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.