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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