The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' ( American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

Richard Bourke (22 April 1767 – 15 November 1832) was an Irish

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 secon ...

cleric who was

Dean of Ardagh The Dean of Elphin and Ardagh is based in St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo in the Diocese of Elphin and Ardagh within the united bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh of the Church of Ireland. The dioceses of Elphin and Ardagh were merged ...

(1800–1813) and the last

Bishop of Waterford and Lismore The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Waterford and town of Lismore in Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1838, and is still used by the Roman Catholic Church. Hi ...

(1813–1832) before it merged with the defunct

Ecclesiastical Province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...

of Cashel.

Early life

Born into an

aristocratic Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...

family, Bourke was the second son of

Joseph Bourke, 3rd Earl of Mayo Joseph Deane Bourke, 3rd Earl of Mayo (; ; 1736 – 20 August 1794) was an Irish peer and cleric who held several high offices in the Church of Ireland including Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin (1772–82) and Archbishop of Tuam (1782–94). Fam ...

and his wife Elizabeth Meade, the daughter of Richard Meade, 3rd Baronet. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.

Career

Bourke was appointed Prebendary of Tuam in 1791, Rector of Templemichael and of Mohill in 1795 and became

in 1800 before his elevation to the episcopacy. He was nominated to the See of Waterford and Lismore on 25 August 1813 and consecrated on 10 October 1813.

Family

Bourke married Frances Fowler (d.1827) on 20 March 1795, and they had four children: Frances, Mildred, Catherine, and Robert (later 5th Earl of Mayo).

Notes

1767 births 1832 deaths House of Burgh Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Bishops of Waterford and Lismore (Church of Ireland) 19th-century Anglican bishops in Ireland Deans of Ardagh {{Ireland-Anglican-bishop-stub