Derry.

It was not only his flamboyant lifestyle and public acts of generosity which marked Hervey out from most of his Anglican peers, it was also his striking opposition to the penal laws, and his calls for religious toleration for Presbyterians and Roman Catholics. His popularity amongst these two groups was due in no small part to his efforts to incorporate them into the political nation. At a local level his enlightened thinking led him to help financially with the building of a number of Roman Catholic churches, notably the impressive St. Columb's (The Long Tower Church) in Londonderry to which he subscribed £200. The impetus behind the measure can be seen in a letter from  Rome (19th September 1778) and reflects a philosophy based on his knowledge of European affairs: "I have seen myself destined £1000 for our chapels in the diocese of Derry, having seen the excellent effect of a reciprocal toleration through all the great towns in Germany, and the bad effects of intolerance through all the great towns of Italy"

While Hervey consistently expressed his support for the rights of humanity, his efforts were also designed to secure political stability within Ireland. His suggestion, for example, that the Crown should endow the Roman Catholic and Presbyterian churches and appoint their clergy was a naive attempt at political control:

"The Crown should be the patron of all dissenters, seceders and schismatics whatever, and the Crown should either pay them or be the cause of their being paid, and then the Government would be certain that the people they appoint and the doctrines they would teach ... This would effectively tear up rebellion by the roots, for where the preacher would be appointed by the proper authority, and then be paid for preaching loyalty instead of disaffection; where the treasure is there would be the heart likewise"  

In a similar frame of mind, Hervey took the initiative in the search for a legal formula whereby Roman Catholics could swear allegiance to the Crown in the hope of binding them loyally to the state. Eventually in 1774 such an act was passed, but to Hervey's disappointment it failed to gain approval from Rome. Further efforts were made at the end of the 1770s. The bishop was particularly anxious about the latter. Writing in September 1779, he lobbied for a repeal of the Sacramental Test Act of 1704 (a measure which had been designed to ensure that members of the established church were appointed to public office) to offset their possible disaffection if such an invasion occurred:

"While all the regard I have for the Presbyterians, many of whom I know to be excellent men, yet I deem them much more dangerous at this crisis than the Papists. Their principles are truly republican amongst them and the pro-offer of independence, which will be instantly exhibited by the French, cannot fail to success amongst them ... The rights of humanity demand a general and unlimited toleration at all times. Policy peculiarly demands it at present. A reasonable indulgence to the Presbyterian and the Papist may save the Kingdom."

In 1780 the Test Act was finally removed from the statute book. Hervey's opposition to religious discrimination took on a more coherent and committed form, albeit for a limited period, when he became involved in the Volunteer Movement in the early 1780's. Ostensibly to defend from French invasion, the movement quickly became an important political pressure group influenced by events in America. Hervey was no doubt attracted to the whole idea of display and revelry but he was also genuine in his demand for reform of parliamentary representations and, in particular, his wish to extend the franchise to Roman Catholics. Becoming colonel of the Londonderry Corps of Volunteers, his contribution was to reach it's height at the Grand General Convention of Volunteers of all Ireland held firstly at the Royal Exchange and then at the Rotunda, Dublin in November 1783. Hervey's arrival in Dublin could hardly have been more ostentatious. His love of display was given full rein in an effort to influence the other delegates.

But in a tussle for the presidency of the convention Hervey lost out to the conservative Lord Charlemont.

James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of  Charlemont 1728-1799

He then hoped for an alliance with the great parliamentary orator Henry Flood in order to guide through what was hoped would be substantive reform. Yet again he was disappointed. Flood was to be no different from Charlemont. Both men saw what Hervey was espousing as a direct threat to the Protestant Ascendency of which they were a part. Moreover, the bishop's excitable nature did little to further any confidence they had in him. When an emasculated reform package was put together, Flood carried it for debate to the House of Commons in full Volunteer uniform only to have it contemptuously rejected. Reform of the kind which Hervey had in mind did not come until well into the nineteenth century. In the meantime, at attempted rebellion was to take place in 1798, an event which Hervey might well have foreseen. Having witnessed the demise of the noble principles of the French Revolution, he was convinced of the need to stern anarchy. After this brief fling of volunteering, the bishop never regained his interest in Irish politics. In 1800 he decided to vote by proxy for the Act of Union.

