The Rt. Rev. William Bedell,
D.D.
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
( ga, Uilliam Beidil; 15717 February 1642), was an
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
churchman who served as
Lord Bishop of Kilmore, as well as
Provost of
Trinity College Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
.
Early life
He was born at
Black Notley
Black Notley is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located approximately south of Braintree and is north-northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. According to the 2011 census including Young's End
Young's End is a haml ...
in
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, and educated at
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...
, where he was a pupil of
William Perkins.
He became a fellow of Emmanuel in 1593, and took orders. In 1607 he was appointed chaplain to Sir
Henry Wotton
Sir Henry Wotton (; 30 March 1568 – December 1639) was an English author, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1614 and 1625. When on a mission to Augsburg, in 1604, he famously said, "An ambassador is an honest gentlema ...
, then English ambassador at
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, where he remained for four years, acquiring a great reputation as a
scholar
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...
and
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
.
He translated the ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
'' into
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, and was on terms of close friendship with the reformer,
Paolo Sarpi
Paolo Sarpi (14 August 1552 – 15 January 1623) was a Venetian historian, prelate, scientist, canon lawyer, and statesman active on behalf of the Venetian Republic during the period of its successful defiance of the papal interdict (1605–16 ...
. He wrote a series of sermons with
Fulgenzio Micanzio Fulgenzio Micanzio (1570 in Passirano – 1654 in Venice) was a Lombardic Servite friar and theologian. A close associate of Paolo Sarpi, he undertook correspondence for Sarpi and became his biographer. He also was a supporter of Galileo Galile ...
, Sarpi's disciple. In 1616 he was appointed to the rectory of Horningsheath (near
Bury St Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market town, market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – ...
, where he had previously worked), which he held for twelve years.
Ireland
In 1627, he became
Provost of
Trinity College Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
, despite having no prior connection with Ireland. The Provostship paid roughly the same as his Horningsheath rectory and he clung to his living in Suffolk until forced to surrender it on grounds of
benefice
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
. Despite his evangelical Protestant wish to advance
Irish Reformation
The Reformation in Ireland was a movement for the reform of religious life and institutions that was introduced into Ireland by the English administration at the behest of King Henry VIII of England. His desire for an annulment of his marriage wa ...
, Bedell decreed a chapter of the Irish New Testament to be read at dinner by a native Irish speaker and Irish prayers in the chapel.
[Karl S. Bottigheimer and Vivienne Larminie, "Bedell, William (bap. 1572, d. 1642)", ]Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004
![IMG KilmoreCathederal0532](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/IMG_KilmoreCathederal0532.jpg)
In 1629, he was appointed to become
Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh
The Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Kilmore and Ardagh in the Province of Armagh. The Diocese of Kilmore composed most of County Cavan and parts of counties Leitrim, Fermanagh, Meath and Sli ...
. He set himself to reform the abuses of his
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
, encouraged the use of the
Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
, and personally undertook the duties generally discharged by the bishop's lay chancellor. He is noted for commissioning the translation of the Bible into the Irish Language, which translation was undertaken by the Protestant Rector of Templeport parish,
The Rev. Muircheartach Ó Cionga
Murtagh King ( ga, Muircheartach Ó Cionga; c. 1562 – c. 1639) was an Irish Old Testament translator and scribe.
Overview
King was a member of an Irish bardic family, who were residents of the barony of Kilcoursey, County Offaly, known as Fox ...
. He would appoint only Irish speakers to parishes.
In 1633, he resigned the
see of Ardagh, retaining the more primitive
bishopric of Kilmore
The Bishop of Kilmore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the parish of Kilmore, County Cavan in Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishopr ...
, where he had encountered some opposition from Anglicans and Catholics alike for his undertaking of reaching out to the Irish. He was determined to rebuild the neglected church buildings throughout the diocese, where, in 1638, he held a synod of all the Anglican priests and officers within the diocese to discuss lax discipline. He was asked by the court of the Plantation Commission to "lay out" the town of
Virginia, County Cavan
Virginia () is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. Founded in the 17th century as a plantation town, it now holds both local industry and commuter housing.
