James Worsdale

His skills as a painter are not widely praised by art historians, but his confidence and assertiveness secured him numerous commissions for portraits.

In 1735, he moved to Dublin, Ireland and became the confidant and companion of Richard Parsons, 1st Earl of Rosse and Lord Blayney.

He moved to London off and on, where he remained in the company of Matthew Pilkington and continued to act and paint portraits for substantial commissions.

He died in London on 19 June 1767, aged 75,[1] and was buried in St. Paul's, Covent Garden[1] On his tombstone was inscribed his epitaph, written by himself: In his will, Worsdale left money to five acknowledged bastards, as well as to a lady to give her independence from her husband.

Laetitia Pilkington's Memoir gives a scathing account of him, and other memoirists record him as a short, unseemly man whose whole skill was in pretence and bravado.