William King (archbishop)

William King
Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of Ireland
Church	Church of Ireland
See	Archdiocese of Dublin
In office	1703 — 1729
Predecessor	Narcissus Marsh
Successor	John Hoadly
Orders
Ordination	1679
Personal details
Born	May 1650 County Antrim
Died	May 1729
Previous post	Bishop of Derry Bishop

William King, D.D. (1650–1729) was an Anglican divine in the Church of Ireland, who was Archbishop of Dublin from 1703 to 1729. He was an author and supported the Glorious Revolution. He had considerable political influence in Ireland, including for a time what amounted to a veto on judicial appointments.

King was born in May 1650 in County Antrim and was educated at The Royal School, Dungannon, County Tyrone, and thereafter at Trinity College, Dublin, graduating BA on 23 February 1670 and MA in 1673.

On 25 October 1671, King was ordained a deacon as chaplain to John Parker, archbishop of Tuam, and on 14 July 1673 Parker gave him the prebend of Kilmainmore, County Mayo. King, who lived as part of Parker's household, was ordained a priest on 12 April 1674.

His support of the Glorious Revolution in 1688 served to advance his position. He became Bishop of Derry in 1691. He was advanced to the position of Archbishop of Dublin in 1703, a post he would hold until his death. He gave £1,000 for the founding of "Archbishop King's Professorship of Divinity" at Trinity College in 1718. Much of his correspondence survives and provides a historic resource for the study of the Ireland of his time. He died in May 1729.

King's years as a bishop were marked by reform and the building of churches and glebe houses, and by the dispensing of charity. His political influence was considerable: he was always consulted on judicial appointments and at times seems to have had an effective veto over candidates he considered unsuitable. His influence later declined after the appointment of Hugh Boulter as Archbishop of Armagh. He was a vocal opponent of Wood's halfpence during the 1720s.

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