David Rothe (1573-1650)

Born of a Kilkenny merchant family, Rothe had a career on mainland Europe before returning to his homeland. He was prefect of the Irish College in Douai and secretary to Peter Lombard at Rome. On his return to Ireland he became vicar-general in the diocese of Ossory (1609) and bishop of Ossory from 1620. As deputy to Lombard in Ireland, he held synods in 1614, 1618 and 1624. He achieved the re-occupation of St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny, for the Roman Catholic church, in 1642 before it was then desecrated by Oliver Cromwell's troops. He joined the Confederates in 1642, and welcomed the papal nuncio, Rinuccini, to Kilkenny, on 14 November, 1645. He was forced to leave the city by the Cromwellians in 1650, but returned. He was buried in St Mary's Church and there is a monument to his memory in St Canice's cathedral.

Works

• Analecta sacra, noua et mira. De rebus Catholicorum in Hibernia pro fide, et religione gestis. Diuisa in tres partes, quarum prima, quae nunc datur, continet semestrem grauaminum relationem. Secunda, praenesin ad martyres designatos. Tertia, Processum martyrialem quorundam fidei pugilum. Relatore & collectore T.N. (s.l.: s.n., 1616) [this edition contains only part 1]
  Analecta sacra nova et mira, de rebus Catholicorum in Hibernia, Pro fide & Religione gestis, Divisa in tres partes, quarum I continet semestrem grauaminum relationem, secunda hac editione nouis adauctam additamentis & notis illustratam, II paraenesin ad martyres designatos, III processum martyrialem quoru(n)dam fidei pugilum (Coloniae: apud Stephanum Rolinum, 1617)
  Part 3:De processv martyriali quorundam fidei pugilum in Hibernia, Pro complemento Sacrorum analectorvm. Collectore & Relatore T. N. Philadelpho (Coloniae: apud Stephenum Rolinum, 1619); 
  all three parts edited by P. F. Moran The Analecta of David Rothe, Bishop of Ossory (Dublin: M.H. Gill, 1884)
• Brigida thaumaturga, siue dissertatio ... in laudem ipsius Sanctae ... habita in Collegio Hibernorum Parisiensi Kalendis februarii die festo eiusdem Sanctae (Paris: apud Sebastianum Cramoisy, 1620)
• De Scriptorum Scotorum Nomenclatura a Thoma Dempstero edita praecidaneum (Paris: apud Sebastianum Cramoisy, 1620): appended to his Brigida thaumaturga
• Hibernia resurgens. Siue refrigerium antidotale. Aduersus morsum serpentis antiqui. In quo modeste discutitur, immodesta Parecbasis Thomae Dempsteri a Muresck Scoti de represis mendicabulis. Et Hiberniae sancti sui vindicantur; ac bona fide asseruntur. Auctore Donato Roirk Hiberno(Rouen: apud Nicolaum le Brun, 1621) [imprint false: pr. Jérome Blageart]
• "Tractalus ... de nominibus Hiberniae" in Florilegium Insulae Sanctorum edited by Thomas Messingham (Paris: ex officina Sebastini Cramoisy, 1624)

— Margaret Lantr

Sources used in compiling this brief biographical sketch were: Dictionary of National Biography, The Oxford Companion to Irish History and the The Catholic Encyclopaedia.

Work in progress at the CNLS

 
Brian Lovely is studying for an M.Phil. and is working on the translation of Analecta Sacra, books 2 and 3.