   

As the years passed the Earl-Bishop (created Earl on the death of his brother, Augustus, in December 1779) spent more time touring the continent (a number of Bristol Hotels were established after his name). Indeed, he spent the remainder of his life, from 1791 onwards, outside Ireland. Unsurprisingly, such a lengthy leave of absence eventually incurred the justified criticism of his episcopal brothers. Yet time spent abroad could hardly ever have been dull. In his world he mixed  with such internationally renowned luminaries as Voltaire, Goethe and Benjamin Franklin. While equally significant were his flirtatious associations with notorious courtesans of the period as Lady Hamilton (Nelson's mistress and married to Hervey's school friend and later Ambassador at Naples, Sir William Hamilton) and Countess Lichtenau (mistress of Frederick William II of Prussia). In this respect, the Earl-Bishop's singularity led one historian to remark:

"Although there is no proof that impropriety of his conduct went beyond a highly unepiscopal freedom of language and heedlessness of decorum, the character of the ladies with whom his name was chiefly connected was of kind which gave probability to the grossest suggestions as to the nature of his liaisons"

Hervey's family life also suggests a rather unflattering picture. Having married at a young age against the wishes of both sets of families, his relationship with his wife steadily deteriorated until, in 1782, he finally left her. Furthermore, attempts to force his own son Frederick (the marriage produced four sons and three daughters), into an unsuitable marriage took little account of his wishes on the subject. Consequently, the general view concerning his Christian faith has understandably been somewhat sceptical, Countess Lichtenau stated that Hervey "professed no religion although he had strong innate principles" Yet John Wesley was generous enough to write "The Bishop is entirely easy and unaffected in his whole behaviour, exemplary in all parts of worship, plenteous in good works".

Frederick Hervey died from an attack of gout on a road outside Albano, Italy on the 8th of July 1803.

William Barnard 1697-1768 : Bishop of Derry 1747-68

William Barnard was born in Clapham, Surrey circa 1697. He was educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, graduating B.A. 1720; M.A. 1724; D.D. 1740. He was elected a fellow of the College in 1724 and two years later became Rector of Esher, Surrey, 1726-44. During this tenure he became acquainted with the Duke of Newcastle who made him his Chaplain, while in 1728 he was appointed Chaplain to the King. Barnard became Prebendary of Westminster, 1732-43; Vicar of St. Bride's, London, 1739-47; Dean of Rochester, 1743-3. In May 1744 he was appointed Bishop of Raphoe and three years later was translated to Derry on the 3rd March 1747.

Barnard, after returning to England on account of poor health, died in London on the 10th January 1768 and was buried at Westminster Abbey. He married Anne Stone, sister of his predecessor. Their eldest son later became Bishop of Limerick. William Barnard was responsible for the building of the Chapel of Ease and the Bishop's Palace in Londonderry. He published A Sermon preached before the Incorporated Society for Promoting English Protestant Schools in Ireland, Dublin 1752.

George Stone 1708-1764 : Bishop of Derry 1745-7

George Stone was born in London circa 1708, son of an eminent banker. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford graduating B.A. 1729; M.A. 1732; D.D. 1740. Stone may first have thought about a career in the army, but in the end he took Holy Orders. He arrived in Ireland as Chaplain to his patron, the Duke of Dorset, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset 1688-1765

It was the beginning of his meteoric rise to power that took Stone to the top of the ecclesiastical ladder in Ireland: Dean of Ferns, August 1733; Dean of Derry, March 1734; Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, August 1740; Bishop of Kildare (and Dean of Christ Church, Dublin), March 1743; Bishop of Derry, May 1745; Archbishop of Armagh, March 1747.

Stone was not yet forty years old when he became Archbishop of Armagh. His rapid success in gaining such preferment was largely due to his political and administrative connections. His brother, Andrew, was Private Secretary to the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State and later Prime Minister.

