Rectors Of St. Paul's Ardmore - 1. Rev. John Bourke Wallace
Text: James T. Quain
Scanned By: Marc Sullivan & Eileen Fraher Sullivan
Information on the Church of Ireland clergy of Ardmore is given by Rennison (Ref. 1.) from 1450 up to his own time in 1920. Unfortunately the book only gives the names and dates of incumbents and curates. This article tries to fill in some of the more interesting facts of each pastorate from the time the present church of St. Paul's was built, and of course gives details of the rectors who succeeded Mr. Rennison. Assistance was provided by a number of people in compiling this article including Ms Louisa Rennison, Rev. Desmond Warren and the present Rector in Youghal Rev. Sir .Dickon Durand. This is gratefully acknowledged.
John Bourke Wallace, Rector of Ardmore 1829 - 1871
Rev. John Bourke Wallace was the last rector of the cathedral church of Ardmore and the first rector of the new church of St. Paul's erected in 1838, In 1824 RYLAND (Ref. 2.) had this to say about Ardmore "The church near the round tower is now almost entirely gone into decay) a part of the chancel only being kept in repair and used for divine worship". The illustration In this article was drawn about 1822 and shows only the east end (chancel) of the church as roofed. The campaign for a new church got under way shortly after the appointment of J.B. Wallace as rector. It is recorded in the Ardmore vestry book (Ref. 3.) that a meeting was held in the church on Monday 20th July, 1829 "for the purpose of taking into consideration the repair of said church and also if deemed necessary to memorial the Board of First Fruits for a grant to erect a new one on another site".
These two tasks - repairing the old church and building the new church, occupied much of J.B. Wallace's time during his first decade as rector culminating on 15th September, 1841 when the present Church at Ardmore dedicated to St. Paul was consecrated. An account of these events is given by Lincoln (Ref. 4).
John Bourke Wallace was also the last rector of Ardmore to have a curate. One of the last curates was Rev Arthur Travers Borroughs who died In 1864 and is buried in the grounds of St. Paul's.
References
Ref. 1. Succession list of the Bishops, Cathedral and Parochial; Clergy of the Dioceses of Waterford & Lismore. Rev. W H Rennison Rector of Ardmore 1920
Ref. 2. The History, Topography and Antiquities of the County and City of Waterford Rev. R H Ryland London 1924
Ref. 3. Vestry Book for the Parish of Ardmore and Ballymacart 1827
Ref. 4. Decies (Old Waterford Society) XXVIII Spring 1985 P. 34 et seq. The Old Order Changeth - St Paul's Ardmore. Siobhan Lincoln.
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