John Lodge (archivist) facts for kids

John Lodge (born in 1692, died in 1774) was an English historian and archivist. He is most famous for his important book, The Peerage of Ireland. This book was a full family history of the noble families, known as peers, in Ireland.

Early Life and Education (1692-1730)

John Lodge was born in a farming family in Bolton-le-Sands, a village in Lancashire, England. His father, Edmund Lodge, was a farmer. John went to school in Clapham, Yorkshire.

He later attended St John's College, Cambridge University, starting in 1716. He earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1719. He became a deacon in 1720 and a priest in 1721. In 1725, he worked as a schoolteacher in March, Cambridgeshire. He received his master's degree (M.A.) in 1730.

Life and Career in Dublin (1730-1774)

After his studies, John Lodge moved to Abbey Street, Dublin, Ireland. In 1744, he published a report about a court case, which he wrote down himself.

His career focused on keeping important historical documents. In 1751, he became the deputy-keeper of records at Bermingham Tower in Dublin Castle. This was a very important job, as he was in charge of many old and valuable documents. Later, in 1759, he became the deputy-clerk and keeper of the rolls. He also worked as a deputy-registrar for a special court. John Lodge passed away in Bath, Somerset, England, on February 22, 1774.

John Lodge's Family Life

John Lodge was married twice. His first wife was Miss Hamilton. His second wife was Edwarda Galland.

He had nine children, but only one survived to adulthood: his son, William Lodge (1742–1813). William followed in his father's footsteps in some ways. In 1790, he became a high-ranking official, called a chancellor, at Armagh Cathedral. He also served as a rector (a type of priest) in Derrynoose and Kilmore.

Some of John Lodge's own books, with his handwritten notes, are now kept in the Armagh Library. This library also bought other papers belonging to John Lodge around 1867 from one of his great-grandsons.

Main Works and Contributions

John Lodge's most important work is The Peerage of Ireland. This book, which came out in 1754, was published in four volumes. It was a detailed history of the noble families of Ireland. His own copy of the book, with many extra notes he wrote, is now in the British Library.

Later, in 1789, a second, bigger edition of The Peerage of Ireland was published. It was updated and expanded to seven volumes by another historian, Mervyn Archdall.

Lodge also published other historical works without putting his name on them:

• In 1770, he published The Usage of Holding Parliaments and Preparing and Passing Bills of Supply in Ireland. This book explained how parliaments worked in Ireland.
• In 1772, he published Desiderata curiosa Hibernica. This was a collection of important government papers and historical writings. They showed how the leaders and government of Ireland worked during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I, King James I, and King Charles I.

His large collection of historical record indexes was given to a government office in Dublin in 1783. In return, his widow received £100 a year, and his son received £200 a year. These indexes were very helpful to other historians, like Rowley Lascelles, who used them for his own work, Liber Munerum Hiberniæ.

Other Manuscripts

John Lodge's other important handwritten documents can be found in the British Library:

• Pedigrees and notices of Irish families: These are family trees and notes about Irish families.
• Historical and genealogical notes relating to the English, Irish, and Scotch nobility: Notes about noble families from England, Ireland, and Scotland.
• Collections for a Baronage of Ireland: Notes for a book about Irish barons.
• Notes and additions to 'The whole works of Sir James Ware concerning Ireland': Notes he added to another historian's work about Ireland.