Who was Michael Cox, Archbishop of Cashel?

Michael Cox was an 18th-century Irish Anglican clergyman who served as Bishop of Ossory and later as Archbishop of Cashel. Born in 1689 to a prominent political family, he is chiefly remembered for commissioning the construction of Castletown Cox, a magnificent Georgian Palladian mansion in County Kilkenny designed by architect Davis Ducart. He died in 1779 at the age of ninety and was buried beside his wife in St. Canice's Cathedral.

What we know

• Michael Cox lived from November 2, 1689, to May 28, 1779, serving as an Anglican archbishop in Ireland during the 18th century. [1, 2]
• He was the younger son of Sir Richard Cox, 1st Baronet, who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. [2]
• Cox became Bishop of Ossory in 1743 and was subsequently appointed Archbishop of Cashel in 1754. [2]
• He spent his final years building Castletown Cox, a Georgian Palladian mansion completed in 1776 and designed by Davis Ducart. [2, 3]

Still open

• Whether Michael Cox's marriage to Anne O'Brien in 1744 was his second marriage remains a tentative historical note.

Where to go next

• how it workedWho designed Castletown Cox?
• whoWhat was Sir Richard Cox's political role?
• whereWhere is Castletown Cox located?
• whenHow did the Archbishop of Cashel title change over time?
• compared withHow does Castletown Cox compare to other Irish mansions?
• an unexpected connectionHow is a Georgian mansion linked to a Sardinian architect?Michael Cox employed Davis Ducart, a Sardinian-born architect, to design his grand Irish country estate, Castletown Cox.

Sources

• [1]Michael Cox (Wikidata Q18716282) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Michael Cox (archbishop of Cashel) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Castletown Cox · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Archbishop of Cashel · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Michael Cox · CC BY-SA 4.0