herenachn.
/ˈhɛrənax/, /ˈhɛrənak/, U.S. /ˈhɛrəˌnæk/, /ˈhɛrəˌnæx/, Irish English /ˈhɛrənæx/ Anglo-Irish.
In the ancient Irish Church, A lay superintendent of church lands; the hereditary warden of the church.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > church government > laity > lay functionaries > church-warden > [noun]
reeveeOE
kirkmaster1429
church reeve1433
warden1439
kirkreeve1442
churchwarden1443
churchman1457
churchmaster1484
churchward1496
kirkwarden1500
herenach1607
chapelwarden1688
kirkward1883
1607 J. Davies Let. in Hist. Tracts (1787) 250 For the Herinach, there are few parishes of any compass in extent, where there is not an Herinach.
1607 J. Davies Let. in Hist. Tracts (1787) 251 The founder gave the land to some clerk not being in orders, and to his heirs for ever, with this intent; that he should keep the church clean and well repaired, keep hospitality, and giue alms to the poor for the soul's health of the founder. This man and his heirs had the name of Erenach.
1609 in Reeves Eccl. Antiq. (1847) 209 The Corbe..hath sometime under him severall herenaghes.
1727 Cowell's Interpreter sig. Ff3va Herenach, An Archdeacon.
1848–51 J. O'Donovan tr. Ann. Four Masters a.d. 601 (note) Irish Airchinneach, i.e. the hereditary warden of the church, usually anglicised Erenach or Herenagh.
1864 T. McLauchlan Early Sc. Church (1885) xx. 292 The lands were usually farmed to a certain individual or family of the kin who were called herenachs.
Derivatives
ˈherenachy n. the office of a herenach.
ΚΠ
1609 in Reeves Eccl. Antiq. (1847) 161 But hold their herenaghie free for ever.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1607