OLDSWORTH, William (d.1603), of Gloucester.

Richard Pate, from whom Oldsworth had presumably bought the office, wished Oldsworth to succeed him as recorder in 1586, but in spite of pressure from the Privy Council (acting through Giles Brydges, 3rd Baron Chandos, the justices of assize and the two chief justices), the mayor of Gloucester, Luke Garnons, refused to allow an election to be held and Oldsworth had to wait for the office until the end of Garnons’ term of office as mayor in November 1587. Even after Oldsworth had been appointed, he was not returned to Parliament until 1597, and then his election was unsuccessfully challenged by Thomas Atkins, the town clerk, on the ground that it had been rigged by the mayor. Oldsworth was named to committes considering the local government of Wantage (10 Nov. 1597), monopolies (10 Nov.), bridges in Monmouthshire (29 Nov.) and Herefordshire (13 Jan. 1598), tillage (13 Dec.), herrings (20 Jan.), law reform (3 Feb.), privileges and returns (31 Oct. 1601) and the penal laws (2 Nov. 1601). In 1597 the burgesses for Gloucester were appointed to committees concerning forestallers (7 Nov., 8 Dec.), maltsters (9 Nov., 12 Jan. 1598) and the city of Bristol (28 Nov.).3L. Inn Black Bk. i. 386, 434, 440; ii. 17, 22, 28, 30, 38, 42, 50, 52, 57; Neale, Commons, 276-81; St. Ch. 5/A1/5, 10/6, 20/11, 49/5; APC, xiv. 321-2; xv. 17, 136, 291, 292; xvi. 75; D’Ewes, 552, 554, 555, 565, 569, 572, 578, 579, 584, 592, 622.

In 1575 Oldsworth is mentioned as one of the two patrons of the rectory of Brockworth, Gloucestershire. He was one of the witnesses to Richard Pate’s will, and with two others was to make an inventory of his goods. The will remitted half of £20 which Oldsworth owed to Pate. Oldsworth died intestate in April 1603, and administration was granted to his son Robert.4Bristol and Glos. Arch. Soc. Trans. vii. 169; lvi. 219-225; W. R. Williams, Welsh Judges, 165; PCC admon. act bk. 1603, f. 156.