Monday, August 7, 2017

Vicarage of Newtown Jerpoint, 1402-1540

Vicarage of Newtown Jerpoint, 1402-1540

Niall C.E.J. O’Brien

The civil parish of Newtown Jerpoint is separated from the civil parish of Jerpoint Abbey by the Little Arrigle River. The parish is dedicated to St. Nicholas (6th December), a popular saint of the new Anglo-Norman settlers (legend has it that the saint is buried at Newtown Jerpoint). The ruined parish church consists originally of a nave and chancel with the nave having a north and south doorway for access. Later a four story square tower was built at the east end of the nave to house a presbytery. It seems the chancel area was remodelled at the same time that the tower was built.[1]

In the graveyard surrounding the church are a number of ancient memorials including one from about 1200. Nearby to the church the square socket base is the only remains of the market cross of Newtown Jerpoint. The town of Nova Villa juxta Jerpoint surrounds the church to the east, north and south. In 1211 William Marshal made a grant of the church of Newtown Jerpoint with its tithes and rights to the priory of St. John’s at Kilkenny at the foundation of that religious house. The grant also included the tithes of the neighbouring vill of Oldtown.[2]

Kilmynick townland formed a detached portion of the civil parish of Newtown Jerpoint. An old church there is mostly destroyed apart from a portion of the east gable in about 1905.[3]

Church of Newtown Jerpoint with Jerpoint Abbey in the distance

1402

On 8th December 1402 William Fauconer, prebendary of Stagscothyn (also known as Tascoffin), got a royal pardon for having had the vicarage of Jerpoint united to the prebend for his life. Yet this union was done by Roger, Bishop of Ossory, with the prior approval of the prior and convent of St. John’s at Kilkenny who were then patrons of the Jerpoint vicarage.[4]

1418

In May 1418 a papal mandate was issued to the abbot of St. Mary's, Jerpoint, in the diocese of Ossory. The abbot was to collate and assign to John Fergan, clerk, the perpetual vicarage of Jerpoint, value not exceeding 15 marks, which was void by the death of Henry Langhe.[5]

1487

In 1487 James Ohedyan, clerk of the diocese of Cashel or Elphin (the papal clerks were unsure which diocese), petitioned the Pope for a canonry of Ossory and the prebend of Mayne (vacant by the promotion of Edmund Comerford) along with the rectory of Kylmodymognecan, and the perpetual vicarage of Mayne, with the precentorship of Cashel and the perpetual vicarage of St. Nicholas, Jerpoint (occupied by Thomas Ohedyan the younger). The Priors of St. Mary at Kells and St. Columba at Inistioge along with the official of Ossory were mandated to judge the case. The vicarage of Jerpoint was then worth eight marks sterling.[6]

1500

It is not clear how many of these benefices were successfully acquired by James Ohedyan but he did get the perpetual vicarage of Jerpoint. A papal letter of 2nd March 1500 says that James Ohedyan was vicar until his death. The next vicar of Jerpoint was Thomas Ocorigan (O’Corrigan) who got the position ‘by pretext of a certain collation made … to him by someone who did not have faculty to do so’. By March 1500 Thomas Ocorigan had detained the vicarage for ‘a certain time’. On 2nd March 1500 John Mohlan (O’Molan), canon of Ossory, received a papal letter to acquire the chancellorship of Ossory and the vicarage of Jerpoint. The Priors of Kells and Inistioge along with the official of Ossory were to judge the case.[7] Later papal letters show that John Mohlan was unsuccessful at getting Jerpoint.

