People: Worsley, Sir Robert
Surname
Worsley (Worseley)
Forename
Robert
Sex
Male
Approx Year of Birth
1512
Marital Status
At Issue
Spouse Name
First wife, Alice Tyldesley; second wife, Margaret Beetham
Occupation Status
Gentleman
Remarks
Career: Robert Worsley was born about 1512. He inherited extensive estates in Lancashire and Yorkshire on the death of his grandfather although he seems to have been in some financial difficulty as he sold off parts of his estate.
He was knighted at Leith in 1544 and elected to the first Marian parliament of 1553, although did not serve the full term, and was elected again in 1558. He served as sheriff of Lancashire twice in 1548-9, 1559-60 and was a J.P. for the county from about 1540. He was a commissioner for ecclesiastical causes for the diocese of Chester from 1562.
He married firstly Alice, the daughter of Thurstan Tyldesley of Wardley, and secondly Margaret Beetham. However, as papers at EDC 5/11/2 indicate that although he considered that his marriage to Alice had been dissolved on the grounds of her alleged adultery the church authorities did not agree, and his second marriage was considered bigamous. This may explain the following reference in the 1547 will of Thurstan Tyldesley ‘notwithstanding yt my sone in law Sir Robert Worsley knight is married to Margerit Bethum his wif yet levyng yet I remyt and pardon to him vijli xs apon condicion yt he geve yerly unto my doughter Alis his wif vli or mor for hir exhibicion duryng her absens from him or apon condcion yt he take his said wif into his company and intreat hir as he ought to do’ (Piccope, Wills, pp. 100-101).
Sir Robert Worsley died in December 1585 and was buried at Eccles.
Sources:
Rev. G. J. Piccope (ed.), Lancashire and Cheshire Wills and Inventories from the Ecclesiastical Court, Chester (Chetham Society, old series, 33, 1857 (First Portion), pp. 97-114
F. R. Raines (ed.), The visitation of the county palatine of Lancaster, made in the year 1664-5, by Sir William Dugdale, Knight, part III (Chetham Society, old series, 88, 1873), pp. 339-340
‘Townships: Worsley’, in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4, ed. William Farrer, J Brownbill( London, 1911), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp376-392 [accessed 6 January 2025]
https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/worsley-sir-robert-1512-85
Causes
EDC 5/11/2 – Sir Robert Worsley