Person:William Archdall (1)

WILLIAM ARCHDALL (second son of the Rev. John and Elizabeth Archdall), was born on September 29th 1683, and at the age of twelve was apprenticed to the goldsmith's trade. In due course, he established himself in the business in Dublin ; first in Castle Street, and afterwards in Skinner Row, which is now called Christ Church Place. He became Master of the Goldsmiths' Company of Dublin in 1713. His name appears, in 1712, in the list of subscribers to the rebuilding of St. Werburgh's Church, Dublin, and he served as Churchwarden in 1723.

Goldsmith

From the year 1736, until his death, William Archdall was Assay Master of Dublin, and on December 21st 1741 he presented a petition to the Irish House of Commons for an increase of the salary attached to that post. The petition set forth that the Assay Master, appointed by the Company of Goldsmiths in Dublin, was to receive the duty laid on all wrought and manufactured Plate ; that he was empowered to detain the yearly sum of £20, as his salary; but that this sum bore no proportion to the petitioner's labour and expense in executing his office. The Member for Fermanagh, Nicholas Archdall, was on the Committee appointed to investigate the matter, and the petition appears to have been successful. William Archdall's will is dated August 17th, and proved October 15th 1751. He died on September 6th 1751, and was buried at Lusk, where there was probably a family vault.

Family

He married Henrietta, daughter of the Rev. Henry Gonne, Rector of Mayo and Vicar Choral of Tuam Cathedral. In her will, dated July 25th 1765, and proved in 1772, she is described as " of Summer Hill, Widow." William and Henrietta Archdall had issue :—

• The Rev. MERVYN ARCHDALL, the antiquary and genealogist;
• HENRY ARCHDALL, ancestor of the Australian branch of the family;
• ELIZABETH ARCHDALL;
• ANGEL ARCHDALL, married at St. Werburgh's, January 12th 1748-9, William Preston, a brewer, of Dublin. She presented petitions to the House of Commons in 1755 and 1764, in which her children, William and Henrietta, are mentioned;
• KATHERINE ARCHDALL, married, in 1756, Thomas Dobson.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Archdale, Henry Blackwood. Memoirs of the Archdales : with the descents of some allied families. (Enniskillen: Wm. Trimble, 1925)
   p67.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Bennett, Douglas. Collecting Irish Silver. (Souvenir Press Ltd, 1984)
   1984.

   Alphabetical list of Dublin makers