RCB Library Notes08 Mar 11

Completed Archival Work on the Papers of the Diocese of Kilmore in the RCB Library

In 2007, following the transfer and cataloguing of a substantial collection of diocesan materials relating to the Church of Ireland diocese of Kilmore to the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin, a completed catalogue list was published in full by the RCB Library. Virtually all of that material had come from the See House in Cavan, and had been transferred by the Rt. Revd Ken Clarke, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.

Reflecting the organic nature of diocesan archives, and the fact that a such a diverse and collection may sometimes be housed in different locations, a subsequent and previously-uncatalogued number of materials more recently came to light, and have been transferred to the RCB Library which is the official place of deposit for Church of Ireland records.  

Following the death of the Revd Cecil Lindsay (who, in addition to non-stipendiary duties in many diocesan parishes including Killeshandra, had faithfully served as diocesan registrar from 1997 until 2008) his widow, the Revd Alexandra Lindsay, deposited a diverse range of registrar-related materials (mostly concerning the appointments of clergy and also additional parish materials) which had been in his custody, in 2010. Many of these papers had clearly been inherited by Mr Lindsay from his predecessors including the Revd E.A. Killingley, who was diocesan registrar from 1923 to 1932, the Revd John Jennings, who served as registrar from 1932 to 1964, and the Revd Albert Kingston, registrar from 1987 until 1995, while some of the papers date back into the 19th century.

The bulk of these concern diocesan clergy, and have now been integrated into the section on diocesan clergy and officers (D3/9). A large quantity of parish-related materials are also now integrated into the section relating to episcopal and diocesan oversight of individual parishes within the united dioceses of Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh (D3/12). In addition, several odd items concerning the diocesan court (D3/3) and synod (D3/4); individual bishops (D3/11); Newtowngore school, county Cavan, (D3/14); and miscellaneous subjects as diverse as communion crosses, laity and lay readers and marriage regulations (D3/17) have been integrated elsewhere in the collection. The earliest item that was deposited among the late Revd Cecil Lindsay’s papers is a patent containing the letters of orders for the Revd Arthur Knox, with episcopal seal affixed, issued during the episcopate of George De La Poer Beresford, in 1819, which pushes the start date of the entire Kilmore collection back to 1819, rather than 1838 when the catalogue was first published.

In addition to the registrar’s papers, Bishop Ken Clarke made one further small deposit of minutes and related papers concerning the Diocesan Board of Missions, later in 2010. These mission-related items have been added to the section relating to diocesan societies and organisations (D3/16).

One final development concerning the Kilmore diocesan collection is that the contents of the First World War collection of letters from the Western Front sent to the Revd Arthur Barton, while rector of St Mark’s Dundela, Belfast (where he served from 1914 to 1925 before a subsequent clerical career that included the see of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh from 1930 to 1939) have been analysed, and an in-depth study published in Susan Hood, ‘Letters from the Western Front’, in Irish Archives, 16, 2009, pp 23-32. Copies of the journal may be obtained through the RCB Library.

The Kilmore diocesan collection is now in regular use by local historians in the RCB Library and is available on this link.