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Archdeacon of Kells, alias Archdeacon of Nobber Archdeacon of Kells
Motif in old Nobber graveyard, male figure wearing a Mitre
Church	Catholic Church in Medieval Ireland
Archdiocese	Diocese of Meath
Province	Kingdom of Meath
See	Bishop of Meath
Quashed	before 1622

The Archdeacon of Kells (Middle English: Kenlys, Kenlis Irish: Ceanannas), alias the Archdeacon of Nobber (Middle English: Nobire, Nobbir, Nobyre, Irish: an Obair, meaning 'the work'), was a medieval ecclesiastical post in the Diocese of Meath in the Kingdom of Meath, Ireland. The archdeaconry was officially established sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries, and was annexed to the Rectory of Nobber. In the 16th century, the office was briefly united to the Bishopric of Meath, but afterwards separated again. As a consequence of the Reformation, the Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland) held the "Archdeacony of Kells, in commendam 1569 to 1584". Sometime before 1622, the Archdeacon of Kells and Rectory of Nobber were permanently united to the bishopric of Meath.

Background

Before the dissolution of the monasteries and Henrican reforms of the 16th century took full effect in Ireland, there were Archdeacons of Kells, County Meath. The Diocese of Kells was established sometime after the Synod of Kells (1152), and incorporated with the Diocese of Meath after 1211. The deanery of Kells was created by Simon (de) Rochford, Bishop of Meath, in 1216. At the time, it was one of twelve rural deaneries in Meath, later becoming one of the two archdeaconries of the same diocese.

Nobber was once an important town in the Kingdom of Meath, and the Rectory of Nobber was united to this dignity; thus the holder was sometimes called Rector of Nobber, Parson of Nobber, or most commonly styled Archdeacon of Nobber. In medieval times, "Kells" is called Middle English: Kenlys, Kenlis, Keneleis, Keneles, with "Nobber" expressed as Middle English: Nobire, Nobbir, Nobir, Nebyre, Nobyre, Nober. Confusingly, the archdeacon of Kells held the Rectory of Nobber, while the archdeacon of Meath held the Rectory of Kells.

Archdeacons

In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. An archdeacon is often responsible for administration within an archdeaconry, which is the principal subdivision of the diocese. It is nearly impossible to fully catalogue the succession of holders of this ancient office. Nonetheless, the information below is preserved.

Dissolution

In 1543, Edward Staples, Bishop of Meath, appropriated the Archdeaconry of Kells and the Rectory of Nobber to his Episcopal see, or rather the temporalities of the offices. The union was sealed by license from the king, dated 27 December 1544. Nonetheless, the Archdeaconry of Kells expressed itself again in 1547, with Thomas Lockwood still incumbent. The reason for the brief union of offices is unclear, but it is known many religious houses in Ireland resisted dissolution until well into the reign of Elizabeth I. On 12 March 1569, Thomas Lancaster, an English Protestant clergyman, consecrated Archbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland) on 12 June 1568, was given license to hold in commendam the post of archdeaconry of kells, and the rectory of Nobber. According to the "Regal Visitation Book", sometime before 1622, the office of "Archdeaconry of kells, or Nobber", was permanently united to the bishopric of Meath.

Notes and references

Notes

1. Lawlor (1912) writes: "In Sweteman's rent-roll of Nobber, a place is mentioned by the name of Brakschise : it is elsewhere called Braktys. The first syllable of this name is evidently breac. Can it be Brittas in the parish of Nobber?".
2. See McInerney – "Irish: airchinneach" translates as "erenagh":- "Hist: Hereditary steward of church lands", and "Irish: fos airchinneach" translates as "Vice-Erenagh", so sources are erroneous to call "Cuduiligh" ("Fosairchinneach") an "Archdeacon".