Bibliographies

Primary sources

Manuscripts

1. 1615: Letter of D. Rothe to Peter Lombard, Archbp. of Armagh, on ecclesiastical affairs. Dec. 18, 1615. (Hist. Mss. Comm., Rep. Franciscan Mss., 1906, p.71)
2. 1616: Analecta of David Rothe. Dublin, National Library of Ireland MS 643 [English version of part 1 of the Analecta Sacra]
3. "De Ossoriensi Episcopatus" fragment, 22 pages of Hierographia Hiberniae, London, British Library MS Add. 4796
4. 1622: Facultates concessae ei per Gregorium XV, London, British Library MS Sloane 3827, f.14
5. 1625: Letter of Bp. Rothe to P. Lombard, Archbp. of Armagh at Rome, mentioning the ravages of the plague in England, Lord Baltimore's purchase of Cloghamon in Wexford, Sir James Gough and other public affairs. Sept. 17, 1625 (Hist. Mss. Comm. Rep. Franciscan Mss., 1906, pp. 80-2) (pubd. "Extract from a letter of the Bishop of Ossory to Dr Lombard, Archbishop of Armagh, 17 September, 1625" Spicilegium Ossoriense (1874), vol. 1, p. 137-8)
6. 1635: "Two Letters of the Bishop of Ossory, the 3rd May, 1635", Spicilegium Ossoriense (1874), vol. 1, p. 200-201
7. 1636: "Three Letters of the Bishop of Ossory, in 1636", Spicilegium Ossoriense (1874), vol. 1, p. 210-12
8. 1637: "Letter of the Bishop of Ossory to the Secretary of Propaganda, 28th September, 1637", Spicilegium Ossoriense (1874), vol. 1, p. 225-7
9. 1639: "Letter of the Bishop of Ossory to the Secretary of Propaganda, 24th January, 1639", Spicilegium Ossoriense (1874), vol. 1, p. 235-6
10. 1649: "Letter of Irish Bishops in favor of the Capuchins, 15th March, 1649", Spicilegium Ossoriense (1874), vol. 1, p. 322-4 [Rothe is one of the bishops]

Printed works

1. 1616: Analecta sacra, noua et mira. De rebus Catholicorum in Hibernia pro fide, et religione gestis. Diuisa in tres partes, quarum prima, quae nunc datur, continet semestrem grauaminum relationem. Secunda, praenesin ad martyres designatos. Tertia, Processum martyrialem quorundam fidei pugilum. Relatore & collectore T.N. (s.l.: s.n.) [this edition contains only part 1]
2. 1617: Analecta sacra, nova et mira de rebus catholicorvm in Hibernia pro fide & religione gestis, diuisa in tres partes, quarum I continet semestrem grauaminum relationem, secunda hac editione nouis adauctam additamentis & notis illustratam, II paraenesin ad martyres designatos, III processum martyrialem quoru(n)dam fidei pugilum (Cologne: apud Stephanum Rolinum); edited by P. F. Moran The analecta of David Rothe, Bishop of Ossory (Dublin: M. H. Gill, 1884)
3. 1619: De processv martyriali quonrandam fidei pugilum in Hibernia, pro complemento sacrorum analectorvm. Collectore & relatore T. N. Philadelpho (Cologne: apud Stephanum Rolinum) [Part 3 of the Analecta]
4. 1620: Brigida thaumaturga, siue dissertatio ... in laudem ipsius Sanctae ... habita in Collegio Hibernorum Parisiensi Kalendis februarii die festo eiusdem Sanctae (Paris: apud Sebastianum Cramoisy)
5. 1620: De Scriptorum Scotorum Nomenclatura a Thoma Dempstero edita praecidaneum (appended to his Brigida thaumaturga)
6. 1621: Hibernia resurgens. Siue refrigerium antidotale. Aduersus morsum serpentis antiqui. In quo modeste discutitur, immodesta Parecbasis Thomae Dempsteri a Muresck Scoti de represis mendicabulis. Et Hiberniae sancti sui vindicantur; ac bona fide asseruntur. Auctore Donato Roirk Hiberno (Rouen: apud Nicolaum le Brun) [imprint false: pr. Paris: Jérome Blageart]; reissued (Coloniae Agrippinae: sumptibus Conradi Burgeni) [imprint false: pr. Paris: Jérome Blageart]
7. 1624: "Tractatus ... de nominibus Hiberniae" in Florilegium Insulae Sanctorum edited by Thomas Messingham (Paris: ex officina Sebastini Cramoisy, 1624)

Other

1. Jocelin, fl. 1200 (1809) The life and acts of Saint Patrick, the archbishop, primate and apostle of Ireland; now first translated from the original Latin of Jocelin, the Cistercian monk of Furnes, who flourished in the early part of the twelfth century. With the elucidations of David Rothe by Edmund L. Swifte (Dublin: printed for the Hibernia Press Company, by J. Blyth)
2. Dempster, Thomas [1620] Scotia illustrior, seu Mendicabula repressa modesta parecbasi Thomae Dempsteri I.C. à Muresck, Scoti, Bononiae humanitatis professoris eminentis. Qua libelli famosi impudentia detegitur; mendacia ridicula confutantur; Scotiae Sancti sui vindicantur, ac bona fide asseruntur (Lyons: apud Petrum Ronsier) [in response to Rothe's Brigida thaumaturga; answered by Veridicus Hibernicus Hiberniae sive antiquoris Scotiae vindiciae ... (Antwerp, 1621) and Rothe's Hibernia resurgens]

