Thomas Jones ( – 10 April 1619) was

Archbishop of Dublin The Archbishop of Dublin () is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: ...

and

Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, commonly known as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was the highest ranking judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 until the end of 1800, it was also the hi ...

. He was also Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral and

Bishop of Meath The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric. History Until the ...

. He was the

patrilineal Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...

ancestor of the Viscounts Ranelagh.

Early life

Jones was born in

Middleton, Lancashire Middleton is a village and civil parish in the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England, between Heysham and Overton. It had a population of 705 in 2011. History Middleton was the location of Middleton Tower Holiday Camp, which opened in 193 ...

, circa 1550. He was a native of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

. He was the son of Henry Jones, Esq. of Middleton. Nothing is known of his mother. His brother, Sir Roger Jones,

Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...

of London, was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

ed at

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. Thomas acquired a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) 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. Those admitted to the degree have ...

from

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The c ...

in 1573, after which he relocated to Ireland. He married a widow, Margaret Purdon, who was also a sister-in-law of Archbishop Adam Loftus; she is thought to have been a member of the prominent landowning Purdon family of

Ballyclogh, County Cork BallycloghBallyclogh/Baile Cloch

(). He has been referred to, uncharitably, as Loftus's "pale shadow"; a more balanced view is that the two men thought alike on most issues and so worked harmoniously together. Jones was named Chancellor of St. Patrick's Cathedral and was elected Dean in 1581. While Dean, Jones granted questionable leases of church property including, in particular, a 161-year lease of a

coal mine Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

which caused a later Dean of St. Patrick's,

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican cleric. In 1713, he became the Dean (Christianity), dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and was given the sobriquet "Dean Swi ...

, to rebuke Jones severely for his improvidence:

Archbishop

When the

Archbishop of Armagh The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...

, Thomas Lancaster, died in 1584, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland (and former archbishop of Armagh), Adam Loftus, recommended Jones as his replacement, despite the unfortunate effects of his improvident leases of Church land. John Long was chosen for the position instead but, on 10 May 1584, at the written urging of

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

, Jones was named

. He was immediately called to the Privy Council of Ireland by the government of Lord Deputy

John Perrot Sir John Perrot (7 November 1528 – 3 November 1592) was a member of the Welsh gentry who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I of England during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. It was formerly speculated that he was an ille ...

, a position he held for 20 years. In August 1591

Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (; – 20 July 1616) was an Irish lord and key figure of the Nine Years' War. Known as the "Great Earl", he led the confederacy of Irish lords against the English Crown in resistance to the Tudor conquest of Ir ...

, the effective leader of the old

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

nobility, and a man of very dubious loyalty to the English Crown, scandalised Dublin society by eloping with his third wife, the aristocrat

Mabel Bagenal Mabel O'Neill, Countess of Tyrone (née Bagenal; – December 1595) was an Anglo-Irish noblewoman best known as the third wife of the prominent Gaelic Irish lord Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Mabel was born in Newry to British parents. Her fa ...

, whose English family were his implacable enemies. Since Mabel wished for a Protestant marriage ceremony, and O'Neill, although he was himself a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, was happy to indulge her wish, Jones was summoned to Drumcondra Castle, where the couple had taken refuge, by their host Sir William Warren. The Bishop was persuaded, although only with great reluctance, to perform the marriage. According to his own version of events, he did so solely to protect Mabel's reputation. His enemies accused him of being suspiciously close to O'Neill, and of taking bribes from him. His friends said that he used this supposed friendship to spy on O'Neill and provide intelligence to the Crown, and it does seem that the Crown gained a good deal of useful information in this way. In April 1605, Adam Loftus died and

King James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

emphatically chose Jones to be Archbishop of Dublin, commencing the following November. He was also named

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Catholic Church, Catholic or Anglicanism , Anglican clergy, a form of canon (priest) , canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in part ...

of both

Castleknock Castleknock () is an affluent village in County Dublin, Ireland, located west of the centre of Dublin city. It is in the modern county of Fingal. In addition to the village, the name "Castleknock" also refers to older units of land division: a ...

parish of St. Patrick's and the rectory of

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in the

Diocese of Meath The Diocese of Meath () is an Irish diocese which took its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it still exists as a separate diocese, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other dioceses. Histor ...

Lord Chancellor

In 1605, Jones was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, a position he held for the rest of his life. He was staunchly anti-

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, and a firm supporter of King James's

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...

. In 1611, he sat on a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

Council in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

"to prevent

sectarianism Sectarianism is a debated concept. Some scholars and journalists define it as pre-existing fixed communal categories in society, and use it to explain political, cultural, or Religious violence, religious conflicts between groups. Others conceiv ...

and extirpate Popery". He attended the opening of the

Parliament of Ireland The Parliament of Ireland () was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until the end of 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two chambers: the Irish Hou ...

in 1613, where he gave an important speech. During this period, he had eight

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...

