RCB Library Notes18 Aug 15

Archive of the Month August 2015 – Correspondence & Papers of the Most Revd Richard Whately

Another recently–catalogued collection at the RCB Library comprises a selection of the papers of the Church of Ireland’s most dynamic prelate of the 19th century – Richard Whately (1787–1863) – who served as archbishop of Dublin between 1831 and his death in 1863. Highlights from this collection, together with the complete catalogue list, feature as August’s Archive of the Month.

Previous presentations have revealed how materials created during of the careers of bishops and archbishops are relatively rare survivals for documenting Church of Ireland history. Two recent exceptions include the letters of Richard Mant, bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore 1823–1848 (available permanently here: http://ireland.anglican.org/about/164) and the papers of the Right Revd William Shaw Kerr, bishop of Down and Dromore 1945–1955 (and available here: http://ireland.anglican.org/about/186).

Now a third exception is represented by materials relating to the career of the Most Revd Richard Whately, archbishop of Dublin 1831–1863, which was transferred to the RCB Library in 1995 from St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, where they were found among a tranche of unrelated materials concerning the business of the cathedral. The collection has been accessioned in the library as MS 707/.

Collections of Whately’s papers survive in Lambeth Palace Library, while many additional papers and letters were reproduced in the two–volume biography published shortly after his death by his daughter E. Jane Whately, Life and Correspondence of Richard Whately, Late Archbishop of Dublin (London, 1866). Both the manuscript and printed collections throw a great deal of light on Whately’s eventful and often controversial career, as well as the wide variety of subjects in which he was interested.

Additionally, the RCB Library collection consists of miscellaneous original drafts of outward correspondence and papers, much of it in the archbishop’s hand; as well as a run of original correspondence with two of his most trusted confidents and domestic chaplains – the Revd Dr Charles Dickinson (1792–1842) who served in that capacity from 1833 (when this collection commences) and up until his appointment as bishop of Meath in December 1840; and secondly with Canon John West (who succeeded Dickinson in the role as archbishop’s chaplain) from around 1840.

The papers are significant for three reasons. First, they relate to a very concentrated period of time during the archbishop’s long and distinguished career both as a spiritual leader but also a Liberal politician renowned for his innovative and often controversial ideas – many of which demonstrated that he was ahead of his time in his thinking. They centre on the years 1834–1840, when he was most active in the House of Lords, with odd snippets before and after that period, and also a considerable number of undated items which we must assume fall roughly into the main period.

Second, of interest to historians and Whately’s biographers will be the fact that the bulk of the material has not been published or known about before and thus is likely to generate new interest in his political and religious ideas, not just Irish in origin, but in general.

Finally, much of the correspondence is addressed to his successive chaplains, Dickinson and West, giving insight to the close and trusted working relationship that existed between archbishop and confidants, demonstrating for example how on many occasions, simply because of the volume of political and spiritual work before him, he entrusted them to re–work drafts of papers; recommend candidates for offices; and even send out letters bearing his signature.

The online exhibition, which includes a selection of images from the collection as well as a 33–page catalogue list of its full contents, speculates about the how it may have ended up in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, amongst unrelated materials. The common denominator appears to be Canon John West (1805–1890) who served amongst many other roles as dean of that cathedral from 1864 to his retirement in 1889.

As well as being his successor as chaplain to the archbishop, West was also son–in–law to Dr Charles Dickinson and thus in Dickinson’s (and indeed Whately’s) inner circle. Following Dickinson’s unexpected death in 1842 (after just one year in the post as bishop of Meath) West edited the Remains of Charles Dickinson, Lord Bishop of Meath with a Biographical Sketch (London, 1845) as a tribute to Dickinson’s work, giving particular attention to his support for Archbishop Whately.

It seems likely that many of the papers found in St Patrick’s were used by West to reconstruct the story of their working relationship. Researchers should find much absorbing additional detail not published before.

For further information please contact:

Dr Susan Hood
RCB Library
Braemor Park
Churchtown
Dublin 14
Tel: 01–4923979
E–mail: susan.hood@rcbcoi.org

Issued on behalf of the RCB Library by: