Christopher Hampton (1552–1625) was an Englishman who was the
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
Archbishop of Armagh
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...
from 1613 to 1625.
Family and education
He was born at
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
in 1552, son of John Hampton (of
Frethby or Freeby in
Leicestershire
Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
, a
Merchant of the Staple in Calais, and a citizen of London and member of the
Skinner's Company) and his wife Alice.
His name is also given as John in the printed
Patent Rolls
The patent rolls (Latin: ''Rotuli litterarum patentium'') are a series of administrative records compiled in the English, British and United Kingdom Chancery, running from 1201 to the present day.
Description
The patent rolls comprise a register ...
. He was educated at
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
, where he graduated B.A. 1572, M.A. 1575, B.D. 1582 and D.D. 1598. He became a Fellow of Trinity in 1574.
Church career
He was ordained as a priest in 1580 and was vicar of
Chesterton, Cambridge
Chesterton is a suburb in the northeast corner of Cambridge, England, north of Cambridge station, on the north bank of the River Cam.
History
It is also the name of two electoral wards (West Chesterton and East Chesterton) in the city. The t ...
from 1585 to 1589 and Rector at
Calbourne
Calbourne is a village in the civil parish of Calbourne, Newtown and Porchfield, on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located 5 miles (8 km) from Newport in the west of the island.
The village takes its name from the stream that passes th ...
on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
from 1589 to 1612.
By 1606, he was chaplain to
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, (pronunciation uncertain: "Rezley", "Rizely" (archaic), (present-day) and have been suggested; 6 October 1573 – 10 November 1624) was the only son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of So ...
and also had the opportunity to preach before
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
on occasions, when he preached in support of
royal supremacy
The Acts of Supremacy are two acts passed by the Parliament of England in the 16th century that established the English monarchs as the head of the Church of England; two similar laws were passed by the Parliament of Ireland establishing the Eng ...
and episcopacy. He became a royal chaplain and continued to attack
presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
and defend
episcopacy
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
.
On the death of
Brutus Babington
The Rt Rev. Brutus (or Brute) Babington (1558-1611) was an Englishman who became the Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry.
Life
He was the son of Richard Babington and Anne Starkey (formerly of Wrenbury Hall).Burke's Irish Landed Gentry by Bernar ...
,
Bishop of Derry
The Bishop of Derry is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a ...
, Hampton was nominated to the see by king's letter dated 21 December 1611, and was elected. He was not in fact consecrated to the see of Derry, but to that of Armagh, vacant by the death of
Henry Ussher
Henry Ussher (1550 – 2 April 1613) was an Irish Protestant churchman, a founder of Trinity College, Dublin, and Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh.
Life
The second of five sons of Thomas Ussher by Margaret (d. January 1597), daughter of H ...
, by king's letter dated 16 April 1613, and by patent of 7 May 1613, and was consecrated the next day in
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Saint Patrick's Cathedral ( ir, Ard-Eaglais Naomh Pádraig) in Dublin, Ireland, founded in 1191 as a Roman Catholic cathedral, is currently the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Christ Church Cathedr ...
. He was placed in the role with the influence of his patrons in order to continue to reinforce royal preferences in civil and ecclesiastical matters, and to impose more discipline on the
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
.
A few days after his consecration, on the opening of parliament by the lord deputy,
Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester
Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (May 1563 – 19 February 1625; known between 1596 and 1613 as Sir Arthur Chichester), of Carrickfergus in Ireland, was an English administrator and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 160 ...
,
Lord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
, Hampton the new primate preached in the cathedral before the peers. He was appointed king's
almoner
An almoner (} ' (alms), via the popular Latin '.
History
Christians have historically been encouraged to donate one-tenth of their income as a tithe to their church and additional offerings as needed for the poor. The first deacons, mentioned ...
in 1617
(being the first to hold that office), and a member of the
Irish privy council
His or Her Majesty's Privy Council in Ireland, commonly called the Privy Council of Ireland, Irish Privy Council, or in earlier centuries the Irish Council, was the institution within the Dublin Castle administration which exercised formal executi ...
.
He was described as "a man of grave deportment, and of considerable learning".
He faced much opposition in his new role, including challenges from
Thomas Jones and
Lancelot Bulkeley
Lancelot (Launcelot) Bulkeley (1568? – 8 September 1650) was a Welsh Archbishop of Dublin and member of the Privy Council of Ireland.
Life
He was the eleventh and youngest son of Sir Richard Bulkeley of Beaumaris and Cheadle, but the eld ...
,
Archbishops of Dublin
The Archbishop of Dublin is an archepiscopal title which takes its name after Dublin, Ireland. Since the Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: one in the Catholic Church and the other in the Church of Irelan ...
, to the right of the see of Armagh to the
primacy of Ireland
The Primacy of Ireland was historically disputed between the Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublin until finally settled by Pope Innocent VI. ''Primate'' is a title of honour denoting ceremonial precedence in the Church, and in the ...
(this was a dispute which had been going on intermittently for centuries, long before the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
). He also enforced conformity in ceremonial practices against the more puritan members of the church. He took a hard line against both Roman Catholics and Scottish Presbyterian settlers in
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
. In 1622 James Ussher, then
bishop of Meath
The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.
History
Unti ...
, preached a sermon before the Lord Deputy to which exceptions were taken by the
recusants
Recusancy (from la, recusare, translation=to refuse) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation.
The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign ...
. Hampton sent him a letter of mild rebuke, but indicating that the sermon had been in some respects indiscreet.
By 1622 Hampton had (using his own personal wealth as well as church funds) built a palace at
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
, then the principal place of residence of the archbishops, and restored the cathedral church of
St. Patrick, Armagh, which had been reduced to ruins by
Shane O'Neill. He recast the great bell, and repaired the old episcopal residence at Armagh, to which he added new buildings.
He died at Drogheda on 3 January 1624/5, and was buried in the parish church of St. Peter there.
While he died unmarried, he settled his brother's family on lands belonging to the see at
Kilmore, County Armagh
Kilmore or Killmore (from the ga, Cill Mhór) is a small village, townland and civil parish in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It lies 2.5 miles (4 km) north of Richhill and within the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Counci ...
, on long leases at favourable terms, where their descendants continued to live for generations.
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hampton, Christopher
Anglican archbishops of Armagh
1552 births
1625 deaths
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge
16th-century English educators
17th-century English people
People from Calais
17th-century Irish Anglican priests
British expatriate archbishops