1506

In 1506 Richard Purcell, canon of Ossory and prebend of Mayne, petitioned the Pope that the perpetual vicarage of Jerpoint along with the chancellorship of Ossory and one rectory and two other perpetual vicarages were vacant but occupied illegally by others. Thomas Ocorigan was said to hold the Jerpoint vicarage (worth eight marks sterling). The Bishop of Ossory, the Abbot of Abbeyleix and the Prior of St. Mary at Kells were to judge the case and give all the church positions to Richard Purcell for as long as he held the canonry and prebend.[8]

1509

In 1509 Thomas Ocorigan still held the perpetual vicarage of Jerpoint. In February 1509 Robert Sortell (Shorthall) received a papal mandate to hold Jerpoint vicarage for life or for as long as he held a canonry and prebend in Ossory. Robert Sortel also entered a claim for four rectories, two other perpetual vicarages and the priorship of St. Kieran in the Diocese of Ossory.[9] 

1516

It would appear that Robert Shorthall was unsuccessful at getting the perpetual vicarage of Jerpoint because in July 1516 Thomas Ocorigan was still referred to as the vicar, even if he had no title or support in law. On 1st July 1516 James Maghvuyr (MacGuire), cleric of the Diocese of Leighlin, received a papal mandate to have the Jerpoint vicarage along with the, archdeaconry of Ferns and the vicarages of Killhago (possibly Killaghy) and Maruen (possibly Mayne in Ossory).

James Maghvuyr had previously acquired the precentorship of Ossory by the promise of money payments. In his petition James sought retention of the precentorship and absolution from the charge of simony and excommunication. The Pope allowed James to hold all these church positions for life or for as long as he was precentor. The Abbot of Kilcooly in the Diocese of Cashel was the only name judge to decide on the case.[10]

Church of Newtown Jerpoint and graveyard

Decline and fall of Newtown Jerpoint

In 1534 a battle was fought near Jerpoint between the Fitzgeralds of Kildare and the Butlers of Ormond with the former as victors. On their return to Kildare, the Fitzgeralds plundered Newtown Jerpoint and so set in train a gradual decline of the town and settlement.[11] In 1540 at the suppression of the monasteries the priory of St. John’s at Kilkenny were found holding the rectory of Newtown of Jerpoint, then worth £8. The priory also had one messuage and three acres of arable land there worth 4s 8d.[12]

After the suppression of St. John’s priory, its possessions were granted to Kilkenny Corporation which up to some time ago received £84 8s 10d in tithe-rent from Newtown Jerpoint.[13] By the seventeenth century Newtown Jerpoint was a deserted settlement of ruined houses and a fallen church.

Bibliography

Carrigan, Rev. W., The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (4 vols. Dublin, 1905)
Fuller, A.P. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XVII, part 1, 1495-1503 Alexander VI (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 1994)
Fuller, A.P. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XX, 1513-1521 Leo X (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 2005)
Haren, M.J. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XVIII, Pius III and Julius II, 1503-1513 (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 1989)
Haren, M.J. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XIX, 1503-1513, Julius II (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 1998)
Twemlow, J.A. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume VII, 1417-1431 (Stationery Office, London, 1906)
Twemlow, J.A. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XIV, 1484-1492 (Stationery Office, London, 1960)

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[1] Carrigan, Rev. W., The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (4 vols. Dublin, 1905), Vol. 4, pp. 299, 300
[2] Carrigan, The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory, Vol. 4, p. 301
[3] Carrigan, The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (1905), Vol. 4, p. 278
[4] Carrigan, The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (1905), Vol. 1, p. 255 quoting the Patent Rolls
[5] Twemlow, J.A. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume VII, 1417-1431 (Stationery Office, London, 1906), p. 73
[6] Twemlow, J.A. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XIV, 1484-1492 (Stationery Office, London, 1960), pp. 194, 195
[7] Fuller, A.P. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XVII, part 1, 1495-1503 Alexander VI (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 1994), no. 545
[8] Haren, M.J. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XVIII, Pius III and Julius II, 1503-1513 (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 1989), no. 646
[9] Haren, M.J. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XIX, 1503-1513, Julius II (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 1998), no. 214
[10] Fuller, A.P. (ed.), Calendar of Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland, volume XX, 1513-1521 Leo X (Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 2005), no. 658
[11] Carrigan, The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (1905), Vol. 4, p. 302
[12] Carrigan, The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (1905), Vol. 3, p. 253
[13] Carrigan, The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory (1905), Vol. 4, p. 303

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