Nicholas Greaves facts for kids
Nicholas Greaves (born around 1605, died 1673) was an English church leader. He held an important position as the Dean of Dromore Cathedral in County Down, which is in Northern Ireland.
Early Life and Education
Nicholas Greaves was born in Hampshire, England. He was the second son of John Greaves, who was a rector (a type of church leader) in a town called Colemore. Nicholas had three brothers who were also well-known: John Greaves, Sir Edward Greaves, and Thomas Greaves.
Nicholas went to Oxford University to study. He first attended St. Mary Hall. Later, in 1627, he became a fellow at All Souls' College. A fellow is like a senior member or teacher at a college. In 1640, he became a junior Proctor for the university. This was an important role in managing the university.
Church Work in Ireland
In 1642, Nicholas Greaves became the rector of Tullylish in County Down, Ireland. This area was part of the Church of Ireland. The church building there had been partly destroyed in the Irish rebellion the year before. Nicholas stayed in this role until 1673.
He earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1642. The next year, in 1643, he received his D.D. degree. On March 21, 1643, he was chosen to be the Dean of Dromore Cathedral. The Bishop of Dromore at the time was Theophilus Buckworth. The cathedral and other buildings in Dromore had been burned down during the rebellion in 1641.
Changes and Challenges
Nicholas Greaves also worked in England for a time. From 1651, he was the rector of Welwyn in Hertfordshire. However, he lost this position in 1662 because of a law called the Act of Uniformity 1662. This law mainly affected the Church of England. His role in the Church of Ireland was not changed by this law.
When his brother John Greaves passed away in 1652, Nicholas was in charge of his will. John had left his special astronomy tools, including an astrolabe that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth I, to Oxford University. These tools were for the university's astronomy professors to use. Nicholas held onto these instruments until 1659, when he finally gave them to the university.
After Bishop Buckworth died in 1652, the Dromore area did not have a bishop for a while. This changed after the Restoration in 1660, when the monarchy returned to England. A new bishop, Robert Leslie, was chosen in 1661. Nicholas Greaves was officially installed as the Dean of Dromore on March 26, 1661. The Dromore Cathedral was rebuilt between 1661 and 1667.
In 1668, Nicholas Greaves also became the Treasurer of Lisburn Cathedral. Lisburn, like many other places in Ireland, had been burned during the 1641 rebellion. A new cathedral was built there.
Nicholas Greaves likely passed away in 1673.
See also
- Diocese of Down and Dromore
