William Markham (bishop)

For the noted Atlantan, see William Markham; for the Pennsylvania colonial official, see William Markham (Governor).

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable William Markham
Archbishop of York
Contemporary portrait by Benjamin West.
Province	Province of York
Diocese	Diocese of York
In office	17 January 1777 (conf.)–1807 (death)
Predecessor	Robert Hay Drummond
Successor	Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt
Other posts	Lord High Almoner (1777–1807) Dean of Rochester (20 February 1765 {instit.}–October 1767) Dean of Christ Church (October 1767 {exch.}–1777) Bishop of Chester (February 1771 {conf.}–1777)
Personal details
Born	1719 Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland
Died	(1807-11-03)3 November 1807 (aged 88) Mayfair, Middlesex, England
Buried	11 November 1807, Westminster Abbey
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Residence	South Audley Street, Mayfair (at death)
Parents	Major William Markham & Elizabeth née Markham
Spouse	Sarah Goddard (m. 1759)
Children	6 sons (inc. John, Very Revd George & William) & 7 daughters
Education	Westminster School
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

William Markham (1719 – 3 November 1807), English divine, served as Archbishop of York from 1777 until his death.

Early life

William Markham was born in 1719 to Major William Markham and Elizabeth (née Markham) of Kinsale in Ireland.

He was educated at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated on 6 June 1738, graduating BA 1742, MA 1745, BCL & DCL 1752.

Career

He was one of the best scholars of his day, and attained to the headship of his old school and college: he served as Headmaster of Westminster 1753–1765, and Dean of Christ Church 1767–1776. Between those headships, he held the deanery of Rochester 1765–1767. He held from time to time a number of livings, and in 1771 was made Bishop of Chester and tutor to the Prince of Wales (later George IV). In 1776 he became Archbishop of York, and also Lord High Almoner and privy councillor.

He was a fierce critic of pamphleteer Richard Price concerning the American rebellion. He was for some time a close friend of Edmund Burke, but his strong championship of Warren Hastings caused a breach. He was accused by Lord Chatham of preaching pernicious doctrines, and was a victim of the Gordon Riots in 1780.

Bishop Markham was also the person who composed the Latin memorial for George Berkeley, the famous philosopher.^[3]

Personal life

In 1759, Markham married Sarah Goddard, the daughter of John Goddard, a wealthy English merchant of Rotterdam, with whom he had six sons and seven daughters. The children included:

• John Markham, who was an eminent Naval officer
• George Markham, who was Dean of York from 1802 to 1822
• Robert Markham who was Archdeacon of York from 1794 to 1830
• Frederica became Countess of Mansfield.

See also

• Markham, Ontario – named for him by his friend John Graves Simcoe, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada and where Markham never visited

Footnotes

References

• Markham, David Frederick (1854). A history of the Markham family. London: John Bowyer Nichols and sons.

External links

• William Markham at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)