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle 1693-1768

Access to such an influential English politician inevitably helped Stone to reach the dizzy heights of episcopal office. When the bishopric of Derry became vacant, for example, it was Newcastle himself who wrote to the Earl of Chesterfield, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, campaigning for Stone's translation to the northern diocese:

"My friend, the bishop of Kildare (Stone) will not discredit any station you may do the honour to place him in"

By rising through the church hierarchy, Stone was able to realize his considerable political ambitions. For it was politics rather than church affairs that dominated his thinking. His promotion to the primacy in March 1747 was therefore of great significance as it led to his appointment as Lord Justice. In this role he was able to exert a direct influence on government policy and patronage in Ireland. Yet his elevation to the episcopate, and in particular the primacy, was also a recognition of Stone's political importance. Since his arrival in the 1730s he had displayed an ability to cultivate support within the political arena. This was based on an impressive knowledge and understanding of the factional complexities of Irish parliamentary affairs. From the late 1740s to the early 1760s, his influence was to carry increasing weight. Consequently, no chief governor could afford to ignore Stone as his skill in managing the different parliamentary interests made him a very powerful and useful politician.

However, in playing the political power-broker, the Archbishop was not to be without enemies, and in the early 1750s he attracted a welter of criticism from discontented Irish grandees.

Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon 1682-1764

Henry Boyle (later  Earl of Shannon) and the Earl of Kildare both felt that Stone had become too politically powerful (at their expense) for the good of the country. While he was eventually to patch up his quarrel with Boyle, Kildare remained implacable.

James Fitzgerald, 1st Duke of Leinster 1722-1773, styled Lord Offlay until 1744 and known as the Earl of Kildare between 1744 and 1761 and as the Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 1766.

In the earl's opinion, Stone was, and always would be, a man of insatiable greed: "he made use of his influence to invest himself with temporal power, and affected to be a second Wolsey in the state"

Stone died, unmarried, on the 19th December 1764 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. He is said to have given the domingo mahogany organ in St. Columb's Cathedral, the case of which can be seen in the west gallery.

Carew Reynell 1698-1745 : Bishop of Derry 1743-45

Carew Reynell was born in London in 1698. He was educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford where he was both a scholar and a fellow. He graduated B.A. 1715; M.A. 1719; B.D. and D.D. 1730. He became Chaplain to William Bradshaw, Bishop of Bristol, and was also appointed Chancellor of the Diocese. Reynell came to Ireland as Chaplain to the Lord Lieutenant, the Duke of Devonshire in 1737.

William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire 1720-1764

In 1739 he was promoted by the Lord Lieutenant to the See of Down and Connor and in May 1743 was translated to Derry. He died in January 1745.

Thomas Rundle 1688-1743 : Bishop of Derry 1735-43

Thomas Rundle, the son of a clergyman, was born at Milton Abbot, near Tavistock, Devonshire 1688. He was educated at Exeter College, Oxford and graduated B.C.L. in 1710. In 1712 Rundle became acquainted with William Whiston whose unorthodox (Arian) religious views had led to his banishment from Cambridge University where he had been professor. Nevertheless, Rundle himself became momentarily a "hearty and zealous member" of Whiston's "Society for Promoting Primitive Christianity" 

William Whiston 1667-1752

By 1717, however, his interest in this "temperate and abstemious a way of living" had waned and Rundle was now intent on taking Holy Orders. It drew a resentful response from Whiston: "you are going to leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness, and I will have nothing more to do with you".

During his Oxford days, Rundle had become good friends with Edward Talbot, second son of Dr. William Talbot, then Bishop of Salisbury. The association proved fruitful and resulted in the bishop's patronage of the young cleric: Chaplain to Bishop Talbot, 1716;

The Right Reverend. Dr. William Talbot, Bishop of Oxford 1699-1715, Bishop of Salisbury 1715-1722, Bishop of Durham 1722-1730. His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant, County Durham 1722-1730. 

Vicar of Inglesham, Wiltshire, 1719; Rector of Poulshot, Wiltshire, 1720; Archdeacon of Wilts, 1720.

