John Kennedy, Abbot of Bangor, Co. Down
Copyright © 2008 Iain Kennedy last update 11th January 2008
Whilst
researching the Kennedys of Cultra in Co. Down, I came across some interesting
references to some much earlier Kennedys in Ulster. A number of works on the archaeology
and antiquities of Ulster describe a pair of seals connected with the ancient
Abbey of Bangor and bearing the name John Kennedy. As the following extract
shows, this man may have been one of the very first Scottish Kennedys. This may
not be the only such connection, which I was previously alerted to by Alan
Milligan.
p46
John
Vinycomb MRIA Belfast
‘...
the most authentic records concur in stating that in about 555 St Comgall
founded here an abbey of regular canons, which may have led to the foundation
of a town...
In 613
the town was destroyed by fire and in 674 the abbey burnt. In 818 the Vikings
massacred the abbot and about 900 monks. In 1125 the abbey was rebuilt by
Malachy O'Morgair, then abbot, with an oratory of stone said by St Bernard to
have been the first building of stone and lime in Ireland. ... the abbey
continued to flourish and was endowed with extensive possessions whch after the
conquest were considerably augmented; and amongst its lands was a townland in
the Isle of Man called Clenanoy...
A great
part of its lands were held by the O'Nials to the time of the dissolution when
it was forfeited to the crown. James I granted the site of the abbey with all
its former possessions in this county to Sir James Hamilton afterwards Viscount
Claneboye.
The
ancient vesica-shaped brass seal of the abbot of Bangor was found in the ruins
of Saul Abbey Co. Down; a representation of it appears in the Dublin penny
journal 1832 from which the annex is copied. It was then stated to be in the
possession of Mr. James Underwood of Sandymount. It represents an ancient
abbot, St. Comgall, the founder of Bangor abbey, standing in a gothic niche his
left hand holding the pastoral staff, and his right raised in the act of
benediction; in a shield beneath the figure are the arms of the abbot to whom
the seal belonged, viz: [Argent] a chevron [gules] between three crosslets
fitchee [sable] which are the arms of the Kennedys of Cultra*. Outside the
device is the following abbreviated inscription in the rude monkish letter of
the 14th century:
S.R.
PRIS JOHANIS KENEDY ABIS DE BANGOR
SIGILLUM
REV. PATRIS JOHANIS KENEDY, ABBATIS DE BANGOR
The
seal of the Rev. Father John Kenedy, Abbot of Bangor
As to
the date of the seal, the Rev. Charles Scott MA supplies the following:
'concerning
abbot John Kennedy, whose seal was found in the ruins of the abbey of Saul, and
is that used as the device of the County Down railway, we have hitherto known
nothing. It appears however from the Co. Down inquisitions of 18 Richard II,
that on the death of Maurice O'Cassor, abbot, Abbot John Kennedy obtained
restitution of the temporalities, March 26, 1395 (?).'
Of course these
events far predate the Kennedys of Cultra who only came into possession of
their estate in 1671; their true connection with the noble family of Dunure is
unclear to me. A man who flourished in 1395 would be no later than a second
generation from John Kennedy of Dunure and a contemporary of Sir Gilbert
Kennedy of Dunure, founder of the Bargany branch of the family. Some caution
must be exercised, however, in drawing too firm a conclusion from the
displaying of arms, which may have been done without permission.
Update 11.1.08
The above reference to the inquisitions
isn’t particularly helpful, but a more accurate lead is contained in
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy vol. XXX (1912/13) in an article ‘Some
matrices of Irish seals’ by E.C.R Armstrong:
‘the
name of John Kennedy has not been preserved in the records in the Abbey of Bangor
but Dr. Lawlor has pointed out a reference to him dated March 26 1395 in the
Rotulus Clausus of 18 Richard II (no. 31 p154 Rotulorum Patentium et Clausorum
Cancellariae Hiberniae Calendarium, 1828).’
I have
now tracked this latter reference down in the National Library of Scotland and
reproduce the entry:
Vol 1
pars 1
Hen II
- Hen VII
printed
by command of King George IV
1828
p154
Claus. 18 Ric. II
Rotulus
Clausus de anno 18 Ric. II
no. 31
R. Johi
Aldelyme esc' Hib' (recit qd sumus pontifex nup vacante ecclia conventuali S.
Congalli de Bangore in Ulton'p mortem Mauri Ocassore ult' abbis ejusd' que de
patronatu Rogi de Mortuo Mari com' March' existit, eid' ecclie de fre Johe
Knydy pviderit), mand'qd tempalia dce abbie dco abbi restitui fa'. T.Re,
apd Dub', 26 Mar
Clearly the
answer to who this John Kennedy was lies elsewhere.