ROTHE House Conserv.( AOS - The Heritage Council

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It is thought that the third house and its courtyard had been constructed by c. 1610, as recorded in a damaged slab inserted in a wall near the well in the second courtyard (Figure 11). This building housed the great kitchen, the bakery, the brew house, storage rooms, and sleeping quarters for the servants. Arched access to lane Arched access to lane Figure 9: Phase 2, House 1 and Outscale, c. 1594 Figure 10: Phase 3, Houses 1 and 2, c.1604 Figure 11: Phase 4, Houses 1, 2 and 3, c. 1610 22
The burgage plot was completed by a garden to the west of the courtyard of the third house. Presumably, the steepness of the plot led to the construction of steps leading up to the garden, which lies today almost at the first-floor level of the third house. This area to the rear of the houses is also thought to have contained orchards, a dovecote and a ‘castle’ (possibly a mural tower) on the western side. In 1609, when Kilkenny received its charter as a free city and county from King James I, John Rothe Fitz-piers was one of its first aldermen. He was subsequently elected mayor of the city in 1613. In 1610, Peter Rothe (1590-1654), John and Rose’s eldest son, took over the first house upon his marriage to Lettice Lawless. He may also have taken over the running of the business. John and the rest of the family presumably moved into the second house, although all of them shared the facilities of the well, mill, the kitchen and other amenities located in the third house. This situation may not have been ideal, however, as Rose is believed to have had a separate kitchen closer to the second house. In addition, John made great efforts in his will (written in 1619, the year before he died) to ensure that his wife would still have rights and access to various parts of the houses upon his demise. The will provides an invaluable inventory of the contents of the houses and the plot, information which may prove useful in attempts to understand or re-create the houses. Although Peter inherited the majority of the estate upon his father’s death, John was also generous in providing for the future of his wife and the remainder of his eleven children, and certainly for the aspirations of his other sons. Nothing is known of Rose’s life after John’s death. By 1612, John had erected a chapel in St Mary’s churchyard, along with a tombstone for himself and his wife. However, when the grave was opened two hundred years after his demise, the remains of only one individual were discovered. Peter was as civic minded as his father and was returned as an MP for Kilkenny City in 1639. In the 1640s, the Confederation of Kilkenny was held in Kilkenny (see above). Peter was a supporter of the confederate cause and a member of the General Assembly. He entertained the notable figures of the day in Rothe House and used it as a meeting place for the Assembly of Bishops on several occasions. One of the prominent ecclesiastics of the time was a distant cousin, David Rothe, Bishop of Ossory; tradition dictates that this was the house in which the bishops met and walked in the orchards (Lanigan, c. 1980s). When the Confederation collapsed with the advent of the Commonwealth, its supporters were dispossessed. A Confederate banner was later found in an oak-panelled partition in House 2 (Lanigan, 1967). Like many of the rich merchants of the time, it is thought that Peter’s properties were also confiscated, and in 1653, he and his household were removed to Connaught. A year later, Peter died. His place of burial is unknown. Since there is a discrepancy in the historical records for this period, it is unclear whether Peter was actually removed from Kilkenny. The Civil Survey of Kilkenny City in 1654 shows one ‘Peirce Rooth fitz John’ as the owner of Rothe House (Figure 12). 23
Page 1 and 2: The Heritage Council Rothe House Pa
Page 3 and 4: C O N T E N T S FOREWORD 7 ACKNOWLE
Page 5 and 6: LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: CRITERIA FO
Page 7 and 8: FOREWORD Rothe House is one of the
Page 9 and 10: 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Standing on Pa
Page 11 and 12: 2. INTRODUCTION 2.1 T HE S COPE OF
Page 13 and 14: Since restoration, the Heritage Cou
Page 15 and 16: 3. UNDERSTANDING THE PROPERTY 3.1 H
Page 17 and 18: By 1383-84, the plot which would la
Page 19 and 20: Figure 7: c.1842: Part of Kilkenny
Page 21: The Confederation was dissolved in
Page 25 and 26: In approximately 1720, the name ‘
Page 27 and 28: and officially opened the museum to
Page 29 and 30: Figure 15: Layout of House 1, with
Page 31 and 32: By 1758 (Figure 14), outshots from
Page 33 and 34: 3.2.6 T HE C ONSERVATION/RESTORATIO
Page 35 and 36: 3.3.1 V ISITOR A TTRACTION FOR THE
Page 37 and 38: • 1612 — John had erected a cha
Page 39 and 40: • 1966 — The Kilkenny Archaeolo
Page 41 and 42: e some form of relative hierarchy.
Page 43 and 44: original plan and basic configurati
Page 45 and 46: 4.6 M USEUM AND A RCHIVE C OLLECTIO
Page 47 and 48: centuries. If the garden were resto
Page 49 and 50: 5. ISSUES OF VULNERABILITY The foll
Page 51 and 52: 5.2.2 M AINTENANCE P ROGRAMME The a
Page 53 and 54: paintings are nationally important
Page 55 and 56: 5.5.1 R OTHE H OUSE H OUSE 1 The fi
Page 57 and 58: V ISITOR C IRCULATION The arrangeme
Page 59 and 60: opportunities to raise finances and
Page 61 and 62: makes of the complex must be balanc
Page 63 and 64: usually framed as a general strateg
Page 65 and 66: Policy 6: The Kilkenny Archaeologic
Page 67 and 68: specific objectives laid out in the
Page 69 and 70: For example: The rooms in House 1 m
Page 71 and 72: 7. IMPLEMENTATION AND REVIEW The co
Page 73 and 74:
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY Airs, M. The Buildi
Page 75 and 76:
Quinlan, M and Foley, T. (2001) St.
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ROTHE House Conserv.( AOS - The Heritage Council

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