After the death of Edward in 1720, and on being translated to Durham, Bishop Talbot continued to promote the interests of Rundle: Prebendary of Durham Cathedral: Vicar of Sedgefield, 1722; Resident Chaplain to the Bishop, 1724-1730; Master of Sherborn Hospital, Durham, 1728.

In 1733 the See of Gloucester became vacant and Rundle was nominated, after the death of Bishop Talbot in 1730, by Talbot's other son, Charles, Lord Chancellor.

Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot PC (1685-1737) Lord Chancellor of Great Britain 1733-1737 

His nomination, however, was opposed by the then Bishop of London, Edmund Gibson, who ostensibly suspected Rundle, given his erstwhile association with Whiston, of heterodox opinions. Rundle, to defend himself, explained in a letter to a friend:

"I am an open and talkative man, and not one of my acquaintances ever suspected my disbelief in the Christian religion .... I do not doubt but the Bishop of London thinks me a very bad man, and thinks in opposing me, he doth God and the church good service; but it is not me, but the phantom represented to him under my name, that he so vehemently opposes .... I only complain that he prefers a little tattle hear-say character, from men that have no intimacy with me."

The impasse, after some debate between contending parties, seems to have been resolved by Gloucester going to Martin Benson (a friend of Rundle's) while Rundle himself was promoted to the richer benefice of Derry. The Bishop of London was probably satisfied with this compromise as Rundle's connection with the Lord Chancellor could not be overlooked. Derry, after all, was in a different sphere of influence to that of Gloucester and thus could be more easily ignored by English Churchmen. The rejection from an English bishopric and his promotion to an Irish one, however, naturally excited objections from within the Irish Church itself and in particular from the Primate, Hugh Boulter.

The Most Reverend Hugh Boulter, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland. (1672-1742)

  

The Very Reverend Jonathan Swift,  Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.  (1667-1745)

Yet ironically it was Jonathan Swift who came to the defence of Rundle by penning a few satirical verses which touched on the recent controversy:

Make Rundle Bishop! fie for shame!

An Arian to usurp the name!

A Bishop in the Isle of Saints!

How will his Brethren make complaints!

Dare any of the mitred host

Confer on him the Holy Ghost?

Rundle a Bishop! well he may,

He's still a Christian more than they;

We know the subject of their quarrels,

The man has learning, sense and morals,

Objections to Rundle's appointment gradually abated and over time the bishop became well liked by churchmen and the literary elite alike. Swift became greatly impressed by Rundle as a conversationalist and wit, remaking to Alexander Pope "he is indeed worth all the rest you ever sent us ... His only fault is that he drinks no wine, and I drink nothing else." This was praise indeed since Swift was a committed opponent of English appointees to Irish Church benefices. He had now made one exception.

Rundle, who resided chiefly in Dublin, became noted for his "repeated acts of public munificence and private generosity, which gradually endeared him to the people of Ireland." The building of an episcopal residence in Dublin, for example, while costing a considerable sum. gave much needed work to local tradesmen. There is evidence that, though he did not wish to leave the English Church, he was nonetheless to find comfort in his Irish surroundings:

"My situation in Ireland is as agreeable to me as any possibly could be, remote from the early friendship of my life ... At Dublin, I enjoy the most delightful habitation, the finest landscape, and the mildest climate, that can be described or desired. I have a house there rather too elegant and magnificent , in the north of an easy Diocese, and a large revenue. I have about thirty-five beneficed clergymen under my care, and they are all regular, decent and neighbourly; each hath considerable and commendable general learning, but no one is eminent for any particular branch of knowledge. And I have rather more Curates, who are allowed by their Rectors such a Stipend, as hath, alas! tempted most of them to marry, and it is not uncommon to have Curates that are fathers of eight or ten children, without anything but an allowance of £40 a year to support them."

Rundle, who never married, died in Dublin on the 14th April 1743 and left his fortune of £20,000 to John Talbot, second son of The Lord Chancellor. 

Henry Downes 1667-1735 : Bishop of Derry 1727-35

Henry Downes was educated at New College, Oxford and graduated B.A. 1690, M.A. 1693/4. After three parishes in Northamptonshire, he became chaplain to George I and George II.

