William Methold

He was born in Norfolk, one of the three sons of William Methold (or Methwold) senior (died 1586), of Rushworth, and his wife Susanna Alington, daughter George Alington of Swinhope, Lincolnshire. He was educated at Lyon's Inn and Lincoln's Inn. He was called to the Bar in 1589, became a serjeant-at-law c.1612, and was made a Bencher of Lincoln's Inn in 1608. He was knighted and sent to Ireland as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer in 1612, an office he held until his death. He joined the King's Inn in the same year.[2]He is buried in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.[3]

He married Margaret Southwell, daughter of John Southwell of Barham, Suffolk:[4] they had one daughter, Elizabeth, who married in 1608 Thomas Potts, Master of the Harriers (Hare-hounds) to James I.[5] After her husband's death Elizabeth Potts was left in a state of great poverty, and as a result she was granted a Government pension in 1655.[6] William Methold's widow Margaret remarried Sir Thomas Rotherham, a member of the Privy Council of Ireland and MP for Tuam in the Irish Parliament of 1634-5.[7] Methold was the uncle of William Methwold, the noted colonial administrator.[8]

Elrington Ball states that Methold was noted for his severity in enforcing the Penal Laws against Roman Catholics, and for his determination to exclude Catholics from any role in public life.[9] Crawford, in a much more favourable sketch oh his character, praises him as an exceptionally able, energetic and dependable judge who was diligent in going on assize (which many Irish judges then found an ordeal to be avoided so far as possible), and who was conscientious in referring difficult cases to the Court of Castle Chamber, the Irish equivalent of Star Chamber.[10] Sir Arthur Chichester praised him as "an honest man".