A new book, “The Earl Bishop” by lecturer and broadcaster Stephen Price, sheds light on the fascinating story of the man behind the Mussenden Temple.
The Earl Bishop was in fact Frederick Augustus Hervey, fourth Earl of Bristol and Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry.
Born into a distinguished Suffolk family in 1730, Frederick Augustus was many things; scientist, agitator, art collector and Royal Chaplain to George III, who referred to him as “that wicked prelate”.
In 1766 the eldest Hervey brother was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and he soon made Frederick Augustus the Bishop of Cloyne and then Bishop of Derry.
The position brought with it a very generous salary. By his late thirties, Frederick Augustus had also inherited the estates of his two brothers and was sitting on quite a fortune.
While the value of money is hard to measure over time, Stephen likens Hervey’s wealth to the level of someone like Richard Branson.
“The Earl-Bishop’s annual income was twice what it cost George III to buy Buckingham Palace,” he said.
Frederick Augustus started to put that fortune to good use. He was a philanthropist, bestowing his charity on the people of Derry. He built roads and became actively engaged in life in Ireland.
One of his most lasting achievements was to put the Giant’s Causeway on the map, both scientifically and as a tourist destination.
“Hervey was interested in vulcanology, so when he’s made Bishop of Derry he immediately gravitates towards the Giant’s Causeway,” Stephen explained.
Although a bishop in the Church of Ireland, Hervey was a powerful proponent of religious equality and dedicated himself to improving the lot of Catholics and Presbyterians in 18th Century Ireland.
He financially supported, not only his own church, but those of his Catholic and Presbyterian neighbours.
Stephen Price will present the 3D reconstructions of Hervey’s works and give a talk on the Earl Bishop at the Roe Valley Arts Centre on 17 August.
More at BBC NI:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13831872