His last years were plagued by ill health: he suffered agonies from a kidney stone, and his death was caused by an accidental drug overdose, which he took in an effort to relieve the chronic pain.
[2] Yorke found life in Ireland extremely agreeable, writing enthusiastic letters to his friends at home about the warmth of Irish hospitality and the civilised conversation he enjoyed there.
Ironically, having worked so hard to become Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, Yorke found that he was unsuited to the office.
In particular, like many judges in Ireland at the time, he found going on assize an ordeal, and he may already have begun to suffer from the kidney stone which caused him such agony in later life.
Even before Singleton died in 1759, Yorke was hoping to take his place – in the end, he settled for another sinecure, Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland.