was impossible to accede to Turlough's demand to control his hereditary urraghs, the head of the O'Neills proved otherwise tractable enough, and Piers hoped by certain minor concessions to confirm him in his allegiance, and even to draw him into an alliance against the Scots.
After the capture of Fort del Ore, Piers's plan was revived, with the consent of the lord deputy, Arthur, fourteenth lord Grey de Wilton [q. v.]; but other counsels had begun to prevail with Elizabeth, and, though Piers himself repaired to England early in 1581, he failed to enlist the sympathy of the government. His serious illness at the time may have contributed to his ill-success. He returned to Ireland apparently in the autumn of 1582, and seems shortly afterwards to have retired to Tristernagh. Though verging on seventy, he was still able to sit in the saddle, and his willingness to serve the state, coupled with his long experience, rendered him a useful adviser in matters connected with Ulster. In 1591 he obtained permission to revisit England, ‘that he may behold and do his duty to her majesty … before he dies.’ He apparently survived till 1603, and is said to have been buried at Carrickfergus, of which town he was the first mayor and practical founder. It is necessary to distinguish carefully between him and his three contemporaries of the same name, viz., William Piers, his nephew, described as of Carrickfergus, and also mayor of that town; William Piers of Portsmouth, an officer in the navy, who also served in Ireland; and William Piers, described as lieutenant to the preceding.
Piers married Ann Holt, probably a native of Yorkshire, and by her had one son, Henry [q. v.], who is separately noticed.
[Thoresby's Ducatus Leodiensis, p. 250; Ware's Annals, s.a. 1570; Lodge's Peerage, ed. Archdall, ii. 201–4 n.; Churchyard's Choice; Hill's Macdonnells of Antrim, p. 144; Irish Statutes, i. 328; Benn's Hist. of Belfast, pp. 27, 31; m'Skimin's Hist. of Carrickfergus, p. 315; Cal. State Papers, Irel. passim, and Foreign, 1563, pp. 113, 290; Cal. Hatfield MSS. i. 260, 325; Cal. Fiants, Philip and Mary, Eliz.; Lewis's Topographical Dict. (Carrickfergus); Gregory's Hist. of the Western Highlands, pp. 201, 224; Harl. MS. Brit. Mus. 7004, ff. 100, 104.]
PIERS, PIERSE, or PIERCE, WILLIAM (1580–1670), successively bishop of Peterborough and of Bath and Wells, the son of William Piers or Pierse, was born at Oxford, and baptised in the parish church of All Saints 3 Sept. 1580. His father, called by Wood 'a haberdasher of hats,' was nephew or near of kin to John Piers [q. v.], archbishop of York. He matriculated at Christ Church 17 Aug. 1599, and became student the same year. He graduated B.A. in 1600, M.A. in 1603, B.D. 1610, D.D. 1614. He became chaplain to Dr. John King (1559?-1621) [q. v.], bishop of London, and was thus placed on the road to promotion. In 1609 he was presented by James I to the rectory of Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire, which he resigned in 1611 on his collation by Bishop King to Northolt, which he held till 1632. In 1615 he added to his other preferments the rectory of St. Christopher-le-Stocks in the city of London, which he held till 1620. In January 1616 he was presented to the fifth stall in Christ Church Cathedral, which he exchanged for the eighth stall 16 Dec. 1618, holding it in commendam till 1632. In 1618 he received from his patron, Bishop King, the prebendal stall of Wildland in St. Paul's Cathedral, holding with it the office of divinity reader. As canon of Christ Church he resided chiefly at Oxford, and, though not the head of a house, served the office of vice-chancellor in 1621-4. As vice-chancellor he used his authority to crush the calvinistic party in the university, and to promote the high-church doctrines which were then gaining the ascendant under Laud's influence. He secured a D.D. degree for Robert Sibthorpe [q. v.], the uncompromising maintainer of the royal prerogative (Kennett, Register, p. 669). By these means, according to Wood (Athenae, iv. 839), he attracted 'the goodwill of Laud, and so preferment.' He was appointed to the deanery of Peterborough 9 June 1622. As dean he is said to have shown a 'good secular understanding and spirit in looking after the estates and profits of the church, but, too evidently, his first, and last regards were to his own interest' (Kennett's Collections, Lansd. MS. 984, f. 126 verso). According to the same authority, his successor, Cosin, in 1642 had to call him to account for sums received by him for the repairs of the cathedral, and not expended by him for their proper purpose (ib.) He was elevated in 1630 to the bishopric of Peterborough, being consecrated on 24 Oct. He obtained letters of dispensation to hold the rectory of Northolt and the canonry of Christ Church together with his bishopric in commendam. Northolt he speedily resigned, solacing himself with the chapter living of Caistor, 27 Feb. 1631-2 (Heylyn, Cypr. Angl. p. 215).
In October 1632 he was translated from Peterborough to Bath and Wells. The appointment was virtually due to Laud, who perceived that Piers would prove a ready
