The Rt Rev.Brutus (orBrute)Babington (1558–1611) was an Englishman who became theChurch of IrelandBishop of Derry.
He was the son of RichardBabington and Anne Starkey (formerly ofWrenbury Hall).[1][2] He was the great-grandson ofSir Anthony Babington,MP forNottingham and thesecond cousin to the conspiratorAnthony Babington.[2][3] He was a native ofCheshire, and was admitted toChrist's College, Cambridge, where he matriculated in 1572. He graduated B.A. in 1576, and became a fellow also in 1576, with an M.A. fromSt John's College, Cambridge in 1579.[4]
He was rector ofThurcaston,Leicestershire, from 1583. He was collated to the prebend of Bishopshall, inLichfield Cathedral, 18 September 1592, and was rector ofTatenhill,Staffordshire, from 1602.[4] On the death ofGeorge Boleyn, Babington applied for thedeanery of Lichfield unsuccessfully. On 6 July 1603, he complained toThe 7th Earl of Shrewsbury that the chancellor of the diocese, Zachary Babington, had obstructed his suit and dispossessed him of his divinity lectureship.
In 1610 he was appointed to the bishopric of Derry, after some opposition from supporters of Dean William Webb.[6] Babington was chosen as an advocate of a persuasive missionary approach to convert the native population to the reformed faith, an approach which was preferred byKing James and hisPrivy Council. His predecessor,George Montgomery, was considered disappointing in his dedication to missionary and pastoral work and translated to Meath in 1609. Babington tried a new approach with his clergy. In his own words, he "did not violently go to work with them nor urge them by authority, but endeavoured rather to persuade their consciences by arguments and reasons." He tried also to compromise by being content with anOath of Allegiance instead of insisting on anOath of Supremacy, and approving anIrish language translation of the liturgy. Babington successfully convinced one of the diocesan chapters to agree.[7]
Bishop Babington died unexpectedly early on 10 September 1611.[8] Among Catholics his death was ascribed to a divine punishment as he suggested toAndrew Knox,Bishop of Raphoe, to destroy the wooden statue of the Virgin atAgivey. The statue was attributed to miraculous cures which drew pilgrims even from thePale. Bishop Knox himself took the statue from Agivey and brought it toColeraine, where it was destroyed by fire in the town centre.[9]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: "Babington, Brute".Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