George I, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg.

George II, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg.

Downes held a number of bishoprics before his translation to Derry: Killala, 1717; Elphin, 1720; Meath 1724. Finally, in February 1727, Downes was translated to Derry.

A good friend of his predecessor, William Nicolson, Downes shared with him the distinction of being termed a "foreigner" (English bishops in charge of Irish Sees) by the resentful native born clergy. Not surprisingly therefore, Downes also came into Archbishop King's line of fire. On hearing that Downes had been hotly tipped to become Bishop of Elphin, the Archbishop, writing in April 1720, issued a familiar warning on the problem of non-residency:

"He (Downes) is very capable of doing good, if he will apply himself to it. The bishopric he has is about £900 per annum, besides a good mensal; and there is a tolerable house on it, in which his predecessor lived comfortably and hospitality, but he has not thought fit to imitate the example. If bishops take the course, that is much in practice, to fix in Dublin, and only make an excursion once in the year into their diocese, I am afraid the gentry and people of the country will not easily find out of what use they are; and to have a set of men looked on as useless, is, I am Afraid, a great temptation to lay them aside."

There were two reasons why Downes moved to Elphin. Firstly, the income was £500 per annum more than Killala. Secondly, it was also fifty miles nearer to the centre of social life in Ireland: Dublin. The diocese itself can hardly have been the attraction. Downes estimated that Roman Catholics outnumbered Protestants fifty to one. While the low number of clergy (twenty) was reflected in the acute shortage of clerical houses fit for habitation. Downes, himself, when he visited his diocese during a two month tour, lived in a "little hired cabin" as the episcopal residence was unfit for occupation. It was by the urging of Bishop Nicolson that Downes rebuilt it at the cost of £2000.

Downes' translation to the bishopric of Meath, an even richer see, was the result of his close connection with Bishop Nicolson, and is a good example of ecclesiastical jobbery within the established church of eighteenth century Ireland. He made no secret of his desire for this particular promotion and used Nicolson;s link with the Bishop of London to advance his claim. London, given his standing at the English Court, was thus able to mention Downes's name for the position.

The Right Reverend and The Right Honorable Edmund Gibson, Bishop of London 

  

As Downes himself related, "I believe his Grace's recommendation of me to Meath was no sooner received than approved". The same machinations were evident in Downes's preferment to the wealthy bishopric of Derry. He, like Nicolson, had a large family and had also suffered the recent bereavement of his wife. It would appear that the Primate, Hugh Boulter, on the eminent death of the Archbishop of Cashel, had chosen Nicolson to succeed him. Nicolson was reluctant to leave Derry but eventually agreed on the understanding that Downes would follow him north.

If Downes' habits remained unchanged when he was translated to Derry, then it was more than likely that he chiefly resided in Dublin. Nevertheless, a surviving visitation record of 1733 suggests that the northern diocese during his episcopate was kept in reasonable shape. In contrast to the Diocese of Elphin, there were thirty-five beneficed clergy in Derry together with twenty-two curates ministering to the parishioners. During the period, philosopher George Berkley had spent much of the time as Dean of Derry formulating plans (ultimately in vain) for a university in Bermuda. His cathedral, however, appears not to have suffered, The visitation found that "The Cathedral is a goodly substantial fabrick.... has a good steeple, a ring of bells, a good organ and everything necessary for the decent performance of Divine Service." Morning and evening services were conducted daily while on Sunday itself sermons were preached morning and afternoon. There were now five hundred communicants at great festivals compared to his predecessor's estimate of four hundred communicants at Christmas 1724.

Bishop Downes died on the 14th January 1735 and was buried in St. Mary's Church, Dublin. He established the clergymen's widows fund in the diocese and in his will left £20 to the poor of Derry. The bishop published a volume of sermons in 1708. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Wilson, Dean of Carlise by whom he had five sons and several daughters. His eldest son, Robert, later became Bishop of Raphoe.

  

William Nicolson 1655-1727 : Bishop of Derry 1718-27

William Nicolson, son of a clergyman, was born in Great Orton, Cumberland on the 3rd June 1655. He was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. in 1676. After a spell abroad in 1678, Nicolson returned to his alma mater to take up the post of fellow in the following year. In the same year he became chaplain to the them Bishop of Carlise, Edward Rainbow.

