FIRST LUNCHTIME LECTURE IN CHRIST CHURCH CRYPT EXAMINES
ST CATHERINE'S AND ST JAMES' PARISHES

In the first of a series of historical lectures to take place over successive Tuesdays in November, Professor Ray Gillespie of NUI Maynooth painted a fascinating study into the 17th and 18th century concept of a parish based on his study of the vestry books of St Catherine and St James’ parishes in Dublin which date from 1657 (the second oldest in existence).

In his talk, he referred to the fact that in the period, the parish was not necessarily a religious body but also a centre of local and civil administration and ‘something to belong to’. The vestry records show changes in worship down through the years, charity for the poor and administrative systems. Much of the records of the 17th and 18th centuries were devoted to who sat in what pews, with the most expensive pew dedicated to the earl of Meath, the landlord for the area. Later, changes in demography resulted in a gallery being added and the earl’s pew was moved to the middle of the gallery so that as Professor Gillespie said “if you didn’t like what the priest was saying you can stare him out!”

The records also showed an early interest in church music with the purchase of an organ in the 1680’s and a regular Holy Communion Service once a month, which for the time was very frequent (the norm at the time being 3 times a year as the minimum required under canon law).

Civil administration for the area was also centered on the local parish, with taxes collected by the parish paying for services like the watch, fire fighting and rudimentary assistance to the poor. The records also show that many of the duties carried out at parish level were sometimes held by non-Church of Ireland members. Professor Gillespie’s lecture was largely based on his book The vestry records of the parishes of St Catherine and St James, Dublin 1657-1692.

The lecture series will continue on Tuesday 15 November when Brendan Twomey of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland will speak on “St Paul’s: The management of an 18th century parish”. On 22 November the Revd Canon John Crawford of St Patrick’s Cathedral Group of Parishes will speak on “The alternative parish, Dublin’s proprietary chapels. Finally, on 29 November Dr Martin Maguire of Dundalk Institute of Technology will speak on “Class and the dynamics of social status in Dublin parishes in the 20th century”.

The lectures will all take place at 1.15pm in the crypt of Christ Church cathedral and are organised by the cathedral Culture committee and supported by the Friends of Christ Church Cathedral Dublin. Details available from archives@cccdub.ie or on the cathedral website.

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