Citations

1. Fryde 2003, p. 357.
2. Potterton 2014, p. 4.
3. Healy 1908, pp. 46, 249.
4. ^ Cotton, Volume 3 1851, p. 130.
5. Cogan 1862, pp. 207–210.
6. Lawlor 1912, p. 99.
7. ^ Cogan 1862, p. 207.
8. ^ Healy 1908, p. 280.
9. Ó Dónaill 1997.
10. Ó Donnabháin 2008.
11. AFM.
12. Ware 1739, p. 144.
13. Cotton, Volume 3 1851, p. 112.
14. ^ Cotton, Volume 5 1851, p. 225.
15. Cogan 1862, p. 76.
16. Lawlor 1912, p. 154.
17. Lawlor 1911, p. 285.
18. Lawlor 1911, p. 235.
19. Cotton, Volume 5 1851, p. 224.
20. Healy (1908) erroneously lists "The Bishop of Telese in Campania" as Archdeacon in 1401, misinterpreting text: "... bishop of Telese, the archdeacon of Kells (Kenllis) ... and the official of Armagh." in Calendar of Papal Registers.
21. Bliss, Twemlow: Volume 5 1904, p. 397-412.
22. Mason 1820, p. 131.
23. Bliss, Twemlow: Volume 6 1904, pp. 242–248.
24. Lawlor 1912, p. 156.
25. Lawlor 1912, p. 158.
26. ^ Twemlow, Volume 7 1906, pp. 238–240.
27. Twemlow, Volume 7 1906, pp. 94–98.
28. Twemlow, Volume 7 1906, pp. 201–208.
29. ^ Twemlow, Volume 8 1909, pp. 107–111.
30. Twemlow, Volume 8 1909, pp. 50–62.
31. Twemlow, Lateran Regesta 325 1909, pp. 499–509.
32. Potterton 2014, p. 12.
33. Twemlow, Volume 12 1933, pp. 604–608.
34. Cotton 1860, p. 115.
35. ^ Gwynn 1946, p. 127.
36. Cox 1689, p. 223.
37. Record Commission 1830, p. 315.
38. Walsh 1961, p. 46.
39. Cotton, Volume 2 1851, p. 225.
40. Cotton, Volume 2 1851, p. 41.
41. Mason 1820, p. lxxxiii.
42. ^ Ware 1739, p. 95.
43. Cotton, Volume 2 1851, p. 176.
44. Erck 1827, p. 23.
45. Cogan 1862, p. 100.

Primary sources

• Healy, John (1908). History of the diocese of Meath (PDF). Dublin: Association for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Retrieved 31 August 2016 – via Internet Archive is non-profit library of millions of free books, and more.
• Cogan, Anthony (1862). The diocese of Meath: ancient and modern (PDF) (Volume 1 ed.). Dublin: J.F. Fowler. p. 100. Retrieved 2 September 2016.

