MourrppHy—An Ancient MS. History of Holy Cross Abbey. 415 
1632. The record of the trust exists still. It runs thus: ‘‘ Whereas, 
out of the general trust and confidence I have, and do repose in Garrett 
Fennell, doctor of physick, I have delivered to his safe keeping a piece 
of the Holy Rood, to remain in his custody or such other as he shall 
permit, till such time as any of my succeeding heirs of the house of 
Ormonde shall profess the Catholic faith, and that it shall be delivered 
to my heir for professing the same, to remain as a monument in 
my house. And in case the Catholic faith do flourish hereafter in this 
kingdom, and it shall appear by pregnant testimony that my predeces- 
sors have the said piece but by way of trust and safe-keeping, for the 
use of any church, convent, or for any person; I do hereby upon my 
blessing enjoin my heir to restore the same as he shall see cause, and 
if no such cause shall appear, to leave it as a monument to my poste- 
rity.” This document was signed by Earl Walter on his death-bed, 
for it is dated February 15th, 1632, and he died nine days after. 
Readers of the Aphorismical Discovery will remember that frequent 
mention is made in it of Dr. Fennell. He is said by the author to be 
‘a kind of physician, a doctor of physic for Ormonde’s house, and his 
follower.’ Obviously the reason why he left it to the care of Fennell 
was, that his heir apparent, Thomas, Lord Thurles, having been 
drowned thirteen years before on his return from England, his 
grandson James, later the great duke of Ormonde, became a king’s 
ward and was brought up a Protestant. James, the great duke, 
seems to have transferred it to the keeping of one Valentine Smith, 
for there is still in existence an order of the second Duke of Ormonde, 
addressed to him, bidding him ‘to keep till further order from him 
the token left by Walter, Earl of Ormonde, for his family, formerly in 
the keeping of Dr. Fennell, which his grandfather afterwards put into 
the keeping of Smith.’ It bears the date of January 16th, 1691. 
There is a notice of the Smith family by Mr. Prendergast in the first 
volume of the Ailkenny Archeological Journal. The grandfather of 
Valentine, William Smith, had come from Bristol, and entered the 
service of the Earl of Ormonde. In a grant of arms there is a certifi- 
cate from the second Duke, stating that ‘‘the said William, Laurence 
his son, and Valentine, for a space of over fifty years did constantly 
demean themselves with great integrity and trust to the concerns of 
the Ormonde family.” 
The following document signed by Francis Moylan, bishop of Cork, 
and bearing the date July 6th, 1801, will tell who have been its 
guardians up to the present time: ‘‘ We, the undersigned, by these 
presents do certify, that we have deposited in the Ursuline Convent of 
this city of Cork a portion of the Holy Rood which we received from 
Dame Mary Kayanagh, wife of George Butler, of Ballyragget, Esq., 
who received it from Dame Margaret Kavanagh, wife of Richard 
Galwey, of Kilkenny, Esq., with “whom it was deposited by Dame 
Ellen Butler, sister of John Butler, of Kilcash, Esq., and wife of 
Colonel Butler of Westcourt, who received it from Valentine Smith, 
Esq.” It is now in the keeping of the Ursuline Community, Black- 
