William Methold
Sir William Methold (or Methwold) (c.1560- 1621) was an English-born judge in seventeenth-century Ireland, who held office as Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer.
He was born in Norfolk, son of William Methold (or Methwold) senior, of Rushworth, and his wife Susanna Alington of Swinhope, Lincolnshire. He was called to the Bar in 1589, became a serjeant-at-law by 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 and held that position until his death. He was buried in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.
He married Margaret Southwell, daughter of John Southwell of Suffolk : they had one daughter, Elizabeth, who married Thomas Potts, Master of the Harriers to James I. After her husband's death Elizabeth Potts was left in great poverty, and as a result she was granted a Government pension in 1655.[1]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.[2] Methold was the uncle of William Methwold, the noted colonial administrator.[3]
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 part in public life.[4] Crawford, on the other hand, 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 as far as possible), and who was conscientious in referring difficult cases to the Court of Castle Chamber, the Irish equivalent of Star Chamber.[5]