HISTORY. 
of Limerick, was nominated to the sees of Derry, Clogher, and Raphoe. However, as he died 
in London without consecration in July, 1603, Ware does not rank him among the bishops. 
The succession henceforward becomes unbroken in the Protestant line. 
George Montgomery succeeded 1605; resigned 1610. This prelate was born at Braid- 
stane, in Scotland, in 1566, and of the illustrious family of the earl of Eglinton, head of the 
house of the Montgomerys in that country, and was younger brother to Sir James, created viscount 
Montgomery. He was preferred to the parsonage of Chedchie by queen Elizabeth, and king’s 
chaplain, and dean of Norwich, to which he was installed the 7th of June, 1603; was promoted 
on the 5th of February, 1604, by privy seal, dated at Westminster, and by patent, dated the 
13th of June, 1605, by king James—to the sees of Derry, Raphoe, and Clogher, and, the day 
following, restored to the temporalities. Sir John Davies, in his letter to the earl of Salisbury, 
written °in 1606, complains that the absence of the bishop of Derry, Raphoe, and Clogher, 
(which three dioceses comprehended the greatest part of Ulster, though now united for one man’s 
benefit), being two years since he was elected, hath been the chief cause that no course hath 
been taken to reduce this people to Christianity (vol. 1. page 150.) In 1610, he resigned this 
see and that of Raphoe, taking on him the administration of that of Meath, which he held to¬ 
gether with Clogher till his death, which occurred in London on the 15th January, 1620, whence 
his body was conveyed into Ireland, and interred in the church of Ardbraccan. 
Brutus Babington, (or as he is called in the privy seal, Brute), succeeded 1610, died 1611. 
This prelate, who was a native of Cheshire, and for some time fellow of Corpus Christi college 
in Cambridge, was advanced to this see by the letter of king James the 1st, dated the 11th of 
August, in the 8th year of his reign, and was consecrated at Drogheda in the year 1610. In a 
writ under the privy seal, it is granted, that under the consideration of the great changes and 
expenses which he hath, and must sustain in attending the business for the new plantation ; the 
king grants him the meane profits &c., from the 2nd of May last, and to pay no first fruits. 
He°died in September, in the year following; his death, if we believe the annalist, Francis 
Porter, being caused by a violent illness with which he was instantly seized on vainly attempting to 
burn an image of the Virgin Mary, which belonged to the monastery at Coleraine. 
John Tanner succeeded 1613, died 1615. He was a native of Cornwall, educated in the 
university of Cambridge, and by the interest of Arthur lord Chichester, lord deputy, was first 
nominated bishop of Dromore by king James, in the year 1611, and afterwards advanced to this 
see by the khm’s letter, dated the 13th of May, 1613, and was consecrated the same month 
in St. Patrick’s cathedral. On the 23d of November, 1614, he made a surrender to the crown 
of all the lands of his see; which surrender was confirmed by the dean and chapter on the 10th of 
March following; and on the 25th of May, 1615, the same were re-granted by new patents to 
him and his successors for ever, to be holden in free almoyne with a grant of four courts leet 
and four courts barron, and felon’s goods, with license to his lordship only to make leases for 60 
years, reserving -6* quarters of land —{Rolls 13/A Jac. 1). He died in Derry on the 14th 
of October, and was buried in the Augustinian church, then used as a cathedral. 
George Downham, D. D., succeeded 1616, died 1634. This prelate was a native of Cheshire, 
and the son of William Downham, who was for some time bishop of Chester. He was, in 1585, 
elected a fellow of Christ Church, Cambridge, and professor of logic in that university. 
He was esteemed a man of learning, and was chaplain to king James, by whom he was advanced 
to this see by letters under the privy seal, dated at Westminster 28th October, and by patent, 
dated 6th of December, 1616, and consecrated the 6th of October in that year. He died at 
Londonderry on the 17th of April, 1634, and was buried there in the Augustinian church. Ihe 
zeal of this prelate in the cause of the reformed faith in his diocese, was a prominent featuie 
in his character. Harris writes that “ in the government of the Lord Chancel or Loftus and the 
Earl of Cork, he obtained a commission by an intermediate warrant from himself, to arrest, appre¬ 
hend and attach the bodies of all people within his jurisdiction, who should decline the same, or 
should refuse to appear upon lawful citation, or appearing, should refuse to obey the sentence given 
against them, and authority to bind them in recognizances, with sureties or witnout, to appear at 
the council table to answer such contempts. The like Commission was renewed to him by the 
Lord Deputy Wentworth on tlie23d of October, 1633. Both were obtained upon his informa ion 
that his diocese abounded with all manner of delinquents, who refused obedience to all spiritual 
processes.” “ What success,” Harris adds, “ this Bishop had in civilizing the Wild Irish he must 
leave to the credit of the author of the Worthies of Cheshire”; but if we take the words of the bishop 
himself, his efforts were far from being attended with the success which he desired. He writes in 
his visitation of the Diocese, that “ For the removing of the Popish Priests (of whom he says, 
that while they are suffered to reside amongst the people there was no hope of reformation) our 
laws are weak or powerless ; neither can I get the assistance of the military men as l desire, and 
that which discourageth me most is, that whenever I have gotten any of them apprehended, con¬ 
victed, and committed, they have been by government set at liberty to follow their former courses , 