, imprisoned for

recusancy Recusancy (from ) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign of Elizabeth I, and temporarily repea ...

and then had them reimprisoned after Parliament released them soon afterwards. He was a key ally of

Sir Arthur Chichester Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (May 1563 – 19 February 1625), known between 1596 and 1613 as Sir Arthur Chichester, of Carrickfergus in Ireland, was an English administrator and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1605 ...

, the

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...

, in his policy of extreme severity towards Roman Catholics. Jones was

Lord Justice of Ireland The Lords Justices (more formally the Lords Justices General and General Governors of Ireland) were deputies who acted collectively in the absence of the chief governor of Ireland (latterly the Lord Lieutenant) as head of the executive branch o ...

in 1613, received an

honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...

DD degree from the

University of Dublin The University of Dublin (), corporately named as The Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin, is a research university located in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the degree-awarding body for Trinity College Dublin, whi ...

in 1614, and again served as Lord Justice in 1615. He and his son,

Roger Jones, 1st Viscount Ranelagh Sir Roger Jones, 1st Viscount Ranelagh PC (Ire) (before 1589 – 1643) was joint Lord President of Connaught with Charles Wilmot, 1st Viscount Wilmot. He commanded the government forces in Connaught during the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the b ...

, were involved in several disputes with

Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth (c. 1568–1619) was an Anglo-Irish statesman and soldier of the Elizabethan and Jacobean era. His personal charm made him a favourite of two successive English monarchs, and he was also a soldier of gre ...

, the most serious of which involved neglecting the

affray In many legal jurisdictions related to English common law, affray is a public order offence consisting of the fighting of one or more persons in a public place to the terror (in ) of ordinary people. Depending on their actions, and the laws ...

in Thomas St. in Dublin in 1609 in which a man was killed. The Crown was anxious to resolve the

feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...

, and in later years Jones and Lord Howth managed to settle their differences and work together amicably. During his time as Archbishop, Jones saw that

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Christ Church Cathedral, more formally The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Irish: ''Ardeaglais Theampall Chríost''), is the cathedral of the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the e ...

underwent extensive repairs. On the other hand, he was accused of seriously neglecting the affairs of the Archdiocese, to the extent that many parishes had no vicar. In old age, according to Elrington Ball, Jones suffered a notable deterioration in his character; he became fretful and querulous, and quite unable to bear the robust criticism which all Irish public figures are expected to endure. His enemies would spread malicious stories, such as a farcical claim that he was a wizard, simply to enjoy the hysterical efforts which Jones, who seems to have lacked a sense of humour, would make to refute them. As his powers failed, complaints that he neglected the affairs of his diocese became more frequent. He grew ill very suddenly and died at his episcopal palace, St. Sepulchre's Palace in Dublin in 1619. He was buried in

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Saint Patrick's Cathedral () in Dublin, Ireland is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral, also a Church of Ireland cathedral in Dublin, is designated as the local cathedral of the Diocese of Dublin and Glen ...

beside his wife, who had died four months earlier. Viscount Ranelagh, his only surviving son, had a monument and statue created with inscriptions for Thomas and his wife: The monument was restored in 1731 at the request of the then Dean of St. Patrick's, Jonathan Swift, despite his low opinion of Jones, quoted above.

Family

Jones and Margaret had three children: *

*Jane, who married Henry Piers of Tristernagh Abbey and had eight children''The Peerage of Ireland'', v2, 1789, p. 201 *Margaret (died 1615), who married Gilbert Domville, MP for Donegal, and was the mother of **Sir

William Domville William Domville (or Domvile) (1609–1689) was a leading Irish politician, barrister and Constitutional writer of the Restoration era. Due to the great trust which the English Crown had in him, he served as Attorney General for Ireland throug ...

Attorney General for Ireland The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Kingdom of Ireland, Irish and then, from 1801 under the Acts of Union 1800, United Kingdom government office-holder. He was senior in rank to the Solicitor-General for Ireland: both advised the Crown on ...

.Seaward, Paul, ed. ''Speakers and the Speakership- Presiding Officers and the Management of Business from the Middle Ages to the Twenty-first Century'' Parliamentary Yearbook Trust 2010 p. 67

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Thomas 1550s births 1619 deaths Year of birth uncertain Anglican archbishops of Dublin 16th-century Anglican bishops in Ireland 17th-century Anglican archbishops People of Elizabethan Ireland Lord chancellors of Ireland Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Burials at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Anglican bishops of Meath Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge People from Middleton, Greater Manchester British expatriate archbishops