Board of First Fruits

The Board of First Fruits (Irish: Bord na Prímhide^[1]) was an institution of the Church of Ireland that was established in 1711 by Anne, Queen of Great Britain to build and improve churches and glebe houses in Ireland. This was funded from taxes collected on clerical incomes which were in turn funded by tithes.

The board was replaced in 1833 by the Board of Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

History

From the English Reformation in the 16th century, most Irish people chose to remain Roman Catholic and had by now to pay tithes valued at about 10% of an area's agricultural produce, to maintain and fund the established state church, the Anglican Church of Ireland, to which only a small minority of the population converted. Protests against this situation led to the Tithe war in the early 19th century.

In 1711, Queen Anne agreed that the tax on clerical incomes be given to the Church of Ireland for the building of new churches and Glebe Houses. To that effect, with Jonathan Swift's influence,^[2] the Board of First Fruits was founded.^[3]

During the first 70 years of its existence, the board purchased glebe lands for benefices at a total cost of £3,543. It also assisted the building of forty-five glebe houses with gifts of £4,080.^[4]

In 1778, the Irish Parliament agreed a grant of £6,000, followed by £1,500 in 1779–1780, £6,000 in 1781–1782, £3,000 in 1783–1784 and £5,000 each year from 1785 to 1800. During the period 1791–1803, the board spent £55,600 towards the building of 88 churches and 116 glebe houses.^[4]

The grants were maintained after the Act of Union 1800, but the act of parliament in 1808 saw a consolidation of the funds and allowed the board to also repair old churches and glebe houses.^[5]

From 1808, the annual grant doubled to £10,000 and massively increased to £60,000 each year between 1810 and 1816. Thereafter, the grant was halved between 1817 and 1821, finally being reduced to £10,000 each year in 1822–1823.^[4]

In the twenty years following the Act of Union, a total of £807,648 was paid out in grants to purchases glebe lands in 193 benefices, the building of 550 glebe houses, and the building, rebuilding and enlargement of 697 churches.^[6]

The Church Temporalities Act 1833 put an end to the Board of First Fruits and The Board of Ecclesiastical Commissioners took over.^[5]

Architects

Many architects worked for the Board of First Fruits. The following lists a few and is not exhaustive:

Buildings

Many churches and glebe houses were constructed or improved with funding from the Board of First Fruits.

Churches

In County Armagh

Madden, County Armagh, (Rebuilt 1816)
St Luke's, Ballymoyer, (Built 1822)^[7]

In County Cork

Dromagh, near Banteer, (Built 1822)*
St. George's, Mitchelstown, (Rebuild of 1830 partially funded by Board)*
Marshalstown (in ruins), near the River Funshion, (Built c1810)*
St Mary's, Castletownroche, (Built c1825)*

In County Dublin

St Brigid's, Castleknock, Fingal, (Re-built in 1810)
St Mary's Church, Crumlin, rebuilt with the help of a £1,000 loan (1817)
Christ Church, Taney Parish, Dundrum, (Built 1818)
St. Philip and St. James Church, Booterstown, (Built 1821)
St. Mary's Church, Donnybrook, with the help of a loan of £4,154 (1827)
St. Maelruain's Church, Tallaght, (Re-built in 1829)
Monkstown Church, Dublin, (Built 1830s)
St. Marys Chapel of Ease, Dublin, (Built 1830)

In County Galway

Portumna, (Built 1832)*
Kilkerrin, near Glenamaddy, (Built 1784)*

In County Kildare

Saint John's Church, Ballymore Eustace, (Built 1820)*

Taghadoe, near Maynooth, (Built 1831)

In County Kerry

St Cartach's, Castlemaine, County Kerry, (Built 1816)*
Templenoe, (Built 1816)*
Kilcolman, Milltown, (Built 1819)*

In County Longford

St Thomas', Rathmore near Lough Gowna, (Built 1829)^[8]

In County Mayo

St. Mary's Crossmolina (built 1818–9)*

in County Offaly

Dunkerrin, (Built 1820)*
St Mary's, Shinrone, (Built 1821)*
St Colman's, Cree (Built 1844)

