Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Diary of a Tour in 1732 through parts of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland (Author: John Loveday)
Entry 9
Sunday, 11. — The Key at Waterford is exceeding noble, being in a straight line of great length, ye Stone buildings on it very handsome; nothing more beautiful than this View from ye Water. Here is an handsome Custom-house. The Houses in ye Town are both of Stone and Brick, not answerable to Those on ye Key. The West of Waterford is on ye steep side of an hill. The Town-wall is — great part of it — standing, & has Towers in it; two of ye Gates are us'd for Gaols, the Western is a new beautiful Building of stone, out of which are good new Barracks, Those for ye Officers very neat, & sash'd; beyond this Gate is a fine Opening, ye Suburbs in this part being very wide: Indeed ye Suburbs of Waterford are considerably large & stragling. The Market-house, with ye Townhouse over it, is another good Stone building, but None more decently elegant than ye School for ye Education of poor Children, founded by Bishop Foy, & built by his Executors in 1708; 'tis of Stone, and Sash'd. The Cathedral is an ancient Structure, ye Shell
p.34
of some parts of it only remaining, its Tower clumsy. The Nave is but small, divided from ye Isles by Arches of an uncommon Clumsiness, ye Pillars are much upon a square. The solemn Choir has a Gallery, & Pews in it, as at Kilkenny; an handsome Throne; Relievo-Work under ye Stalls; an Organ here, but no Choir-service; tho' (as I understand) ye present Bishop had introduced Choristers; but there being little agreement between Dean Bolton & Him, They were dropp'd.16 All ye middle Isle is high. In ye South Isle, & towards ye West is bury'd Bishop Nathaniel Foy, who dy'd Dec. 31. 1707, aged 63; Milles was his immediate successor, who resides constantly here, — ye Bishoprick worth about 1500 £ per Annum. It has been a Bishop's See ever since 1096, & Lismore is annex'd to it. The Presbytery, call'd Trinity-Church, has also it's clumsy Arches, but no floor. It is a Parish Church; tho' as it is not fitted up, ye Parishioners make use of ye Choir; however 'tis in use for burying; of old Monuments here is a recumbent one of a Bishop vested & mitred, Another recumbent in armour of one They call Strongbow,17 a Dog at his feet; here is also a Sceleton; Several Tombs of a later Age have on 'em (as I observ'd at Kilkenny) ye Cross with other Instruments of Suffering; All Such as These (I'm told) are for Catholics. Rice's Chappel not pav'd, his Sceleton on a rais'd Tomb with Worms &c. crawling about him; round ye Tomb ye figures of ye Apostles &c. The Palace — & Deanery, an handsome Stone-house built not many Years ago — stand in ye Cemitery; ye two other Dignitaries Houses are towards ye Key. The Revenues of ye Deanery between 300 & 400 £ per Annum. West of ye Cathedral is ye extended Brick front with Wings, — of ye Hospital for 10 clergymens Widows, allow'd 10 Pounds apiece yearly, founded by Bishop Hugh Gore (Foy's immediate Predecessor), & erected by his Executor in 1692. The Bishop & Dean fill up ye Vacancies from any part of ye Kingdom; Each Widow has 3 Rooms & 2 Closets. By ye Cathedral generally call'd
p.35
Christ-Church is St Olave's Church rebuilding of Stone, with a Cross at ye South end; over ye Door, a Latin Inscription reciting Bishop Milles's Care to have This, St Patrick's, & 5 more Churches rebuilt; an handsome Throne for ye Bishop will be put up here, as there is at St Patrick's, by ye West Gate, where Milles comes as often as to his Cathedral; This Stone Church has no Pillars, on ye North side are ye Seats for ye Men, on ye South for ye Women. Round ye Font — ‘Anno Domini 1723 Hoc Est Lavacrum Mentium Hoc Est Sepulchrum Criminum.’ The other Churches are in Ruins: The French Church belong'd to a Franciscan Friery. The Black-friers Church turn'd into ye County Court house, ye Tower still standing. Our Lady's Church, belonging to another Religious house, is a bare Shell & Tower, & has Tombs with ye Cross &c. as above. In Waterford are Dissenters of all Denominations, for it is a populous Town; Camden reckon'd it for Wealth & Populousness ye 2d City in Ireland, but That was before ye growth of Cork.