Richard Meredith (bishop)

Richard Meredith (sometimes Meredyth) (died 3 August 1597) was the Church of Ireland Bishop of Leighlin from 1579 until his death.

Life

Meredith, from Denbighshire, Wales, was educated at the University of Oxford, matriculating in 1568 and obtaining degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in 1573 and 1575 respectively from Jesus College, Oxford. In 1578, he was prebendary at Brecon collegiate church and the rector of Barton, Pembrokeshire; in the following year, he became vicar of Llanafan Fawr in Brecknockshire and in 1580 the rector of Nangle, Pembrokeshire, and prebendary of St David's Cathedral. He became chaplain to Sir John Perrot, Lord Deputy of Ireland, in 1584 and Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He was appointed Bishop of Leighlin in 1589 (but not also, as is sometimes thought, Bishop of Ferns, the two sees not being merged until after his death). Meredith continued as Dean of St Patrick's, given the poverty of his diocese. He was accused of treasonous correspondence once Perrot had returned to England in 1588, but Meredith showed the evidence to be forgeries. His support for Perrot led to his imprisonment in the Fleet Prison and an appearance before the Star Chamber, leading to a fine of £2,000 (later remitted in return for an annual payment to the queen of 300 marks for 10 years). He was in ill-health by 1593 and died in 1597; he was buried in St Patrick's. [cite web| url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/18578 | last=Coburn Walshe| first=Helen| title=Meredith, Richard (d. 1597) | work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography| publisher=Oxford University Press| month=January|year= 2008|accessdate=2008-10-09]

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