Sir William Yorke, 1st Baronet
Sir William Yorke, 1st Baronet | |
---|---|
Predecessor | New Creation |
Successor | Extinct |
Born | 1700 Northampton, England |
Died | 1776 (aged 75–76) |
Spouse(s) | Charity Singleton |
Father | Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke |
Sir William Yorke, 1st Baronet PC (c. 1700 – 30 September 1776) was an English-born politician and judge in eighteenth-century Ireland, who held office as Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas and as Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ireland. 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.[1]
Family
Yorke was born in
Career
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. For his Chief, Henry Singleton, he had the greatest regard both as man and judge, and their personal ties were strengthened in 1744 when Yorke married Singleton's widowed niece Charity Cope, the daughter of Henry's brother Rowland Singleton, vicar of Termonfeckin, County Louth, and his wife Elizabeth Graham, and widow of William Cope. Charity brought him a comfortable fortune, with which he bought Rathmines Old Castle from the Temple family, and rebuilt it.[3]
His marriage into the Singleton family brought another very useful family connection to
Ironically, having worked so hard to become
In 1761, he was created a Baronet, of Dublin.[5] He resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1763 and retired to England shortly afterwards.[2]
A portrait of Yorke in his judicial robes by Irish painter Philip Hussey (died 1783) still exists.
Death
He died at
References
- ^ As reported by The North-British Intelligencer October 1776
- ^ a b c d Ball, F. Elrington The Judges in Ireland 1221-1921 London John Murray 1926 Vol. 2 p.207
- ^ No trace of Rathmines Castle remains today, but it probably stood at the site of present-day Palmerston Park, Rathmines- see Deirdre Kelly Four Roads to Dublin O'Brien Press (1995).
- ^ London Chronicle, 31 March 1761.
- ^ "No. 10090". The London Gazette. 24 March 1761. p. 2.
- ^ The North-British Intelligencer October 1776
- ^ "Historical Account of Charter-House" London 1808