Secondary sources

1. Borlase, Edmund (1743) The history of the Irish rebellion traced from many preceding acts, to the grand eruption the 23d of October, 1641. And thence pursued to the act of settlement, MDCLXII (Dublin: Printed by and for Oli. Nelson, and for Charles Conner), p. 262
2. Brenan, Michael J. ([1864]) An Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, from the introduction of Christianity into that country, to the year M.DCCC.XXIX (Dublin: James Duffy), new ed., revd., p.519-21 (p.313-16 in 1848 edition)
3. Carrigan, William (1905) History of Ossory (Dublin: Sealy, Bryers & Walker)
4. Chambers, Liam (2001) "A displaced intelligentsia: aspects of Irish Catholic thought in ancien régime France" in The Irish in Europe 1580-1815, ed. O'Connor, Thomas (Dublin: Four Courts Press), pp.157-74 [Rothe, pp.160-3]
5. Corish, P. J. (1984) "David Rothe, bishop of Ossory 1618-50" Journal of the Butler Society 2(3), pp 315-323
6. Grattan-Flood, W. H. (1912) "David Rothe" in The Catholic Encyclopedia, ed. Charles G. Herbermann, vol. 13, p. 207 (London: Caxton Publishing Company)
7. Hegarty, Maureen (1979) "David Rothe" Old Kilkenny Review 2(1), pp 4-21
8. Historical Manuscripts Commission (1906) Manuscripts preserved at the Convent, Merchants' Quay, Dublin (Dublin: Stationery Office) [Cd. 2867] [See index for many references]
9. Lennon, Colm (1999) "Political thought of Irish Counter-Reformation churchmen: the testimony of the 'Analecta' of Bishop David Rothe" in Political Ideology in Ireland, 1541-1641, ed. Morgan, Hiram (Dublin: Four Courts Press), pp. 181-202
10. Lynch, John (1672) De Praesulibus Hiberniae, ed. John F. O'Doherty Irish Manuscripts Commission (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1944), vol. 1, pp. 72, 137, 253, 361, 369, 379ff; vol. 2, pp. 66, 90, 116, 250
11. Meehan, C. P. (1872) The rise and fall of the Irish Franciscan Monasteries and Memoirs of the Irish Hierarchy in the seventeenth century. With appendix containing numerous original documents(Dublin: James Duffy), 4th ed., pp. 175-97, 393
12. Messingham, Thomas (1624) Florilegium Insulae Sanctorum. (Paris: ex officina Sebastiani Cramoisy), p. 87.
13. Moran, Patrick F. (1874) Spicilegium Ossoriense: being a collection of original letters and papers illustrative of the History of the Irish Church from the Reformation to the year 1800 (Dublin: W. B. Kelly), vol. 1
14. O'Connor, Thomas (2000) "Custom, authority and tolerance in Irish political thought: David Rothe's Analecta 1616" Irish Theological Quarterly 65 (2), pp.133-56
15. O'Sullivan, William (1993) "Correspondence of David Rothe and James Ussher, 1619-23" Collectanea Hibernica pp.7-49
16. Phelan, Margaret (1990) "Richard de Ladrede, John Clyn, James Grace, James Grace, David Rothe -- the earliest chroniclers of Kilkenny" in Kilkenny: History and society, ed. William Nolan and Kevin Whelan (Dublin: Geography Publications), pp. 103-6
17. Ronan, Myles V. (1935) "A contemporary English transcript of the Analecta Sacra of David Rothe, Bishop of Ossory (1618-1650)" Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Sect. C, 42, pp/ 193-8 + plate 23 [about MS in English which Ronan claims is not a translation of part 1 but the original on which the Latin edition was based]
18. Ryves, Thomas (1624) Regiminis anglicani in Hibernia defensio, adversus Analecten [Davidi Rothe] libri tres (London: Bartlet)
19. Ware, James (1665) De praesulibus Hiberniae, commentarius: a prima gentis Hibernicae ad fidem Christianam conversione, ad nostra usque tempora (Dublin: typis Johannis Crook ; [London]: Apud quem vaeneunt Londinii ; Dublinii: Apud Sam. Dancer)