William Burscough Explained

William Burscough was an eighteenth-century English Anglican^[1] priest.^[2]

Burscough matriculated at Brasenose College Oxford in 1692, where his matriculation record gave his father as John Burscough, cleric, of Stoke, Surrey. He moved in 1694 to Wadham College, being appointed a Fellow in 1699.^[3] In 1712 was appointed Rector of Stoke-next-Guildford, Surrey, which had been his father's living until his death in 1707.He became Dean of Lismore in 1725;^[4] and was Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe^[5] from 1725 until his death^[6] on 3 April 1755.^[7]

It has been said that he was the son of Robert Burscough, Archdeacon of Barnstaple from 1703 until 1709,^[8] but this seems to be incorrect. Contemporary documents name him (as "Rt Rev Wm Burscough, Bishop of Limerick") as dealing with the property in Hertfordshire previously owned by the Bownests, his mother's family.^[9]

Notes and References

1. "The Scots Magazine, Volume 17" Boswell,J (Ed): Edinburgh; Sands, Donaldson, Murray & Cochran, 1855
2. Book: Fryde, E. B. . Greenway, D. E. . Porter, S. . Roy, I. . Handbook of British Chronology . Third . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge . 1986 . 0-521-56350-X . 376–377.
3. Cliff Davies, Emeritus Fellow & Archivist, Wadham College, Oxford
4. Book: Fasti Ecclesiae Hibernicae: The succession of the prelates and members..., Volume 1. 2013-07-14. Cotton. Henry. 1847.
5. Book: Fryde, E. B. . Greenway, D. E. . Porter, S. . Roy, I. . Handbook of British Chronology . 3rd . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge . 1986 . 0-521-56350-X . 400–401.
6. "An History of the City of Limerick" Ferrar,J: Limerick, Andrew Welsh, 1767
7. Book: Moody . T. W. . Theodore William Moody . Martin . F. X. . F. X. Martin . Byrne . F. J. . Francis John Byrne . Maps, Genealogies, Lists: A Companion to Irish History, Part II . 1984 . Oxford University Press . New History of Ireland: Volume XI . Oxford . 0-19-821745-5 . 304–305.
8. " Letters on Various Subjects, Literary, Political and Ecclesiastical, Volume 1" Nicolson,W (Ed): London, John Nicols, 1809
9. Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies: Manorial records and title deeds for Manors of Thundridge and Essendon, and estate records of the Dimsdale and Whitbread families, 16th C - 19th C Ref DE/H/589,