Bishop Edward Rainbow.

Under Rainbow's patronage, Nicolson was able to advance his ecclesiastical career in his native Cumberland. In 1681 he was appointed vicar of Torpenhow while a year later he became Rector of Great Salkeld and Archdeacon of Carlisle. Sixteen years later (April 1718) he was translated to the See of Derry.

The ascension of George I in 1714 and the emergence of the Whigs as the dominant party in eighteenth century British politics led to a desire to establish an episcopal bench of similar political complexion both in England and Ireland. William Nicolson's translation to Derry can therfore be seen as an example of this policy in action. For taken as a whole, Nicolson's Whig credentials were unquestioned. He had supported without demur the Glorious Revolution of 1688, had taken an active role in advancing Whig politics at a local level in his diocese, and equally important, was favourably disposed to the new Hanoverian rule. However, the bishop, while genuinely attached to his native diocese, had hoped to have received further preferment within the English church. Yet the prospect of a financially lucrative bishopric in Ireland was enough to overcome any lingering doubts. This he candidly admitted was his reason for moving to Derry. The bishop was now a widower and provision for his family of two sons and five daughters had therefore to be made. In short, his translation to Derry solved these financial concerns. Not only was he to benefit from a significant rise in episcopate income, but he was also to control most of the clerical patronage of the diocese. Thus it was hardly surprising that Nicolson would grant a number of benefices to his immediate family. His younger son John, for example, was given the profitable rectory of Donnaghmore and other benefices were given to his nephews, Joseph Rothery and James Nicolson, and son-in-laws, Mr Mauleverer and Thomas Benson. The bishop, however was unsuccessful in his attempt to procure the deanery of Derry for Benson which went to the Irish philosopher  George Berkeley. 

Bishop George Berkley (Bishop of Cloyne)

A predictable response came from Archbishop King who ruefully attacked Nicolson's nepotistic conduct and (the real purpose of his criticism) the policy of rewarding Englishmen with Irish sees:

"The bishops sent to us from England follow the same track in many instances. The Bishop of Derry (Nicolson) since his translation to that see, has given about £2000 in benefices to English friends and relations."

There can be little doubt that on his arrival in his diocese, Nicolson was shocked by the poverty of the Irish countryside and its people. It was a sharp contrast to the relative prosperity of his former diocese:

I saw no danger of loosing the little money I had, but was under the apprehension of being starv'd, having never beheld (even in Picardy, Westphalia, or Scotland) such dismal marks of hunger as appeared in the countenances of most of the poor creatures that I have met with on the road. The wretches ly in reeky sod-hovels, and have generally no more than a rag of coarse blanket to cover a small part of their nakedness.... These sorry slaves plow the ground to the very tops of their mountains, for the service of their lords: who spend (truly rack-rent) at London. A ridge or two of potatoes is all the poor tenant has for the support of himself, a wife and (commonly) ten or twelve bare leg'd children. To complete their misery, these animals are bigotted papists: and we frequently met them trudging to some ruin'd church or chapel, either to mass, a funeral or a wedding, with a priest in the same habit with themselves.

Poverty, however, was not the only aspect that made Nicolson regard his Irish diocese as different. He was also made quickly aware of the large nonconformist population within his jurisdiction. Indeed, the bishop had now to accustom himself to the fact that Anglicans were in the minority. Writing in the month after his arrival (July 1718), Nicolson estimated that Londonderry and its hinterland were inhabited by approximately 1600 families, half of whom were Presbyterian, while the other half were equally divided between Roman Catholics and Anglicans. The bishop recognised the strength of Presbyterianism and their as yet unofficial position in the state: "that their worship is only conniv'd at, but not legally tolerated". While he backed a limited act of toleration (similar to one in England) in 1719, much to the chagrin of Archbishop King, he was nevertheless implacably hostile to any move which would threaten Anglican hegemony of public office. In 1724 he had combined to defeat a proposal to legalize marriages conducted by dissenting ministers. Similarly, but with greater emphasis, he was antipathetic to any Roman Catholics whom he thought were corrupt and inherently disloyal.

