Thomas Jones (bishop) - Lord Chancellor

Lord Chancellor

In 1605, Jones was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland, a position he held for the duration of his life. He was staunchly anti-Catholic during the era of King James's Plantation of Ulster. In 1611, he was part of a Protestant Council in Dublin "to prevent sectarianism and extirpate Popery." He attended the opening of the Parliament of Ireland in 1612, giving an important speech. During this period, he had eight Roman Catholics excommunicated and imprisoned for recusancy and then had them reimprisoned after Parliament released them soon afterwards. Jones was a lord justice in 1613, received an honorary D.D. degree from the University of Dublin in 1614, and again served as lord justice in 1615. He and his son, Roger Jones, 1st Viscount Ranelagh, took part in several disputes with Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth, the most serious of which involved an affray in Thomas St. in Dublin in 1609 in which a man was killed. During his time as Lord Chancellor, Jones saw that Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin underwent extensive repairs.

In old age, according to Ball, Jones underwent a notable deterioration in character; he became fretful and querulous, and unable to bear the robust criticism which all Irish public figures had to endure. His enemies it was said would spread malicious stories, such as a claim that he was a wizard, simply to enjoy the hysterical efforts Jones would make to refute them. He grew ill very suddenly and died at his episcopal palace, St. Sepulchre's Palace in Dublin in 1619. He was buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral beside his wife who had died four months earlier. Viscount Ranelagh, his only surviving son, had a monument and statue created with inscriptions for Thomas and his wife:

Thomas Jones, Archiepiscopus Dublin. Primas et Metropolitanus Hiberniæ, Esujdem Cancellarius, necnon bis e Justitiariis unus. Obiit Decimo Aprilis, anno reperatæ salutis humanæ 1619. —Epitaph for Thomas Jones in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

The monument was restored in 1731 at the request of St. Patrick's dean, Jonathan Swift.