Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hartstonge, John
HARTSTONGE, JOHN, D.D. (1654–1717), bishop of Derry, third son of Sir Standish Hartstonge, bart., one of the barons of the exchequer in Ireland, was born on 1 Dec. 1654 at Catton, near Norwich. Having received his early education in Charleville and Kilkenny schools, he entered Trinity College, Dublin, on 20 May 1672, under the tutorship of the Rev. Thomas Wallis (Entrance Books, T.C.D.), and graduated B.A. in 1677 and M.A. in 1680 (Todd, Cat.of Dublin Graduates, p. 258). From Dublin he removed to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, 19 June 1676 (College Admission Book), and there took the degree of M.A. in 1680. He was also for a year at Glasgow University. On his return in 1681 from travelling on the continent he was elected a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, and soon after, having meanwhile been ordained, he was appointed chaplain to the first Duke of Ormonde. On the duke's death in 1688 he became chaplain to the second duke, whom he attended in his first four campaigns in Flanders, and to whose influence he was indebted for his subsequent preferments. On 24 June 1684 he was collated to the archdeaconry of Limerick, and as archdeacon he was attainted by King James's Irish parliament of 1689, under the name of 'Henry Harstrong.' He was promoted to the bishopric of Ossory by patent dated 8 April 1693, and at the same time he received the degree of D.D. by diploma from the university of Oxford. From Ossory he was translated to Derry, by patent dated 3 March 1714. He died in Dublin on 30 Jan. 1717, and was buried at St. Andrew's Church. His letters to J. Ellis (1691-1704) are among Brit. Mus. Addit. MSS. 28877-28926.
[Sir James Ware's Works, ed. Harris, i. 431; Cotton's Fasti Eccl. Hib. i. 407, ii. 282, iii. 322, v. 158; Bishop Mant's Hist. of the Church of Ireland, ii. 45, 268; Archbishop King's State of the Protestants of Ireland under King James's Government, ed. 1768, p. 354; Graves and Prim's Hist. and Antiq. of the Cathedral of St. Canice, Kilkenny, p. 320; Cat. of Oxford Graduates, p. 302; Ordnance Survey of the County of Londonderry, i. 64.]