This Wortley lineage is based on a Wortley pedigree published by Foster. [1]
A sketch of son Thomas by Burke reported [2]:
Sir Thomas Wortley, of Wortley, in Yorkshire, son of Nicholas Wortley, by Isabel, his wife, daughter and heir of William Tunstull, of Thurland, and representative of the ancient family of Wortley, was a distinguished personage in the times in which he lived, and knight of the body to four successive sovereigns Edward IV., Richard III., Henry VII., and Henry VIII, "And also (we quote the old illuminated pedigree of Wortley) Sir Thomas did serve them with great credite in their wares, having threat government in this common weal the, being as it may appeare in great trust with the said kinges: for as yet ther remaineth a great number of letters in the house of Wortley, which were sent by the aforesaid kinges to the said Sir Thomas, sealled with their private signates; the which letters were for the exsecusion of theirc lawes, musters, collections, and commissions, with other and divers services of great truste and credit, as the only man in these parts. And also had of the said princes gyft the stewardship of Midlame Castell, withall thinges thereunto belonginge, with the puttinge in of all the officers into the said Cantell. And also he had and was steward of Kimberworth, with all the commodates therunto belonginge ...
Nowe to speake of his recreation. First he was much given to showtinge in the long bowe, tand many of his men were caninge archiers, and in them he did muche delite. Also he had muche delite in huntinge, that he did builde in the middest in his forest of Wharnclife, a house or lodge, at which house he did lye at, for the most part of the grease tyme; and the worshipfull of the countrye did ther resorte unto hime, havinge ther with hime pastime and good cheare. Many tymes he would go into the Forest of the Peake aud set up ther his tent with great provision of vitales, having in his company many worshipfull persones, with his owne familye and would remaine ther vii weeks or more huntinge and makinge other worthy pastimes unto his compauye.
"The said Sir Thomas had such a kinde and brede of hounds, and their cuninge in huntinge it was such, that the fame of them went into Scotland, so that the kinge of Scots did write his letters desieringe hime to have some of his houndes; at the which request he did send him x copple, with his own huntsman, which did remain ther ii whole yeares. Thus I leave to speak of the worthy fame of this knight, omittinge many thinges worthy to be spoken off."
This doughty knight m. first, in 14fi3, Catherine, daughter of William Fitz William, of Sprotborough, by whom he had a son, Nicholas, who d.s.p. and a daughter, Isabel, wife of John Talbot. He wedded, secondly, Joan, daughter and heir of William Balderston, aud widow first of Thomas Langton.and secondly of Sir John Pilkington, by which lady, whom he divorced, he had no child. He m. thirdly, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Richard Fitz William, of Alder Park, and widow of John Fitz William, esq. of Sprotborough, by whom he left at his decease in 1514, (being buried at Hetnsworth,) a son and successor,
Thomas Wortley, esq. of Wortley, whose short life was harassed by expensive lawsuits with the Talbots. He m. Margaret, daughter of Sir John Sarile, of Tankersley and Thornhill, by whom, who wedded, secondly, Richard Corbet, esq. he left at his decease, 11th April, 1M3, a son and heir,
Francis Wortley, esq. of Wortley, who according to the illuminated pedigree before referred to, " was brought up in learning at the Inns of Court, and was well versed in the laws, being on the queen's majesty's council of the North parts: he was also justice of the peace and justice of Coram, and custos rotulorum, and had great government in this West Riling, and was of singular great wisdom and manhood." A similar character is given of him by the Earl of Shrewsbury, in a letter to Walsingham, 1582, which mentions him as '* A gentylman bothe wise and of very good credytt in the country ;" and in another communication of the saiuc nobleman, addressed to Burleigh, he is stated to he ''of greate lyviug and accounte." Mary Stuart was at that time a captive in Sheffield Castle, and the Earl of Shrewsbury her keeper, who then meditated a journey to London,proposed to commit the custody M the queen to Mr. Wortley. He m. first, in 1558. Mary, daughter and co-heir of Robert Swyl't, esq. of Rotberham aud Broomhall,and secondly, Frances, daughter of Thomas BurUet, esq. of Burthwaite, which lady survived and wedded, secondly, Francis Foljambe, of Aldwark. By his first wife, who died in 1581, Mr. Wortley had issue, ...
[1] Joseph Foster. Pedigrees of the County Families of Yorkshire, Vol. 2, West Riding (London: 1874), Wortley, [InternetArchive].
[2] John Bernard Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of England (1844), 582, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].