The Right Reverend William Smyth, was the Anglican Bishop of Killala and Achonry in 17th century Ireland.
His episcopal papers are a valuable source of information on the Church of Ireland after 1660, and in particular on his conflict with the Presbyterian Church in County Cavan.
Born in County Antrim, he was the son of Ralph Smyth, who had settled in Ireland c.1630 and acquired lands in Antrim and County Down. William was educated at Trinity College Dublin.
In 1670, he acquired large estates in County Westmeath and married in 1672. This is how he became the ancestor of the prominent landowning family of Barbavilla Manor, Collinstown, County Westmeath.
His eldest son Ralph, a barrister of Gray's Inn, who spent much of his life in England, inherited some of this Westmeath holding but Ranaghan (renamed Barbavilla) and Collinstown passed to his third son William who managed Ralph's estate as well.
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1643 | VIEW SOURCE |
| Date of Death | 24th Feb 1699 | VIEW SOURCE |
| Associated Building (s) | Barbavilla Manor COLLINSTOWN St Peter's Church | |
| Mother (First Name/s and Maiden) | Alice Hawkesworth, b. 1623, Hawkesworth, Yorkshire, England | VIEW SOURCE |
| Father (First Name/s and Surname) | Capt. Ralph Smyth (1629-1689) born in Ireland | |
| Townland born | Lisnegarvey, Blaris, Co. Antrim | |
| Spouse (First Name/s and Maiden/Surname) | m.1672 Mary Povey, 1655-1730 daughter of Sir John Povey, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, and Elizabeth Folliott | |
| Names of Children | All born in Westmeath: Elizabeth Smyth 1673-1706 | Ralph Smyth of Gray's Inn b.1680 | Ven. James Smyth, Archdeacon of Meath, b. 1690 | Ann Frances Smyth, b.1693 | Alice Smyth b1694 | Mary Smyth 1689-1753 | William Smyth of Barbavilla | |
| Occupation | Treasurer of Armagh in 1667; a prebendary of Derry in 1670; Dean of Dromore from 1673 to 1681. He became Bishop of Killala and Achonry in 1681 | |
| Place of Death | buried at St Peter, Dublin. | |
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