Wednesday 1 August 2012

Church of Ireland clergy in your tree?

The RCB Library's latest Archive of the Month feature will be of interest to researchers with Anglican clergy ancestors.

How the clergy got appointed – Letters to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the 18th–century is an interesting selection of 215 letters received by George, 4th Viscount Townshend, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1767 to 1772, and the chief dispenser of considerable patronage in civil, military and ecclesiastical life.

The contents of the letters demonstrates the 18th-century practice of unambiguous petitioning for positions in the Church; if you wanted a position, you asked for it or got an influential friend or contact to intervene.

Follow this link to find out more and to view a selection of the letters. The full collection is in MS 20 at the Representative Church Body Library.