John Atherton

, Son of John Atherton, who became Rector of Bawdripp in Somersetshire in 1584. was born in that County, (at Bawdripp as it seems,) and at 16 years of age 1614. became either a Batler or Commoner of Gloucester hall, where continuing till after he had taken one degree in Arts, was transplanted to Lincoln college, took the degree of Master as a Member of it, holy Orders, and soon after was made Rector of Huish Combflower in his own Country. At length being made known to Thomas Earl of Strafford L. Lievtenant of Ireland, for his great sufficiencies in the Canon Law, and Ecclesiastical affairs, was by him made Prebendary of Ch. Ch. in Dublin, and afterwards Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in the year 1636. (he being then Doctor of divinity,) in which office he behaved himself for some time with great prudence, tho forward enough, if not too much, against the R. Catholicks in that Country. At length being charged with a crime, not now to be named, was seized on and imprisoned: And being found guilty of it, was first degraded, and afterwards suffered death by hanging at Dublin, (being the first of his Function that suffered that kind of death, as he said it openly to the People at the Gallows,) on the fifth day of Decemb. in sixteen hundred and forty. 1640 Afterwards his body was buried, according to his desire, in the remotest or obscurest part of the Yard (where rubbish used to be laid) belonging to S. Johns Church in Dublin. Nich. Bernard D. D. sometimes Chaplain to the learned and religious Dr. Vsher Archb of Armagh hath written and published a book of his penitent death, with a Sermon at his burial, to which (being very worthy of perusal) I refer the Reader for his farther satisfaction. In Waterford and Lismore succeeded Dr. Archibald Adair a Seer, and him Dr. George Baker, who died in Octeb. or thereabouts, an. 1668.