Secondary sources

• Cotton, Henry (1851). Fasti ecclesiae Hibernicae: the succession of the prelates and members of the Cathedral bodies of Ireland (PDF) (Volume 2, The province of Lenister ed.). Princeton Theological Seminary Library: Hodges and Smith, Dublin. p. 41,176–177. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
• Cotton, Henry (1851). Fasti ecclesiae Hibernicae: the succession of the prelates and members of the Cathedral bodies of Ireland (PDF) (Volume 3, The province of Ulster ed.). Princeton Theological Seminary Library: Hodges and Smith, Dublin. p. 19,112,115,126,130. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
• Cotton, Henry (1851). Fasti ecclesiae Hibernicae: the succession of the prelates and members of the Cathedral bodies of Ireland (PDF) (Volume 5, The dioceses of Dublin, Glendaloch, and Kildare ed.). Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center: Hodges and Smith, Dublin. p. 225. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
• Cotton, Henry (1860). Fasti Ecclesiae Hibernicae: Illustrations, corrections and additions to which are added indexes to the whole work. Vol. 5. Hodges and Smith.
• Ellis, Stephen G. (1976). "The Kildare Rebellion and the early Henrican reformation" (PDF). ARAN (Access to Research at NUI Galway). The Historical Journal, 19, 4. p. 825. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
• Mason, William Monck (1820). The History and Antiquities of the Collegiate and Cathedral church of St. Patrick, near Dublin. W. Folds, Strand Street, Dublin. p. lxxxiii. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
• Erck, John Caillard (1827). Erck, John Caillard (ed.). The Ecclesiastical Register containing the names of the dignitaries, and parochial clergy, in Ireland. Stanford Library: R. Milliken and Son, N. Mahon, and R.M. Tims, Grafton Street. p. 23. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
• Fryde, Edmund Boleslav (2003). Royal Historical Society, Handbook of British Chronology (3rd ed., repr. with corrections ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 357. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
• Cox, Richard (1689). Hibernia anglicana, or, The history of Ireland, from the conquest thereof by the English, to this present time with an introductory discourse touching the ancient state of that kingdom and a new and exact map of the same. London: H. Clark. p. 223.
• Potterton, Michael (2014). "The Archaeology and History of Medieval Trim, County Meath" (PDF). p. 4,12,15.
• Ware, James (1739). "The whole works of Sir James Ware concerning Ireland" (Volume 1 ed.). Astor Library, New York: E. Jones, Clarendon Street. p. 95,144.
• Bliss; Twemlow (1904). "'Lateran Regesta 90: 1400–1401', Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland: 1398–1404" (Volume 5 ed.). His Majesty's stationery Office. pp. 397–412. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
• Bliss; Twemlow (1904). "'Lateran Regesta 152: 1411–1412', in Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland: 1404–1415" (Volume 6 ed.). His Majesty's stationery Office. pp. 242–248. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
• Twemlow, J A (1906). "'Lateran Regesta 219 & 227', in Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland: 1417–1431" (Volume 7 ed.). His Majesty's stationery Office. pp. 94–98, 238–240. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
• Twemlow, J A (1909). "'Lateran Regesta 282 & 289', in Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland: 1427–1447" (Volume 8 ed.). His Majesty's stationery Office. pp. 50–62, 107–111. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
• Twemlow, J A (1933). "'Lateran Regesta 662: 1467', in Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland: 1458–1471" (Volume 12 ed.). His Majesty's stationery Office. pp. 397–412, 604–608. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
• Record Commission (1830). "State papers, published under the authority of His Majesty's Commission. King Henry the Eighth" (PDF) (Volume 2 ed.). University of California Libraries: London: G. Eyre and A. Strahan, printers to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, etc. p. 315.
• Herron, Thomas (2007). Spenser's Irish Work, Poetry, Plantation and Colonial Reformation. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 206, 207. ISBN 978-0-7546-5602-9.
• Lawlor, H. J. (1911). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (ed.). "A Calendar of the Register of Archbishop Sweteman" (PDF). The Library, Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto, Canada: Dublin: Hodges, Figgis & Co., Ltd., London: Williams & Norgate. pp. 235, 236, 285.
• Lawlor, H. J. (1912). A calendar of the register of Archbishop Fleming (PDF). Vol. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. XXX, Section C, No. 5. Dublin : Hodges, Figgis. pp. 93–190.
• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856). Annála Rioghachta Éireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters ... with a Translation and Copious Notes. 7 vols. Translated by O'Donovan (2nd ed.). Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. CELT editions. Full scans at Internet Archive: Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 3; Vol. 4; Vol. 5; Vol. 6; Indices.
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1997). "Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla".
• Ó Donnabháin, Sean (2008). "The Irish Charters in the Book of Kells" (CELT ed.). University College Cork, Celt Project.
• Gwynn, Aubrey (1946). W. Tempest (ed.). The Medieval Province of Armagh, 1470–1545. Dundalk: Dundalgan Press.
• Twemlow, J A (1909). "Calendar of Papal Registers Relating To Great Britain and Ireland" (Lateran Regesta 325: 1434–1435 ed.). His Majesty's stationery Office. pp. 499–509. Retrieved 5 October 2016.

Bibliography

• Walsh, Rev Michael (1961). Ríocht na Midhe: The Magranell slab in the basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome. Illustr (Vol. II, No. 3 ed.). Ríocht na Midhe: records of Meath Archaeological and Historical Society. p. 46. (subscription required)

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