He was elder son of Ralph Ironside, rector of Long Bredy and of Winterbourne Abbas and was born at Hawkesbury, near Sodbury, Gloucestershire, on 25 November 1588.

[2] The second son, Ralph Ironside (1590–1683) became rector of Long Bredy in succession to his father, who died in 1629,[3] and was also Archdeacon of Dorset.

On 13 October 1660 he was appointed to a prebendal stall in York Minster, but resigned the post next year.

[4] As a man of wealth he was considered fitted to maintain the dignity of the episcopate with the reduced revenues of the see.

Ironside died on 19 September 1671, and was buried in his cathedral without any memorial, near the steps of the bishop's throne.