James Worsdale

Who was James Worsdale?

James Worsdale was an Irish and English portrait painter, actor, literary fraud, and libertine whose lively conversation, wittiness, and boldness allowed him to move among the highest circles of literary life. His skills as a painter are not widely praised by art historians, but his confidence and assertiveness secured him numerous commissions for portraits.

Worsdale was born in poverty. His father was a pigment grinder, and James began as an apprentice to Godfrey Kneller. However, Kneller fired Worsdale for secretly marrying his niece. Worsdale would claim to be the son-in-law of Kneller, then the actual son of Kneller, but these were impositions.

In 1734 he must have been moving in literary circles, because he painted the portraits of Thomas Southerne and Beau Nash. In 1735, he moved to Dublin, Ireland and became the confidante and companion of Richard Parsons, 1st Earl of Rosse and Lord Blayney. The three of them formed the Hellfire Club, Dublin. Worsdale also helped form the Hell Fire Club of Limerick. He began "writing" plays and acting in them in Dublin at this time, if not earlier.