History Foundation
Virginia was founded in the early 17th century, at Aghanure (), during ...
after complaints from the residents there about the landlords' failure to build the town and provide a church for worship.
Bedell was a man of simple life, often walking miles on foot or on horse, travelling the dangerous byways. Bedell provided assistance to converts to Protestantism enabling them to study for the ministry.
Bedell sided with the Catholics of Kilmore against the excess of Alan Cooke, the incumbent chancellor of the diocese. However, the church courts found that Cooke had legally acquired the right as chancellor, and the Bishop was unable to remove him.
With the outbreak of the
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1641) was an uprising by Irish Catholics in the Kingdom of Ireland, who wanted an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and to partially or fully reverse the plantatio ...
, the local warlords, led by the O'Reillys, took control of the area. The O'Reillys "gave comfortable words to the Bishop" and Bedell's house at Kilmore in
County Cavan
County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...
was left untouched, becoming a place of refuge for those seeking shelter from the rebel insurgents. In the end, however, the rebels insisted upon the dismissal of all who had taken shelter in his house, and on the bishop's refusal he was seized and imprisoned with some others to the nearby island castle of
Lough Oughter
Lough Oughter () is a lake, or complex of lakes, in County Cavan covering more than . The complex of lakes lies on the River Erne, and forms the southern part of the Lough Erne complex. The lakes are bounded roughly by Belturbet in the north, Ca ...
,
Cloughoughter Castle
Cloughoughter Castle () is a ruined circular castle on a small island in Lough Oughter
Lough Oughter () is a lake, or complex of lakes, in County Cavan covering more than . The complex of lakes lies on the River Erne, and forms the southern ...
.
Here, he was detained for several weeks and was released only after signing a deposition and a remonstrance from his captors, "pleading on their behalf for graces from King Charles." Bedell was now into the care of his friend Denis Sheridan but the imprisonment and torture had worked their damage. Shortly after his release Bedell died from his wounds and exposure on 7 February 1642.
Bishop Bedell was afforded the dignity by his captors of being buried next to his wife Leah at Kilmore, where he received an honourable funeral in the presence of his O'Reilly captors.
The story of his life was written by Bishop
Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet (18 September 1643 – 17 March 1715) was a Scottish philosopher and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was highly respected as a cleric, a preacher, an academic, ...
in 1685 and by his elder son (ed.
T. W. Jones
Thomas Wharton Jones (9 January 1808 – 7 November 1891) was an eminent ophthalmologist and physiologist of the 19th century.
Biography
Jones's father was Richard Jones, a native of London. Richard Jones had moved north to St. Andrews and was ...
, for the
Camden Society
The Camden Society was a text publication society founded in London in 1838 to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books. It was named after the 16th-century antiquary an ...
, 1872). Bedell's Last Will and Testament is available through the UK National Archives.
Bibliography
*''A true relation of the life and death of the Right Reverend father in God William Bedell, Lord Bishop of Kilmore in Ireland''. Edited by Thomas Wharton Jones. Camden Society, 1872
online version
*''Trasna na dTonnta or A Tale of Three Cities'' fictionalised biography by Christina Eastwood (Mothers' Companion Publications, 2017)
*Stefano Villani, ''Making Italy Anglican: Why the Book of Common Prayer Was Translated into Italian'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2022)
Notes
References
*
*
External links
Descendant Chart
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedell, William
1571 births
1642 deaths
Anglican bishops of Kilmore
Bishops of Kilmore and Ardagh
Doctors of Divinity
Fellows of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
People from Black Notley
Provosts of Trinity College Dublin
16th-century English clergy
16th-century English translators
17th-century English Anglican priests
17th-century English translators
Translators of the Bible into Irish