Hugh Goodacre (c. 1510 – 1553) was an English Protestant clergyman who was nominated to the episcopal seat of Fern Ferns and Leighlin in the Church of Ireland during the reign of Edward VI. He died before taking formal possession of the see.
Early life and education
- Birth: Approximate year of birth is placed around 1510; exact date and place are not definitively recorded.
- Education: Specific details of Goodacre’s academic background (e.g., university affiliation or degrees) are not documented in reliable encyclopedic sources.
Ecclesiastical career
- Protestant affiliation: Goodacre was identified with the Protestant reform movement emerging in England in the early‑to‑mid‑16th century.
- Nomination as bishop: In 1552, under the authority of Edward VI, he was nominated to become Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, a diocese in the southeast of Ireland.
- Consecration status: Records indicate that Goodacre had not yet been consecrated or formally installed at the time of his death.
Death
- Year: 1553.
- Circumstances: The precise circumstances of his death, including location and cause, are not detailed in the available historical documentation.
Legacy
Goodacre’s brief appointment is noted primarily in the context of the Tudor‑era reformation of the Irish church and the short‑lived Protestant episcopate established under Edward VI. Because he died before assuming his duties, he left no substantive administrative or theological impact on the diocese.
Notes
- Information about Hugh Goodacre is limited to a few entries in specialized biographical dictionaries and ecclesiastical records.
- Further biographical details (e.g., family background, specific contributions to the Protestant cause, and exact educational credentials) remain undocumented in readily accessible encyclopedic references.