In County Tipperary

Ballynaclogh, on the Nenagh River, (Built 1815)*
Borrisokane, (Built 1812) *
St Burchin's, Ballyhenry, County Tipperary, (Built 1814)*
St Cronan's, Roscrea, (Built 1812)*
Dorrha, Graigue, Dorrha, (Built 1832)*
Feigh West, near Borrisokane, (Built 1813)*
Glebe (in ruins), (built c1790)*
Holycross, (Built 1821)*
St Kieran's, Cloughjordan, (Built 1837)*
Kilfithmone, now part of the united parish "Templemore, Thurles and Kilfithmone", (Built 1821)*
Kilruane, (Built 1820)*
Kilbiller (in ruins), in the Borrisokane Forest (Built 1822)*
Johnstown, Killodiernan, near Puckane (Built 1811)*
Littleton, Bally Beg, (Built 1786)
St Mary's, Thurles, (Built c1825)*
St Michael's (in ruins), Cloonmore, Ballymackey, (Built 1815)*
Modreeny (in ruins), (Built 1828)*
St Ruadan's (in ruins) Curraghmore, on the grounds of Finnoe House, near Borrisokane,(Built c1815)*
Terryglass, (Built 1808)*

In County Wexford

St Paul's Church, Kildavin. (Built in 1811)^[9]

St Peter's Church, Monart (Built 1805–1810)

Glebe Houses

Clondrohid, County Cork
Clondavaddog, County Donegal (Built c1795)
Lorrha, County Tipperary (Built 1816)*
Feigh West, County Tipperary (Built 1816)*
Killeen, County Tipperary (Built 1816)*
Dunkitt, County Kilkenny (Built 1817)*
Ballymoyer, County Armagh (Built 1825)^[7]
Loughkeen, County Tipperary (Built c1830)*
Monart, County Wexford (Built 1805–1810) *

An asterisk indicates that a building is featured on the website of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage

References

^ "Time in Transition – It's About Time 2" (PDF). An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta. 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
^ "First Fruits". encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
^ Brown, Stewart Jay (2001). "The national churches of England, Ireland, and Scotland, 1801–1846", Oxford University Press, p 65
^ ^a ^b ^c Nigel Yates (2006). "The religious condition of Ireland, 1770–1850", p 34
^ ^a ^b Brooks, Chris & Saint, Andrew (1995). "The Victorian church: architecture and society", Manchester University Press, p 133–134
^ D.H. Akenson, (1971). "The Church of Ireland: Ecclesiastical Reform and Revolution, 1800–1885, New Haven and London", p 115–119
^ ^a ^b http://www.libraryireland.com/Lewis/LewisB/17-BALLYMOYER.php^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "St. Thomas Church of Ireland Church, RATHMORE (GRANARD BY.), LONGFORD". Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
^ "St. Paul's Church, Kildavin". clonegalkildavin.ie. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2021.

[1] "Time in Transition – It's About Time 2" (PDF). An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta. 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.

[2] "First Fruits". encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2010.

[3] Brown, Stewart Jay (2001). "The national churches of England, Ireland, and Scotland, 1801–1846", Oxford University Press, p 65

[trcoi-4] Nigel Yates (2006). "The religious condition of Ireland, 1770–1850", p 34

[tvcaas-5] Brooks, Chris & Saint, Andrew (1995). "The Victorian church: architecture and society", Manchester University Press, p 133–134

[6] D.H. Akenson, (1971). "The Church of Ireland: Ecclesiastical Reform and Revolution, 1800–1885, New Haven and London", p 115–119

[libraryireland.com-7] ttp://www.libraryireland.com/Lewis/LewisB/17-BALLYMOYER.php^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[8] "St. Thomas Church of Ireland Church, RATHMORE (GRANARD BY.), LONGFORD". Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.

[9] "St. Paul's Church, Kildavin". clonegalkildavin.ie. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2021.

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