Robert Dawson was an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in the 17th century. He was born in

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...

, England, in 1589 and lived at

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, in North West England. It comprises a junior school for children aged 4 to 13 and the main school for 13 to 18 year olds. It w ...

, Sedbergh. He graduated from St. John's College, Cambridge in 1609 with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

( B.A.) and in 1612 with a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

( M.A.). The Rt. Rev. Robert Dawson was appointed Chaplain to Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland, the

Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...

in 1622.Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Irish Family Records. London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976 He became Dean of Dromore on 9 July 1623 and

Dean of Down The Dean of Down is based in The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Downpatrick within the Diocese of Down and Dromore of the Church of Ireland. The current incumbent is T. Henry Hull. Deans of Down *1541 Connor Magennis *1609 ...

on 25 November 1623. After Roland Lynch died in 1625 the

See See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

of Clonfert was united with that of

Kilmacduagh Kilmacduagh () is a small village in south County Galway, near Gort, in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is the site of Kilmacduagh monastery, seat of the Diocese of that name. The diocese is now part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Ki ...

and Dawson was its inaugural

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...

, he served from 4 May 1627 until his death on 13 April 1643.

Family life

Dawson had six children: Rowland, Matthew, Randal, Margery, Bridget and Robert. Dawson's brother, Thomas, bought land in

County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...

in 1633 which became the town of

Castledawson Castledawson is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is mostly within the townland of Shanemullagh (, IPA: �anˠˈʃanˠˌwʊl̪ˠəx, about four miles from the north-western shore of Lough Neagh, and near the market town of Mag ...

, founded in 1710 by Thomas' great-grandson

Joshua Dawson Joshua Dawson (1660-1725) was an Anglo-Irish public servant, land developer and politician of the Kingdom of Ireland. He was appointed clerk to the Chief Secretary of Ireland, Matthew Prior, in 1697. In that role he petitioned for the establis ...

MP.

Death

Dawson fled Ireland to his birthplace due to the Irish Rebellion in 1641 and died on 13 April 1643 in Kendal. Mant, Richard. History of the Church Ireland (1839–1841; 2 vols). John W. Parker, London. Vol. 1, p.564.

References

Bishops of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh 1589 births 1643 deaths People from Kendal Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge {{Ireland-Anglican-bishop-stub