Maturin, William (1806–87), clergyman, was born 12 July 1806, eldest son of the Rev. Charles Robert Maturin (qv) and his wife (m. October 1803) Henrietta, daughter of Thomas Kingsberry, archdeacon of Killala, and aunt of Jane Francesca Wilde (qv) (née Elgee). His father's gothic novels and theatrical pursuits colour the reputation in literary history of the Maturin family, of huguenot descent; several of its members were writers, others held church positions.
Maturin entered TCD in November 1823, graduated BA (1831) and later MA and BD, and took his DD in 1866. He became rector of Grangegorman in 1843 and passed most of his career there, where the vicarage had a sprawling garden suitable for the entertainments of his large family. He was a gifted orator and his sermons attracted large crowds, but his extreme tractarian views fell foul of the Church of Ireland, and this precluded any ambitions for advancement. He was editor of the Irish Ecclesiastical Journal and president of the Irish Church Society. His publications include Gospel of the poor and The sin of Saul: two sermons preached before the University of Dublin as exercises for the degrees of BD and DD (Dublin, 1866); Six lectures on the events of Holy Week; preface by Henry Hogan (Dublin, 1911); The distinctive principles of the church: an address delivered at the annual meeting of the [Irish Church] Society, . . . 15th May, 1867 (Dublin, 1867); and The blessedness of the dead in Christ and other sermons (London, 1888).
In 1872 Maturin was appointed keeper (librarian) of Marsh's Library but seems never actually to have served as such. His appointment came about through the influence of Sir William Wilde (qv), who wished to keep Dr Robert Travers (qv) from the appointment. Travers served instead as assistant librarian, and Sir William had intervened because Travers's daughter Mary Josephine had been at the centre of the libel case of December 1864 against Lady Wilde, which arose from Sir William's relationship with her. Travers had long carried out the responsibilities of the work of the librarian at Marsh's. Maturin at this stage was suffering from ill health and in fact retired to Howth. He offered Travers the keeper's lodgings, a second key to the library, and part of his salary, all of which Travers refused. Maturin died on 30 June 1887 at Monkstown, when his age was cited in the press as 82. There is a photographic portrait of him at Marsh's Library.
He married (17 August 1843) Jane Cooke (d. 7 April 1885), daughter of Capt. Robert Bentley; they had ten children. Two of his daughters became nuns and three of his sons became clergymen, the best-known being Fr Basil William Maturin (qv) who died in the sinking of the Lusitania.