Richard Baldwin (provost) facts for kids

Richard Baldwin (born around 1672, died 1758) was an important academic leader in Ireland. He was the Provost of Trinity College Dublin, which is like being the head of a university. He was known for his long leadership at Trinity College and for leaving a large amount of money to the college when he died.

Richard Baldwin's Early Life

We don't know everything about Richard Baldwin's early years. Records from Trinity College suggest he was born around 1668 in a town called Athy in County Kildare, Ireland. His father was also named Richard Baldwin and was a gentleman.

Another idea is that he was born in Lancashire, England, into a family that didn't have much money. This theory says he later moved to Ireland and was cared for by a man named Robert Huntington.

What we do know for sure is that Baldwin went to Kilkenny College. There, he was a classmate of the famous writer Jonathan Swift. Both of them later studied together at Trinity College.

Baldwin's Career at Trinity College

In 1686, Richard Baldwin earned a scholarship to attend Trinity College. He finished his first degree, a B.A., in 1689. That same year, soldiers took over the college during a war in Ireland. Baldwin, who strongly supported the Whig political party, left for England to stay safe.

He came back to Dublin by 1691. He earned his master's degree, a M.A., in 1692. The next year, in 1693, he was chosen as a junior fellow at the college. By 1697, Baldwin became a senior fellow, and in 1713, he was made vice-provost. He was very against anyone who supported the Jacobites (a political group at the time) and was strict with students or staff he suspected of being Jacobites.

In 1714, he became the Regius Professor of Divinity, a special teaching position. He was against the government that was in power from 1710 to 1714. This likely helped him become the Provost of Trinity College on June 24, 1717.

Leading Trinity College

As Provost, Baldwin was known for being very strict and focused on improving discipline among both the staff and students. He didn't like it when people had too many new or independent ideas, which sometimes made it harder for new research and learning to happen.

Because of his strict style and strong political views, some of his colleagues disagreed with him. These included Richard Helsham and Patrick Delany. Eventually, Baldwin even made Delany leave the university.

Baldwin became very powerful at Trinity College. He had a say in almost everything, even helping to choose who would represent the university in the government.

He remained Provost until he died. This was partly because the government in Dublin trusted him politically. By 1753, his control over the university started to lessen a bit, as new people were appointed to college roles.

Later Life and Legacy

Richard Baldwin died on September 30, 1758. He was buried in the old chapel at Trinity College on October 4.

He left all his money, which was a huge amount of £24,000, and land to Trinity College. Some people who claimed to be his relatives tried to challenge his will in court, but after a long legal battle, the college finally won the case in 1820.

There is a marble statue in his memory at the Examination Hall in Trinity College. It was made by an artist named Christopher Hewetson.