Archbishop William Wake

Such a view was articulated to Archbishop Wake of Canterbury in relation to one,

most barbarous Rapparee; who is under sentence of condemnation for one of the most hellish Murders that I have ever heard of. This crime, in men of his possession, is High Treason by a late law in this Kingdome. Upon Saturday next, he is to be executed. His head will be placed (as great numbers are in every one of our Northern Counties) on the Roof of the Jayl; and his Quarters Gibbetted in several parts of the county. This fellow is, as of these Villains are, a papist; And several circumstances of his bloody fate are a Demonstration that he had been brought to believe that there was no more sin in killing an Heretick, than in knocking a Wolf on the head. Notwithstanding all our late Acts of Parliament, unlicensed priests swarm amongst us.

The English government's choice of Nicolson as bishop of Derry was indicated early in his episcopate when the issue of independence of the Irish legislature became a heated and pressing issue. The question arose in 1719 over the jurisdiction of the Irish House of Lords in regard to the now famous land case, Sherlock versus Annesley. Colonial nationalist sensitivities were upset when English Lords became involved in the dispute by over-turning the decisions already reached in Ireland. As a member of the Irish House of Lords and a proponent of the supremacy of their English counterparts, Nicolson was active against the moves of Archbishop King and others who were forcing the issue of independence of the Irish legislature. Yet despite their efforts to proclaim the rights of the Irish Parliament as they saw them, the British Government was in no mood for compromise. King's colonial nationalism was answered by the British Parliament's 1720 Act declaring its full power and authority to make laws for Ireland. Nicolson's opposition to Irish interests on this particular point did nothing to endear him to his adopted country. Yet by May 1720 the bishop sensed that most of the native criticism of his conduct and those of his fellow English Bishops had begun to abate: "We are happily growing into one band of Good Fellowship, not withstanding the little Ruffle that has happen'd from your Dependency-Act (British Parliament's 1720 Act); which is somewhat hard of Digestion, and occasions many a squirting look at us poor Foreigners"

George  By the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg

 Outside the parliamentary arena, Nicolson proved faithful to the duties which were required of him. In particular, the bishop took to heart the express wish of  George I that he should reside in Derry. With the exception of one visit to England together with the discharge of his parliamentary duties (he was a leading exponent of an act to encourage clerical residency and acted predictably against a bill to reduce episcopal revenues), he made a point of concentrating on diocesan affairs. The spiritual and material well-being of the diocese (at least in Nicolson's opinion) appears to have shown a marked improvement from the previous century. The bishop proudly reported during his annual visitation in June 1719 he had witnessed the "Appearance of fifty of the best and richest clergy, clergy that are in anyone diocese in this Kingdome". Two months later Nicolson's own concern to see that the church was fulfilling it's mission led him to conduct a parochial visitation to the more inaccessible regions of his diocese "where no Bishop has been since the year 1693 (William King's time of vitiation). Encouraging signs of progress could also be seen in the numbers of those receiving communion in St. Columb's Cathedral. At Easter 1724 there had been over three hundred communicants when, according to Nicolson "five years ago 74 was reckon'd a vast number". Similarly, the following Christmas, the bishop related, had attracted approximately four hundred communicants compared to William King's average Christmas estimate of one hundred when he was bishop. As an Englishman who had been castigated by Archbishop King for receiving an Irish bishopric when native clergymen  where ignored, Nicolson's activities supplied a suitable riposte.

An intellectually industrious man, particularly at the beginning of his career, Nicolson was best known for his work on The English, Scottish, and Irish Historical Libraries, which consisted of a critical bibliography of each of their histories. According to Sir James Ware, however, "he fell into many errors in his last work (Irish), for want of sufficient acquaintance with the Irish manuscripts and language". His interest as an antiquarian led him to build manuscript rooms near his palace in Londonderry for the preservation of diocesan records. In January 1727 he was translated to the archbishopric of Cashel, but died at Derry on the 14th February of the same year and was buried in the Cathedral.