WORTHINGTON, WILLIAM (1704 - 1778), cleric and author

Son of Thomas Worthington of Park, Llanwnnog, Montgomeryshire., christened at Llanwnnog, 4 April 1704. He was educated at the grammar school at Oswestry, and matriculated at Oxford from Jesus College, 9 May 1722. He took his B.A. in 1725-6, his M.A. from S. John's College, Cambridge, in 1730. In 1758 he proceeded to the degrees of B.D and D.D. at Oxford. He taught for some time at Oswestry and in April 1730 he was appointed vicar of Llan-y-blodwel, Salop; in November 1731, canon of S. Asaph; in July 1737, sinecure rector of Darowen (which office he held till 1751); sinecure rector of Hope, Flintshire, 1751 (till 1774); sinecure rector of Llanfor, near Bala, 1774. He was vicar of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant from 1745 till his death, and prebendary of Meifod in St Asaph cathedral from 1773. He also held (from 1762) a prebendal stall in York Minster. For many years he lived at Llanrhaeadr, where he enlarged the vicarage; he died there 6 October 1778, and is buried in the churchyard. There is a memorial tablet to him in the church.

Worthington interested himself in a number of projects, including the provision of an embankment over Traeth Mawr; he was visited at Llanrhaeadr by Samuel Johnson and Thomas Pennant; and in his will he bequeathed legacies to various missionary causes, and for the provision of a cathedral library at St Asaph. He wrote a number of theological works, and his last productions (including one published posthumously) were concerned with the problem of scriptural demonology.

Author

• Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, (1899 - 1970)

Sources

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• H. B. Thomas, A History of the Diocese of St. Asaph (1874), i, 351
• St Asaph episcopal register in N.L.W.
• R. Williams, Montgomeryshire Worthies (1894)
• Foster, Alumni Oxonienses: the members of the University of Oxford

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734714

Published date: 1959

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