An Irish hagiologist, born in the
Diocese of Meath, and studied in the Irish College, Paris,
proceeding to the degree of S.T.D. Among the Franciscan
Manuscripts in Dublin is an interesting tract sent by David Rothe,
Vice-Primate of All Ireland, addressed to my "loving friend
Mr. Thomas Messingham at his chambers in Paris", dated 1615.
It is evident that at this date Messingham was one of the staff of
the Irish College in that city, and was commencing his studies on
Irish saints. In 1620 he published Offices of SS. Patrick, Brigid,
Columba, and other Irish saints; and in the following year was
appointed rector of the Irish College, Paris, in succession to his
friend and diocesan, Thomas Dease, who was promoted to the
Bishopric of Meath, on 5 May, 1621. Messingham was honoured by the
Holy See, and was raised to the dignity of prothonotary Apostolic,
and acted as agent for many of the Irish bishops. Though diligent
in the quest for materials with a view to an ecclesiastical
history of Ireland, Messingham proved a most able and judicious
rector of the Irish College, and he thoroughly organized the
course of studies with a view of sending forth capable
missionaries to work in their native country. He got the college
affiliated formally to the University of Paris, and, in 1626, got
the approbation of the Archbishop of Paris for the rules he had
drawn up for the government of the Irish seminary. In 1624 he
published, at Paris, his famous work on Irish saints, "Florilegium
InsulÊ Sanctorum", containing also an interesting
treatise on St. Patrick's Purgatory, in Lough Derg. In the same
year he was appointed by the Holy See to the Deanery of St.
Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, in succession to Henry Byrne, but
this position was merely honorary, inasmuch as all the
temporalities were enjoyed by the Protestant dean, by patent from
the Crown. Messingham had a lengthy correspondence with Father
Luke Wadding, O.F.M., and was frequently consulted by the Roman
authorities in the matter of selecting suitable ecclesiastics to
fill the vacant Irish sees. On 15 July, 1630, he wrote to Wadding
that he feared it was in vain to hope for any indulgences in
religious disabilities from King Charles I. Between the years 1632
and 1638 he laboured for the Irish Church in various capacities,
but his name disappears after the latter year, whence we may
conclude that he either resigned or died in 1638.
JOURDAIN, Histoire de
l'Université de Paris (Paris, 1866); BOYLE, The
Irish College in Paris (London, 1901); Report on Franciscan
Manuscripts, Hist. Manuscripts Com. (Dublin, 1905).
W. H. Grattan-Flood.
