William Worth (Irish judge)

William's father the Bishop has been described as an exceptionally adroit political player, who worked closely with the Cromwellian regime, and enjoyed the friendship of Henry Cromwell, yet who re-emerged after the Restoration of Charles II with his reputation as a staunch Royalist more or less intact.

His political influence was considerable in the late 1650s, but declined sharply after 1660, and his only reward was Killaloe, a small and rather obscure diocese, whose incumbent was not well suited to play a role in public affairs.

[1] His staunchly Protestant background was no doubt a recommendation for high office, at a time when the tolerant attitude towards Roman Catholicism which had existed since the Restoration had been destroyed by the anti-Catholic hysteria engendered by the Popish Plot.

[2] As a strong Protestant, William was naturally assumed to be a supporter of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and after the arrival of the Roman Catholic King James II of England in Ireland in 1689, he was removed from office.

[3] He married thirdly about 1687, Dorothy, daughter of Henry Whitfield MP and his wife Hester Temple, and widow of Sir Richard Bulkeley, 1st Baronet; she died in 1705.

His fourth wife was Lucy Downing, daughter of the eminent statesman Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet and his wife Frances Howard; she was also, rather strangely by modern standards, the widow of Dorothy's stepson, Sir Richard Bulkeley, 2nd Baronet, whose niece and heiress Hester had married Worth's son James in 1702.

He left a considerable bequest to his nephew Edward Worth, (son of John), a physician and noted book collector.