Anthony Upton (judge)

[5] He acquired a comfortable house at Mountown, previously the family home of the noted writer Sir Richard Steele, near present-day Monkstown, County Dublin.

He was accused by his political opponents of spending most of his time at Mountown, to the neglect of his office, in the company of his friend, the poet William King.

[9] Upton in his summing-up to the jury did not deny the existence of witchcraft- which would be a very advanced view for the time- rather he dwelt on the good character of the accused.

Since witchcraft was, in theory, a capital crime, the sentence- a year in prison and four sessions in the pillory- may seem relatively lenient, although it is said that the convicts were treated very roughly by an angry crowd while being pilloried.

Abandoning his beloved home at Mountown, he returned to England and resumed his practice at the English Bar, but in 1718, while suffering from what was described as "delirium", he cut his throat[1] at his temporary chambers at Gray's Inn.