Richard Woodward DD (1727 - 1794)

Husband of Susanna (Blake) Woodward — married 3 Oct 1763 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England

Descendants

Died 4 May 1794 at about age 67 in Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland

Biography

Church of Ireland Clergy

He was born at Grimsbury, near Bristol, was the son of Francis Woodward and his second wife, Elizabeth Bird. He was baptised on 25 July 1726 at Hanham Abbots, St George, Gloucestershire, England ^[1]

He was educated by Dr. Tucker, Dean of Gloucester, and at Wadham College, Oxford, B.C.L. 1749, D.C.L. 1759.

Richard Woodward was presented to the Deanery of Clogher on 27 August 1763 (L.M. v., 160), and was installed December 10th, installed by his Proctor, January 3ist, 1764 (D.R.), received dispensation for reading in" 20th March, 1764. He was instituted as Chancellor of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin and installed on 4 July 1772.

In Trinity College Dublin he obtained the degrees of Mus. B. 1768, Mus. D. 1771, D.D. (spec, grat.) 1781; was Chancellor St. Patrick's, Dublin, 1772-8, Rector Louth 1778-81,

He became Bishop of Cloyne in 1781, and was consecrated 3rd February, 1781 in Christ Church Cathedral.

He married Susanna, daughter of Richard Blake, of Bristol on 3 October 1763 at St. Stephens Church, Bristol, Gloucester, England, by Josiah Tucker, Rector of St Stephens. Richard Blake is one of the witnesses. The entry appears in the register of St Nicholas Church.^[2]

Children

1. Louisa b. 1765
2. Francis Blake, b. 1766 d. 1784 aged 18 years
3. Benjamin Blake, b,. 1768 married Mary Hide
4. Rev. Richard, b. 1770 married Elizabeth Batthoe, daughter of John Batthoe, Esq. of Bath
5. Thomas b. 1772 married Frances Jervois, daughter of Sampson Jervois, Esq., of Bandon.
6. John b. 1774 d. 1785 aged 11 years
7. Rev. Henry, b. 1775, married Melesina Henrietta Lovett
8. Mary married Charles Brodrick

The Dean published

A Sermon on Prov. iii., 16, for the Incorp. Soc. 4to, Dublin, 1764.

Christianity the Covenant of Repentance. A Sermon for the Asylum for Penitents, 4to., Dublin, 1774.

He died in 1794, aged 67.

Death Notice - Cork Evening Post - 5 May 1794 ^[3]

died yesterday at Cloyne, the Right Rev Dr Woodward, Bishop of Cloyne

He was buried on May 12, at Cloyne, where his widow, Susanna, erected a monument to him. ^[4]

Sacred to the memory of Richard Woodward, Bishop of Cloyne, aged 67, 1794 ; whose superior talents, enlightened by extensive Learning, and invigorated by an active intercourse with the world, were devoted to the discharge of his duty as a Citizen, Parochial Minister, and Prelate, with the most earnest zeal, soundest discretion, and truest liberality. He planned, and was the principal Institutor of the House Industry in Dublin, 1773.

He was an eloquent and distinguished Advocate in the House of Peers for the Repeal of the Roman Catholic Penal Statutes in 1782 : and the Author of the 'Present state of the Church of Ireland,' published in 1787, and is hence justly to be denominated the Father of the Poor— the friend of Toleration— and the Support and Ornament of the Protestant Established Religion.

In pious gratitude for the uninterrupted happiness which she owed to his amiable domestic character, this Monument is erected by his afflicted widow, Susanna Woodward, 1795."

Sources

1. ↑ Source Citation Bristol Archives; Bristol, England; Bristol Church of England Parish Registers; Reference: P/HA/R/1/b
2. ↑ "England, Bristol Parish Registers, 1538-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTQG-LMJ : 22 July 2017), Richard Woodward and Susannah Blake, 1763.
3. ↑ FindmyPast - Irish Newspaper Transcript Archive, Ffolliott Collection 1756-1850
4. ↑ Annals of the Cathedral of St. Coleman-Cloyne

• Being an account of the Clergy of the Church of Ireland in the Diocese of Clogher by Rev James B Leslie M.A., M.R.I.A. 1920
• Wikipedia Bishop Richard Woodward
• Fasti ecclesiae Hibernicae: the succession of the prelates and members of the Cathedral bodies of Ireland by Henry Cotton, 1789-1879
• Vol 1 - The Province of Munster, Pg 302
• Vol 2 - The Province of Leinster, Pg 120
• Vol 3. - The Province of Ulster, Pg 89